Custom Generator

[The Tuul Crib 7,339]

 Just last night we lost power here for 12 hours due to a storm that knocked a tree on the powerlines around the corner from my house. Luckily everything at my house was fine except for my refrigerators. Went to the shed pulled up my generator and would not start . So here’s what I’m thinking I have this generator that still is good so why not separate the motor from the generator and adapt it to one of my horses. Any thoughts ?

[Achto 29,405]

1 hour ago, The Tool Crib said:

Any thoughts ?

 

Only issue that I could fore see would be connecting it to the engine on your Horse. The engine & gen on a portable are connected by a taper connection. You may have issues fitting a pulley to on the generator shaft.

[ztnoo 2,300]

It probably would be easier getting the engine on the generator to run, IMO.

You might want to try start it every couple of months or so to make sure it run dependably.

Non-ethanol fuel might be the fuel of choice for a generator, for sure.

The last thing you need are ethanol "pearls" gumming up the works to something that is really needed in an emergency situation.

Just a thought.......

[JoeM 8,348]

I have one like that and I believe the engine side of the generator used the engine as it's bearing for the rotor. The shaft was tapered on the engine. I too had the same issue and leaned toward repairing the engine.

Carb issues with bad fuel.

Works great.

[19richie66 17,645]

I saw a video of a guy who did this but took the piston and rod out of the engine(broke anyways) and put a pulley where the recoil was and ran it off another engine. No resistance from the piston/rod so it just turns. Would work in an emergency but I agree it would be less work to just get it going or buy a new one. But what fun would that be? 

[The Tuul Crib 7,339]

What is the old saying?

invention is the product of necessity ?

[ebinmaine 72,719]

I like the idea that Richie is offering quite a lot but I have to agree with the others that getting that one running probably would be the best course of action. Again. Not the fun part. Just the most practical.

 

 

[ZXT 2,401]

As long as we're on the subject, what about using a generator from an RV genset? Do they typically attach with a tapered shaft like the smaller generators?

 

The reason I ask - a local salvage yard has a Kohler 7000 series RV genset sitting out on the ground. If the engine uses a regular crankshaft, I'd almost be tempted to buy it, put the engine on one of my tractors and then adapt the generator to run off of it with a pulley.

 

I don't have any idea what HP it is (for some reason RV gensets never say the HP and good luck finding any info) or what model the engine is, but it's a twin and its pretty large.

[bc.gold 3,406]

8 minutes ago, ZXT said:

As long as we're on the subject, what about using a generator from an RV genset? Do they typically attach with a tapered shaft like the smaller generators?

 

The reason I ask - a local salvage yard has a Kohler 7000 series RV genset sitting out on the ground. If the engine uses a regular crankshaft, I'd almost be tempted to buy it, put the engine on one of my tractors and then adapt the generator to run off of it with a pulley.

 

I don't have any idea what HP it is (for some reason RV gensets never say the HP and good luck finding any info) or what model the engine is, but it's a twin and its pretty large.

 

Gen sets from RV's most are governed at 1800 rpm in the case of Onan is easy to change by removing 5 of the 10 flyweights to get the engine up to 3600 rpm.

 

The crankshafts are tapered but easily swapped out, many of the Case tractor guys seek out the Onan RV gen sets then simply have the tapered crank turned in a lathe to accept a love joy coupler.

 

RV generators seldom get used and make good donor blocks.

[ZXT 2,401]

2 minutes ago, bcgold said:

 

Gen sets from RV's most are governed at 1800 rpm in the case of Onan is easy to change by removing 5 of the 10 flyweights to get the engine up to 3600 rpm.

 

The crankshafts are tapered but easily swapped out, many of the Case tractor guys seek out the Onan RV gen sets then simply have the tapered crank turned in a lathe to accept a love joy coupler.

 

RV generators seldom get used and make good donor blocks.

Good to know! It's a shame that the cranks are tapered... Makes it less of a feasible swap.

 

The yard also has an Onan genset.. I'll have to see what he wants for them.. If they're cheap enough, it might be worth it.

[bc.gold 3,406]

I have a Kohler 6.5 kw generator the a SR2 air cooled Lister diesel, the generator armature is flanged where it mates up with the flywheel.

 

Someone forgot to inform this tuber that the generator head is also the starter.

 

 

[bc.gold 3,406]

4 minutes ago, ZXT said:

Good to know! It's a shame that the cranks are tapered... Makes it less of a feasible swap.

 

The yard also has an Onan genset.. I'll have to see what he wants for them.. If they're cheap enough, it might be worth it.

 

The Onan generator engine may not have the stater for charging a battery  and no ring gear as the gen head would have served both functions.

 

Onan generators used a large capacity oil pan with expected regular oil changes they eliminated the oil filter but the block is machined to accept the filter base you may have to  drill and tap a few holes to accept the filter base.

 

Camshaft from Onan gen set has the lobe cast into the cam blank but not machined, if your running an electric fuel pump this is not a problem. I just swapped out both cam and crank.

[19richie66 17,645]

We had an Onan diesel genset in my service truck and it was belt drive off the kubota engine in the genset. Also had a generac diesel that was the same way. 

Edited June 23, 2019 by 19richie66

[pfrederi 18,689]

The bearings in the generator I would think to be the biggest issue if you try to mount some sort of pulley that is a lot of lateral force that generator shaft and bearings were not designed for.

[ztnoo 2,300]

4 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Just the most practical.

 

I second that theory. 

[The Tuul Crib 7,339]

Well that does make sense where as 

the generator shaft and motor are 

directly in line with one another. 

[bc.gold 3,406]

When ever thee three phase motor generator Lincoln welders show up on equipment auction they can be had for less than $100.00, the generator is removed from the electric motor then  face plate with a bearing is made up to steady the armature.

 

I've seen conversions where the generator was belt driven but the most popular is to couple the generator direct to the engine via love joy or a pair of chain sprockets using twin roller chain.

 

These old copper wound Lincolns are well worth the effort.

 

[Achto 29,405]

9 hours ago, ZXT said:

I don't have any idea what HP it is (for some reason RV gensets never say the HP and good luck finding any info)

 

As a general rule most generators are 1.5hp per 1000 watts. You would also need to take into consideration that the engines horse power would be lower at 1800 rpms than it would be at 3600rpms.

[ZXT 2,401]

9 hours ago, bcgold said:

 

The Onan generator engine may not have the stater for charging a battery  and no ring gear as the gen head would have served both functions.

 

Onan generators used a large capacity oil pan with expected regular oil changes they eliminated the oil filter but the block is machined to accept the filter base you may have to  drill and tap a few holes to accept the filter base.

 

Camshaft from Onan gen set has the lobe cast into the cam blank but not machined, if your running an electric fuel pump this is not a problem. I just swapped out both cam and crank.

I know that the Onan I looked at did have an oil filter on it. Didn't think about the ring gear but kind of suspected that it wouldn't have a stator. 

 

 

[ZXT 2,401]

37 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

As a general rule most generators are 1.5hp per 1000 watts. You would also need to take into consideration that the engines horse power would be lower at 1800 rpms than it would be at 3600rpms.

Good to know! The engine on the Kohler genset looked to be larger than the Onan N52M on my Sears, so at 3600 RPM it probably makes more than 10.5 HP.