Got the flex hose attached. Also added the gas outlet screen like how Señor Ramos uses.
Hey Cody,
I found the stainless steel seamless flex tubing Dave in Australia was using:
I found this visiting my older sister today who had a new pellet stove installed last September. She had a five foot cut off piece.
Nice looking stuff. No spiral seams, no leaks. And reasonable stiff. Yet bendable.
Regards
Steve unruh
4 Likes
I’ll definitely look into buying this. Looks like their smallest size is 3 inch so I might use this for the Sierra.
2 Likes
And the ss flex pipe from solarsystems? Dont have the specs right now but a lot of connecting pieces available. Temp is above 100 deg C but I dont know the max.
Google isn’t being helpful, all I’m seeing is insulated tubing. Ideally I would want to have the steel be exposed so it can cool the gas some.
1 Like
I used it to make a heatexchanger in a barrel behind the boiler. Running water for central heating in it. One inch pipe. Took the insulaton off. Gonna use it for warmwater pipes. It is just lose around the flex
I just ordered this today.
Best deal I found. I’m not planning on using sump or vacuum cleaner hose on future projects.
1 Like
I basically have this except I got it at a parts store.
Major major major success today with the updraft. Got her to start up in record time. Only took about 4 false starts to get the air mixture just right.
I think I’m going to need a smaller air mixing valve, it still likes to basically be closed. But I have almost full range of RPM in gear. If I hit the next gear with some juice behind it then she accelerates pretty good. I had gotten on a slight hill and started to lose speed in 3rd gear so I hit the clutch to let the engine spool up and eased her back into 3rd and regained speed.
I still don’t have my water drip set up so I used a bottle with a tiny hole in the lid. So definitely too much water but a success nonetheless.
I will work on the water drip tomorrow and make more fuel.
11 Likes
Water drip will be as simple as possible. Since I have to use caps to shut down the reactor I’ll use rubber hose on the upper end so I can pull the drip nozzle in and out.
I will be looking for a needle valve and I’ll make my own sight glass with some large diameter clear hose.
1 Like
I’m really tempted to install an electric fuel pump as a helper for starting back up with an empty float bowl. That or just uninstall the mechanical fuel pump entirely and leave it as a backup in the truck just in case an electric one fails.
1 Like
Also tempted to try to commission one of you guys to build a charcoal crusher for me. Something V Belt driven, I have plenty of powerplants just lacking in the materials to build a good one.
Great news. This confirms the fact that the problem with the downdraft may just been tight restrictive charbed.
On my 2.3l mercedes l found the ideal opening for air was a half inch ball valve fully open
3 Likes
I have a slew of 3/4" brass ball valves so I’ll head to the store tomorrow and get an adapter to step down the 1.5" PVC even further. Maybe then it’ll help give me air for higher RPM range but also have enough demand going back to the reactor. My only concern is the carburetor playing nice while running on gasoline.
I might add a secondary air intake that gets entirely closed when running on charcoal just so I don’t have to change my jets out.
I also need to route the choke cables to remotely control my gasoline valve and air control.
If I can get my stoich running just right like yours, then I could just close my big valve and leave the little valve open for fine adjustment.
1 Like
The fuel was extra dusty so I’m hoping it got to form a cake on the filter. It’s an upholstery material so it’s a bit loosely woven, I decided to put one on top of the other just for my own peace of mind.
1 Like
@KristijanL for your towel filters, how many times is it wrapped around, or is it just sewn up like a sock like I did?
Just sewn up.
It once happened to me that a flashback in the filter caused the towel to ignite. I drove without a filter to the nearest village shop and bought a towel and a sewing kit and made a filter on the parking lot 
Btw, the fire was caused by gas passing trugh a comutator motor fan. Those things DO make woodgas go bang, woosh and poof…
4 Likes
I think for a flaring fan I’ll just make a tap point in the piping that I can insert a pump to and cap back off when the reactor is ready. I’m looking at the mattress inflators just for that.
1 Like
Cody,
You could turn on your gasoline valve just before shutting down on charcoal. That will fill the float bowl.
1 Like
I know, but more of a case of “oops I forgot” or “reactor died before I could hit the gas open”
Sort of things.