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Author Topic: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator  (Read 2562 times)

ajaffa1

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #15 on: October 11, 2022, 08:27:03 AM »
Hi Tom, I can`t advise you on a suitable grade of oil for use in the UK due to the temperature difference. My Lister had to be able to handle summer temperatures in excess of 50 centigrade and temperatures down to below zero in winter! I would however, advise you to drain the sump, leave the old oil filter in place and refill the sump with a diesel flushing oil. Run the motor for about 15 minutes until it reaches full operating temperature. Then drain out the flushing oil (do not throw it away it can be reused). Now replace the oil filter and fill with new oil.
There has been a lot of discussion about oil on the LEF, in my experience modern oils are a lot better than what was available 50 years ago. You can run a diesel car for three quarters of a million miles or more with regular oil changes. Any quality modern diesel engine oil should be better than anything they had back then.

Bob

TGC61

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #16 on: October 12, 2022, 08:51:32 AM »
I've started on the tank as that needed to be cleaned internally and all the pipework changing.

ajaffa1

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #17 on: October 13, 2022, 06:11:58 AM »
Hi Tom, I love that long run fuel tank, I have one that must be slightly earlier. Yours appears to have a couple of lugs for a sight gauge, mine has a float with a chain and a small pulley.

Bob

TGC61

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #18 on: October 13, 2022, 07:13:45 AM »
Hi Bob - not sure of the capacity and it would be interesting to know how long it would run on a full tank. I'm replacing the sight tube as the old one was so dark as to be of no use. Re running the heavily corroded fuel Lins with copper tomorrow.

TGC61

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #19 on: October 14, 2022, 11:21:05 AM »
Bob - I'm just in the process of changing that rectifier - I'm, not getting any power reading from it. What does it do excatly?

ajaffa1

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #20 on: October 14, 2022, 10:21:38 PM »
Hi Tom, I am assuming that you are talking about the bridge rectifier in the gen head. There are two ways to generate electricity, one is to rotate a coil inside a magnet field. The second is to rotate a magnetic field inside a coil. In the Brush generator head a coil rotates within a magnetic field, with the generated electricity being collected from the two slip rings. These generators do not have permanent magnets, instead the magnetic field is created by passing a DC voltage through the set of 4 coils set around the inside of the generator housing. To do this it is necessary to rectify some of the generated AC voltage into DC voltage. The amount of DC voltage is determined by a large variable rheostat, also inside the gen head.
When the generator first spins up it starts to make electricity using residual magnetism left in the coils, as the ac voltage increases so does the rectified dc voltage which then sustains the magnetism in the electro magnets.

If you are having trouble with the new bridge rectifier, check that it`s orientation is correct, does you control panel have the wiring diagram in the back? It shows which way it should be wired. Check things with a multimeter.

Good luck,
Bob

TGC61

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #21 on: October 15, 2022, 06:07:32 AM »
Thanks Bob - all done and thanks for the explanation about the workings. I hadn't realised that this type of generator did not have a permanent magnet. It's all very interesting.

I couldn't get anything out of it to check the charge but that was cured by putting it under load. Have attached the rectifier to the alloy body rather than the plastic grill.

Filled the tank properly and now with new copper lines so looking good - but.....there is now a tiny leak from the cleaned out fuel tank! So I've taken it off and will hopefully fix tgg he at with some tank sealant/repair products.

The batteries are on the trickle charger which seems to be working as it should.

Tom

ajaffa1

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #22 on: October 15, 2022, 08:04:47 AM »
Well done Tom, another couple of steps closer to a perfect electric backup system.
I failed to answer your question about fuel consumption. The long run fuel tank you have is off a much earlier engine, probably a Lister CS.
A  6/1 CS will drive a 3KVA generator head and that tank would probably run it for about eight hour. I expect an ST2 would empty that tank in about 4 hours, depending on the load.
My ST2 SOM sat on a 300 Litre tank with a fuel lift pump and was good for a week or more. You might want to look for a larger tank if the electric supply is unreliable where you live.

Bob

TGC61

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #23 on: October 15, 2022, 08:47:38 AM »
Ooh that sounds quite thirsty but I don't imagine we are looking at long outages. The engineer said it would run happily on the red kerosene we use for our heating boiler as long as you add about 1% volume oil. I'm not sure which oil, maybe two stroke? as that was designed to burn. That would make a significant difference to the running cost. I've attached a sheet provided by the installer that suggests that the standard 7 gallon tank ran for 14 hours. I've not checked the capacity of mine but it looks about that.

Tom
« Last Edit: October 15, 2022, 08:59:39 AM by TGC61 »

ajaffa1

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #24 on: October 17, 2022, 08:23:30 AM »
Hi Tom, I`ve never tried running a diesel on kerosene but I have run kerosene heating boilers on diesel, so I guess it would work. I am thinking that Kero probably does not have the lubricating properties needed for the injector pump. I think two stroke oil would be ok.
I have a vintage Cooper engine that was designed to be started on petrol and then switched over to Kero, I didn`t find any excessive wear in valves or valve guides when I rebuilt it.
I wonder if you can get your hands on red diesel where you are? In the UK red diesel is sold to farmers and other essential industries at a much lower cost than the regular diesel you would buy at a fuel station. If you know any farmers they might be willing to sell you a few gallons.

Bob

dieselspanner

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #25 on: October 17, 2022, 08:28:34 AM »
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



Tighten 'til it strips, weld nut to chassis, peen stud, adjust with angle grinder.

ajaffa1

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #26 on: October 17, 2022, 10:19:17 PM »
Hi Stef, I`ve always been amazed that anything can live and grow in diesel. The same thing can happen with Kerosene. I remember having to clean out fuel tanks on the old Vulcan bombers. Confined space, toxic/ explosive environment and a pressure washer rubber suit and breathing apparatus. Lovely job!  :laugh:
I`ve never had a problem with the diesel in Australia, I think the fuel emission rules are much less stringent so we are probably still using high sulfur fuels. Not so sure about our petrol, most countries removed the lead years ago because it is toxic and makes people stupid. Sadly they replaced it with benzine which is carcinogenic and makes people dead.

Bob

TGC61

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Re: Recommissioning a Lister ST2 with Brush Generator
« Reply #27 on: October 18, 2022, 06:38:21 AM »
Hi Stef

The last time the tank on mine was filled was in about 2003. The engine started on that fuel on the second turn. Lat time about twelve years ago. The tank was about half full and seems to be in good condition. It was obviously pre all the bio diesel additives etc etc. My only problem has been that there was a lot of sludge in the base, not sure what that was but it included a degree of corroded metal I think. Scraping the base of the tank revealed or created three or four pin holes which I've now filled with a full tank specific filler so hoping that will be that!

Tom