Thoughts on Changzhou Diesel Engine Model 1125GM

[dwkdnvr]

I'm not an expert by any stretch, but I've been looking at ChangFa's as I have a 185 on the way (apropos to the earlier posts on the thread, the weight/size and logistics of transporting and using a Listeroid don't fit my situation for the next 2-5 years, so the Changfa is a better fit).

A couple thoughts
- www.changfa.cc is the ChangFa site for the engines referenced by George, Joel etc.
- The only 1125 model on the ChangFa site does NOT match the specs in the posted ad
 - no electric start
 - different displacement
 - power numbers don't match (although there are inconsistencies within the Changfa numbers)
- Given the type of pricing I've seen for 'true' Changfa's, $700 for a 23 HP with electric start strikes me as very low.

So, all things considered, I don't think that the 'safe money' would be on this being a 'true' changfa.  It may still be a decent engine, though.

[pigseye]

Hi dwkdnvr,
Thanks for doing the research.  I didn't think this was a changfa engine but now it's confirmed.

The real question now is it a good engine?  Hard to tell without purchasing one and taking a $700 plus shipping chance.

Hi Guy,
yup not sure what they even mean with 23hp continuos and 30hp max.  How does that work (he asked sarcastically)?

Thanks,
Pigseye

[DirtbikePilot]

Dude.... you can get a good listeroid for 250 more. GET THE LISTEROID!! I really like mine and I'm pretty hard to please. You will come out ahead.

[europachris]

I'm not an expert by any stretch, but I've been looking at ChangFa's as I have a 185 on the way (apropos to the earlier posts on the thread, the weight/size and logistics of transporting and using a Listeroid don't fit my situation for the next 2-5 years, so the Changfa is a better fit).

How do you like your 185 so far?  I've just completed a setup with mine I orderd from John Alvin.  I was going to get a 6/1, but "missed the boat" and Joel and George ran out of stock, along with everyone else that I considered.  Probably a good thing, as the 185 fits my needs (backup power) a lot better and is portable.

So far, the quality seems quite high, it runs very well, and the vibration level is modest.  Mostly it has a gentle rocking from the power strokes, but no harsh hammering.  I had just the bare engine running only on the wood shipping crate bottom, and it would really jump when I went to full throttle from idle, but at constant speed, it would only gradually walk across the concrete after several minutes.  Quite smooth indeed.  It is *not* quiet by any stretch, and is definitely a more obnoxious noise than a 6/1 setup.  But, again, for backup power, it works. 

Here's some pics of it that John has up on his site: http://power-co.net/ilchris.htm.

The generator head is a Markon 2 pole 3200 watt unit I've had for several years, hooked to an anemic Honda gasser engine.  It was time to go diesel....

Enjoy!

Chris

[luismc]

Hi pigseye

 I just got the ZS1115 from Muhammed and it looks like well build engine , but it is not a Changfa it is made by http://www.amecco.com/index.htm.I too would have like  a Lister but the shipping to Puerto Rico was to much ,I want a 12k generator that means that the 6/1 was out and the bigger  lister i could not handle.

[pigseye]

DBP,
I'd love to get a lister but to get close to 20 hp, a 24/2 lister is $2400 plus shipping ($400 to 700) and a Changzou 1125 is $700 plus shipping ($200).  Huge difference in price.  But I still might get a lister.

Europachris,
I appreciate your response and insight on the 185.  Could I ask what do you think of the noise level?  Have you done anything special to limit the noise?

Luismc,
Excellent!  you must be excited.  An in depth review would be greatly appreciated.

Could you post some pics of your 1115?  Do you have it running yet? 

How is the noise level?  What are your thoughts on controlling noise?  Noise is my biggest concern with a China diesel.  I know I can control the Lister to a tolerable level, but am concerned the China diesel will be to loud for my needs.

Thanks!
Pigseye

 

[europachris]

Europachris,
I appreciate your response and insight on the 185.  Could I ask what do you think of the noise level?  Have you done anything special to limit the noise?

Well, it's hard to say, but the noise level is LOUD.  Not so loud you're going to go deaf instantly or annoy neighbors for miles, but loud enough you're going to want to wear hearing protection when working around it while running.  No worse than a regular gas generator, tho.

The vast majority of the noise is from the intake and the exhaust.  The exhaust really barks under full load.  The engine contributes with the rhythmic diesel knock and the whirring of all the balancer and timing gears.

I'm going to experiment with a much larger muffler, either a tractor style muffler with 1.5" OD connections, or an auto muffler of similar size.

Also, I'd like to try a different intake setup, using a Solberg air compressor silencer/filter.  That might help some, and to really quiet the intake, you would need to install a true intake muffler between the filter and the intake port of the engine.  Something with a good size volume to dampen out the "pop" when the intake valve opens.

Since this setup is for backup power and misc. projects outside around the yard where I need power, the noise level isn't a big deal, but it would be fun to see how quiet I can get it.

I've not heard a Listeroid in person, but I'd bet that if you setup a big muffler and something better on the intake, it would be far far quieter due to the lower rpm, absence of much of the gear noise, and greater mass do dampen the diesel knock.  That would be a fun setup.  Just a nice clickety clack.

Chris

[GuyFawkes]

The thing to remember with the listers is this.

At low rpm, say 300, and idling no load, they chuff like a steam engine (on mine the higher rpm of the alternator spinning makes more noise than the 6/1

However.

run it at rated 650 rpm and put the sucker on load*** and you get something between a WHUMP and a THUMP, you can still talk over it very easily, but that low end whump travels.

*** the "gentleman collectors" start-o-matic that I bought recently went on load today for the first time, ran it up on bar fire elements*****, expletive deleted gentleman collectors are a pain in the ass, the bitch pumped out bits of carbon for 5 minutes before clearing up, sad bastards run them at rallies and draw at most a few hundred watts to light a few coloured bulbs. Bastards should be shot and banned from owing stationary engines.

***** bar fires are a resistive load, they don't care about ac or dc so don't care about frequency, so they are ideal for load testing and governor setting, unlike an ac motor, which can overhead badly if the frequency is wrong.

timed the "run down" from shutting her off to stationary very approximately today, quite a lump over 60 seconds.

hopefully next week I'll get around to repairing the frost damaged cylinder thanks to our gentleman collector neglecting to drain the sucker over winter, and then fit a rad, the tank he used is only good for tickover and has the hoses at the wrong levels, lose 3 inches of water and you lose the syphon

did I mention that gentleman collectors piss me off?

cheers

[oldnslow]

A Changfa 1115 direct to a 10KW head at 1800rpm gives me and estimated 7-7.5KW easily. In my experience, the quality of my Changfa is great. Exactly what you would expect buying an engine over here, very nice.  Other brands, couldn't tell you. My engine and head came from Joel, coupler from George. Plenty of support from them. I built it because I needed more KW than a typical 650rpm Listeroid could provide. I think they are noiser by design, not in a detrimental way but just the way they are. It's a tradeoff.

I thought these were also covered under the EPA restrictions too? Don't know, be careful.

[sid]

gentlemen collectors provide a very good source of very good engines/usually rebuilt and most of the time for sale at a price cheaper than you could do it yourself//a little carbon is a small price to pay for a running engine/ from a gentleman collector with 18 restored engines//it is impossible to run that many engines full time/but some day some will get some very good engines.. just run then a few minutes and get the carbon out//  small price compared to what  I have put in them//sid

[GuyFawkes]

gentlemen collectors provide a very good source of very good engines/usually rebuilt and most of the time for sale at a price cheaper than you could do it yourself//a little carbon is a small price to pay for a running engine/ from a gentleman collector with 18 restored engines//it is impossible to run that many engines full time/but some day some will get some very good engines.. just run then a few minutes and get the carbon out//  small price compared to what  I have put in them//sid

my experience is the opposite, gentlemen collectors are fascinated with the correct colour paint, correct year and breed of starting handle wood, but are bloody awful mechanics who don't understand their engines and run them on tickover... their only saving grace in my experience is even if one of their engine hours is worth between a hundred and a thousand proper hours in terms of wear and tear, they don't usually run em enough hours to do serious damage.

YMMV, but my prejudices against gentlemen collectors comes from long experience, old cars, classic bikes and engines, only time there's ever been a bargain going is when you get one sold by their wives without their knowledge....

[rgroves]

my experience is the opposite, gentlemen collectors are fascinated with the correct colour paint, correct year and breed of starting handle wood, but are bloody awful mechanics who don't understand their engines and run them on tickover... their only saving grace in my experience is even if one of their engine hours is worth between a hundred and a thousand proper hours in terms of wear and tear, they don't usually run em enough hours to do serious damage.

YMMV, but my prejudices against gentlemen collectors comes from long experience, old cars, classic bikes and engines, only time there's ever been a bargain going is when you get one sold by their wives without their knowledge....

I have a theory, based on nothing really, that a really obsessed gentleman collector's wife might have other things available for the taking too. 

Russell

[GuyFawkes]

I have a theory, based on nothing really, that a really obsessed gentleman collector's wife might have other things available for the taking too. 

I have a related theory, the said wives things available are prolly about as attractive as a bent micrometer... 

[t19]

Gentlemen..... play nice  We have great ideas, and great experiances.  Please remember this is the internet, you miss something with typewritten words.

Lets not get all personnal and attack dogish.  Be respectful.... Or we will use our Ubberpowers to delete your posts.

Now back to talking about chinese engines

[Doug]

I have a yard full of what I consider to be collectable lawn mowers some from as far back as the eraly 50s.
The wife would rather call the scrap dealer.
My brother tends to like to borrow one when he brakes his. ( he picks the ones that are hardest to repair, and brakes them lol )

They all cut grass a few times a year....

Doug