Hard-Lessons

Hard Lessons

If you have found the engineer page? This is another lesson you might learn at someone else's expense; it is certainly a cheaper way to learn than first hand. Regardless of what I might offer for sale, or suggest you buy, my focus is always on simplicity and reliability. The more complex it is, the higher the probability there is for failure, and Murphy says it will fail when you need it most.

Hurricanes can create outages that will challenge the hardware store generator, the outage sometimes outlives the generator :-) Here's a story from a DIYer who is new to the utterpower pages. Note how resourceful Steve is. Names and brands have been omitted, I have enough people disgusted with me already, readers who visit often know who those people are .. here's Steve's message..

Amazingly Katrina came along after we had bought off ebay a 12kw "kit" from @#$%&^. Unfortunately I wish after the fact that I'd seen your web page. You are particularly correct on the issue of the integral radiator and alternator-fan drive system. Many little glitches presented themselves during its use after the storm while waiting for "grid" power to be restored. I had to relocate the fuel tank as it was bent on self destruction and was causing an oil leak at the long stud in the middle. Next I had to pull the flywheel and redrill and tap the holes which mounted the drive sheave for the alt-fan (fortunately had a cordless drill and proper tapset on hand). Then the muffler cracked around the mounting pipe, fell against the oil pressure indicator melting it ( but amazingly not creating an oil leak). I spent about 2 hours gas weld repairing only for it to break again the following day. I gave up on the muffler and let her rip. Then the radiator started to disintegrate. I was able to stabilize it through the judicious use of a ratchet strap. My engine is a XXXXX ZS1115NM and I want to purchase your hopper cooling conversion kit and also you "utterpower CD". Will it fit? Attached are a few photos of my "improvised as I went" set-up. Fortunately I got to work on the foundation immediately and that was in good order prior to the storm. Please let me know if your cooling kit is proper for my engine.

thanks, Steve M.

Just to note, the cooling manifold does fit, and retrofits are not uncommon as you might have guessed.

What I want to share is the simple facts, a Briggs and Stratton 4 cycle flat head is good for about 600 hours (my experience).

	Not all power plants are built to provide long term service, people demand features, and some factories will attempt to deliver those features even if they are not properly engineered!
	If it is not part of the design, it doesn't fail, the engine that Steve bought has so many design flaws that it may not live as long as the Briggs and Stratton in stationary power applications (IMHO).

If you hard mount an exhaust system to an engine, you better pay attention to the resonance problems! At this moment in time (9/05), metal prices are thru the roof, and there are a bunch of engineers who are forced to cut corners, they often report to some 'bean counter', only thing worse than a bean counter is an attorney, but we're not likely to see a company run very long without both of them.. I have personally noted that the metal used in some of these exhaust systems is getting thinner as the price of metal goes up. Engine builders also cut other corners, they leave off clamps in the middle of external HP fuel lines, leave out isolators and rubber mounts off fuel tanks, etc.

If you are building a stationary generator, it's simple to build one right...pull everything off the engine that doesn't need to be there, remote mount the fuel tank, the radiator, gauges, fuel filters, etc. Provide proper support for external fuel lines, like a rubber clamp in the middle of the line so it doesn't work harden and spring a leak when you are not there to catch it! Build a proper exhaust system with a flexible joint between the engine and the rest of the exhaust system.

It is hard for some of us to to accept the fact that some stuff is made to sell, and some who sell it are simply salesmen. Opinions vary, and I'd bet the person who sold this stuff to Steve has an opinion that differs from mine. EBay offers us valuable information about a seller, but another category of feedback that would tell us more is a follow up on the sale, present feedback is given shortly after people open the crate.

More stories might be posted here if I get the time, and at the moment, I don't have time to read all my mail.. yikes!

All the best,

George B.

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cooling manifolds retrofit the engine with the built in radiator.