Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Rainbow-Farm

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5
31
Changfa Engines / Re: Changfa S195 Serpentine Pulley?
« on: September 23, 2006, 09:11:17 PM »
... I'd still have used vee belts provided I could have used the stock pulley.  The key with vee belts is to keep the pulley sizes as large as possible...

Thanks, Chris. Are you saying that even with V belts, the pulley should be larger than the one that came with the ChangFa?

"high quality V Belt sets"... you mean multiple belts? Like 4 of them, one in each of the grooves?

32
Changfa Engines / Re: Changfa S195 Serpentine Pulley?
« on: September 23, 2006, 07:19:39 PM »
Yes, Chris, your rig is very nicely portable!

I like the idea of 1:1, and I have seen those serpentine belts run over several components, giving them more justification for the name.

For the cost of one pulley, bushing, sheve?, I can see how well the Changfa does with the V-belt. I asked John Ferguson today about the Allmand system, whether it is practical and available for the Changfa... just asked, by e-mail.

To see how it goes with the V-belt, the only risk is ending up with a V-belt pulley taken out of service later.

Is there a size of the J through M belt that will fit into the 4 grooves of the Changfa pulley? Were you able to use the stock Changfa pulley, or did you have to buy a new one?

33
Thanks for all the suggestions, and the great tales. I love that on-road tune-up tale.

I picked up an engine crane and ordered a 4-wheel utility cart with turf tires and large wheels, so I can hoist (using the crane) stuff up onto the cart (48 x 24 inches) and get it to where I want it to go, lift it off again with the crane. Nothing here right now would support a hoist. I may get around to that soon enough.

That cart will also be useful for other projects (like firewood from the back 40). It has a handle and wheels that turn, which drives a whole lot better over the terrain here than a wheel barrow does.

34
Changfa Engines / Re: Changfa S195 Serpentine Pulley?
« on: September 23, 2006, 06:09:35 PM »
Pulleys and Belts:

By the way, I think Chris' set-up is great: simple, looks good, functional.

To reveal my ignorance, I do not know what a serptentine belt is. Chris' belt looks like a solid, round circle that does not coil, twist, puff up, rattle, or slither, and probably is not venemous.

I am at a crossroads here with my Changfa: whether to purchase a single pulley for the generator head, and use the V-belt and pulley that came with the engine, worry about upgrading later.

I have no way of knowing whether the "flickering" (lights, for example) I heard about with V belt is worth worrying about. For the price of a 2nd pulley later, I can get it up and running and see for myself about the V belts.

Any lived experience would be appreicated. I have been reading here, utterpower, and elsewhere, for everything I can find about Changfa/ST. Right now, the belt is what I have to deal with.


35
I have my preferred border crossing, and I stopped there on the way down. He explained that they do not have a credit card machine there (and with the 10% duty on Chinese goods, I did not bring enough money).  He recommended that I go to the one that does take credit cards (but where they are very picky about everything).

I expected them to be "anal", but they were ridiculous... I had all my invoices but they wanted the credit card payment receipt, or whatever. Anyway, it worked out okay with them. They charged the taxes, but not the Chinese tariff, so for the hassle, I saved 10% ... quite a bit on the total price (the 2 Canadian taxes are added to the US price plus conversion plus tariff, so it becomes more than 10%). FYI, the tariff on Chinese goods in the US is higher than in Canada, but since that has already been paid, the tariff would have been paid twice.

Last time I was there, the guy read every single ingredient in my vitamins (75 ingredients), looking for steroids, melatonin, DHEA, or anything else on their list.

I also found out that buying the trailer I was looking at in the US requires a $200 inspection fee before I can import and plate it. Not a big deal, just weird.

Funny how... when I bought Chinese goods from a Canadian importer (where we have a lower tariff than the SU does on Chinese imports), they cost me more than when I bought them in the US, and drove them into Canada myself. US is more competitive, larger volumes, bigger discounts at all ends, it seems.

I knew I would have to pay up today, got off easy enough (a few hundred dollars added to cost of the stuff). With duty-free exemption for weekend stays, week-long stays, etc., I do okay.

Buying in Canada would have required waiting at least 2 months to get my hands on the stuff, and each item was hundreds of dollars more to buy here.

Does U-Haul change their rates daily? I paid almost nothing for a closed 5 x 8 that normally rents for $60 - $75 / day.

Maybe the rates go up in peak seasons (like back to school), or maybe their inventory load is too high... weird. If I could always get a trailer for $20/day, I might never buy one.

36
Sid, you have mail.

Bits... my neighbour does septic tanks... I will have to go have a look. I bought a come-along today and I think I will need a crane (most flexible/versatile for the next moves / lifts that have to happen). with another neighbour, we inched them all down a ramp.

I made it home today with the engines and an ST head. Canada Customs had trouble with the price (a diesel engine for how much???). I passed, showed them recent sales on eBay in the same price range.

Day started at 7:30 at U-Haul to get a trailer that they are sending for repair. I had to leave with it before their repair / pickup persons came to take it away. They are a funny kind of rude / stand-offish at this place which started the day off in a strange mood.

All done now though.

One of the strangest parts of today, moving all this heavy stuff, warehouses, fork lifts, trailers... was... I had to stop in the midst of all to pack and mail 3 items I sold on eBay, each 2-8 ounces, tiny and fragile... strange change of pace.

:-)


37
Sid, do you move large stuff around like Listers and other big old engines?

Besides driving the 5x8 closed trailer tomorrow, I am going to look at a 5x8 open with the big ramp. Makes sense to me (the ramp).

I guess you know the ramp can be removed and in some trailers, laid flat. Mr. Custom Trailer/Welder/Mechanic will make me one any shape/size I want.

No single item tomorrow is over 500 pounds, so maybe with some neighbor power I can get it all off-loaded, start shopping for all those lifting gadgets. In Canada, Canadian Tire stores have 1/2 price sales, making the engine crane $175... hang in until the next sale... Princess Auto has cool stuff (an hour away)... out of stock on the cranes though.

Like you, the main thing for me is to be able to handle it all myself. I hate having to find people to help move stuff. Everyone seems to have other things to do: take care of their family, go to work, all that.


38
RCA, Yes, that is what the welder was talking about (portable or fixed)... I may install the whole mess permanently into a trailer, which means I will only need to lift it once.

I did find a trailer today, for $20., but I have to return it to U-Haul within 24 hours.

It seems to me that $20 for a 5x8 closed trailer for a day is pretty cheap... plus $6 for insurance and about $4 for all the sales taxes.

At least I will know how much I enjoy pulling a 5x8, and my car tells me fuel consumption (which I will set to *.* as soon as the trailer goes on). 50 miles empty, 50 miles loaded... that will tell me fuel consumption with the thing empty and with its load... better than a nasty surprise later.

I have a lot of hills between here and there, old roads, new roads, back roads... so I can check out power, climbing, wind effect, etc.

Off on an adventure! The stuff arrived today (a day early) and U-Haul opens at 7:30 tomorrow. I got the 2" ball today and mounted it. Must be something I forgot, but I won't know what it is until it bites me in the behind.

Hmmm... resetting the fuel consumption thing displays *.* which makes me wonder whether old DOS programmers have gone to work in automotive software application.


39
That is one very nice trailer, Rtqii!

I am looking at 5 x 8 and have looked at closed, open like yours, with loading ramp/gate/door or without (portable ramp, and I have seen metal drive-up ramps like they use to load a vehicle onto a trailer).

I think you need to move more and larger engines and more often than I do. One small rig at a time is my plan.

40
Sid:

Thanks for the great ideas. I also plan to use a trailer, and the welder suggested a "dog house" that I can add a hoist (winch) to.

I take it you lean the pipes against the trailer and "drag" the engine up the pipes with the comealong.

I am also looking into a trailer with a ramp for a tailgate.

41
Changfa Engines / Re: The Chafga Chinese Engines
« on: September 11, 2006, 07:48:03 PM »
If ChangFas have been around and in use for several years, at least, it might be good to hear from someone who has gotten xx,xxx hours from one.


42
Generators / Re: Low voltage
« on: September 09, 2006, 10:45:23 PM »
Has anyone ever tried an APC Line-R for voltage regulation after the generator? They are made in 300, 600, and 1200 watt. I suspect they are full of copper... they boost low voltage and clip high voltage... "melt" for lightning protection.

Might be good for stuff like computers, UPS, etc... give the appliance cleaner juice, maybe partially or fully overcome fluctuations from the generator?

I bought 3 of them and use them, even with grid power. I don't notice any difference but them I have never tried them on  generator power yet.

43
Not a scientist here, but... hydrogen is about 98% of the known universe. When we use it all up, we have to find some other sources.

When excited, hydrogen's outer bit gets farther away from the nucleus.

When allowed to return to rest, which it does by itself, it releases energy.

That energy can be tapped.

Exciting hydrogen is apparently not all that difficult. It can be done by manipulating natural substances and ever-present forces.

I have avoided offering up my opinion about how stupidly dangerous nuclear power, as we now have it, is. Enemy/terrorist/weather/natural disaster/human error (no shortage of that around)... just has to bomb something and poison us all. I guess we forgot about 3-Mile Island and Chernobyl.

Memory is short.

A vegetable oil Lister is probably a much safer way to get electricity.

44
Other Slow Speed Diesels / Re: Changfa S195 and ST7.5 Received
« on: September 09, 2006, 01:22:15 PM »
Thanks, Chris, for the info on parts, upgrades, replacements.

I looked at your rig and puzzled over lunch about the pulley being larger on the engine, until I looked back and saw that your generator runs at 3600, just about twice the speed of the engine.

I am thinking that with an ST head, the pulleys would be almost 1:1, depending on engine speed.

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5