The power company is the cheapest power you can buy.  When the grid is down, being able to make power and be self sufficent sure helps keep the fridge cold.  Keeping fuel on site to pump water, run the fridge, and keep the internet link up is the worth every penny in a crisis.

Another way to think of it is, the grid is only good when its on.  When it goes out, how much are you willing to pay for power?
We have run this green monster in continuous duty for 30 hours straight, and it just lumped along without any complaints.  It runs the essentials, and has been more fun than one man should be allowed to have. 
Welcome to the forum.

http://www.bytheriver.ca/our_place/lister.html

For those who are interested in the Bourke Engine Project, there are a number of video clips, images, and CAD drawings showing how you can begin to build your own Bourke Engine. I spoke with David, he is willing to support anyone who gets a copy of this original CAD drawings.  He is agressively targeting for this summer, to get the the certified dynomometer data on his engine.  This is necessary to go full steam ahead with the parts manufacturing on a larger scale.  Today, he is encouraging everyone to visit his site and get involved to bring this engine within reach of everyone.

The beauty of this engine is that it has only 2 moving parts.  It runs on low grade fuel, and has complete combustion.  Emissions testing is also being scheduled to put some hard data together for the EPA. David expects the emissions results will be so far below anything being tested today, they will think the test equipment is broken.  These engines work on a very new principle.  It like nothing you have ever seen before.  Tons of material available, visit his site. 
No affiliations, just awe struck by this amazing design.
Check it out for yourself.
http://projectbourke.com
http://projectbourke.com/


http://projectbourke.com/pics/85.jpg

Mine has this pretty identification plate....

http://www.bytheriver.ca/lister/004.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt5z8L4LBJE&feature=related

More claims, not alot of proof.  But interesting none the less.

Hi All,
I am finally the proud owner of my first JKSON 6/1 from John in Ottawa.   It was a great experience to finally meet John after planning this purchase for almost a year.  John was great, he set me up with everything I need to put my genset together.  6/1 JKSON, 5KW head and pulley.

He also showed me his operation at his home, pretty impressive to be totally self sustaining using waste veggie and capturing not only power but heating throughout his property. 

So, After ripping the crate off, cleaning out the sump of all the used oil, and examining the basics, I bolted it down and dumped in new oil, some fuel, and voila, fuel everywhere. Fancy looking compression fittings look nice, work really well for turning, but they don't hold fuel at all.

Cut of the fancy bits, replaced them with some gear clamps and new fittings, went through the bleeding process, and chug chug chug, off it went.  It really was very simple to learn to operate.  I'm certainly no diesel mechanic, but even I figured out how to work the compression lever, fuel rack, and shutoff valve on the tank.  These things really are the simple machines they claim to be.  Of course, you can make anything really complicated if you want to.  I'm more into keeping it simple.

If anyone is still looking for an engine near Ottawa Ontario Canada, it’s a trip worth taking up to meet John and see his operation.  He really is quite a guy and stands by his products.  My thanks to John at www.woodnstuff.ca.

More important than compliance is the fact that electricity is essential to survival in the event of a grid failure.  Many seniors are vulnerable if power systems fail.  I might suggest that all those who are currently implementing slow speed engines that are capable of running on a wide range of available fuels, are providing a service that may be eligible for exemption from regulation. 

If the racing industry can get exemptions, surely the lister community would be eligible for exemptions if the energy being produced is deemed an essential service.  If the listeroid community is going to stand up for the right to run these engines, let it be for the purpose of providing essential energy.  Of course, in order to be ready to provide such services, the listeroids would need to be maintained, run regularly, tested and proven to be reliable.  If these engines are capable of producing energy to run pumps that can keep a gas station running, then the briggs engines could be kept alive as well.  I don't believe for a minute that any generator is capable of meeting the regulations outlined by the strict regulations of the future, but if lister owners could obtain exemptions based on necessity, it would be hard to shut them down. 

When push comes to shove, I believe I would run waste motor oil or whatever I could find, and care little if the smog produced was clogging up the air, if it meant keeping my elderly mother alive with her oxygen system.  I also believe that farmers need power to supply their animals with water or everyone goes hungry.  I'm sure rural areas would qualify for exemptions from epa regulations if it meant the difference between having food production or loosing their livestock. 

Often we are quick to conform to regulations with little regard for who is really benefiting from such regulations.  Who is benefiting from the asbestos regulations that destroyed an entire industry?  I can guarantee that asbestos saved more lives than it ever harmed, and if you inhale dust of any sort in large quantities it will surely kill you.  But the asbestos industry in Canada was destroyed by regulations that only served to produce inferior products to the asbestos products that we can no longer use.  Anyone remember when brake pads would wear out and the disk or drum was still usable?  We now have inferior brake pads that destroy the metal before the pads.  Who came up with this industry that forces us all to replace rotors with every brake job?

I will be installing my listeroid engine as an essential system for the purpose of keeping my farm and family in the essential energy they need in the event that the centralized systems go offline.  What do you think the epa is going to do if my engine exceeds tier2 or tier3 regulations, but is keeping my family from freezing, and my animals with fresh water?

I say we all need to be certain we are not rolling over and giving up without at the very least forcing epa to implement exemptions for essential systems.  Essential systems may be somewhat subjective, and this also may work to our favor.

I can't believe I'm alone with this idea.  I wouldn't want to be the epa inspector who shows up to shut down hotaters engine.  Just imagine the guy saying "You must cease the use of that engine."  I'm sure thems fight'n words. 

For those who wish to try to comply with the epa regulations, that’s wonderful.  I expect the planet will thank you for reducing the contribution to the global warming, and we can all sleep better knowing that the listeroid community is doing their part to protect the planet from exhaust emissions.  I expect as long as we don’t have another volcano eruption, the emission levels will be well under control, thanks to our friends at the epa.

Mark

Maybe this will help?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Standard_Whitworth