i too vote for it.
perhaps an outline format or chapters so to speak.
such as:
chapter one, a thread that pertains to all that is lister or listeroid, in trouble shooting, preparation, overhaul, repairs and maintenance, improvements etc., with links to other sites, vendors, and diy'ers sites
chapter two, power transmission, couplings, belt drives, chain drives, jack shafts, with links to browning, gates, bearing manufactures, lovejoy, dodge, etc.
chapter three, electrical, st heads, induction generators, alternators, etc, with links to the manufactures, charts, diy'ers pages etc.
chapter four, electrical controls, regulators, rectifiers, batteries, relays, disconnects, with links to manufactures, data, diy'ers etc.
chapter five, mounting, concrete, forming, steel framework, rubber mounts, etc, with the same links to manufactures, tables/charts etc., diy'ers links
chapter six, books, that relate to the subject, here is a good place to post books old and new, that relate to engines, generators, batteries, controls etc.
chapter seven, monitoring, guages, engine temp, oil pressure, shutdown systems, diversion etc.
chapter eight, etc etc.
this sort of fomat should include only those posts that relate to the chapter, not anything to do with politics, religion or personal crap
a format something like this would make it easy to locate particular information related to a specific subject. imho
as for not being able to get info for the diy'er, i too have been frustated by the prevalent attitude of buying and not making.
seems like there arent many who build their own anymore, or at least far fewer than back in the 50's and 60's when publications such as popular science and popular mechanics routinely ran articles on howto do just about anything. these articles had blueprints, parts lists, everything to build all manner of stuff from welders to air compressors. now these publications are showcases for manufactures products.
i have spent many years collecting all manner of books from early blacksmithing, to engine design, from electrical to refrigeration.
in some ways we are living in a tough time for a diy'er, but never has the time been better for the diy'er because of the availability of surplus stuff, and a wide variety of all sorts of components that simpy were either not available or we didnt know where to get them. with the internet, these sources of components are now widely known and available.
with fewer diy'ers around there is more to pick from. and with the use it till it breaks mentality there is alot of useful stuff being discarded that has alot of life left in it. such as lawn mowers with bad gas in it, it dont start so the guy thows it away, a boon to the diy'er who can clean it up and reuse the engine for another project. thirty years ago, the guy would have had it repaired and used the mower until it was worn out typically then throw it away.
industry is no different, i pick up all sorts of stuff from our local airplane manufactures surplus yard for as little as 1 cent on the dollar, that has never been available before, such as new belts with an original cost of around 80 bucks purchased used for 50 cents each.
yesterday i stopped at a yard that is being cleared off, it was an old lumber mill of some sort, there is a gang saw there that will go for scrap that has over 50 hd. 1.5 inch pillow blocks and over 50 1.25 pillow blocks, dozens of taper lock 3 groove pulleys, etc. can't imagine it will go for more that 30 cents a pound.
large machine tools such as lathes, mills etc are going to the scrapper everyday, that have alot of life in them for the diy'er. this was never the case 30 or 40 years ago.
in one way i see it as maddening, in another way i see great opportunity
bob g