Lister generator

[GerryS]

One one here ever build a lister or listrtoid generator? These things weight in at 500+ pounds....so they aren't for campin' but they sure would make life easier than not having power. With as cool as this summer has been, I'm getting a little nervous about the coming winter. Last year was bad, and we did lose power for a while. Don't want that again.

I also don't want a 3600 rpm screaming machine that will die in 1000 hours...

Any experience with power line engines? How well (or can they) do these engines (diesel) start at -10. Any tricks equivalent to starting fluid to coax one to life in extreme conditions?

[coyote]

I work at a Cat. Dealer, that stuff is way big and$$$. I don't work in the gen. area, but I know ether is a no-no any more. ( we used it by the case " back then"). My only suggestion might be a block heater. It would cost you when it was turned on, but just when the electricity went off, you'd be ready to go. It doesn't get too cold here (oklahoma.) but the guys I know who use them on their pickups love them. They start easy and the heater is warm right away. I've reread your question a lot, and not seeing a reply, I put my 2 cents in. ( and I imagine that's what it's worth). Good luck! Coyote

[123jay]

My dad had a 5 hp one it came from India. It ran a old Jack water pump on a well .It sound like a hit and miss eng. even in the 70s it ran on 1/2& 1/2 veg oil .if you get one with a hand crank be carefully of the flywheel
I been told the ones from China are not as good and have sand work out of the casting

[GerryS]

The one I'm looking at is Indian....I can get 6/1 (6 horse) so the relative funny side is small, assuming the HP number is accurate. I've seen claims, and evidence, that these thing will run a long, long time and burn about whatever you out in the tank. But I'm really curious about parts and how reliable they are once they are running....

They seem pretty simple.....or am I deluding myself.


I'm also looking at a Perkins slow speed and a lowboy. Where I am looking at moving, I fully expect that when there is an outage, it could be a couple days....I do not want to buy a lowes special generac, to only have it fail when I need it most.

[angib]

I liked the comment from one Lister owner that cockroaches bought Listers - since in any calamity bad enough that only the cockroaches survive, the Listers will survive also. No point taking over the world, only to find you have no generator.....

[123jay]

My dad got it In 1965 and it was used maybe from the1940 are 50. As I recall it would run for weeks at a time and only stop if some one forgot fuel me. There supper heavy . The only thing my dad did was make the oil pan hold more oil In the late 90s my dad had new bearings put in. I think they where pored. and a set of rings that came with it.

[GerryS]

Is there any really trustworthy documentation sources? I've found a couples placer on the web....but the opinions run hot and heavy. I'm looking for some real specs...what the people who made the say...

[bobhav]

Jerry,

My first diesel engine was a Lister LT1. I bought used in 1989 with about 40,000 hours on it. I believe it is rated at 8 HP.

I have not topped of the tank since filling it in '89, I start and run it every 3 months or so. It was purchased from a local Amish dealer.

It has an interesting cold start feature. There is a plastic plug that you remove from the intake manifold, fill that cavity with air tool oil. Then replace the plug and push it home. This force oil over the intake valve and the oil id draw into the cylinder. The additional oil increase compression and after the engine starts it is burned away. If you go diesel, avoid biodiesel like the plague that it is, it has no storage like.

BTW, I generate 3PH power for my shop with a 20 KW Lima and a Deutz.

With a small diesel I would recommend a belt driven generator, this will give you some options on engine rpms. If you must go direct drive consider a 4 pole generator. If you have any serious questions email me.

BobH.

[GerryS]

What's the trouble with biodiesel? I can understand WVO, as WVO still has suspended particulate that might develop a ... Fragrance.

Hmm...

It sounds like I better be able to figure things out if I go this way...there isn't a huge knowledge base left of people who know the quirks if these engines...

[GerryS]

3PH from 20kw....not sure what you mean by that bob....

[bobhav]

3PH from 20kw....not sure what you mean by that bob....

Gerry,
3 PH is 3 phase, many of my machines are 3 phase. Most residential power here in the U.S. is single phase.

BobH.

[coyote]

I put "Stabil" in my mower/chainsaw for the winter to keep the gas viable, would this work for diesel?

[MtnDon]

There is a special diesel version of Sta-Bil, plus other diesel fuel preservers. I have been told under the right conditions it can grow bacteria or algae.


A friend in WV has a Generac standby generator that runs on propane. It is not uncommon for winter storms to put their grid down for a few days at a time. It starts automatically. There is a small battery bank, an inverter and auto transfer switch. It runs itself more or less even when they may be absent during the power outage.

[123jay]

I story I hear time to time Power goes down game on I gen, cord with 2 male ends plugs gen to wall game back on .Knox at the door repair man,cuts cord with 2 male ends in to small pieces. just make sure that gen. can not make the power line hot.

[GerryS]

3 phase makes more sense .

Yes you need to stabilize diesel as well. It's got a different set of problems than gasoline...including the afire mentioned Algae.

The redneck generator cord (2 males) will kill some one....I don't even like to hear them talked about because some idget somewhere is going to think "I'm smarter than that" and kill a lineman so we here......that transformer that steps the voltage down to 120 can step up to higher voltages too...manual transfer switches are only a couple hundred bucks and can be hooked up by an electrician in an hour or so...assuming you can't do it yourself.

I've looked at generacs. They are just too expensive for the amount of time they will run. Plus the life expectancy is too short...Nothing scarier than a runaway Hobbs meter. Not to mention the engine is a fixed use....with a listeroid, if you can attach a belt to it...it will turn it. I've seen washing machines, ice cream makers, generators, sawmills, and water pumps ran with one. Can't do that with a generac...