# BOUGHT AN OLD LOMBARDINI DIESEL GENERATOR MOTOR! Don't know anything!!!



## NoPaint (Jan 26, 2010)

Guys I bought a running Lombardini engine off a generator used to power a sign board.  Question is: I assume it is fixed speed for generator duty like gas generator engines.  I want mine to be variable speed so I can use it on other stuff.  Can this be done?  The engines not here yet.  My friend told me there should be a lever on the side of a big injection pump looking thing?  Its a single cylinder air cooled model.


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## NoPaint (Jan 27, 2010)

Oh and its a  6LD360N model.  I cannot find an owners manual so I can't figure out if it has a throttle or not...and I can't wait until it gets here to find out!


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## Monkey Wrench (Jan 27, 2010)

NoPaint said:
			
		

> Oh and its a  6LD360N model.  I cannot find an owners manual so I can't figure out if it has a throttle or not...and I can't wait until it gets here to find out!



Wrong Board My Friend.
Go To TRACTORBYNET and post. Grab a beer and a bag of pop-corn.


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## Highbeam (Jan 27, 2010)

Of course you can. You just need to find a quick and easy way to adjust the governor. You'll need to specify your other applications but so long as you don't try and power a vehicle with it where you need throttle control then it will be fine. The thing with governors is that they try and hold a set RPM by applying lots of throttle as soon as the "set" engine speed drops. Where on a throttle control you vary how much fuel you want to give it to provide varied acceleration and RPM.


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## Jim K in PA (Jan 27, 2010)

The other place to root around for info is www.smokstak.com  There is a whole section for generators, including diesels.


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## NoPaint (Jan 27, 2010)

Highbeam - Diesel engines don't have a "throttle."  Where as on a gas engine you vary the throttle to introduce more air/fuel, on a Diesel engine the air intake is wide open and all you do to make more power is put in more fuel.  In the case of a fixed speed diesel, the problem would be that the injection pump wouldn't be setup to reduce or increase fuel quantity.  If it is fixed speed it will be up for sale right here!


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## Highbeam (Jan 27, 2010)

I know how a diesel works. Perhaps the word throttle was misleading, rather than the world throttle I could have said fuel rate control which to most people means the same thing but is less confusing. Diesels can be set up two ways. One (like on a truck) for variable fuel delivery rate(aka a throttle) or a governed speed control where the governor adjusts the fuel rate automatically to maintain a set RPM as on a generator.


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## NoPaint (Jan 27, 2010)

I was thinking you probably knew considering your avatar!  

I think this engine has a governor to keep it from going overspeed, but it should also have a fuel control rod that can vary the speed.  If there is a fuel control ability I am gonna have to find a way to make it changeable on the fly...to be continued...


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## YZF1R (Jan 28, 2010)

Of course it has a throttle. ;-)  The governor uses the throttle to maintain a set rpm at various loads. In the case of small generators 3600 rpm. The same way you use the throttle to maintain a set speed in your car where you become the governor. You will need to be able to set low idle rpm and depending on how the pump works, also the high idle rpm. In between those rpm, you will use the throttle like on my N14 Cummins. Unless you have what my 1693 Cat had which Caterpillar calls their "full range governor". Wherever you set the throttle (in this case with your foot), the governor will try to maintain the rpm (or road speed) whether going up hill or down.

Steve


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## NoPaint (Jan 28, 2010)

YZF1R

I'm worried about the throttle being the CAT style you mentioned.  I want this to go in something fun like a go-kart but I need a fully useable throttle for that usage.


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## YZF1R (Jan 28, 2010)

NoPaint, a full range governor will work OK. Just a learning curve. Remember, I drove a Cat with one. It is something to get used to though. If you want to slowly accelerate in a given gear, you have to follow the rpm up with your foot to maintain the same load on the motor. (Same coming back down.) If you started out at idle and pushed the throttle halfway to the floor, the full range governor would go wide open until the rpm got up to half way between low and high idle, where your foot is, instead of giving you half throttle all the way up to high idle.

You know, on second thought, it might not work so good on something like a go-cart.

Steve


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## Hairy Cannonball (Jan 30, 2010)

At least some variants of the 6LD series have a speed controllable governor, some with a knob and a set screw, some designed to be cable controlled. At any rate the governors on these engines are very simple and it is a trivial matter to fabricate an adjustable unit if it doesn't have what you want already. I installed a very similar Yanmar diesel engine into a Royal Enfield motorcycle and had to fabricate a better control assy for it, the original was not only quite crude but it also fouled on the transmission. Very simple to build a better one. Keep in mind however, that all of these engines have fixed start of injection timing ( not controlled by rpm) so it is difficult to get them to run perfectly over a large range of RPM's. That said I was able to get the Yanmar set to where it is usable on a motorcycle.


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## NoPaint (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks guys.

Its here and has a throttle!

Tips on starting?  Do I have to "bleed" the fuel system before it will start?  I will start with a gravity tank.


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## Hairy Cannonball (Jan 30, 2010)

NoPaint said:
			
		

> Thanks guys.
> 
> Its here and has a throttle!
> 
> Tips on starting?  Do I have to "bleed" the fuel system before it will start?  I will start with a gravity tank.



Loosen injector line from injector, crank until fuel is present ( use compression release to make it easier to crank) re-tighten connection. Engine should now be ready to start. It may take a few attempts as there will still be some air in the line. Once bled it should be very easy to start in the future. If this is a pull start engine you will need to use the compression release to get it to pull over. All the Lombardini engines I have are two cylinder and electric start so I cant be real specific here, but on the Yanmar singles I have pull over until you feel compression, set compression release and give her a good pull. This allows you to store up energy in the flywheel before you hit the compression stroke again. If this is the first start of an engine of unknown condition it might be prudent to have a way to shut off the air intake  just in case the governor sticks and it starts running away.


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## YZF1R (Jan 30, 2010)

Hairy Cannonball said:
			
		

> At least some variants of the 6LD series have a speed controllable governor, some with a knob and a set screw, some designed to be cable controlled. At any rate the governors on these engines are very simple and it is a trivial matter to fabricate an adjustable unit if it doesn't have what you want already. I installed a very similar Yanmar diesel engine into a Royal Enfield motorcycle and had to fabricate a better control assy for it, the original was not only quite crude but it also fouled on the transmission. Very simple to build a better one. Keep in mind however, that all of these engines have fixed start of injection timing ( not controlled by rpm) so it is difficult to get them to run perfectly over a large range of RPM's. That said I was able to get the Yanmar set to where it is usable on a motorcycle.



WOW! That's really cool. Nice to have another soot head on the board.

Also, NoPaint, good luck with your engine.

Steve


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## Highbeam (Jan 31, 2010)

This being a used engine shouldn't have air in the lines. I would just check the fluids and give it a try. Cool enfield project.


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## NoPaint (Feb 1, 2010)

Well I ordered a fuel tank off of eBay and it should be here later this week.  Now all that is left is mounting the tank and deciding whether I can pull start the engine or if I will need a battery.  If I need a battery it will be from a u-pull or craigslist naturally.


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