Right, time for an update.
I haven't gotten anything done over winter. It's just too cold and wet to muck about outside and expect to be productive.
But its started to warm up and the boss insisted I have some time off. Whiny contractors complaining about me, I think.
Anyway, I started off by getting a new toy.
I have one of those Nielsen TV monitoring boxes that sends them data on what the cat is watching. I realised it had been on for a while and it turned out I had $300 worth of credit to cash in.
Because of that, the rattle gun cost me $68. It should be really useful for shearing off hard to move bolts.
Next, I started chasing around for a decent generator. I need to do some welding on the chassis rails and its too far to run extension leads out from the house. That, and the house wiring would likely melt and burn the place down. I found a really poorly worded fOR sELl ad on Facebook Marketplace. The spelling and the fact it was on Facebook should have been a tip-off. I hate the thing, but have to have an account for work as a lot of landowners with small areas of plantation seem to use it. Anyway, the ad was for a 3 phase & normal power generator for $400. 2 pics, both the same. No other info and 2 and a half hours drive away from me. After sending 4 messages asking for info and whether I could come have a look and not getting any reply, I found another person, totally different name but same pic and location, listing it for $500. Contacted him and immediately got told it was sold already. I mentioned the other listing and he said it was his now estranged ex trying to flog off his gear before he could move it all. Just what you need.
The next was a Gumtree ad for a 5.9kva generator, only 45 mins drive away from me. This one replied after I sent 2 messages over 2 days, and just said it was still for sale. No address or other info like details of the generator or other contact info. After another 2 days and 3 messages, I gave up on him.
Finally, I spotted another Gumtree ad, just over a half hour drive away and this one showed what seemed to be a Mitsubishi engine and a Modra generator. The pic shows the Modra generators were a Western Australian company. The initial pics in the ad were a bit unenlightening, but it was 5KVA and should easily run my inverter welder.
This guy actually had his contact number when I logged into Gumtree, so I gave him a ring. He said he was moving house and hadn't used it in ages, so was selling it and other stuff off, as he didn't have a shed at the new place. Poor bugger.
I drove down this morning and he started it up for me and we ran a decent sized cut-off saw off it, so it seemed to be working. I loaded it up and brought it home.
Then the fun began.
As you can see, it had some fuel leaks and it looks like the last oil change was by undoing the drain bolt and letting it run everywhere.
It's an old style pull-start, with a rope with a knot on the end. When he started it for me to see it running, it kicked back once. Nearly clonked me on the head with the big wooden handle as it ripped out of his hand.
I noticed there is a blanking plate on the back of the front housing that seems to be for an electric start. Definitely going to look into that option. I pulled the fuel tank off and drained it. The fuel was old and an odd colour, but there was no rust inside and no sign of water in the glass sight bowl. From what I can see, most of the fuel leaks were from the old cracked fuel line. The line from the tank to the glass bowl was held on with plastic hose clamps and I was able to pull the hose off without loosening them. The hose from the glass bowl to the carb had better wire hose clamps, but the rubber line was cracked and leaking when I turned the fuel tap on. From what I can see, the main leak is from the carb bowl.
It looks like there is a thin cork gasket up there and it has pieces missing. It's very thin, so I'll pull the carb off tomorrow and see if I can get a different seal of some sort. Maybe a square section o'ring sort of thing.
There were a few small rust flakes in the carb bowl, but none of that nasty green gunk that fuel with ethanol seems to leave. The flakes probably came from the glass fuel bowl, as when I cleaned it, I found there was a disk of very fine mesh that would have been a strainer. It was badly rusted and crumbled apart when I tried to remove it. I think I will try to get a small inline filter and put it in the line from the glass bowl to the carb. Just have to make sure the fuel can still flow through it.
The power point is a bit of an afterthought. Its a standard household 15 amp powerpoint, screwed to 2 pieces of flat steel plate that are screwed into the end of the alternator bearing housing. One socket doesn't work and the other one works all the time, regardless of where the switch is.
I went into town and got some new fuel hose, hose clamps, spark plug and a new 15 amp power point and a stand-off plate to move it further out from the alternator so I don't have to trim the corners off to fit it into the shroud. And I just have to say, bugger shopping at proper electrical suppliers. They wanted $73 for a basic 2 gang 15 amp power point and 10mm stand-off. Tried telling me that was what all the tradies used. I'm betting the tradies weren't paying for them for their own use. Off to Bunnings and I got the same thing, different brand, for $18. Even if it doesn't last as long as a Clipsal one, I can replace it another 3 times and still be ahead.
So at this point, I have degreased everything, rinsed the fuel tank out and replaced the fuel lines and spark plug. Tomorrow I will replace the power point, run it a bit to warm it up, then change the oil.
The label on the front of the fuel tank says Norton Villiers G1050 M-73 10.5HP, yet the engine has Mitsubishi on the front cover. I did a quick search and found a copy of the original user manual for the Mitsubishi G1050 and it looks like that's the one, so I have the basic specs and operating instructions, although it looks like the original ignition system has been changed. Norton-Villiers was a British motorcycle maker that seems to have shut down in 1973, so no idea why they have their badge on a Mitsubishi engine. Can't really see it fitting in a bike frame very easily.
Anyway, enough for now. I'll post more once I get it all up and running and will see how it goes powering my welder. Once I get the frame welded I can drop the winch back in and work on the mounting bushings for the transfer case.
Greg.
(Edit) Just realised I forgot this. Got it for $180.