anyone know how to describe - that is, the specs - of the copper washer for the injector?  I know I need a new one, and I'd like to get a batch, and I'd like to do it without taking the current one out. 
also, anyone have a source?

interesting.   well, no, I don't have any other metering on my load than volts and htz.    The head sure heats up though, where my 40 gal radiator tank (sitting outside the shed, in not-too-cold northern California) gets almost too hot to touch.    I have a simple kil-o-watt meter, but I can't easily put that in line, as the higher amp plugs don't fit it.

Getting more load on while charging the house isn't difficult of course.  In fact, I have TWO AC chargers (I have 2 battery banks) and could easily run them at the same time. 

But, just to really check - you really don't think the slower speed was the problem? and that running at 580 is BETTER than running at 650?

Doing the mental arithmetic, I'm still having trouble seeing it as a Timing issue unless your timing is Waaaay off..... at which point I think you'd have certainly starting if not running troubles.

She starts pretty easy... when I have cleaned the injector, it starts up.

I would Check your compression firstly and if you are comfortable, Pull the cylinder and check those Ring lands.

I did do the full take apart in the last 12 months, and checked/cleaned all rings. (might have replaced one, can't remember now) and everything seems in regular shape... though I might not recognize cylinder damage or something.

A quick and easy way to bump the timing would be just add 10% RUG and see what happens.

sorry, what?  change the timing by 10%?  as in change where the injection happens so it's 10% further around the flywheel?  Is there an easy way to translate that 10% to twists on the timing nut?

What happens if you run say 3-6 Hours on Diesel? Do you get the same problem?

haven't done that in a while, and when I have, I've not ONLY done that  - but sometime this fall, I'll give that a go.

I just can't see how with what you are doing this can be happening unless there is a Compression or a severe timing issue that would affect the engine on any fuel.  What sort of a Load are you putting on it when it is running?  It's not either running with minimal load or over loaded and smoking is it?

yeah, weird, right?  and it seems to me that compression is ok, as it starts well.  My typical load is my house - adding power to the battery bank.  Because of the lack of decent sine wave coming off my Chinese ST, I run an AC charger -
input voltage: 108-132 VAC
input watts: 900 w
input freq: 50-60
output volts: 54.4vdc
output amps: 13

but I don't really know how much it truly pulls.  You can hear a slight bear down when it's connected.   But NO, I am not running this thing at max load much ever.   Occasionally I will run a big powerful table saw and during big cuts it will really slow, but that's 10 times a year for 2 minutes each, tops.

sorry, I know this has been discussed; I spent time searching but can't find a clear answer.

I know that the timing can/should be adjusted based on fuel type, and I thought I had succeeded at this, but I think I need to work harder at it.

One problem that I believe I'm creating is that I've always bought into the idea of starting and stopping on store bought diesel, and then switching over to WVO.  I've actually never succeeded at starting on WVO, perhaps due to my timing issue, or other variables. 

Still, I'm struggling with lots of carbon.   So I figure I need to tweak the timing... but what's the testing process?  How many turns on that nut under the pump per test?   Like, do I set the timing different a few degrees, run for 3 hours, pull the injector, see carbon, turn the nut (5 times?) run for 3 hours, pull the injector, look for carbon, over and over? 

Or am I just not switching back over to diesel soon enough? Does it need to be run on diesel to scrub it up for 30 minutes or something?   

Obviously, I'm flailing around here. 

There's no good reason not to use a little gasket sealant around the waterways, just make sure you go the right side of the bolts...

Of course, if one had a 12/2, one could do the experiment by installing the gaskets opposite ways up on each cylinder, and trying it out. Should anyone wish to ship me a 12/2, I will sacrifice the time to do the experiment, in the interests of science, obviously

the next time I have a 12/2 all boxed up and no where to go, I'll send it your way.   

Are you saying - giving me permission - to use extra make-a-gasket sort of material around the holes, IN ADDITION to the copper spray stuff on the copper gasket?

As water seepage appears to be a problem on some Lister engines, It might be worth giving them a hit with this stuff. Isn't exactly cheap but seems to work well and truly as advertised in my experience.

I soaked my last one (perhaps put in the wrong way up??) with copper spray, and still had problems.  I will soak it again.

A copper gasket is just a thin sheet of copper.  Your pic seems to show some thick material in the middle ?

this is the style my machine came with, and what I've been told is the standard gasket.

I think the consensus is that this style leaks easily, and that the style with RTV sealer around each hole and a crimped on fire ring for the cylinder, holds up well.

Well, I've previously used this sort:


and had trouble with that as well.    I had one of those in place (perhaps not cranked down hard enough) but after sharing a photo of it, I got a lot of advice here https://listerengine.com/smf/index.php?topic=8711.msg101309#msg101309  that it was the WRONG type.   Thus, I went back to the smooth copper. 

Just look at here: https://listerengine.com/smf/index.php?topic=8320.msg103752#msg103752

The original gaskets (and original Lister) has 2 large holes and guides to fit the gasket in correct way!

Sorry, but I don't see this showing *which side* of the copper goes up.  It's not the orientation, as the studs and holes force a specific sitting... it's which side is up and which side is down - that's the question.