# How fast does your gas generator start?
**URL:** http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [December 13, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504 "2020-12-13T16:35:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Bobmac](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Bobmac)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 7:10am UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/21 "2020-12-15T07:10:25Z")
Hi Joni, Steve is right no apologies needed. The original name in the book was the Keith Gasifier. But now we just call it the WK Gasifier. Your BSES Bunker Steam Extraction System, is going to be tested on my WK unit.
This truck that was featured in the book build. Has gone through many changes. It has been used as a testing platform by Wayne Keith, Chris Saenz, and myself for many ideas. Now it is your idea that is going to be tried on it.
The new fire tube I built for the truck is based on Wayne’s Dodge Ram V-10 8L engine. I decided to put 2 more extra nozzles in my fire tube than Wayne has in his. It works just fine. So my WK fire tube design is now one of its own kind.
I will feature this BSES Bunker Steam Extraction System on the projects topic so you will be able to see my building part of it. Next spring.
Bob
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### Author:  [@Joni](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Joni)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 7:43am UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/22 "2020-12-15T07:43:56Z")
Bobmac,
I think soon, I will get into my computer and get out of it the whole history of the development of my gas generators, I just want to show where I started and where I came … I have a rule, to spread my previous secrets to everyone who is interested in it and how I am I recently completed the construction and testing of a new system (it will still be a secret), then I can gladly offer my previous one for discussion. If you don’t mind.
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### Author:  [@Bobmac](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Bobmac)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/23 "2020-12-15T14:47:56Z")
That is very good. I hope and pray the new design works out even better.
Bob
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### Author:  [@JocundJake](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/JocundJake)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/24 "2020-12-15T15:52:45Z")
> [@SteveUnruh](#):
>
> Mike LaRosa a last years deceased member was know for his “LaRosafier” creations.
> Many copied his. None ever seemed to get his usability out of their copies.
I have two of his personal builds and i haven’t been able to get near out of them what he was able to.
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### Author:  [@Joni](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Joni)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/25 "2020-12-15T20:19:10Z")
JocundJake,
maybe you didn’t follow the user’s protocol and didn’t get the maximum result …
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### Author:  [@Wayne](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Wayne)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/26 "2020-12-15T20:49:07Z")
Hello Jakob .
I don’t know how to say this without sounding negative but I will try . Mike was the first wood gas related person I knew . He ran up on an article about my truck in the farm show magazine and traced me down by phone back about 2005 and he introduced me to the wood gas world on yahoo.
On a speaking trip to Milwaukee I visited him and stayed a couple days back about 2006 ( 1987 miles on the wood burner , I remember because it was the same as the truck year model ) . We fired up his 66 chevy gasifier and drove a few miles but he could never really get it going .
A couple years later he came by here ( on gasoline ) to visit a couple days . We fired up his gasifier truck and rode 3-4 miles very slow . On a very small incline he had to pull over out of the road to let a line of traffic pass. and this was a country road .
Mike made several trips to Argos but I don’t remember him giving anyone a ride ( if anyone rode please correct me )
Again I hope I don’t sound negative but I don’t want you to beat yourself up because you can’t get Mike’s gasifiers running properly ☹
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### Author:  [@Til](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Til)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/27 "2020-12-15T20:55:58Z")
Dear Joni,
I would really like to see your constructions and the progress you made. Your system looks compact and well engineered. Some photos of the internal and maybe a sketch would be very helpful.
Also of your filter which seems to work well for you.
One question came already up seeing your videos: Where do you collect the condensate of your cooler under the car?
Many thanks and kind regards,
Til
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### Author:  [@JO\_Olsson](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/JO_Olsson)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2020, 9:23pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/28 "2020-12-15T21:23:50Z")
Til, you beat me to it 😄 Thank you.
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### Author:  [@JocundJake](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/JocundJake)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2020, 12:07am UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/29 "2020-12-16T00:07:33Z")
> [@Wayne](#):
>
> Again I hope I don’t sound negative but I don’t want you to beat yourself up because you can’t get Mike’s gasifiers running properly ☹
I understand and don’t worry I’m not!
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### Author:  [@wobigtd](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/wobigtd)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2020, 12:10am UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/30 "2020-12-16T00:10:57Z")
I don’t remember there being any room in Mike’s truck for a rider. What I do remember about Mike is BillS went to eat after struggling to get his gasifier to work when he came back Mike had it running after using an amount of his ever present aluminum tape. There’s more to this story but I won’t go into it. Maybe that’s Jacob’s problem needs more aluminum tape. 😃😃
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### Author:  [@k\_vanlooken](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/k_vanlooken)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 12:28pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/31 "2021-01-07T12:28:49Z")
How fast does my gasifier start…?
Being a smart ass, my answer would be: 3 seconds…
Useable gas to start an engine takes between 15 and 45 seconds after the first 3… 😁
Somehow i am locked into the old habit of always clean startup… ( fully clean before startup )
A gasifier does not have secrets 😉 but does require skills and understanding…
Since i read on DOW, others builders endavors, i understand more… now i am figuring out how to become skillful…
If you copy Fema, you’ll have a Fema
If you copy imbert, you have an imbert…
if you understand what other builders show/teach you… then you can build a gasifier…
rethink about what you need to have, what part in the gasifier becomes the most important function…
reverse engineer that function, how to obtain that in your case, for your needs…
build accordingly
if you learn from failures then your successes will repeat themselves…
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### Author:  [@d100f](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/d100f)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/32 "2021-01-07T12:45:04Z")
Well on a first clean batch of charcoal in my 220 litre gasifier i guess from first lighting to engine running can be around 2 mins then maybe 3 and then 4 and then 5 mins there after, is it i am lazy or is it i would get so messy and smelly trying to empty out the bottom 1/3rd of old charcoal just to save 3 or 4 mins lighting up every time for around 3 months till when i clean down and inspect my nozzle. But if i had a small unit that had a handful of old charcoal left in it then maybe i would be a clean operator like you Koen and clean out before every run 🙈 🙉 🙊
Dave
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### Author:  [@k\_vanlooken](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/k_vanlooken)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 1:10pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/33 "2021-01-07T13:10:12Z")
Hi Dave,
Smile on my face… 😁
Nothing wrong with DOING it your own way…
I learned most from people who are DOING just that… DOING it THEIR way…
Hence otherwise we still would be making fire with 2 stones…
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### Author:  [@wobigtd](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/wobigtd)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 3:03pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/34 "2021-01-07T15:03:02Z")
> [@k\_vanlooken](#):
>
> if you learn from failures then your successes will repeat themselves
Hope you don’t mind if I add this to my encouragement lessons for people scared of trying something new.
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### Author:  [@Vitaliy](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Vitaliy)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/35 "2021-01-07T16:58:33Z")
My gas generator for a cold start lasts from 3 minutes, depending on the size, humidity and wood species, the time from starting the generator to starting the engine is different, the time is 3-4 minutes.
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### Author:  [@don\_mannes](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/don_mannes)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 6:24pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/36 "2021-01-07T18:24:56Z")
> [@k\_vanlooken](#):
>
> if you learn from failures then your successes will repeat themselves
Like I always say, “good judgement comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgement”
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### Author:  [@TomC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/TomC)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2021, 9:54pm UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/37 "2021-01-07T21:54:20Z")
> [@SteveUnruh](#):
>
> Mike LaRosa a last years deceased member was know for his “LaRosafier” creations.
> Many copied his. None ever seemed to get his usability out of their copies.
Correction; I built a La Rosafier, put it in an under horse powered Silverado truck and drove it from northern Wisconsin to Argos ---- on toll roads, interstates, and through down town Chicago. I would think that justifies it’s usability. TomC
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### Author:  [@Jeff](http://forum.driveonwood.com/u/Jeff)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2021, 12:36am UTC](http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/how-fast-does-your-gas-generator-start/5504/38 "2021-01-08T00:36:17Z")
How fast to get an engine running gas? How many cylinders does the engine have?
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