Hi Tom

I've been running a single cylinder Hatz all summer - about 700 hours, so far - with 20% filtered wvo. I discovered a bad attack of diesel bug last week end, the exhaust is a bit sooty, other than that, no problems.

Here's a good, concise brief on diesel bug

https://conidia.com/diesel-bug/#1576146601791-21bb4c02-2c33

The diesel bug contamination is almost certainly lack of attention to detail on my part, I just didn't give it a thought.....

The tank is in a lovely warm spot, next to the genny and veg oil is a great source of vitamins for the bug, it was almost bound to happen

I'm using red diesel / heating oil that had sat in an underground tank for a couple of years, I've now had a good clean out, new filter and am conditioning the fuel with a proprietary marine additive, I'm also looking more closely at what's in the ready use tank!

Somewhere on here, someone posted the results of a lubricity test in the US, I think, with with proprietary additives, and straight soya oil was as good or better than almost all of the competition and way cheaper.

I would say, as it's going to be a standby unit,  add a little, 3 / 5% veg oil for lubrication and a fuel conditioner for protection.

A valve in the supply from the tank allowing to you to draw off any condensation at the bottom of the tank and check a small jam jar of fuel would be a worthwhile addition. as would a CAV 296 type filter with a glass (see through) sediment bowl.

Cheers
Stef

Hi All

Well, the 'Easy PV water heating' has worked well and has kept me in hot water every evening bar two until late last week.

We've just had the first of the winter storms and snow down to 1700m, less than 2k from here (5500 feet / 1 1/4 miles) so I'll be lighting the wood burner from now on for heating, hot water and cooking.

Today, in bright sunshine, just after noon, the four panels were producing 147vots, (wired in series) and are each rated at 260w,

it seems a shame not to use the solar power, so, could anyone give me a lead towards a solar charge controller that will handle this output without me re configuring the wiring into parallel, please?

Thanks in advance,
Cheers
Stef

Hi SP

Looks like more great work!

it's hard to tell from your photo, but it looks like fine threaded bar you're using on the jig. there's a 0.5mm thread for 20mm bar if you haven't gone that fine

Also, a trip to the local fire safety company might help, ask if they have a CO2 fire extinguisher that is at the end of it's life. Once you have the jig on maximum tension open the doors and windows and empty the extinguisher through the centre of the liner.

Do not stand in front / in line with the threaded bar, in case the cold causes it to break, otherwise we'll have to get Cobbadog and Bob over to finish the rebuild.....

Cheers
Sterf

Hi All

Bruce,
Thanks for that, I can see that it's not a way to go if you were trying to build a welder / generator on the cheap, I was more taken with the fact I have the Lister and several alternators to hand, in fact the only parts I'd need to buy would be the drive belt and the rheostat.

The Lister would be spinning the Stamford, to provide 220v for a 12v source for the rheostat, but if the maths don't stack up I guess that's that, and as you know doing the sums is a black art to me!

Looking at an online HP to Watts converter it seems that it would require 3 HP at 24v to be in the ball park, is it feasible to get that much from a car / truck alternator?

Mike.

We've gone well past the realms of my modest means, here's my daily driver.....


Bob,

Thanks for the offer, it would probably be easier to come and pick an old genny up from Taz than get one imported to France!

Cheers
Stef

Hi Mike

That's not dear, in NZ dollars

Try this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284904772551?hash=item4255a5d3c7:g:D64AAOSwHPVipc2B

In GB pounds!

Cheers
Stef

Hi Bruce

Thanks for yet another swift reply!

 I got to the same answer, but, given my well know lack of experience / knowledge / and confidence with all things electronic it's good to have my hand held, I imagine you worked it our a lot swifter than I did!

I know the CS is good for around 3000w 'cos I rigged a bank of 6 x 500w lamps as a test load some while back, it got smokey but didn't die. I've got room for a few more revs as I'm running at 50Hhz at the moment. The fly wheels are original Lister and have no apparent damage.

I guess it's which folds first, the inverter or the AVR. I also have a big old air cooled industrial welder it's been wired for 220v single phase since I've had it, would this be a better / safer option?

Cheers
Stef

Hi all

There might still be a little bit left in the project.......

If you built a 'reservoir' of concrete blocks, laid dry, along on wall, say 6' long x 4' high x 2'thick, run the exhaust through it 2 / 3 times, fill the blocks with sand and insulate the back, ends, top and bottom with a few slabs of polystyrene, you'd have something very similar to the old 1970's storage heaters.

Relativity cheap to build, free to heat, and run. If it didn't work out you could take it apart, buy a bag of cement and make a coal bunker!

It would depend on the layout of your workshop / garage and how many hours a day you ran the genny but there might be something in it.

Cheers
Stef

A great link to something extraordinary that was an everyday event, every now and then there's a post showing guys in the Indian sub continent doing similar things on a tiny scale, thanks for the post, mihit

Ade, do we have, or if not, please could we have, a spot where we can post things like this?

I know there's 'Everything Else' and it has little to do with the core of the Lister Engine Forum, but a few posts like this, every month would make great bed time reading........

Cheers
Stef