3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

professor95 wrote:
Pretty cool, John. I love innovation!

But, to be honest, I am surprised it works. 1/4" is getting pretty small for a load block. My guess would have been it would only have worked with the screw backed out all the way. Anything larger than your 206 cc engine will almost definitely require the regular size load block.

Professor,
After I posted, I went back to my pastime of reading the thread ... I'm up to page 730!!! Somewhere in the "low 700's", I stumbled across the trials and travails of building load blocks! Apparently, there's a lot more to consider than just building a big needle valve! Anyway, the block does work, but I have NOT tested it with a fully loaded-up generator - it might be too small. However, I'm now trying to finalize some things so I can get the unit ready for the summer - maybe more experimentation next winter. I'm sticking with your design for now because I know it works.

Some questions that I think will be of general interest:

1) My LPG converted carb has a 3/16" orifice for the LPG. I've tried 3/16" i.d. Tygon for the vapor line between regulator and carb and the unit runs fine (this was tested with a fully loaded generator). Any reason not to continue to use this? It's rated a "1" for compatibility with propane.

2) No matter which feed block - your design or mine, with a dead cold engine, the remote starter has to try about 4 times to start the engine. It will fire every attempt, but of course when it fires the remote cuts out the starter and that's it until about the fourth attempt. I'm using the GM trunk release solenoid to activate the primer - as I told you, it "cycles" in that it holds down for about 3 seconds, releases for a couple of seconds, then down again, and so on. Do you think it might do better to go the bypass solenoid valve route and get continuous prime until the engine starts? (I'm waiting for the engine to get cold right now so I can manually hold the primer down continuously and see what happens - I'll report back on that.)

3) The DuroPower 3550ES has 4 metal foam-lined enclosure panels around the sides (some have some small vent slits), an open bottom, and normally the top is enclosed, but not tightly, by the gas tank. I've removed the gas tank, lined the inside of the panels with Hardiebacker (covering-over the vent slits), and have a temporary Hardiebacker panel to close the top. I've thoroughly insulated the exhaust/muffler and left it inside (I wanted compactness and the ability to remove the unit from the FW mount without having to dismantle anything). I suspect I'll need some supplementary ventilation or a fan for extreme conditions. Right now I envision putting a hole in the Hardiebacker top above the muffler to simply let the hot escape. Some of the engine cooling air hits the top of the muffler enclosure - I "think" a hole above that area will be even more inducive to a draft effect around the muffler - since it's totally open on the bottom, air should be able to freely rise. Since I'm not at this point going the total enclosure route like one uses to install in a "cave" in a FW (mine is mounted externally on the back of the FW), I don't think I need to go the bottom-mounted fan route. The vent hole in the top would have a cover about 3" above it - a piece of sound-attenutating lined diamond plate or aluminum sheet to provide a cover/lid for the genset - I could leave the periphery beneath the top tubular rails of the genset frame open to let the hot air escape - I would also turn down the edges of the lid to baffle the area somewhat.

Now to get to the question!!!!!

If that doesn't provide sufficient cooling and I need a booster fan, I have a 500 cfm 8" 12vdc (80 watts) "Procomp" fan that I could use to boost the draft above the muffler/generator. It would be desireable to use a temp sensor switch so it can run-on after shut-down until temps are down. I want to move the battery up on top of the genset (build an insulated battery box recessed in the other end of the Hardiebacker top) for ease of maintenance. (Mounted on the receiver hitch/bumper of the FW, the present battery is on the back-side of the genset). Rather than the puny 7 ah gel cell, how about going to something like a wet cell ATV battery (seems they stand abuse pretty well!). Would the trickle charger keep up with all of this, OR, could I tap off the 12v charging circuit off the generator (it puts out 13.5v and is breakered at 8.7 amps) to either charge the battery and/or run the fan???

Regards,
John