On my Jeep the way you reset the anti theft is put a key in the passinger door lock unlock lock it unlock it. Then crank the engine over and start it up. The lights and anti theft alarm will stop blinking . There was a wire on the lock that went to the computer, by turning the lock in would go to ground. I wired it to ground now the anti theft relay auto resets if tripped like removing the battery cable form the terminal. Really! Oh some one is stealing my jeep by removing the battery cable. They all ready got into the jeep and releasted the hood latch. Go figure.
Bob
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My Cavalier doesn’t use a VATS system. The key that is in it now is just a metal key without even the black part on it.
If yours has the VATS system then the resistor in the bypass has to match the original in the key.
I did find a video on what wire to cut to supposably bypass whatever security system it has.
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Okay so I guess I don’t have VATS. It had a standard metal key.
Since I’ve removed the pins in the tumbler it’ll move freely now. It was the bar that presses down on the pins to give tension that was hanging up in the cylinder. As soon as I crank up the car the Security light goes away. Not sure what’s going on but the car will start so I’m going to ignore the light I guess.
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@KristijanL I read through the first part of your old hitch mounted gasifier build. You said it was about 65kg. Assuming because you used it in a smaller car you probably had a Class 1 Hitch. I learned recently that a Class 1 is only meant to support a 200lb/91kg tongue weight, but when using a cargo platform it’s essentially cut in half because it sits so far out. My limit would technically be 100lbs assuming the end of the cargo platform sits 2 feet from the lynch pin that holds the hitch in place.
Did you ever have any serious issues with your gasifier sagging or jumping up and down with bumps in the roads? I’ve been considering adding rods that connect from the tail end of the cargo platform to the lip of the trunk so it has extra contact points, and rods with turnbuckles connecting to where a retaining chain would go for a trailer. A lot of the cheaper cargo platforms are also bolted together so I’ve considered fabricating my own with angle iron and square tube welded together.
It’s making me question if I want to go raw wood or build a more compact charcoal gasifier to save weight.
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I have been summoned.
Yes weight was a problem. The car sat down low at the back.
If l wuld do it now it wuld be much better, made out of thiner steel and placed closer to the car with a hinged sistem so that the gasifier culd be tilted when opening the trunk.
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The trunk won’t be an issue with the Cavalier, but that is good to know. I will try to make the mount as close as possible to the car.
I’m hoping I will be able to keep weight down, my original goal was 50lbs for the gasifier itself but I think it’ll weigh less than that.
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Found some 1.25" x1/8" wall square tube, ordered 6 feet of it. Going to make a T shape out of it, and the rest will be angle iron to give spots for bolting the bottom of the gasifier in.
I wish someone made upgraded coil springs for the Cavalier to prevent it dipping too much, I haven’t found any.
I should still weigh everything going into the gasifier to make sure I can keep it as light as possible.
The hearth and gas jacket are all tank material, not too thick. I’m banking on the ash cone and standoff nozzles to keep the heat off.
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On one of the road kill shows they put deflated footballs inside the coils and then pumped them up.
Don’t tell me I’m wasting time looking at TV.
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I’ve seen that, someone used that trick in the Gambler 500 for a Toyota Prius.
I don’t know how long they’d last though. Last thing I need is to hit a bump in the road and just hear POW and witness pigskin trailing behind me.
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Cody, I was thinking about how you could get the weight of your gasifier further ahead nearer the rear axle. Just remove the trunk lit and build a plywood box with a tailgate like I did for my Geo tracker.
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Don that’s just crazy enough it’ll work. I have a lot of diamond plate I could build it with too.
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They make aftermarket air suspension kits. Might be a little better than pig skin.
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The benefit of having the gasifier in a made bed like that would be not getting rain in the trunk if I build it right, and I can save the trailer hitch for hauling wood for longer trips.
Edit: If I can make this one successful I might see about helping @sbowman with his Toyota, he has a platform that his charcoal gasifier sits on in the trunk opening but he also has a shallow trunk like this Cavalier. Would clean up the look I think.
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Hi don the geo looks good i did a dodge carivan like that, and never seemed too get stoped for plate problems by the law, though i dont recall how long i drove it. Is there a way too fix the posible plate issue, makeing it look like a pickup truck,I DONT KNOW.? I like the idea, though for wood gas i might pass.I wish my 03 grand prix was a pickup,elcomeano from the factory- it got 34 mpg on hwy , 30 mpg in town with a rocket 3.4 engine. I had 2 trackers and best i got on the hwy was about 28 mpg.They make nice litle jeeps if they are 4 wheel drive though, and good mpg around town.At leiste they have a better way too mount a little wood gasifier booster in the back area.
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Trunk lid is off. I’d have to take the rear dash off to get the arms removed so I just took the springs out after taking this picture. They can move off to the side.
I am going to get some perforated square tube, whatever it’s called it’s just full of holes to me, and build my rack to support the diamond plate. Probably just needs to be held down by about 4 bolts, in a way that I can leave the gasifier and filter bolted down to the bed and slide the whole unit out if I have to work on something.
I will probably go ahead and replace the shocks and springs so I have a fighting chance with any weight gains. At least it will be closer to the axle. Some of my monthly expenses are now settled and that’s freed up some cashflow.
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Got the gas jacket cut, 20" tall measured from the foot, so real height from lip to bottom of tank is 19" or so.
I may cut out that 2" coupler and put in an ammo can, not sure yet. I should fill this with some charcoal and see if I can suck it out with my shop vac.
Big tank is about 15", 20lb tank is 12", plenty of room to make my gas exit up high. Air jacket will get preheating from both sides. Fire tube is just shy of 10". I don’t have it shortened down yet.
It looks like my total height will be about 46". That will mean the top of the gasifier will be almost a foot proud of the roof of the car. From the lip of the trunk area to roof is about 3 feet give or take a few inches. I’ll just have to live with that.
Before I get anything else started I need to get some new grinding discs and wire wheels for the angle grinder.
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Cody if you think it is going to a big difference how high the hopper is above the roof, just put a spoiler on the roof and kick the air flow up and over it. Or put a pointed V in the front of the hopper with some sheet metal to cut through the air. That is what I would do if I ever put a higher hopper on my Dakota Truck for long mileage driving. I might put it on the back side too. And put driveonwood.com on both sides.
As long as you are under 50 mph I do not think it matters much. Over 50 yes wind resistence will start to kick in big time. Just hold your hand out the widow when driving at different speeds.
Bob
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I could try to make the barrel into a teardrop shape to get that much more capacity.
I’ll see if I made a 55 gallon drum sized hopper how much capacity I would have. I think 30ish gallons is a good size to aim for.
Looks like with a 12" tall 55 gallon drum hopper I’d have 20 gallons, combined with the car rim maybe 5 gallons. I’d call that acceptable. Gasifier would really look like a Mushroom at that point!
The car rim itself adds about 5" to the height, but it does make a nice transitional space to preheat some of the wood and feeds to the fire tube really well.
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You could likely use a shorter burn tube than the v8 dakotas too. I was going too spray paint the loose fiber blanket with 2000 f degrees paint,just ware its exposed and not covered with metal sheet, before i ran out of cash, the heat and smoke should seal the blanket down stream anyway. LOOKING GOOD.
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Kevin, I did not put anything over my ceramic blanket. It seems to develop its own crust and I just make sure I use the poke rod down the middle and not scrape the sides.
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