Puma / Dorman 6LE / MacFarlane B46B / 110 kVA Generator Resurrection

[PekkaNF]

An exhausting morning - literally 
......

Either layout needs a short flexi from exhaust flange to pipe to avoid cracking the manifold, and #2 will need a heat shield to stop radiated heat downwards. Both will need some sort of support framework making with the silencer mounted on rubber suspension.

. . as usual all suggestions welcome 

Do you feel exhausted? 

You were thinkin something like this?


And





Or really professional look with welded rod and plenty of these 3€ rubber elements?


Maybe the muffler is not too nice to weld? You have ability to make custom mounting flanges at the both end of the exhaust pipe of the muffler, maybe those would be right place to support the muffler and allow muffler heat shield to mount simply clear of it?

[awemawson]

Yes Pekka very much on those  lines. My preference is for the clamp on version of that flexi, but it does make the assembly overly long.

And all those suspension elements are likely to end up on a shopping list shortly 

[PekkaNF]

I just lash up with perforated steel strapping.....pretty good and offers good possibilities of screw mounts.



Not pretty, but fast and cost effective and spares seem to be around.

[awemawson]

I've just bankrupted myself ordering 2 1/2" BSP fittings - the existing exhaust is in heavy wall pipe, and although I could replace it all in standard exhaust pipe, by the time it's turned round a few bends it works out even more expensive.

There are no local suppliers unfortunately - anything over 1" BSP seems to scare plumbers these days ! Really I want a 2 metre length of 2 1/2" with threads on one end as a tailpipe, but without buying a lorry load it seems to be unobtainable, so the last metre is going to have to be that existing flexy pipe reused.

[John Rudd]

Andrew,
Are there any vehicle ( commercial or otherwise) exhaust makers down your way? I'd have thought 2-1/2" pipe in abundance not necessary the right schedule for your use but of reasonable wall thickness to suffice without breaking any more piggy banks...

[chipenter]

My Volvo XC70 had 65mm exhaust maybe other T5s had the same size .

[awemawson]

3 metre length of 2 1/2" BSP gas barrel is a mere £89 delivered    (Hence going to re-use the flexible pipe !)

At lunchtime the 100 mm length of 36 mm Brass Hexagonal arrived, so I was able to get on and make a heater housing as one solid integrated part so (hopefully) no more leaks.

A fairly straightforwards bit of machining but by heck those brass bits go everywhere !

The first heater element that I fitted was subjected to engine coolant approaching it from the 'lead' end and this had degraded the magnesium oxide insulation causing my RCD to trip. Apparently magnesium oxide is hydroscopic. I had tried initially heating it from a 24 v DC source (so only 20 watts, it's rated at 200 watts) to try and drive off the moisture, and initially this was promising, then the leakage got much greater. As an experiment I put it in a box of silica gel over night and it's leakage resistance was up to a meg-ohm or so in the morning, so I left it connected to the 24 volt DC supply over night, and now I cannot detect any leakage at all 

[PekkaNF]

Hygroscopic insulation material on water heater. Argh.

That one piece heater pocket should do it pretty well. Looks the business very much.

[awemawson]

MICC (or Pyrotenax )  uses the same magnesium oxide insulation - in fact it was in some installation instructions for Pyrotenax that I read that the cable ends need to be heated with a blowlamp before conducting insulation tests for this very reason !

[mc]

Commercial vehicle spares supplier is what you probably wanted for exhaust bits, although 2 1/2" isn't that big, but car suppliers aren't likely to supply individual pipes/bends. Trucks often have non-standard exhaust systems, so commercial suppliers are far more used to sourcing individual bits.

There are also a few custom exhaust companies around, which often aren't that expensive. We used to get custom stacks for lorries for under £300, which involved a few 45 deg bends to get from the silencer and past the gearbox, while avoiding a cross member, and various pipes, before the final 2 1/2m vertical stack.

[awemawson]

First thing this morning I re-installed the heater housing to give the  Loctite 577 time to go off.

A little while later I re-filled the water system with the coolant (with anti-freeze) that I'd previously saved. I say re-filled, I had a full 2 gallon bucket that wouldn't go back - obviously an air lock. I put the cap back on the radiator and ran it for a while to get coolant circulating, then after loads of gurgling things sorted themselves out and the rest of the coolant went in.

I then re-started the engine and left it running for ten minutes, but to my horror - an oil leak from the same place as before, dripping from the gasket flange between the main body of the heat exchanger and the adaptor that houses the heating element and conveys water from the engine water jacket. 

I went through the sequence of bolt removal, re-tightening and replacement with those pesky interfering bolts yet again but to no avail - still oil dripping from the gasket joint.

Now it's a new gasket made from quality oil & water resistant material, smeared in Blue Hylomar, and I had scrupulously cleaned and checked the mating surfaces for truth - it CAN'T be leaking, but it apparently WAS 

Accepting that it would all have to come apart again, I went off for a spot of lunch , but lunch was delayed for twenty minutes due to domestic issues, so I went back for one last check with torches, mirrors and clean rags. Sure enough oil seemed to be oozing from the gasket joint. Sitting up to check the time (only twenty mins don't be late !!) a small movement caught my eye - what was that!

On the cylinder head the rocker shaft and tappets are lubricated by a network of nylon pipes, and what had caught my eye was a drip from one of them PRECISELY above the flange where I had an apparent leak. It only dripped about every five minutes but here was the smoking gun - here was my oil leak 

Oh the irony, all that faffing about dismantling, making new gaskets, trying  to source the unobtainable odd shaped 'O' ring probably wasn't necessary!

Never mind, there HAD been a water leak (that is no more) and there HAD been an oil leak which also is no more !

And while typing this  TNT have just delivered the 35" x 39" sheet of 4 mm poly-carbonate which is the last safety shield in the control cabinet so there's a job for the weekend.

[John Rudd]

Dont you just love it when things go right for a change?😀

Lucky you spotted the leaky pipe when you did..👍

[awemawson]

Yesterday morning was entirely taken up with a conducted tour of a high end Jaguar restorer and race preparation company (that I'm not allowed to name!) Unbelievably well set up and equipped. Hardly a vehicle there worth less than a million (sterling) and several apparently worth well over ten million  I hate to think what their security bill is !

So in the afternoon I manged to fit the poly-carbonate safety screen to the lower part of the main generator cabinet.

It didn't quite go to plan, as although the ideal size to cover the whole lot up would have been 39 inches tall by 35 wide, due to the door opening size with a 'kick plate'  I could only physically squeeze a bit 34" tall. Never mind, my jig saw carefully removed the offending 5 inch strip.

Then the issue was locating the rectangle for the isolator toggle switch and the six retaining screws with a fair degree of accuracy. Once more I resorted to 'length sticks' marking a wooden lath up from two reference edges. Not wanting to introduce stress risers I made the rectangle with pronounced rounded corners.

Once that was done I could hang the poly-carbonate on the isolator and mark the mounting holes by eye, as now having peeled back the protective coating for an inch down the sided I could see the threaded holes. The mounting holes are drilled and smooth finished well oversize, and the screws pass through nylon 'top hat' bushes that take the screw force so that the panel 'floats'

Today I've been running tests on the water jacket / oil heater, and I'm pleased to say it's working as expected, so previously it must have been an airlock preventing the heat spreading.

[tom osselton]

 

[awemawson]

Today I tried to make up the "Flexy flange to 2 1/2" BSP male adaptor" for the exhaust. Making the components was no trouble, and I had intended to TIG them together. However a bit of practise on similar thickness parts convinced me that my TIG skills were not up to the job - far too easy to burn through the thin material when creating a puddle in the thicker (8 mm) flange material.

So I decided to SIF Bronze / braze it instead, but frankly my efforts weren't much better - I managed to burn through the outer woven jacket of the flexy with a carelessly placed flame (it doesn't take much) 

What I've ended up with probably is functional, but certainly not pretty - it will let me progress with sizing the support for the exhaust at least, and hopefully make that, but I've decided to seek help from an as yet unknown person (!) to do a proper TIG job on it.

To that aim I've ordered another Flexy joint and already made another flange, just need to turn down the end of the 2 1/2" BSP short spigot to fit and find someone who has the TIG skills

[PekkaNF]

Those are not usually that easy to weld, sometimes needs a preheating the heavier part or use a bushing made out of middle ground material thickness. Hardly never pretty, but nearly always functional.

Last Saturday friend of mine paid a visit with his BMW that had a alloy wheel bolt stcuk. This one was special coded spline bolt....that has all the usual tricks to prevent theft of the alloys.



Would not open with a 650 Nm impact gun and would cam out with breaker bar. Garage tried to open it prior and told that it would cost a lot and take few days to remove.

Had to mutilate 19 AF socket with 3/4" drive, cut it on band saw and camfered in lathe. Protected the wheel and welded the socket at the face of the lock nut trough the socket 3/4" opening. I can tell that it is little tight fit to be able to manipulate the stick trough the straw. Used 1 and 1/2 2,5 mm good electrodes with bit over 100A current, because really needed enough weld bead to hold the abuse. Let it cool and asked friend to have the first try with 600 mm T-handle. Car would move, but the bolt not. I proceed to lift the handle and car lifted a little and bolt squaked open.

That weld did not win any beaty contents, but relief on my friends face was great.

Functional is the word. Chuck it there and treat it as a prototype.

[mattinker]

someone who has the TIG skills

Andrew,

If you can wait 'till Christmas! I could help! I would be inclined to Mig it if you have .06 or .08 wire!

Cheers, Matthew

[awemawson]

Matthew several things come out of your comments:

A/ Excellent, you are coming over at Christmas - always good to see you !

B/ Yes I have 0.6 & 0.8 MIG but I reckon I'd burn thorough with that

C/ No I can't wait 'till Christmas, you know how impatient I am 

[hermetic]

You could try TIG brazing it Andrew, I tried it on a minor repair on a casting, and found it easier than O/A. Funny thing is with mig that I find it easier to weld thin metals with my 200 amp 3 phase mig than with the 160A Clarke single phase, smoother weld, and more stable it low amps, but I tend to join spots up ratner than continous weld if the material is realy thin.. Getting those flexy's on is not easy, I used to use them for repairs and replacements, and got the knack of migging them, but many years later someone brought one in, and I managed to completely **** it up! Luckily I had one on the shelf!
Its all looking good!
Phil

[mattinker]

Matthew several things come out of your comments:

A/ Excellent, you are coming over at Christmas - always good to see you !

It'll be fun to catch up and see your projects, agin!!

B/ Yes I have 0.6 & 0.8 MIG but I reckon I'd burn thorough with that

I suggested 0.6 as it is often used for car bodywork, people I know also use 0.8 for that. I remember in one of my other lives as a Comercial vehicle fitter having seen those flexible coupleings that were Mig welded, made sense!!

C/ No I can't wait 'till Christmas, you know how impatient I am 

I'm not in the slightest bit surprised you can't wait!
Looking forward to see you, cheers, Matthew

[mc]

I would have MIG'd that.

Lots of spot welds would probably be required, but I've done a few of those flexis with 0.8mm wire, and burning through has never been a problem.

[awemawson]

And I may well still Morray !

I've had the linear actuator to open and close the radiator louvres for quite some time but needed to forge a lower mounting bracket, and modify the lever on the louvres to take the upper 'eye' of the actuator. Lower bracket was forged yesterday and painted and fitted today. Upper pivot pin on the louvres was modified to suit this afternoon so I've been able to hang the actuator in place, and prove that not only does it have the needed travel, but also adequate 'oomph' to operate the mechanism.

Now it's in place I can work out how to mount it's control box in the remaining space. I've decided to use a domestic hot water tank adjustable thermostat strapped to the side of the radiator to give some control of operating point, and to have limit switches for the 'open' and 'closed' positions.

The actuator is reversed by reversing it's connections which is a bit of a pain in the switching department (double pole double throw relay contacts). I've worked out a simple control scheme using a four pole change over relay but am experimenting with a slightly more complicated version that will give me manual operation or automatic operation at the flick of a switch - not sure yet which way to jump.

Accommodating the limit switches is going to be 'interesting' finding enough real estate to house them !

[Sea.dog]

Perhaps you could mount the switch on the outer, or even inner, face of the shutter frame so that it bears against the arm. Obvious a bit of tweaking will be need, but there seems to be plenty of metal on the roller strap to cope with a crank being set in it.
Alternatively, how about mounting it inside the front of the cowl so that the top louvre operates it? The roller is adjustable for length and, I assume, can be rotatated on its shaft.

[awemawson]

Well life seems to have got in the way of progress recently, but I've not been idle!

I've managed to get DesignSpark Electrical running on my Win10 workshop PC and have drawn the shutter control circuit out, which was getting out of hand on scraps of paper - quite a learning curve and I don't like their symbols !

I have at long last worked out a way of mounting and actuating the shutter limit switches - this involved adding a second extended crank to the operating arm.

And having located the limit switches this let me decided where and how to fix the radiator thermostat - it's a domestic hot water tank stat intended to be pressed against the copper tank, so my bracket presses it against the side of the radiator.

I've got the control circuitry working on the bench and made up a box for it - well the box is actually a 6 x 6 x 3 inch conduit box I've pressed into service - it might actually have been easier to make one from scratch, as the knock out 20 mm conduit holes always seem to get in the way of where switch holes need to go. Drilling the four holes in the upper surface (two indicators, a manual / auto switch and a open / close button) was a pain as the knock outs kept detaching - I tried soldering them in place but that didn't work so made a new overlay panel for that face.

The next challenge is to get all the bits inside the box, and then wire it up on the machine. The components (a relay, two indicators, two multilevel switches) all fit nicely, but wiring the limit switches and thermostat on the machine will be an issue as access to where they connect on the switches is nigh on impossible.

While typing this it occurs to me that plugs and sockets for the actuator drive, the two limit switches and the thermostat would completely solve the issue, and by chance I have several 4 way plugs and sockets of the style beloved of the amateur CNC retro-fitters for stepper motors (previously removed from my CNC Plasma table)

I noticed an odd effect in the matt black paint of the thermostat bracket - little spots where the paint wasn't wetting the metal. It had been sand blasted and spirit cleaned but something obviously was contaminating it.

I've re-blasted it, given it a thorough clean in acetone and it's second coat is drying as I type this.

Meanwhile my friend Johnny delivered the exhaust flexy to flange adaptor that he had tigged up for me - a nice job thank you Johnny - so I can start thinking about exhaust brackets again!

[RussellT]

Hi Andrew

Nice work as usual.

Do you think the thermostat will respond quickly enough there?  In most radiators the side panel doesn't have any water flowing through it.

Russell