Old generators

[Sprinter]

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Salvaged from another thread:

Sprinter said: ↑

How large an engine is that? Sounds interesting. How did you acquire such an old gen set with few hours?​

It is an old military genny that never made it to the field. I bought it from a local fire dept that used to use it for lights, but rarely ran it. It had a 110V 3 phase 10,000 watt genny head that wasn't of much use in the real world (originally built for running big radios). You had to load each phase equally. I ditched it for a standard 220V single phase 10,000 watt head and built all the pulley apparatus to bolt it on. 11hp at 800 rpm (old skool). I have sped it up some.

(sorry for the hijack - course correction please)​

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Very cool. Good job on the refit. The engine will probably last forever with care. Any idea who made it and if you can get rebuild parts?

 

[Jags]

It is a Hercules engine (very popular during that time frame) most parts are still readily available. Being designed for the military it had some oddities. The original governed speed was very slow turning. Somewhere around 800 rpm. I have since sped it up to just under 1800 rpms after checking the manuals to make sure it could handle it. The same engine in other applications turned 1800 so I went for it. I converted it from the 6V system to 12V just so I didn't have to have a dedicated battery. I already have too many batteries to keep up with.

A couple more pics:

 

[Sprinter]

It is a Hercules engine (very popular during that time frame) most parts are still readily available. Being designed for the military it had some oddities. The original governed speed was very slow turning. Somewhere around 800 rpm. I have since sped it up to just under 1800 rpms after checking the manuals to make sure it could handle it. The same engine in other applications turned 1800 so I went for it. I converted it from the 6V system to 12V just so I didn't have to have a dedicated battery. I already have too many batteries to keep up with.



A couple more pics:
View attachment 71882View attachment 71883

Probably the 800 rpm was for the old 3-ph generator to get 60 hz (cps?) somehow. They probably mated the same generator to diesels, too, which would have been happier at the slower speeds. As nice as new technology is (and I wouldn't really want to go back), old stuff is pretty fun to work on sometimes and it was always designed to be worked on. Same with electronics.

I haven't owned a 6 volt car battery since I had a '50 Chevy. I never understood why 6-volt was ever used as a standard. Couldn't have cost that much more for 6 cells with the same amount of lead.

 

[Jags]

Probably the 800 rpm was for the old 3-ph generator to get 60 hz (cps?) somehow. They probably mated the same generator to diesels, too, which would have been happier at the slower speeds. As nice as new technology is (and I wouldn't really want to go back), old stuff is pretty fun to work on sometimes and it was always designed to be worked on. Same with electronics.

I haven't owned a 6 volt car battery since I had a '50 Chevy. I never understood why 6-volt was ever used as a standard. Couldn't have cost that much more for 6 cells with the same amount of lead.

I am pretty sure that this engine could be rebuilt with a flat head screwdriver, a 1/2" and 9/16" wrench and a hammer.

Edit: I am not sure where the 6 volt standard came from, but my big mower is STILL 6 volt. The whole system just works and I am not going to convert it till something happens. It is a 1939 so I might be waiting a while.

 

[Sprinter]

I am pretty sure that this engine could be rebuilt with a flat head screwdriver, a 1/2" and 9/16" wrench and a hammer.

Edit: I am not sure where the 6 volt standard came from, but my big mower is STILL 6 volt. The whole system just works and I am not going to convert it till something happens. It is a 1939 so I might be waiting a while.

Oh, now I just have to ask about the mower. Keep the camera handy.

 

[Jags]

1939 VC Case with 5ft belly mower:

 

[Sprinter]

1939 VC Case with 5ft belly mower:
View attachment 71895

Oh, that kind of mower! I should have known. I used to have a Furguson TO30 with a 5' brush hog. I think it was 6 v as well. Couldn't have killed it with an RPG although I came close a few times. This is not me, but so close it's scary:

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I miss that thing, and actually could use it again on this 5 acres, but I really like my new 61" ZTR now. Sometimes modern is pretty nice.

 

[MasterMech]

It is a Hercules engine (very popular during that time frame) most parts are still readily available. Being designed for the military it had some oddities. The original governed speed was very slow turning. Somewhere around 800 rpm. I have since sped it up to just under 1800 rpms after checking the manuals to make sure it could handle it. The same engine in other applications turned 1800 so I went for it. I converted it from the 6V system to 12V just so I didn't have to have a dedicated battery. I already have too many batteries to keep up with.

A couple more pics:
View attachment 71882View attachment 71883

I dare say that engine could handle a bigger gen. head. If it could thump out 10Kw at 800 rpm I'm betting it doesn't even notice that load at 1800.

 

[simple.serf]

Nice. I would have kept it at 800 rpm though, never know how the genends hold up to speed increases (I've lost a few to overspeed). I'll be picking up a MEP-002 here in a few weeks. Gotta play with something, and old gensets have always been my thing.

Also- nice T0-30 Sprinter! I have an FE-35 and I love it.

 

[Jags]

I dare say that engine could handle a bigger gen. head. If it could thump out 10Kw at 800 rpm I'm betting it doesn't even notice that load at 1800.

You would think, but I don't think that is the case. If I dump a large load onto it (say water heater) it will buck and snort and pull it self back up, but I think 10,000 is probably the tops for it. At least for the genny head that I am currently running. The old sucker that I took off was of a completely different design. More efficient?? Dunno.

 

[Jags]

Nice. I would have kept it at 800 rpm though, never know how the genends hold up to speed increases

This exact motor was used in many applications. Most were of the 1800 rpm variety, so I don't think I am hurting this in the least. It seams very comfortable running in that range. The only goofy part is that I am spinning the cooling fan faster than it was ever intended. If it gives me problems, an electric will replace it.

 

[simple.serf]

This exact motor was used in many applications. Most were of the 1800 rpm variety, so I don't think I am hurting this in the least. It seams very comfortable running in that range. The only goofy part is that I am spinning the cooling fan faster than it was ever intended. If it gives me problems, an electric will replace it.

Ignore me... I saw in the MMO post that you put a different genend on it. I was thinking about it at work today wondering how the heck you got 60 hz out of it at 1800. Most of those motors were good for 2500-2600... Don't remember when they go pop.

 

[Jags]

Ignore me... I saw in the MMO post that you put a different genend on it. I was thinking about it at work today wondering how the heck you got 60 hz out of it at 1800. Most of those motors were good for 2500-2600... Don't remember when they go pop.

Genny designed to turn 3600 rpm. Motor at 1800 with 2:1 pulley config.