zoltan

To get low HC levels you need a very stable idle. I know it is a sneaky trick but if you add some electrical load when they make the test like rear demister screen and some lights you can often get the engine to work a bit harder in the idle range and bring the HC down a little

Hard to tell how noisy it is, this is inside the shed

9/16"x36 is Group 4 Mk2 Escort and A Series Mini if that helps. The Group 4 UJ's are pretty strong

It just about manages one 110ah battery but really struggles with two. I get a cycle of the alternator trying to push out about 20 or 30 amps at which point the engine almost stalls, the revs fall such that the centrifugal clutch drops out and the charge light goes out you have to give it a blip on the throttle to get the revs up then the charge light is back on.....then 20-30 amps..... I think if the resistor could calm this down it would make a huge difference for that first five or ten minutes of running The yacht forum guy used a PIC micro controller and a servo but that it way out of my area of knowledge. Certainly something I'd like to look at after a while. I probably need to take the centrifugal clutch out and direct couple with a rubber donut style of coupling. Probably make it quieter

Thanks, I'll have a go and see how it works out

Are you looking for a length of splined shaft? I had a look in Machinery's handbook for the spec on 3/4x48 serration splines and can't find the info. That's strange because I have a hob for the smaller 9/16" 36T serration spline and have cut these so I must have had some data from somewhere

Weld something onto it

Would that not be just like adding to the current load though like having batteries that are even deeper discharged? I've kind of made my own problem by using an engine which isn't powerful enough but somehow by controlling the field current with the rotor I should be able to limit the output voltage. If I add a variable resistor on the voltage feed to the regulator will that limit the strength of the coil in the rotor and hence the output from the alternator?

My money is on UJs

I thought some on here might see the value of a petrol powered battery charger. Most useful for overlanders who want to be parked up for a while and don't want to use up fuel running the vehicle for hours a day to recharge house batteries. I saw this in a yachting forum initially and decided rather that spend out on a suitcase genny to make 240v then convert back to 12 volts that I would replicate what the other guy did using a small light fuel efficient Honda motor to keep fuel consumption and noise to a minimum. Still got a way to go in the control stakes as a pair of run down 110ah batteries pull too much voltage for the little 22cc motor but with some field voltage control added I should be able to remedy that. The guy on the yachting forum used a PIC microcontroller and servos to achieve a good working setup but I'm no-where near that at the moment. I was lucky to find two race car brake disc bells at work to make the joining of the alternator and the motor simple. I wanted it direct coupling as that shape fits the side lockers best on my truck. I opted for a Lucas ACR alternator with a 45 amp output as I have a stack of these to plunder for parts when I kill them in testing. Seddons had the GX22 engines on offer for £115 incl vat. I started with the two brake bells, faced off the alternator casing in the lathe to get a nice flat surface for mounting the bell, added some cooling holes The fan needed to be turned down to fit inside The motor has a centrifugal clutch and it seemed like too much bother to remove all of this so for now I have kept it so I made a clutch drum in steel On the other (engine) side a different bell with 4x 6mm holes added to the pitch of the engine mount. Both bells have the same hole PCD where the disc rotor would have mounted. In theory that should keep things concentric and get my alternator running true Voila! The two joined together waiting for a mounting cradle and some sort of controls. The Honda GX22 is a 1hp engine and uses a pretty minimal amount of fuel per hour. I'm not happy with my budget ammeter and voltmeter so I will try and sort some better digital ones. I was in a rush to get something knocked together as I took my truck off on a ski trip. Now I have some more time I can concentrate on a better control arrangement as well as a handle. The skid frame is on some little cotton reel rubbers so it doesn't bounce all over the place It works well on a single battery but with no field current control, a pair of run down 110ah batteries just stall the engine as the alternator tries to knock out a large dollop of current. I'm learning as I go with this, electrical things aren't my forte. I think losing the centrifugal clutch is required now as I'm sure I'm getting excess and unnecessary noise from this area and one goal is a quiet unit. Eventually it will be housed in an insulated ammo box type affair assuming I can get cooling sorted. Still a work in progress but I thought I ought to post it up. Of most interest to the camping/overland fraternity but useful if you have a dead vehicle miles from a 240 supply and you don't want a hernia from lugging a genny out there

A drop tester used to do that job, basically a heavy duty ammeter http://www.ppcgb.com/Sealey-Battery-Drop-Tester-12V/prod31307/?LGWCODE=31307;41527;1492&gclid=CJ7OtbuG3LUCFaHHtAodnSsAVw

Some-one has to be. Be good when you get the wheel motors sorted won't it?

Push out and reuse

Ha ha, I see what you did there! Good improvisation though

This one has been doing the rounds, anyone any idea the story behind it?

I have a twin cylinder T-Max which inflates quickly and is still working two years on. That came from the popular auction site. Only ctiticism would be the case/bag seems to be pulling apart at the seams but the compressor works well even on my Gaz tyres which are 42"

With switch maps you can set the second fuel table (the LPG one) to a whole load of zeros. The fuel pump keeps running but the injectors don't squirt. Saves having stale fuel sitting in the pipes. I have one switch on the dash to change between LPG and petrol. When the Megasquirt ECU sees 12 volts from the switch (the same 12 volts that opens the LPG solenoids) it swaps the maps over

I'm using the Bigas M84 with my Blos carb but that is on a 3.5 V8. The M84 is said to be good for 190bhp. I also have an M84 on the 4.2 V8 in my Gaz-66 truck but that actually makes quite a bit less in the power department than the 3.5 RV8 I'm also running my Rover V8 on a Megasquirt ECU with EDIS and using the switch maps facility. Well worth the wiring aggro as you can tailor the second ignition map to suit gas so I don't notice any loss of power between gas and petrol. Having said that I haven't tuned the 3.5 as my primary interest is using less fuel

Are they al sealed type or can you see the acid levels inside? Are the casings bloated out as if the plates are heavily sulphated? The smart charger showing fault may be just saying 'this battery is taking too much voltage, I'll trip out' Maybe try this one on a simple dumb charger for a few hours to get a few not so smart volts into it, then pop it back on the smart charger. If the plates are heavily sulphated and it's gassed all of its acid out then the scrappy will give you a tenner for it

Good, shame all of their assets don't get seized and sold on to reimburse those who have been affected by these sh*ts.

I'd like this but I haven't even started down the road to a license yet

I'm getting interested, how much wire do you need to put up to make it worthwhile? I see a lot of Clansman radios on Withams, are these in anyway suitable or are they locked to military frequencies? I like the idea of radio in my Gaz

No, I was watching the girl topless sunbathing to the right of the picture

I fear is was a question of late night 'fat fingers' Easily done since the 9 and 0 sit next to each other. Thanks for the info anyways

Thanks Ralph