Since I’m able to use the truck as a daily driver and it’s been so damn cold, I’ve been procastinating to fix the Volvo. It’s been sitting for over two months now and the gasifier cut apart on a pallet in the garage.
Inspired by Göran’s snowy and cosy obtainium pics, I decided to do some outdoor cutting and welding myself.
I’ve been water testing the gasifier and heatexchanger, but I couldn’t find no leak. Since the gasifier is cut apart anyway, I’ve decided to do some improvements.
Today I removed the grate and added some width to it - just a few scrap pieces of ss. Also, I plan to add 3 lower nozzles in addition to the 10 upper ones. I slip quite a lot of charcoal and I think I can afford to burn some in order to keep the heat up down closer to the restriction.
Hello JO, we haven’t “talked” in a while, as you wrote above, you will fix the “hot leak” and add the air intake nozzles lower, closer to the limit. Our friend from Canada, Dean, built an interesting gasifier, which apparently works well for him, it also has nozzles in two levels and also a lower nozzle in the middle, he states that he can change the amount of air to individual nozzles. I can say that the introduction of a small amount of air below between fine dense coals works wonders, the gasifier breathes easily and creates very little resistance and strong gas, well, it is an art to balance the distribution of air quantities, to the individual nozzles.
I envy you this work a bit, because lately I have been doing very precise work around the Jenbacher engine, but with the gasifier there is no need for such precision, an angle cutter, a welding machine and the work goes on. 
Okay JO, so you water tested and found no leaks up inside where you video with smoke. Now a cracked weld can get plugged up with soot a there is a lot of soot inside that area. I am sure you cleaned it all out before water testing it.
Now what, I see you are making the grate larger thats good to stop all the slipping Charcoal you were experiencing. Is it possible when running the gasifier it worm holed and went into heater mode? That has happened to me when my charcoal bed got really loose, but doing it repeatedly not likely.
With all the welding you did to the inside and outside on your heat exchanger tube it sure seems to be the likely spot for a leak.
Have you tried filling that area up with water and then with high pressure nozzle of air go over your welds on the outside to see if any bubbles come up the inside of the tube filled with water.
Tone, I don’t envy you your precision work. I like it when you can make things fit with the help of a hammer 
Yea, I read Dean uses 2 rows of nozzles as well, but I haven’t yet looked into his setup in detail. I will try replicate my Mazda gasifier, only a bit more moderate on the lower air supply.
Thanks for the tip Bob. Unfortunately the air shroud around the heatex is welded shut and there’s no way I can go over all the internal welds without major surgery. But with the air shroud filled with water and not a drop leaking, I doubt there’s a leak big enough to to any harm.
Btw, I noticed the higher temps right after replacing my thermometer. It has a button where you can switch between C and F. I’m starting to belive it has something to do with it 
Glad to hear it’s not just me
Hmm spunds like a job for a optometrist
Hmm. Yes it can be tough finding a leak when not under the same-same heated up expanded operating conditions.
I had a Mitsubishi 3.0L V-6 in a Plymouth mini-van that gave me fits with putting coolant into the engine oil . . .
I was actually impressed its owner was catching this before the coolant was oilpummped blended into a white milkshake. Third time In the shop after overnight steady operpressuring -failed. Then a vacuuming down test - failed. I caught it as an engine hot; quickly cam covers off; opening up cylinder head crack. Oil flung messy as I had to run the engine to re-heat it up for it to heated expand, open up. A real hot-hands, cooked-hands job. Warranty job. I lost big time on all of the diagnosis. All’s really paid for was that one cylinder head R&R.
So J.O. try sealing it up and alternatively pump pressurizing it. Then a vacuum leak down testing. Treat it first like a leaking tire and wheel. Then an AC system leak test.
S.U.
Yes, It should. Looking at some of Tone’s sketches I think I can see how it would work.
When there is little resistance the upper nozzles flow more air. But as resistance increases the lower nozzles start to supply more air. So, Tone’s system is self regulating, to a degree, and can tolerate a wider variety of fuel sizes, engine speeds, and other operating conditions. The two sketches below look very different but the basic principle is the same for both.
Rindert
…or a colonoscopist
At first I thought your phone played you trick and what you meant was I was overly optimistic blaming the thermometer. Then I felt I had to look that word up - and you’re right, my eyesight is not what it used to be. My father visited today and brought me this, since he had two of them. You know what it is?
Steve, I wish I knew how to. It would mean trying to plug every induvidual nozzle and make them SEAL. Easier said than done.
Bedtime in a moment and another snowstorm will be hitting us tomorrow. Plenty of time sleeping on it while clearing snow.
@r_wesseling That upper drawing shows exactly what I have been installing today - 3 extra nozzles. Pics tomorrow.
@Tone , how many inches or centimeters is the lower nozzles to the top of the grate, and the upper nozzles to the grate. Planning on installing lower nozzles with a separate intake air to regulate lower nozzles on my build if I can. Like JO is doing. Also the lower nozzle will be able to have moisture introduced if need when running on 100 % charcoal. This unit will be able to run on wood, charcoal, or both.
Pics as promised.
3 lower nozzles. Holesaw through the outer air shroud and threaded nozzles through the firetube wall. They sit about 6 inches below the upper row and protrude about 2.5 inches through the ash cone.
Last pic - air shroud holes patched up.
Good morning JO
In reference to the different nozzle heights this gasifier has 5 or 6 different heights where the air is injected into the burn tube . It will switch nozzle heights based on the amount of negative pressure.
It also has an open top design.
Your stick welding beads look better than my mig welding beads!
Thanks for the video Wayne. Very interesting. Many ways to skin a cat.
Personally I try stay away from “gizmos” as much as I can though. Every apparatus I can do without means one problem less to deal with.
Thanks Don! Whenever I take a selfie, every pic look ugly. With welds I can at least pick and choose
Yeah, I know what you mean. I learned to stay away from selfies.
If I take a selfy now, I am thinking humm… looks like my Dad in my picture.
Ha yeah right! Your dad never took a selfie. 
Up and running. I went for a quick 30 mile trip, but too early to tell if the modifications made a difference.
To combat occational constipation I lowered the grate a little, but added some width to it.
I installed 3 extra nozzles only 4 inches above the restriction to try keep the heat up down low and prevent hesitation sympthomes.The upper 10 nozzles sit 10 inches above the top of the restriction.
