Cart ideas for a CS 12-2

[Northernliving]

I’m fortunate to be the fairly new owner of a 1950’s vintage 12-2.  It’s in good running condition but could use some paint.  I’m inclined to paint it vs a complete rebuild, but we’ll see.  I will use it for a backup generator and am therefore interested in plans for a functional but vintage looking cart that will accommodate cooling, fuel and the generator head.   To that end, I was wondering if anyone has any pictures or drawings that they could send me to generate some ideas.  Mail can be sent to my username(above) at gmail dot com.

Many thanks.

[dieselgman]

Hey Northern, that is what we call in the trade a "DuPont rebuild"! Sure makes things look good, but what is under the covers is what really matters. Run her awhile under full load and check crankcase internal condition... sure would be a shame to put the effort into a good paint job only to find that it has to be done again in concert with internal repairs.

There are some pretty good examples of British wooden trolleys in use with these... I believe some of the pictures are on this forum.

dieselgman

[contaucreek]

Hi Brian. My cart was from a tractor scrapyard. It had a pump on it that the owner was keeping and the cart itself was in poor shape, they had backed over it with the loader    I spent a couple weeks bending/cutting/welding to get it right. I had a thread on Smokstak about it and my pics as I was building it are on the listerenginegallery at the top of this page under my screen name.

Thoughts:
1) Big wheels roll easier than small wheels
2) Pnuematic wheels roll easier than steel wheels
3) Lister never made these portable but did skid mount them
4) A working engine will need a much larger cooling tank or a rad assembly

If I was to do it again I would either skid mount or make a drop frame cart. The drop frame has a few pluses-it puts the cooling tank at a better height for functionality while lower the center of gravity of the whole unit, the drawback being decreased ground clearance-not a problem unless you are loading onto a trailer or moving over very uneven surfaces.

 The genny can be mounted on the front of the cart and a double pully assembly could also drive a hydraulic pump for a woodsplitter etc..really anything you could imagine.

Think long and hard before you commit to a design. When I first got my 6/1 I mounted it on a 4'x4' trailer to make it towable.

Good luck, I assume it was you who emailed me. Where are you located ??

P.S.  For fuel on my big Ruston what I did was repurpose a 20lb bbq tank. After safely devalving, purging, venting and praying I drilled a small hole in the bottom and welded a short 1/4" pipe coupling on. This is your outlet, put a valve on it. At the top I put a close nipple into the hole then a 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/4 tee was screwed on sideways so that the 1/2 and 1/2 ends were verticle and the 1/4 hole was horizontal. The top 1/2 hole gets a vented cap put on and its for filling. The 1/4 hole is for your pump return line back into the tank. I made a small bracket out of steel channel and welded the open side to the tank vertically then welded the bracket onto the top of my cooling tank..voila'...I dont condone welding on propane tanks...or drinking too much Rum...or pre marital sex...or sticking your tongue on a 9v battery or...

[38ac]

 The twins present a challenge on a cart due to  the uneven firing pulses and rocking effect of the 180 degree crankshaft. The fact you have a 650 RPM 12 and not a 800 RPM 16 helps but personally the first thing I would due is BOLT the engine down on a couple 4x6 timbers about 8' long and start it (NEVER!!! start a twin sitting on makeshift lose cribbing!!! as the flywheels hang below the crankcase)  This is so you can access the balance of your particular engine, how well it is behaved sitting in the timbers will determine how you approach your project. Yes, in spite of lore some poorly balanced engines came out of Dursley. If it is violent on the timbers I suggest you abandon the cart idea or plan on re balancing it because it will only get worse on a cart. Almost all of my engines are on carts including my generator sets unfortunately I just sold my twin set and don't have any pictures. . Layout and configuration needs to be carefully considered or your "cart" will quickly become a "wagon" The cart needs to be ridged in construction. Mine had 4x6" oak stringers and was borderline. I dont recommend rubber tires unless they are heavy ply rated, any light duty ties will only add to vibration and bounce. Cooling will have to be via radiator as per memory the tank size for a twin is close to 100 galllons? Others may confirm or correct that number. The length of the cart can be calculated by laying out your chosen components on the shop floor.

Good luck! and post pictures!

[contaucreek]

Neither of my twins bounces too bad on their carts.

[Northernliving]

Many thanks for your responses and ideas.  Keep them coming.

1)  Dieselgman – Good idea to run it for a while.  I’ll probably build the cart, add the genny, etc and then run it to make sure she seems solid before adding any lipstick.  I agree – it’s sort of a poor man’s “rebuild” but I have other projects going on right now along with some serious business travel and don’t know that I have the time for a complete tear down.   Someday – yes!  I really want to do a complete rebuild, but I would rather avoid it at the moment.  If it’s necessary, I’ll do it.
2)  I’ll probably use a radiator.  It currently has one, and I’ll probably keep it.  Not sure at this point regarding the fan (pulley vs electric).
3)  I like the idea of large oak timbers.  It will look more rustic.  I want to be able to tow this behind my tractor, etc. so it will have some kind of wheels.
4)  Great idea on the hydraulic pump.  I really like that!
5)  I was actually thinking of pneumatic tires for easy towing and them some crank down stabilizers to use when running.  We’ll see about that.   

I’ll look for some pics on line.  Any links are welcome.  I’ll be sure to keep this link posted as I make progress.