Look, I realize this is a ridiculously simplistic question, and that it's ridiculous that I'm asking this question on year 13 of running my 6/1, but as I did a mid-winter oil change this week, I realized that I was just eyeballing the amount of old oil that came out and putting the same amount back in...

which means I am simply matching my own previous non-knowledgeable moves.  I once put X in, and now I'm just replacing X.   (which seems to be about 2 quarts)

I see in the old manual it says 'add oil to within an inch of the top of the sump'.... but experts on here must know what that translates to. 

And, given this is just a 'splash' system, can one actually *over oil*?  can you put too much oil in a 6/1 and negatively affect it?

I’m hoping to see some automatic or semi-automatic water injection systems that are working.  I’m a believer, but want something I don’t have to babysit.

Anything with gravity feed? What’s some cool DIY systems?

So, after attempting to deal with my big carbon build up after a couple hundred hours on WVO without a good water intake system, I've now purchased the new gasket and am trying to get it all back together and running.

I put the new gasket in, got everything cranked down tight, and no go.  When I pull the valve-holder, I can keep cranking past what would should stop it if it didn't fire up. 

So I pulled off the head again and what I think I see is fuel going beyond the ring. Image here:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--b5nWvvF8UU/XTEn7ej9EtI/AAAAAAAASJc/VVr3eGT9SsIbteoh5DAKuG7GQ_5SfM-XgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2329.JPG

you can also kind of see it on the gasket and under the gasket in this image:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BuopP7dTblw/XTEn7AvW2YI/AAAAAAAASJY/OG-PSibxj9M446Nq9e-NieJ5c56VHUG4wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2331.JPG

That would indicate the gasket not working right, correct? 

Did I put it in wrong? Am I supposed to use some other goop as well?

Or am I barking up the wrong tree here? 

of course this happens right when I need power.   Seemed to run fine 2 days ago.  I've got about 100 hours on her with this exact set up - nothing has changed.

I have been cranking all morning and can't get her to catch.   I run WVO, but always run store-bought diesel the last 5 minutes before shut off, just to clean things out.   Still, I pulled the injector and cleaned off any carbon build up.  I check it by hooking it up but not bolted down, and can see the mist coming out properly.  I can HEAR the injector doing the 'squeech' when it is bolted in. 

When I pull off the valve holder in the 100th attempt to start it, it almost seems like the compression isn't as strong as it should be.  Could I possibly need to change the distance of the rocker touch points?

I've made sure store bought diesel is running all the way through, from the filter to the pump to the injector. Valves are rocking.  I have used that 'seafoam' stuff as an additive in the store-bought diesel, and I have used old gas as a thinner for my WVO.  In fact, I guess that could be the only change in my set up - I used some DIFFERENT old gas - like 2 months old 87 octane to thin out the WVO.

Went out this morning, in the cold (45 F, not really cold) and wet and cranked for a while and couldn't get it to go, I did do one squirt of starting fluid in the air intake and it got going!   Then, when I wasn't around... it STOPPED.   again, all fuel lines have been checked, but even so, I have now bled the line enough to know it's not a fuel problem.

HELP.    What I'm hoping for of course, is for someone to suggest some simple thing like "throw some HEET in" ... but I'll take any suggestions.

well, I continue to be confused.

standard flywheels on my 6/1, standard 8" pulley on my ST3K.

got it up to 650rpm, as you can see by 59.9/60 hertz...  then put different loads on it. 

it's a space heater plugged into a standard outdoor rated (orange) extension cord. probably a 25 footer.

you can see the hertz drop, the voltage drop?  etc.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVBXiuuAdWo

why can't this thing hold steady?   

one idea is that it used to have the stover wheels on it, and the governor weights might be different??  but why would that matter? 

so, got a new ST3Kw (have asked and taken advice in other threads)

hooked an oscilloscope up, still confused of course.

I did calibrate the scope by using my house power and getting the wave all normal and in the screen, centered on the center, etc.

First, check out this short video of the thing running with no load, with a 10mfd capacitor connected:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H466Ff8wG0E 

check out the crazy inconsistency.

took the capacitor off and hooked up a space heater.  the wave calmed down, but had a weird jagged bit:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8xN2BSH9V4/Vt8R2qiW-ZI/AAAAAAAAGvA/7rQFgwlkIHo/s1600/alt-with-heater.png 

I'm just trying to get this thing to push power into my outback inverter charger, and the charger won't take it!

took me a while to even realize it wasn't the power tool that quit.   I'm just posting here because I need some ideas on what to look for after a first check for loose wires and finding none.

I was running a big old table saw (on 120ac)  when suddenly no power... well, after checking, I see that the alt is putting out about 8volts with the engine speed the same as ever, belt still tight..

nothing seems to be loose or disconnected (and how would it put out ANY volts if something wasn't connected?) so I'm already scratching a well-scratched head. 

would anyone know where I could find detailed photos of what all the wiring looks like on one of these chinese ST 3k alts?

Tys

man, I've been reading through balancing threads and I'm starting to freak out.  I have a real hopper and have basically been working (for years) on getting better bolting down... but today, just glancing at the wheels, I noticed one looked a little wider than the other... just did a quick check and without getting out calipers, it looks like one is a 1/16th of an inch thicker. 

these things have been on the shaft for years, and I don't own a gib puller, so I'm on here trying to figure out how to tell if maybe I put them on the wrong sides!?!?! all this time... or how else I might figure out how to balance these things without pulling them off.

is there a difference between stover lefts and rights?  I can imagine that difference in thickness (width, I guess) doesn't matter as long as the weight is the same and distributed. am I wrong?