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Cheaper generator for electric preheater? $158 from Home Depot; will this work?


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Propane would be nice.  It evaporates slower at cold temps, but still works pretty well in my grill.

A propane spill can still be dangerous, but it won't leave a big blue stain behind on the rug.

finding propane while on the road may have some drawbacks...

Best regards,

-a-

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51 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Propane would be nice.  It evaporates slower at cold temps, but still works pretty well in my grill.

A propane spill can still be dangerous, but it won't leave a big blue stain behind on the rug.

finding propane while on the road may have some drawbacks...

Best regards,

-a-

propane works great in the cold. Companies make propane fired ice augers for fishing and they work very, very well.

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1 hour ago, carusoam said:

Erik,

the 100LL is a concern because it doesn't evaporate very well as the temperature descends.  

There is a temperature that the rate of evaporation slows to a less than useable rate.

Heating the intake of the lawn tractor is used so the fuel vaporizes.

There is a nice choke on the engine that really helps to keep it running once it starts.

Preheat for the tractor usually involves a torch on that one spot.  Make sure it is metal.  Some intakes have becom plastic tubes...

Briefly, pre-heat is for a few reasons...

- increases tight spaces that can occur with tight tolerances.

- increases oil flow for protection of expensive to OH engines.

- evaporates fuel for ignition.

 

the preheat for 100LL shows up as the temps go below 20°F.

Continental cold start Advice is interesting.  They say cold starts can occur below 20°F without pre-heat, IIRC..?

 

Bummer, Nobody cares for that poor lonely lawn tug.... :)

Best regards,

-a-

I don't know what it is supposed to do, but really in my tug anyway, 100LL seems to work just fine in a possible temps without a hitch, including easy starting at -10F.

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17 minutes ago, tigers2007 said:

Could it run for a few hours off a single one-pounder?


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I'd guess 72 minutes, here's why.

People run the honda eu2000 off propane and say it'll run 24 hours on a 20lb bottle, 1/20th of 24 hours is 72 minutes :)

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So, side question, how safe are those one pounders at altitude? I have left them behind before because I wasn't sure. I saw some posts on back country pilot that indicated they were OK but those guys aren't in the flight levels. 

 

I have found them at just about every grocery store or Walmart I have been to, but they're expensive. Maybe it's not worth it. 

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Look to see if they have what looks like a Schraeder valve built in on them, so it is possible that they can relieve pressure before exceeding the strength of the bottle itself.

it is pretty easy to build in the safety of one extra atmosphere of pressure.  So removing the outside pressure of one atmosphere shouldn't cause it any harm...  the environment that campers use going up into the mountains is pretty typical of our flight altitudes...

 

This is logic of a PP, not an expert in propane tanks....

 

Best regards,

-a-

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55 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Look to see if they have what looks like a Schraeder valve built in on them, so it is possible that they can relieve pressure before exceeding the strength of the bottle itself.

it is pretty easy to build in the safety of one extra atmosphere of pressure.  So removing the outside pressure of one atmosphere shouldn't cause it any harm...  the environment that campers use going up into the mountains is pretty typical of our flight altitudes...

 

This is logic of a PP, not an expert in propane tanks....

 

Best regards,

-a-

Yeah, they do. However I'm not sure I'd feel too great about one relieving itself in the back of the plane either. I guess we're pretty drafty so it might not matter.

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I keep starting fluid around to avoid hard starting on "pull to start" engines. I have a 15 HP chipper shredder which is tough enough to pull, my 78 year old pulling mechanism can only make one pull. The starting fluid starts it every time on that one pull.

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Troll eBay for cheap new-old-stock Hobbs meters. I paid like $9 shipped. Came in a box from the 60's.

I fired up the generator yesterday and had it running the 200w Reiff + 250w Honeywell cabin heater and I could tell from the engine sound that it was working. Wasn't struggling though; just a deeper tone. Do not forget to move the choke lever back to normal or else the engine will bog down. I used synthetic 5W-30 as it's theoretically going to be used outdoors in below freezing temps.


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Troll eBay for cheap new-old-stock Hobbs meters. I paid like $9 shipped. Came in a box from the 60's.

I fired up the generator yesterday and had it running the 200w Reiff + 250w Honeywell cabin heater and I could tell from the engine sound that it was working. Wasn't struggling though; just a deeper tone. Do not forget to move the choke lever back to normal or else the engine will bog down. I used synthetic 5W-30 as it's theoretically going to be used outdoors in below freezing temps.

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Dr. Einstein, Dr. Edison here. I will expand upon your research tomorrow. Initial impression is good. Looks like a fine Chinese knockoff of the Yamaha. Do like the size.

98b32386370dab24470cd63a8adc6c5b.jpg

Doesn't have fuel and oil in it yet, but it will be a lot lighter than my Yamaha. Will be able to tell more tomorrow when I put my watt and amp toys on it to see, as Scotty would say, "Captain she can't take much more. The di-lithium crystals are beginning to crack!"

b291bcfa0b76858c66587c8871a5dc99.jpg

For those of you worrying about carrying fuel in it while you tote it around. You could carry one of these around and pull a gallon of 100LL out of your tank.

ab674701e7cfaf65faa43011e795525b.jpg

Pep Boys sell them. Not sure how they work, but they are magical and do the the job.

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Ok, it's tomorrow. Not bad performance. Will see how much the di-lithium crystals can handle tomorrow. My turbo XP Reiff system is supposed to be 600 watts. I will load that up and the heat lamp I used tonight to see if it can handle the rated 800 watts.

Heat lamp:

c0de729237432eef40bb0ddeda9c3215.jpg

My Jeep heater:

1ce7f6188c02bf0afb0823e2af9c0ade.jpg

9e75d4f529859c63ed9c15f5a18e00cd.jpg


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Unlock code will be 2AMU... like everything else they have..

The magic siphon is a nifty device with a ball valve in it.  Sucking not required, up and down motion will make it work.

Expect to add oil every now and then, change it if it gets black, buy a new one before wasting money on an oil change... 

crummy humor, except that siphon explation... :)

Best regards,

-a-

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Still waiting to hear about how it starts at 15F.
 
one guy put a Hobbs on it. Did you install an aspen?


No Aspen but thinking about a G5 to make sure it is level when I run it.

It was in the high 20s when I started it yesterday. It was sitting outside the whole time. It started on the second pull.


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Unlock code will be 2AMU... like everything else they have..
The magic siphon is a nifty device with a ball valve in it.  Sucking not required, up and down motion will make it work.
Expect to add oil every now and then, change it if it gets black, buy a new one before wasting money on an oil change... 
crummy humor, except that siphon explation... 
Best regards,
-a-


They are pretty optimistic on oil consumption. The dipstick is behind the cover and requires 4 screws to be removed to check it.


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