OlderThanMe Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 SO I have been looking at options to put together a power generator to run a TIG machine off of. I could go and buy a $500 8hp single piston engine that would be a good application. OR... A 1.6 aircooled VW beetle engine. I can get a bug motor for like $100 at the JY and a complete rebuild kit for like $250 with pistons, cylinders, and everything else. There is a kit out there to convert your bug engine to be an air compressor with a special camshaft and some other parts. I figured why not build a fat generator out of a 60hp bug motor? I could get the generator motor as a replacement part from a Miller generator(10,000+ watts). That way I could power several things. I could power 220 for a TIG, power a small mill or lathe, lighting, an air compressor, deep fryer, and many other things. Miller welding had a hotrodded generator with a HUGE generator and a 350 chevy with dragster headers on it. Why not a VW 60hp? I'd like to hear your thoughts!! OTM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 I would think cooling would be an issue. You wil need fans that move a lot of air. You might be better off with a small inline water cooled 4 cylinder. A 10 KW generator will take something larger than 8 hp to run it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 So something like an A13 L4? I was also thinking of that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleaf Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Use a Geo Metro 3 cyl. They're cheap and efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Don't get greedy, the VW industrial engines were only rated about 25hp. They were interchangable with Wisconsin MV4HD engines in Military Support Equipment....the Japanese used VW Industrial Engines in their support stuff for the F15, where we used Wisconsins...and later Diesels. The A-Series Nissan Engines were also rated similarly, and give good service life. When you get above about 30HP, TurboDiesels rule in things like Small Tractors and Bobcats---generators as well if you want a small package. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I will throw the idea of an old Subaru engine out there.. Us 80s subaru guys consider a car at 200K miles to be "just broken in" Look for the 1.8 liter OHV motor, the EA81, or the EA82 OHC motor which is virtually identical. The OHC has timing belts to worry about, but other than that the only potential issues lay with overheating after the engine sees some use (we tell people that an EA82 with over 100K that got overheated once pretty well definitely has a bad headgasket) Headgasket problems are more pronounced on the OHC engine than on the OHV engine. the SPFI system used on the ea82s is wonderful, simple, and easy to diagnose with onboard pre OBD diagnostic plugs. I have also considered building a little old datsun motor for use on a generator... but never gotten around to it. How much is the gen head from miller?????? good catch on that, BTW. I know I have seen three phase gen heads on harbor freight's website, but... harbor freight... enuff said. Regarding cooling, since the engine is probably not going to run above 1800 or maybe 3600 RPMs, I doubt it will be too hard to get a radiator and a fan on it that would suffice to keep it cool under any circumstances; after all, they stay cool under a hood, in traffic, with only the clutch fan blowing on the radiator, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy 77zt Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 a vw would work but probably doesnt make much hp at 2500rpm or so-the fan and tin cools it just fine.nissan used to put a15 engines on forklifts-i drove 1 for a summer job in college.it ran all day in 115 degree heat no problem.if you need more hp or torque my suggestion is a 170 or 200ci ford straight 6.pretty much a tractor engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 10 Kilowatts == 10 horsepower. You need more than 10 horsepower to power a ten kilowatt generator, due to energy lost to friction.. but a ford I6 is BRUTAL overkill unless you want a 35-40 KW generator... which is enough for a house with central AC, a fridge, a water heater, a clothes dryer, and a microwave running all at once. Post hurricane, people were hooking 10KW generators up to their house and running pretty well everything, within reason.. just leaving the hot water heater off until nighttime when the AC wasnt on, minimal lighting, and other simple conservation issues like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 Thanks for the input guys! I was looking at the VW motor because it weighs so little. I'll tell about the application that this generator will be for. I am looking at building a mobile fabrication shop on the back of my Frontier. The bed will disappear and a flatbed type rear end put on. I'll probably modify the rear axle placement and move it back a foot and extend the bed. Put on a small lift kit (4"?) with heavy duty springs, swap in a solid axle in the front and add a divorced transfer case. I'll have to modify the motor to put out about 30% more power to carry all this extra weight. Shouldn't be a problem with a supercharger, some cams, and exhaust. Anyway I'll be able to park, set up a 25'X25' tent and pull out the welder, mill, and maybe a small lathe. I'll be able to travel around the southeast doing emergency repairs, remote area fabrication, and other stuff. Probably going to be doing custom car stuff wherever I am. Thinking about turbo swaps for most of the popular imports and even domestics on location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Do not discount an Inverter in that case. You can get them quite big now, and they will run a lot of stuff. Drill motors, etc... A Small 3-Phase 240V 20A generator should be available from Military Surplus Auctions that is light and will provide what you need. Our ABDR trailers in the USAF (Air Battle Damage Repair) were rolling workshops with stock like you propose, but had a high capacity air compressor for pneumatic tools, as well as a Diesel 10Kw Generator that was used for lighting mostly, though some electrical tools were run off it at times. What you need to figure out is your peak electrical user: Mill or Lathe. From that point you size your generator accordingly. Don't forget floodlights and lighting in the tent!!! Chances are if you run even a 6HP electrical Compressor, that is only 7Amps 240 Single Phase, which is easily accomplished with most of the small commercial generators out there. Chances are good that outside of lighting you will not be running more than one high-load electrical device at the same time...especially if you are a one-man show! That is why most places use gas powered compressors and welders, and then a much smaller electrical generator. For the compressor, I have seen more than one application that made a direct-drive adapter for a hydrostatic motor, and you simply drove the compressor off either the Transmission PTO, or a power-steering pump/hydrostatic pump off the truck's engine. Making your own generator is pretty drastic when you think about voltage regulation and speed governing. The VW did have governors available, and if you were to belt-drive a PTO style Generator it would drive a fairly sizeable unit---if you got the right one, it could be a Generator/Welder! A Lincoln Bobcat was what my pal used in his Portable Welding Business. It did everything, ran his chop saws, welded everything, and ran some lights if he needed it to.... Took up no more than 1/4 of the full size bed on his truck. I still have my eye on it...one day he will sell! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 I have also looked at the Miller Trailblazer. My welding school had an old one that we used to weld up stuff around campus. check out this welder! Very cool! And Tony... Miller welding makes the Bobcat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Why not buy a full sized truck instead of trying to make one from a minitruck? You will save yourself a bunch of money that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I have also looked at the Miller Trailblazer. My welding school had an old one that we used to weld up stuff around campus. check out this welder! Very cool! And Tony... Miller welding makes the Bobcat. Yeah, It's Blue. What did I say? Lincoln? They're red. Don't know what I was thinking! he had a humongo cart-mounted unit as well, I think he called it a 'Trailblazer'---was powered by a Flathead Inline Six if I recall. He could power a small city off that thinG! As for that Zena Welder, Pete had a small Yellow German unit that was TIG capable and 165 Amps...very small. He had bought it to do Stainless Steel Welding on O2 Systems and other High-Purity Piping on the roofs of hospitals, and it could easily be carried by one person and put in a standard elevator for the roof top trek. He used a Scuba setup to carry the tank! I REALLY wanted THAT unit! He tried starting it and apparently it wouldn't idle (varnish in the carb) so he sold it to someone else because he felt guilty about selling me something that didn't work! I mean, it was like $200, and had 13 hours on the hourmeter! PETE! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING IT JUST NEEDED A CARB KIT THAT WELDER WAS PERFECT FOR MY HOUSE BECAUSE I DON'T NEED TO RUN WIRES 600 FEET TO WELD PIPE CORRALS IN THE BACK!!! I use not having that little welder as an excuse for my wife not being able to buy a horse. "Can't build the corral, honey. Maybe if we built that metal building I could do big enough sections to prefab it, but until I get that shop, I can't really do any field welding with the Hobart!" Does that make me an extortionist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted July 19, 2007 Author Share Posted July 19, 2007 Why not buy a full sized truck instead of trying to make one from a minitruck? You will save yourself a bunch of money that way. Well my Frontier isn't the small version... I have a crew cab, short bed, tall suspension 2x4 version. I'm going to beef up the rear suspension with some stiffer springs and go spring over axle. The front will either get a solid axle or some custom control arms that I'd make up to mount some stock 4x4 spindles and convert to coilovers from the torsion bars. I'm not worried about doing these mods once the warranty ends and I have all the equipment to do it. I'll start with just the rear end with the flatbed and other equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 you should get a 94+ Dodge ram with a cummins turbo diesel, get a long bed or buy one with a flatbed. If u get one with the DHD 241 transfercase u can run pto attatchments. No need to upgrade power, or suspension at all, plus there easy to get 400hp 900tq out of so u can get to jobs doing burnouts, lol..... Plus the longevity of a diesel and 20mpg city are good perks for a work truck that can tow a house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Yeah, I have to admit that the small truck is nice for getting into plants that are congested, but having an F350 with a Powerstroke and a PTO makes for a niiiiice rig to run! Anything with a PTO in the driveline makes accessorizing easier. You can stick a big hydrostatic drive on there, and run your compressor and generator from it---and with the hydraulic lines extended, you can move those accessories around your truck or even off-truck to utilize them. My 99 F350 Diesel got 17mpg, loaded, towing a trailer, with a sheets of plywood stuck at the front of the bed so I had a big 'wind break'...it got 17mpg running empty as well! LOL Know it runs on Mexican Corn Oil (the red and green can with the rooster on it brand---from the supermercado in Mexicali!) as well as Canola oil... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbk240z Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 I think I agree with the others, you need another truck for your idea. Your frontier is very nice, and your idea is good. Although the lack of space is one of the downfalls. Keep the frontier for you daily driver and find something bigger for your "work" truck. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 If u get a cummmins, i'd recomend a 12v 94-98.4, because the newer 24v's have a vp44 pump that fails. The newer CR cummins are nice, but pretty expensive. If u get a ford for some reason, lol, get a early 00's 7.3l. Steer clear of the 6.0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted July 19, 2007 Author Share Posted July 19, 2007 Thanks guys! I'll probably just rhino-line my Frontier's bed then and keep it for daily driving and junkyard rescues... Maybe something like an F150 with a F250 drivetrain... I'd definitely like to keep a "smaller" body with the heavy duty drivetrain. OTM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 I have the perfect swap for u.... mid to late 80's f-250 extended cab (can be had very cheap), fab up ur own custom bed to meet ur needs, and throw a 94+ 12v cummins turbo diesel in and u'd have one sweet truck for about $4k if u get a couple good deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.