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Messages - europachris

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16
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: long warming up period changfa engine required?
« on: November 05, 2007, 05:33:38 PM »
I don't warm up my R185 more than a minute or two.  I start it up, run at half throttle for 30 seconds, and then increase to 'generator speed', about 1870 rpm.  I don't load it fully until it's a bit warmed up, but I certainly don't run it for long until I put a load on it.  I'd rather get it up to temp faster as it's more efficient and burns cleaner when it's at operating temperature.

I do have a 'genuine' ChangFa, though.  Some of the ChangFa "style" engines are of pretty poor quality....

Chris

17
Changfa Engines / Re: Weichai 1115, 25hp Changfa-type
« on: September 17, 2007, 12:49:57 PM »
Quote from: okiezeke on September 17, 2007, 09:23:49 AM
I'll try it again before I load it up for the trip.  Mabe the magnet has done some good....I hope.  If all else fails I can get a DC motor controller from Surplus center that puts out 0-130VDC at 8 amps, and I'll  feed the field with that.  Not the ideal solution, but should work.

I'm open to suggestions.

Zeke

Make sure you check all the wiring terminals, maybe one is crimped over insulation rather than wire, making it LOOK ok, but it's not.  Could be a bad rectifier bridge, other bad components you can't see, maybe the slip ring brushes aren't making good contact (or alignment), maybe there is something loose on the brush gear inside the endbell, or maybe the thing is miswired right from the factory?

My rule - 90% of all electrical problems are mechanical.

18
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: adding a water pump & starting on cold mornings
« on: September 14, 2007, 06:31:44 PM »
I recall I had a bit of a time starting my ChangFa R185 when it was around 50F or so.  I normally leave it stored dry without water, and fill it up with warm/hot tap water prior to running it for excercise (backup generator).  Once last spring I left it full in the cool garage overnight and started it the next morning.  It took several tries with a lot of burps, farts, and smoking (engine, not me).   ;)  Finally it took off on it's own.   The engine has no lack of compression, and otherwise runs very strong and clean.  I'd estimate 50F as about the lower cutoff for starting the engine un-aided.

Chris

19
Listeroid Engines / Re: Air Intake noise?
« on: August 14, 2007, 12:48:31 PM »
Quote from: xyzer on August 14, 2007, 12:21:31 AM
Reno,
I did a visual on the overlap on the noisey 6/1 and did a visual comparison on my other quiet 6/1 and they both appear to have the overlap. I need to drag my dial indicator over and do a real comparison. I have heard mention of folks dealing with the same issue so it looks like there is a issue that only causes the noise but doesn't bother the performance. Love to get rid of the noise without buying a new camshaft.
Dave

Heh, you should hear my ChangFa R185 !!!!  It really honks when at speed.  I removed the stock oil bath filter and intake pipe and fabricated my own setup to which I mounted a Solberg filter assembly/silencer made for air compressors.  I think I used the 1-1/4 NPT size.  It has a replaceable wire mesh reinforced polyester element with foam pre filter, and silencer tubes built into the assembly.  It cut the intake noise significantly, eliminates the oil mess from the stock filter, and filters much better.  It's a very nice unit.

Since I installed a big round NAPA muffler on it, the only noise the intake (still loud) and the mechanical noise (sounds like a rock crusher).  But, she just chugs along hour after hour, sipping fuel, and keeping the lights on and the food cold when the power goes out.

I'd still love a Lister type,  but just don't have the space for one.

Chris

20
Generators / Re: ST Gen heads - any difference?
« on: June 30, 2007, 03:19:35 PM »
Quote from: jimdunne on June 30, 2007, 02:55:59 AM

Yes, there are other brands available in the US. I for one, just refuse to pay $1200 for a small Marathon 4-pole head.

Respectfully, Jim



Indeed, the Marathon heads are expensive.  However, the volume is low on small, 4-pole heads, and costs are through the roof.  I build tube audio equipment as a hobby, and my transformer winder tells me that he's had 7 price increases on laminations in the past year and copper prices are insane.  His costs have steadily been going up and up for several years already.

I worked for a time recently at a motor manufacturer who made stepper, servo, and old tech PM DC motors.  I can easily see where manufacturing cost for a 5kW Marathon generator head would be $600 by the time materials, USA wages, and overhead were applied.  As a single unit purchaser through a distributor, you could easily get to $1200 sell price.  If you could buy 50 or 100 at a time, factory direct, prices would undoubtedly be a lot lower.  I'm sure Marathon has to buy minimum lot sizes of components for these small 4 pole heads, and sits on inventory for a long time.  Small lot sizes of machinings, castings, or molded parts gets you a big percentage of setup costs, etc. built into the piece price.

Chris

H

21
Changfa Engines / Re: Weichai 1115, 25hp Changfa-type
« on: June 27, 2007, 01:35:01 PM »
Quote
My latest addition.  Off the shelf from McMaster.  Intake filter and silencer.  Next move is to bolt engine to frame and fire it up and see how everything works.  Shouldn't take me much more than a month. ;)

I installed one on my R185 ChangFa.  I made up an entirely new intake manifold, but I could have just stuck it on top of what I already had for a stub after removing the original oil bath unit.  I still coupled the manifold to the filter with a short stub of radiator hose and clamps to absorb vibration and not stress the manifold welds, etc. rather than threading it all together.  It definitely helped quiet the intake honk, but it's still louder than the exhaust after adding my big round NAPA muffler.  The new filter is FAR better quality and will filter much better, also.

Chris

22
Changfa Engines / Re: Weichai 1115, 25hp Changfa-type
« on: June 26, 2007, 02:41:34 AM »
Quote from: okiezeke on June 25, 2007, 02:38:25 AM
Chris,
Thanks for the ideas.  We had just redone the entire house a few years back.  Unfortunately, the folks wanted it to look old timey, so we're removing wallpaper, redoing bathroom floors, repainting everything that's not off white(folks liked pink a lot).  Heck of a lot of work, but house is in a very nice area, nice view, big lot, and was worth a lot 2 years ago.  If we cant get our price this summer, we'll just wait a year and hope the market improoves.


Sure thing.  Also, don't forget - what I like could be VERY different from what someone else likes.  I like that retro 60's Scandinavian look (minimalist, etc.)  The wife HATES it.  She likes the kitchy country look (hearts, cows, etc.) which makes me want to puke.  We compromise and both get a little of each.  So, it's all up to the buyer and what THEY like.

However, I can deal with almost ANY decor provided it is well maintained and CLEAN, unless it's just absolutely hideous.  That kitchen in the pictures would be perfectly livable to me, no problem at all.  It IS quite nice.  I have also come to learn after a short 37 years that the size of your house, car, and/or how much money you have is meaningless if you're not happy with the rest of your life (relationships, family, friends, God, etc.).

Chris

23
Changfa Engines / Re: Weichai 1115, 25hp Changfa-type
« on: June 25, 2007, 02:20:34 AM »
Quote from: okiezeke on June 25, 2007, 12:54:57 AM

  Neighbors/realtors told us the best thing we could do for the place was to completely remodel the kitchen.  Countertops are real granite.  Wife and I did the oak floors a few years back.  Revenue from sale of the house will put us on our mountaintop in Oklahoma....... someday.

Keep the floor and counters and park new cabinets and appliances between them (or even just have the cabinets fronts replaced).  Kitchen 'age' or 'vintage' is one of the first things I look at in a house.  Mechanicals/basement are second (furnace, hotwater heater, a/c, etc.).  A real 70's or 80's vintage kitchen brings up too many childhood memories (avocado, burnt orange, brown - GAK!) and will turn me off to the whole house.

Chris

24
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: Chinese horizontal singles
« on: June 18, 2007, 05:09:35 PM »
Quote from: mjn on June 17, 2007, 06:38:56 AM
My Changfa 195 has a breather valve in the area under the fuel tank.  it just vents into the air.  At full power, a haze of smoke/oil comes out.  I used a piece of vinyl tubing to route the vapors back to the intake.  This helps eliminate the film of oil that collects on the speed control lever and spring.


My R185 has a breather on the crankcase cover at the back of the engine.  It's a little tube that sticks out.  There's a reed valve arrangement in there as I can hear it 'squeak' when I roll the engine over slowly.

I've not seen any other breather on the engine - I'll have to look up under the fuel tank, nor do I see any crankcase vapors coming out from anywhere on the engine.  It's totally tight and dry.

Chris

25
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: Chinese horizontal singles
« on: June 18, 2007, 01:11:28 PM »
I seem to recall it was an old Hatz diesel that looked rather similar to the Kubota and/or Chinese singles.  Obviously the Chinese engines are cheaper "clones" of the Kubota horizontal singles, but the design definitely came from somewhere else. 

I'll bet that the Kubota design is a mish-mash of several diesel designs (mostly all German) rolled up into one. 

But, I have never seen an engine outside of the Chinese or Kubota that looked close enough to be called the 'father' of them without a lot of re-engineering.

26
Changfa Engines / Re: Weichai 1115, 25hp Changfa-type
« on: April 27, 2007, 01:08:37 PM »
Quote from: okiezeke on April 27, 2007, 04:53:24 AM
Some work with the torch should fix the flywheel's problem.   flywheel rests on the 5 by 3 tubing.

I had the same problem with my R185 engine when I went to mount it to a pair of oak 4x6 beams.  I had to router out a small recess about 3/4" deep to let the flywheel drop down enough to where the engine feet would sit flat on the mounts.

Chris

27
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: Acceptable Slop in Crank to Balance Shaft Gearing of Chanfga-style 1115
« on: April 10, 2007, 01:16:15 PM »
http://n9zes.zippyvideos.com/  Videos of my R185 running under modest load with stock muffler and a NAPA muffler.  Even being a smaller engine than what you guys are working with, it exhibits the exact same characteristics.  Amazingly high amount of mechanical noise from the gear train whirring and gnashing, and a diesel knock that sounds like the rod is about to come through the block.

But, at the same time, it runs very smooth (for a single cylinder engine) and overall I'm impressed with the quality.

Chris

28
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: Kubota Engines Manufactured by Changfa?
« on: March 29, 2007, 03:56:41 PM »
Quote from: fattywagonman on March 29, 2007, 02:12:33 PM
Quote
http://n9zes.zippyvideos.com/ is two videos of my R185 ChangFa running, one with the stock "muffler" and the other with a custom manifold/muffler setup.  The muffler is a NAPA muffler for an '87 Sentra, I recall.  I have the number of it somewhere.

Hi Chris,
I noticed your gen head... Who makes it and here did you get it?

Thanks John


It's a Markon brand head, BL105 series http://www.cumminsgeneratortechnologies.com/en/products/markon/b105/.  It appears that there has been some corporate changes recently, as it didn't used to be affiliated with Cummins.  But, I purchased my head directly through the company.  At the time (around '00) they had a stock of these 2 bearing heads as surplus and I was able to buy it for $170.  I had a 5kW version quoted about a year ago and it was around $330, IIRC.  Not a bad price.

The box on top is something I added.  It came from the factory with just flying leads (4-wire).  It is brushless design, 3600 rpm.  Well made, but not nearly as solid as a ST style head.  But, it will run at full load all day long and just get warm to the touch.  It moves a lot of air through it to keep cool

Chris

29
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: Kubota Engines Manufactured by Changfa?
« on: March 25, 2007, 01:44:46 PM »
Quote from: mobile_bob on March 25, 2007, 07:05:47 AM

if you are trying to quiet the beast ,, you might also work on the air intake system, in my opinion there is a significant amount of noise i like the changfa

bob g

http://n9zes.zippyvideos.com/ is two videos of my R185 ChangFa running, one with the stock "muffler" and the other with a custom manifold/muffler setup.  The muffler is a NAPA muffler for an '87 Sentra, I recall.  I have the number of it somewhere.

I also replaced the stock oil bath filter with a Solberg intake filter/silencer for an air compressor.  They are available in a range of NPT sizes, and have a very robust wire gauze reinforced polyester element.  Price is reasonable, and it really helps quiet the intake "honk" somewhat.

Overall, I am VERY impressed with the ChangFa.  It's still nowhere near quiet, but tolerable.  It will pull a 3.5kW load at 1800 rpm and hardly grunt, and once warmed fully, the exhaust is almost clear at that load. Very smooth running, too.

Chris

30
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: 1000 hours on a changfa style engine
« on: March 22, 2007, 01:04:42 PM »
Did you get a manual with the engine that covers the torques?  I have a small manual with my Powersolutions Changfa 185, but I don't recall if there is any torque information supplied in there.

What size are the head bolts on your engine?

Chris

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