Hi Bob , yes i am learning right now how important it is to have internal heat shielding for all manners of performance and safety , i intend to start afresh with a purpose built unit and not just use some random containers as i have always done in the past , i am hoping that it will be fun learning as i come to relay more and more on the extra generating power that my gasifier will be needed for in these uncertain times .
Today we have another massive storm cloud covering our state and we are in for a drenching today , so all under cover today and no going out , land slides and floods everywhere .
Dave
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I absolutely hate the North Carolina vehicle titling system.
Finally got the guy to come to the notary, and he accidentally signed it ahead of time. So now it’ll have to wait til tomorrow when we can go to a tag office and get it fixed, then I can get it switched over. GOTTA LOVE BUREAUCRACY
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If its signed off all i do is hit the sos office and pay the 15 bucks too transfer, Though if there was title theft fraud happening it might get harder around here too make sure, all is leget.Maybe its different with newer vehicles, newest vehicle i owned was 8 years old.
In North Carolina it has to be signed in front of a notary by both parties. They signed it ahead of time which is a big no-no to them.
You can get it transferred at a DMV Tag Office too, that’s what we’re gonna have to do now.
This is for the 76 GMC I’m getting.
I havent seen a 76 in years around the michigan road salt, unless it was stored in some ones barn find or classic car stored indoors.Less junk electronics, should be good on timing addjustment, you might be able too paint it up and sell too classic collector if its all stait and original looking, just a posible thought, I had a 72 chevy 1/2 ton back in ear;y 1980’s nice little tow truck.Gas was probbley under a dollar a gallon back then though. If you change the motor out for a 350 , you have nice tow truck on wood.
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I’m gonna clean it up, dad’s gonna help me paint it and I’m gonna focus entirely on the 76 to put a gasifier on it.
I was looking for an older truck exactly for that reason, no crazy electronics or 80s vacuum diagram nightmares. Only has 90,000 miles on it and the transmission fluid still had good color.
I’m gonna drain all the old fluids out especially the gear oil in the rear end, and the brake fluid.
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Is this a inline 6 cylinder, or v8.I caint remember what year they started the v6 chevy truck motors.
The 1976 it’s got the 350sbc V8. Once I get it towed to my house I’ll figure out if it has the TH350 or the TH400 transmission I didn’t look last time. I hope it’s the TH400.
I can’t tell what trim level the truck was because it’s missing some of the badging, still has the red square GMC badges but I have no idea if it’s a standard Sierra or a Sierra Classic. I’m pretty sure it’s not a Sierra Grande because it’s not 4x4.
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you have to have a title on 76 model vehicle? Here after they are 30 years old all you need is a bill of sale.
Every motor vehicle that you can plate has a title. Doesn’t matter how old it is.
Welcome to North Carolina.
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The irony of this is, if it was a South Carolina title all I’d need is their signature and I’d just take it to my tag office to switch it over. No Notary or stamp just their signature.
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I live right close too chevy town flint michigan, my step dad retired from chevy factory, That truck should work out great on wood gas, even though it dont have port fuel injection as the dakotas, that just helps for easy hybrid fuel adding, you can allways add a little propane mixer DIY system if needing too hybrid up a mountain,or freeway entrance.I got Better MPG with my 350 than my 307 chevy.You might still find a 400 chevy trans from some junk yards, they tend too save they older non computor 400 trannys,Probbley a 90’s 3/4 ton chevy would have 400 tranny , and not many wires too change too make work good.
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Cody,
I don’t remember seeing a video of your cross draft charcoal gasifier running an engine? Did you make one? How durable has your design turned out to be?
I didn’t film my one engine test, but it did power the engine with the fuel pump shut off and the injectors still on.
I didn’t have the injectors shutoff wired to the correct fuse so I was actually shutting off my Spark when I thought I was turning off Injectors. Turns out INJ-A for a GM is the ignition, and ENG is the injectors.
Shortly after that test I dismantled the temporary piping to the engine. I will likely cut a discrete hole in the bed and route flexible suction pump hose like Kyle DiMario did.
I had taken a picture of the silicon carbide nozzle tip after that test, and it actually melted the end to a glassy state and for some reason decreased the inside diameter with the glassy slag, but it was uniform.
Very interesting considering how little cooling rail I used, 20 feet of 2" conduit and just a sack filter.
My charcoal was definitely damp in a few spots, I just tossed in whatever I had already made beforehand.
I was using Koen’s nozzle calculator to figure in my size if I used a singular nozzle and it said that roughly a 1" was sufficient for my 2 Liter Mazda, and the formula that Eddy Ramos shares says the same for a 4.3L in its power curve.
One thing that’s odd is the spreadsheet calculator that @k_vanlooken made available on Google Docs isn’t working anymore for a multiple nozzle setup. Just a single nozzle.
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I liked your simple design—almost too simple—even simple enough for me to build. Looking forward to seeing how it holds up to regular use and abuse.
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I’m thinking of making a 55 gallon sized unit for the Sierra with a 2" nozzle. I’ve already beefed up a hunk of steel for that case. I also might not point the nozzle as far downwards. I’ll use a coupler so I can experiment with the gasifier.
Eventually I’d like to build a Mako style for the Sierra, slowly working on that when I find time.
I honestly think with the diagonal/cross draft you’ll still want good quality charcoal, but it’ll be less sensitive to moist charcoal at the least.
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Ordered 25 feet of 2" suction hose, and a pair of 2" aluminum camlock fittings. I want this to be as serviceable as possible and quick to dismantle for inspections. I know @Matt would approve of the camlock fittings.
What I’ll probably do is have a PVC pipe head down through the bed and connect the hose parallel to the ground. I can put in a Tee fitting at that junction for cleaning out and draining condensate that gets past the filter.
I’ll likely do this idea again on the 1976 but with two suction hoses for the bigger engine.
Not sure if I’ll need the entire 25 feet, I’m hoping not. I didn’t want to have to order more and splice in any hose and wanted to account for length lost in bend radius.
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Goodness gracious these camlock fittings are incredibly difficult to close.
@Matt did these come with too thick of an O ring? I don’t think I’d ever be able to shut these together while on the truck. I had to brace them against the table while pushing down on the levers evenly. You’re the only other person I know to fiddle with these.
I’m leaving these ones locked together to see if it’ll compress the o ring some.
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The o ring might not be seated. Never really had that issue though. They are pretty tough to close when new but they will get looser over time.
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Okay good to know. I might only use one on the truck at the filter body, and just have a hose barb in the engine bay.
These gaskets are about 1/4" thick, and it seems like they got into the niches in the female/side with the levers. The male ends came with slightly thinner gaskets and they’re a little easier but just barely.
I should say I got these on Amazon but they weren’t cheap, 20 dollars a fitting. The rubber seems very hard. Maybe I should cut some gaskets out of neoprene.
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