bronco and 38c,

Great information, thanks 

Thanks for the info guys. I think I will use the regular 4500#-5000# strength as suggested.
I do have a mixer and I intend to do a continuous pour (approximately 48 bags of concrete).
Once the block is set, I plan to pour a shed floor around the block ( but not touching it ).
Then put a shed over it.
I want to make this a super simple installation with just the engine, 24v alternator, and cooling system.
Still deciding whether to make it a hopper tank cooling system or maybe a thermosyphon radiator/fan.
Off Grid battery charging.

Thanks BruceM,
And yes, I found the issue. basically time and entropy were the culprits. 
A corroded screwed connection where the power lug passed through the starter casing.
I cleaned + bench tested the starter and it worked fine again.
After that was fixed more corroded connections were found at the battery terminal. Then, a quick test of the battery showed that it was shot.
I am not too surprised after 9 years of use, and the fact that the battery was a "take off" from my vehicle after 6 years of prior use.
On this assembly I coated the connections on the new (used) battery as well as the starter solenoid to help prevent corrosion.

cheers,
veggie

Thanks BruceM,

Ok, I will toss that idea.
I am also a bit cautious about spinning an 1800 rpm motor over 4000 rpm once the system is running,

The reason I am looking at stater alternatives is because my golf cart starter/generator died after limited use.
I suspect it too had issues with spinning the heavy flywheels up to speed and pushing through compression stokes.

There is a Gast 4AM air motor with a rubber friction wheel in my inventory, so air starting is a possibility. But that thing uses a LOT of air. I don't really have space for a dedicated starting air receiver tank... but perhaps I can make it work.

Thanks Keith71,
veggie or veggiefuel both work, When the site crashed many years ago, my veggiefuel account could not be reinstated so it changed to veggie.

Powdermonkey, Changfa engines make excellent generators. Either belt driven or direct coupled, they are super reliable machines which have proven themselves worldwide. Take a look at this youtube site where Radoslav builds Changfa generators for shipment to Ukraine and Slovakia.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIVBVYuw4xBMXGzEYPtGueA/videos
The majority of the units he builds are belt driven. (In between the tractor videos there are many good examples of Chinese diesel generators)

I much prefer belt driven systems for two reasons.
1] Simplicity of construction. Direct coupled units need their shafts to be rigidly aligned within a few thousandths of an inch in order to make the coupling last a reasonable amount of time. Belt drives are a bit more forgiving.
2] Belt drives offer great flexibility for engine speeds. By changing a pulley size the engine can be run at any desired speed. This is helpful for noise control and engine longevity (if one wishes to run the engine a bit slower than normal for extended life).
With direct shaft coupled units, the engine MUST run at the speed dictated by the generator, usually 1800 rpm or 3600 rpm in north America.

Hi All,

I'm looking for a Changfa style R175 or R180 engine. (new or used is ok)
Preferably in Canada, but USA would work also.

Veggie

CS6_owner,
This inverter has no settings. It's a small 1000 watt unit.
Just plug-and-play.
I want to limit the power going to it at 800 watts.

Oooops !

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