Generators

[wg4t50]

Trying to use a 8V-71 to power a generator on a bus is begging for stupid non stop issues.
Have found the best bang for the buck is a Power Tech, perferable with a 4 cyl diesel engine, there are other very fine units. Get lucky dickering on price or build your own, buy engine, generator end, build frame with good rubber mounts or air bags, build controls, had one I put about 6,000 hr on no issues.  I have been an Onan dealer for 40+ yrs and do not care for the current crop, comuterized  , The old air cooled 4 cylinder water or air cooled are way past being desireable, weak link is oil pump due to poor installation.  Won't bore ya'll.
Dave M

[belfert]

Generators with 8V71 engines have way bigger generator heads than anyone needs for a bus.  Any savings by not buying a generator are probably going to go into engine repairs.

Ros has already brought up some of the issues that might happen with the engine.

[HB of CJ]

I was thinking of some way to exploit the PTO openings on our various transmissions and using the Bus Conversion main engine to power a gen set running off the PTO ... but only while running down the road going someplace.  Not as a stationary power source. 

Sorry I did not make that clear.  I though it went without saying.  Opps!    I suppose it could be either a generator or an alternator.  Battery bank?  Inverter?  How the voltage and sine wave would or could be controlled would remain to be seen.  HB of CJ (old coot)

But ... then what do you do when parked with no electrical hookups?  Batteries?  None?  Dunno.  Duhh.

[belfert]

It doesn't seem to make much sense to have two generator heads unless you get one really cheap.  A typical generator head would not work properly with variable RPMs anyhow.  There is the Auragen that produces 120 volt at variable RPMs, but I assume it is pretty expensive.

For most it would seem just running a standard generator while going down the road would be less expensive.  If you travel tens of thousands of miles a year maybe it would work out.  I do use my DN50 alternator to produce power using an inverter while on the road, but I already had the inverter anyhow so the only extra cost was a solenoid and less than 10 feet of 4/0 cable.

[luvrbus]

I saw entertainer bus that had a hydraulic driven generator the pump was driven off the main engine nice looking aluminum generator and a nice X3 Prevost

[ros]

Onan and others had hydraulically DRIVEN generators.  Their electronic and mechanical controls were something!  Talk about a 'can of worms'......!

Still, it is far from practical to consider a bus engine to be hooked up to a generator head.  Ultimately, the generator needs a steady 1800 rpms to produce 60 Hz.  Other, less common generators run at 900 rpms or even 450.  Depending upon how the fields and armatures are wound, determines how many times the flux field or stator fields are cut to produce whatever voltage that they are shooting for.  There are a great many esoteric systems out there.
Everyone is familiar with the El Cheapo gasoline units that scream at 3600 rpms.  They do work but for how long?

Here comes Mister oppositional that claims his has worked 24/7 since his great, great grandfather started it one time!  SICK OF IT, don't want to hear it.

Ros

I saw entertainer bus that had a hydraulic driven generator the pump was driven off the main engine nice looking aluminum generator and a nice X3 Prevost

[TomC]

A good brushless 4 pole alternator (to run at 1800rpm) with a Yanmar, Kubota, Caterpillar, John Deere, 3 or 4 cylinder Diesel will last thousands of hours. I use my 10kw Powertech 4 cylinder Kubota when going down the road to power the roof top airs-since they are my only A/C. Works well. Good Luck, TomC

[digesterman]

I believe the only reason the industry went to 3600 RPM was to meet EPA requirements for pollution . The carbs are all now sealed and nonrebuildable, shame since most are now throw aways


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[harleyman_1000]

A good brushless 4 pole alternator (to run at 1800rpm) with a Yanmar, Kubota, Caterpillar, John Deere, 3 or 4 cylinder Diesel will last thousands of hours. I use my 10kw Powertech 4 cylinder Kubota when going down the road to power the roof top airs-since they are my only A/C. Works well. Good Luck, TomC

My powerteck generator doesn't have a alternator on it. Do you have a picture of your alternator on your generator?

[ros]

Clifford,

For some reason, I think Onan (now Cummins) dropped their hydraulically driven generators.
Do you know why?

Ros

I saw entertainer bus that had a hydraulic driven generator the pump was driven off the main engine nice looking aluminum generator and a nice X3 Prevost