Homebrew 12v DC Generator project

[purplecatty]

Last week, while I was delivering route in neighborhood. I saw the resident threw away two mowers and one of them seem very nice one. So After work, I took off uniform (I have T-shirt under it cuz it was chilly out). I visited resident's home and asked him permission to grab that yellow "Stanley" self propelled mower. He said, "Sure go for it". So I loaded the mower into my Durango and checked 2nd mower but it seem cheap and it's been taken apart so I just ditched it.

As soon as I got home and unloaded the mower. I investigated the mower and it turned out it have 6.5hp (195cc) with electric start motor. It have broken oil dip tube (on top of it). I decide to give it a crank from my truck battery. It did crank and it won't start. I decided to take the pull start cover off and popped the flywheel off. I found the coil "ground" wire was grounded.. I removed the wire and moved it outside then replace the flywheel back on. After I tightened the flywheel bolt and fired up engine with electric starter. It roars to life and it ran good but it couldn't go full speed. I grounded the ground wire to metal frame to kill the engine. The engine's coil have built-in generator to keep starter battery charged but it's not strong enough for anything but enough to shine the 12v test lamp (interesting!)..

Few days later, I decide to take apart Carburetor, Intake pipe. I found out that there were red plastic tube inside the intake tube. I pulled it out and it was about 3 inches long. I tossed it out and inspected Carburetor to be sure it is clean and rubber seal (inside around the bowl) still good. It turn out that the owner removed the clamp from fuel intake of Carburetor. No wonder it was leaking fuel. I put it all back together and reattached everthing back to the engine. I fixed the pull start then start up the engine. It roars to life and ran powerfully. I decide to remove the blade and see if it can run without it. I pulled start the engine several time and it was hard to start. I decide to put blade back on and try again. It won't start. I realized that I sheared off the Flywheel key.

Today, I went to local hardware store (family owned) and they have Tecumseh flanged key for it. It cost so little, 89 cents each. I bought two of them and head home. I installed new key in and tightened the flywheel bolt correctly (previously I didn't tighten right which is why). I fired up engine and it start so easily and roars to life and ran powerfully. I decide to try remove blade again and fire it up. It started up real quickly without blade and it was very responsive with throttle. :wow: I repeated the starting process and it was soo easy to start and my 12 years old son can pull start it with ease. The Governor inside the engine tried to force Carburetor throttle to reduce rpm speed while I was holding it open. I can feel it fighting against my strength. I can always remove the link but I would need it to maintain speed for my project.

I am planning on building a "homebrew 12v DC generator" by using automotive Alternator and 4 1/2 to 5 inch pulley attach to engine shaft (engine already have keyed shaft ready which make things easier for me). Using mower's deck as a support for 12V Automotive battery, Alternator to attach to (I'm using metal brace that came with mower. It's thick curved shaped brace with holes on it. It's useful for bracing the thin metal deck frame). I can use cutting torch to cut and weld flooring for battery to sit on evenly. Since the mower was self-propelled, I can always remove self propelled transmission and shaft and still keep rear wheels in place for ease of transport.



I can use it as a 12V DC charger/starter for jump starting dead automotive. I found this website several years ago and thought why not build one and buy 12 V DC to 120V AC 5000 Watt Pure Sine Inverter. I probably won't be buying it till I make extra bucks for the nice inverter which cost around $500 in Ebay. ( I prefer Pure Sine instead of Modified sine cuz it is easy on electronics/electricial stuff like computers, microwave oven, induction motors, transfomer ect..) I still have 350 Watt inverter on hand so It'll be my current experiment. It can only power anything up to 350 watts. It cannot power my house . 5,000 Watt Inverter have enough juice to power 1/2 of my house during power outage.....

Here's the website:

Home Brew Power: Building your own generator.


So that's my new project and I will take pix and post it soon. I bet some of you drooled over me for my lucky "gold mine" find on 6.5 hp Tecumseh engine with working Electric starter!

I will keep you posted like I did on "E85 Mower" project.

Catty

 

[diehardbiker]

Interesting and cool project!

 

[The Highlander]

Last week, while I was delivering route in neighborhood. I saw the resident threw away two mowers and one of them seem very nice one. So After work, I took off uniform (I have T-shirt under it cuz it was chilly out). I visited resident's home and asked him permission to grab that yellow "Stanley" self propelled mower. He said, "Sure go for it". So I loaded the mower into my Durango and checked 2nd mower but it seem cheap and it's been taken apart so I just ditched it.

As soon as I got home and unloaded the mower. I investigated the mower and it turned out it have 6.5hp (195cc) with electric start motor. It have broken oil dip tube (on top of it). I decide to give it a crank from my truck battery. It did crank and it won't start. I decided to take the pull start cover off and popped the flywheel off. I found the coil "ground" wire was grounded.. I removed the wire and moved it outside then replace the flywheel back on. After I tightened the flywheel bolt and fired up engine with electric starter. It roars to life and it ran good but it couldn't go full speed. I grounded the ground wire to metal frame to kill the engine. The engine's coil have built-in generator to keep starter battery charged but it's not strong enough for anything but enough to shine the 12v test lamp (interesting!)..

Few days later, I decide to take apart Carburetor, Intake pipe. I found out that there were red plastic tube inside the intake tube. I pulled it out and it was about 3 inches long. I tossed it out and inspected Carburetor to be sure it is clean and rubber seal (inside around the bowl) still good. It turn out that the owner removed the clamp from fuel intake of Carburetor. No wonder it was leaking fuel. I put it all back together and reattached everthing back to the engine. I fixed the pull start then start up the engine. It roars to life and ran powerfully. I decide to remove the blade and see if it can run without it. I pulled start the engine several time and it was hard to start. I decide to put blade back on and try again. It won't start. I realized that I sheared off the Flywheel key.

Today, I went to local hardware store (family owned) and they have Tecumseh flanged key for it. It cost so little, 89 cents each. I bought two of them and head home. I installed new key in and tightened the flywheel bolt correctly (previously I didn't tighten right which is why). I fired up engine and it start so easily and roars to life and ran powerfully. I decide to try remove blade again and fire it up. It started up real quickly without blade and it was very responsive with throttle. :wow: I repeated the starting process and it was soo easy to start and my 12 years old son can pull start it with ease. The Governor inside the engine tried to force Carburetor throttle to reduce rpm speed while I was holding it open. I can feel it fighting against my strength. I can always remove the link but I would need it to maintain speed for my project.

I am planning on building a "homebrew 12v DC generator" by using automotive Alternator and 4 1/2 to 5 inch pulley attach to engine shaft (engine already have keyed shaft ready which make things easier for me). Using mower's deck as a support for 12V Automotive battery, Alternator to attach to (I'm using metal brace that came with mower. It's thick curved shaped brace with holes on it. It's useful for bracing the thin metal deck frame). I can use cutting torch to cut and weld flooring for battery to sit on evenly. Since the mower was self-propelled, I can always remove self propelled transmission and shaft and still keep rear wheels in place for ease of transport.



I can use it as a 12V DC charger/starter for jump starting dead automotive. I found this website several years ago and thought why not build one and buy 12 V DC to 120V AC 5000 Watt Pure Sine Inverter. I probably won't be buying it till I make extra bucks for the nice inverter which cost around $500 in Ebay. ( I prefer Pure Sine instead of Modified sine cuz it is easy on electronics/electricial stuff like computers, microwave oven, induction motors, transfomer ect..) I still have 350 Watt inverter on hand so It'll be my current experiment. It can only power anything up to 350 watts. It cannot power my house . 5,000 Watt Inverter have enough juice to power 1/2 of my house during power outage.....

Here's the website:

Home Brew Power: Building your own generator.


So that's my new project and I will take pix and post it soon. I bet some of you drooled over me for my lucky "gold mine" find on 6.5 hp Tecumseh engine with working Electric starter!

I will keep you posted like I did on "E85 Mower" project.

Catty

Holy shit! It's damn cheap and great idea!

Thank you for the shared.

 

[sequoias]

Great idea, Purplecatty!

 

[purplecatty]

Holy shit! It's damn cheap and great idea!

Thank you for the shared.

The only issue is that I have to get the Alternator cuz I gave good Alternator to my friend for his truck and he sold it. I forgot to tell him to take it out and hand it back to me before he pass it to next owner. Oh well :shrug: It was an good old Mazda Alternator with one wire charging system. I planned to go out to junkyard to find small 80 amps Alternator which is as small as softball and can crank 80 amps. I nearly bought it 15 years ago but the junkyard guy said it's $80 buck for it. I dropped it cuz he's asking too much for it. My friend offered me his Chevrolet S-10 Alternator that he had left it in shelf for long time. I told him I'll put that in my consideration cuz it's a standard size 85 amp Alternator. I explained to him that I like small one cuz mower engine with 5 inch pulley would be able to have strength to fight against Alternator's "electric braking" better than standard size if Alternator is taking up lot of loads.

Here's pix of small Alternator that fits your hand.

http://discount-starter-alternator.amazonwebstore.com/shared/viewProductImage.html?http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F2GCdNQkL.jpg


I would add Voltmeter and Ammeter guages to keep track of Volt/Amp. I have nice 80's Corolla volt guage w/ light and simple 20 amp Ammeter guage.

Catty

 

[Jtm]

Dont forget to keep your eye open for electric motor, some can be used as alt when rotation is reversed.

 

[purplecatty]

Dont forget to keep your eye open for electric motor, some can be used as alt when rotation is reversed.

Yup, It's typically Permanent Magnet motor that can be double as a generator. For example, kid's Power Wheel Jeep or Truck have two "high torque" motors and if you unplug the motor jack and hook it up to voltmeter. Spin the wheel and you'll get voltage out of it.

I would rather stick with Automotive Alternator cuz it produces more amperage and It should handle 1KW to 5KW 12vdc to 120vac Inverter. Of course 12vdc Automotive battery would be used along with the project.

Catty

 

[inspirabull]

Good times! I have always enjoyed small engine repair. In fact have never bought a brand new mower. People throw out perfectly good ones all the time just needing a little this or that for repair. In fact when you really look at them it is entirely possible to produce a bulletproof mower that would last a lifetime only needing maintenance type repair. The next step into inverters and converters I have been putting off for no really good reason. Have participated in many UPS system installations and repairs and battery installations. It is a valuable skill to learn - these systems are the basic building blocks of the alternative energy supplies that are getting more and more affordable. Everywhere in industry there are UPS systems, the communications industry as well. Many of these systems have been in place long past their trustworthiness and need replacement with digital electonic technology. This stuff that is replaced is often still working and would be perfectly fine for the homeowner. The electonics are outdated though and the repairs are doable but often require some backup piles of same brand systems. In order to really be expert it takes knowledge at present of both the old and the new. The day is fast arriving where the new will have completely replaced all that old stuff.

 

[purplecatty]

Good times! I have always enjoyed small engine repair. In fact have never bought a brand new mower. People throw out perfectly good ones all the time just needing a little this or that for repair. In fact when you really look at them it is entirely possible to produce a bulletproof mower that would last a lifetime only needing maintenance type repair. The next step into inverters and converters I have been putting off for no really good reason. Have participated in many UPS system installations and repairs and battery installations. It is a valuable skill to learn - these systems are the basic building blocks of the alternative energy supplies that are getting more and more affordable. Everywhere in industry there are UPS systems, the communications industry as well. Many of these systems have been in place long past their trustworthiness and need replacement with digital electonic technology. This stuff that is replaced is often still working and would be perfectly fine for the homeowner. The electonics are outdated though and the repairs are doable but often require some backup piles of same brand systems. In order to really be expert it takes knowledge at present of both the old and the new. The day is fast arriving where the new will have completely replaced all that old stuff.

I've been maintaining lawnmower since when it's new, It lasted me 13 years until it gotten really worn and hard to start regardless how good I fixed. After that, I grabbed several mowers that people threw it away and it was a simple fix every time. It saves me ton of money for not buying new mower. I always grabbed self-propelled mower whenever I spot it if I need another mower.

This time, I grabbed "Stanley" electric start mower which is my "gold mine" find. It had few problems and I fixed it and it ran like new. Some people just threw it away cuz it was hard to start or won't start at all.

I like current mower engine that do not need point to adjust. It was rather reliable than old mower that have point. This make my job easier to fix.

Catty