As if I dont have enough Indian/Chineese diesel engines in the garage, I just bought an 8 hp Changfa from Caroll Stream Motor Co. on ebay.  I have my two 15KW gen sets running and almost running and started thinking (always dangerous, usually expensive),  wouldnt it be nice to have a smaller set just to charge the battery bank.  I looking at a battery bank of around 1700 amp hours, so 50-70% draw down leaves me with around 8 or 900 amp hours to replace.  I figure 250-300 amp charger would be the most cost effective.

Is anybody actually living on a battery bank out there?  I'm pretty much just guessing on size and would love to hear from someone off grid.

A net search turned up some nice folks in Detroit that make alternators.  They are making me a 280A externally regulated model for about half the cost of the marine trade.  I used the Balmar Max Charge regulator on my boat and really liked it, so I'll get one to drive the alternator.  Its coming with a 8 rib serpentine pully.

So all I need to do is figure how to modify the Changfa to an 8 rib pully.  With all the Changfas out there I'm sure others have solved this problem many times over.  I can buy an 8 rib harmonic balancer pully for 25 dollars, or get one at the junk yard even cheaper.  I'm thinking of welding the pully to a steel plate to bolt onto the flywheel.  Or something easier if anybody has done this.

I used a 4hp Kubota with 100A alternator on my boat, and the rig worked fine.  The little Kubota couldnt put out 2kw, so my efforts to install a bigger alternator wouldnt work.  Lots of noise and smoke from belt slipping and overloaded engine.  I hope the Changfa will make rated HP, but if not, the regulator allows for detuning the alternator output.

Pictures and more to follow.

Zeke

Latest toy.  My new 25hp Changfa style.  Soon to be direct coupled to a ST-15kw, at reduced output, due to rpm reduction from 2200 to 1800.  So far everything looks fine.  Fit and finish and castings all seem 1st world.  Came with extensive parts kit(extra 250.00).  Piston,rings, rod, big end bearings, complete head, starter, fuel pump, injector, direct coupling, and a ton of smaller stuff and tools, some of which, I have no idea, yet, what it is.  For example, I seem to have 3 heavy duty rectifiers,  firmly potted in plastic with large aluminum heat sinks.  Haven't found anything to rectify yet, but when I do I'll be in great shape!.  Manual is fairly readible, with the usual translational challenges.  Isnt it funny, that when they use the totally wrong word, you can still kind of tell what they meant.


Shroud around radiator is off.  Really nice of these folks to think to include a generator room light.  With thinking like this, we'd all better start learning Chineese.  Engine half of direct coupler installed on flywheel.


Similar view, showing head



The direct coupler.  The 6 rods that carry the load appear to be nylon, 0.6" dia.  Will have to have the ST end of the coupler bored and re-keyed to match ST shaft.  Seems very heavy duty.  Do wonder a little about the nylon rods, but I suppose an engineer, somewhere on the planet, thought they would carry the load??

Hi, folks,  as I've commented a time or two I'm the happy owner of a shiny new Lovson 20-2.  This engine will, I hope, be my primary off grid power source for my mountaintop farm in eastern Oklahoma.  I'm not a mechanic, machinest, engineer, and have no financial interest in any listeroid related business.  I'm a 59 year old good ol boy who does my own routine maintenance on my trucks(and bulldozer), and I own the basic hand and power tools that any DIYer would have.  So, I am not an expert in anything to do with diesel engines and am totally open to all comments and suggestions.
       So, here I am with this huge crate in my garage.  We drove to Dallas yesterday and picked it up from the folks at generator depot USA.  The unloading was uneventful with some 2" oak planks and a come-along directly into the garage.  The first thing I did was look into the sump,  where I found clean amber oil with the usual amount of grit, sand, and cast iron fragments.  Even tho the Lovson web site assured me the engine would be clean inside, I was not too suprised.  I've dis-assembled the engine down to the crankshaft--further work will have to wait till monday when I can get a piece of 1/2" steel to make a gib key puller.  So far, I;ve found:
1.  a small washer on top of a piston with no apparent damage
2.  Scratched big end bearings
3.  tappet guides that came out by hand.  Is this a problem??
4.  scratched crank surface(under the rod bearing)
5.  braided stainless flex low pressure fuel lines.
6.  a servicable looking fuel tank
7.  the cylinder has a mirror surface,  I think this means I need to hone it??
8.  Tappets with a fairly smooth bearing surface, but the edges are pretty beat up.
9.  a very normal looking fuel filter--I'll probably replace it anyway.
10 every piece that came out of the engine looked dirty and had a gritty feel.
11. minor surface rust on many parts.

In summary, no big suprises-except the washer!
I'll let you know how it goes with the rest of the tear-down.
Zeke