Picked up half a megawatt worth of Caterpillar power, think I'll make a PTO generator

[strantor]

What would be the inconvenient of running directly off the engine with a big ***** toothed belt? Running the engine, let's say 3500 to 4000 RPMs then reducing the speed to the desired 1800 RPM via a bigger pulley in the generator.

Maybe nothing. Maybe a whole bag of new problems. I think I need to get the motor out and look at all possibilities before I start formulating any new plans.

 

[radios1]

Well, crap. That's inconvenient.

if you weld it, so the 2 axles operate as one, you won't have that problem. cars can go in a straight line for hundreds of miles, for 100 thousand miles or more, it's making the axle rotate separately and making it rotate at twice it's designed speed that's the problem..

 

[strantor]

if you weld it, so the 2 axles operate as one, you won't have that problem. cars can go in a straight line for hundreds of miles, for 100 thousand miles or more, it's making the axle rotate separately and making it rotate at twice it's designed speed that's the problem..

Yeah but it doesn't look like I can get in there to weld the thing without cracking the tranny in half.

 

[texasranger556]

Does your LS have a mid PTO? My 4400 mid PTO runs somewhere around 2200 RPM.

 

[LouNY]

Something that came to my mind last night;
using the entire car drive train, could you get a pulley on each axle, then mount a drive shaft with pulleys, if both axles had the same size pulleys and both pulleys on the drive shaft are the same the axle would not need to be locked as both would be transmitting power at the same speed. If those pulleys were a 3 to 1 ratio you could change gears and rpm of the engine depending on the generators loading, lower rpm for light load periods, higher rpm for heavy load periods. This would also reduce the power each belt or set of belts would need to transmit.

 

[radios1]

Yeah but it doesn't look like I can get in there to weld the thing without cracking the tranny in half.

it looks like you already have the tranny in half, OR is that a picture from someone else?. you just need to pull out the ring gear, and figure how to lock the 2 axles together, try not to weld on, or too close to the ring gear, that will soften it, it's actually the spider gears that usually get welded, unless, it's possible to put a shaft from one side all the way through to the other.. I don't have enough pictures to make that judgment..

 

[aczlan]

it looks like you already have the tranny in half, OR is that a picture from someone else?. you just need to pull out the ring gear, and figure how to lock the 2 axles together, try not to weld on, or too close to the ring gear, that will soften it, it's actually the spider gears that usually get welded, unless, it's possible to put a shaft from one side all the way through to the other.. I don't have enough pictures to make that judgment..

The picture was a Subaru transmission, its different than a Honda transmission.

Aaron Z

 

[radios1]

The picture was a Subaru transmission, its different than a Honda transmission.

Aaron Z

I wish the OP would have mentioned that it's a Subaru transmission!..

 

[strantor]

Does your LS have a mid PTO? My 4400 mid PTO runs somewhere around 2200 RPM.

No, no mid PTO

it looks like you already have the tranny in half, OR is that a picture from someone else?. you just need to pull out the ring gear, and figure how to lock the 2 axles together, try not to weld on, or too close to the ring gear, that will soften it, it's actually the spider gears that usually get welded, unless, it's possible to put a shaft from one side all the way through to the other.. I don't have enough pictures to make that judgment..

It was a picture I found on the internet by googling "Honda Civic Manual transmission internal." Apparently I screwed up.

The picture was a Subaru transmission, its different than a Honda transmission.

I wish the OP would have mentioned that it's a Subaru transmission!..

I didn't do my due diligence in confirming the transmission picture. I also didn't state that it was a pic from the internet, provided only as an example. That was confusing, I apologize.

Something that came to my mind last night;
using the entire car drive train, could you get a pulley on each axle, then mount a drive shaft with pulleys, if both axles had the same size pulleys and both pulleys on the drive shaft are the same the axle would not need to be locked as both would be transmitting power at the same speed. If those pulleys were a 3 to 1 ratio you could change gears and rpm of the engine depending on the generators loading, lower rpm for light load periods, higher rpm for heavy load periods. This would also reduce the power each belt or set of belts would need to transmit.

I get that and had considered it (still considering it) but it has nearly all the same pulley/shaft/belt/bearing material requirements as the previous PTO chain solution which was expensive.

 

[Ken]

The only time I've seen 8-10 v-belts is on a pto pump for irrigation. The belts were rather narrow and the setup was designed to handle about 80 hp. I think that you are thinking of fractional hp belts or automotive ones. There are also B,C and D sizes. A double C belt easily handled 60 hp when the above pump was run on an engine pulley setup.

Harley Davidson and other manufacturers are using toothed belts instead of chains for the final drive on their motorcycles. They have for years already. Toothed belts and serpentine belts have similar construction. I wonder what the torque is going through a Harley drive belt at full throttle in first gear?

Automotive applications went to serpentine belts for several reasons. One belt could do the same job as two or three and they are more efficient. They also take up less space for the same power requirements.

Next time you go to a air show. Look inside the cowling of a helicopter. driven by belts. and long lasting.

This generator for a cat engine . Was it 8800 OR THE 13000 engine I have repaired both what happened to the original engines. They were designed to run with out being maintained for years.
Seen them on side of road generating power for small villages. open in the weather and just keep running.

If you don't have h.p. to quickly get up to speed something going to give. and the overriding clutch good idea
Maybe find a large truck engine and couple directly to the flywheel.
ever time a gear ,chain , belt. there is a loss of efficiency. or flying junk when it separates.
I'm think by the time you cobble up the parts there will be more money spent than purchasing a new unit.
ken