Viable Engine size?

Hi All
I have asked a few times about the book and membership and it seems for the amount I am willing to pay for membership there is no PDF option available.
It might not be a big thing to most of you but a 18:1 exchange ratio just makes membership unaffordable and not a viable option.

So I would really appreciate it if some kind soul will answer the following questions for me.

  1. Is wood gas a viable alternative for a low compression (8.13:1) 3.5 V8 engine running a Weber 38 Carb? The vehicle is a Land Rover Disco 1 rigged out as an expedition/overland vehicle and will tow a 500KG trailer.
    The reason I ask this is because of the 25% power loss on wood gas and most of the info I have seen shows people using larger engines.

  2. If I do pay for the 6 month membership can I get the “hidden” internal details of Wayne’s system from the videos? If I can then I more than happy to pay and won’t bother with the book. It will just get lost in the post. Africa is broken.

I plan to use the vehicle as dual fuel and use wood gas on the long open roads and change back to gas when power is needed. Is this possible?

Kind Regards
Tim

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Hello Timothy,
I’m a stationary generator woodgas guy. I have even for limited use woodgas ran comparable sized to yours I-6 generator engines.
Plus I’ve been on the DOW since it’s beginning and used to read everything 100%. Vehicle stuff too.

Yes your engine will be big enough. As a carbureted convoluted intake V-engine you’ll get at best probably only 60% petrol equivalent power. You will be traveling, relatively slowly.
The HWWT (DOW) book is evolved up to fuel injected larger engines to be able to do extended modern highway speeds. WayneK’s own earlier smaller V-6 engines system could not do this. Others building and using a WK system with smaller engines still have traveling speed limitations too.
I’ll say that all of the hidden internal WK system are to be able to handle the severe metals killing heat loading that highspeed woodgas traveling did find to impose. He had to modify and then remodifiy to handle the heats damageing.
Plus WK living in a warm, wet very humid environment has evolved to allow it to handle wettish woods and really warm wringing wet, humid air. These capabilties adds a lot of weight and complexity.
VesaM in Finland has a four plans book too. His systems can be considered evolved and best suitable for near Artic capable usages. He designs for highway capable speeds too. Using a very large American V-8 chassis.
Both of these fellows say in their own ways that their systems are best used from a fixed location home base with large woodpiles.
Because of the assured steady amounts of know good pre-conditioned woods they will need when used at highway speeds.
Plus, both complex, then the Shop and equipment’s available for gasifier use system repairs and new idea improvements modifications.

As a traveling about man, in a generally drier warm climate (yes?) you need a different system. Simpler. Out and about refuellable with roadside and bush scrounge woods . . . and repairable with take-with equipment’s, yes.
IMHO, like this one:

Scroll up and down on that topic for Q&A’s, and feedback comments.
This system was for a carbureted low performance V-8 engine system. Documennte at least three years used in an out and about camping rural bush roads traveling vehicle.

The real value of the Premium DOW side is the pictured step by steps of WayneK and other taking up to a year to build and then learning to use his system.
The 75% of being a successful woodgas system operator is in the live exchanges text there not in the book so much. What for operator experiences is covered there; gets almost all repeated here on the open DOW side.
Read Marcus Normans topic for a new guy daily driving on wood with a V-8 carbureted system.
Many other guys here too from the beginning 2012 to now with different woodgas systems, driving and all wanting to be helpful are here on the open DOW side too.

I hope the WK system building files are never offered up as a PDF. Why???
Those who have, have had their systems rapid manufactured for sale out of India and China without so much as a thank you, named designer acknowledgment. Indonesian and Thailand fellows do these IP thefts a lot too.
And I am involved with a friend’s book system been solen and then “improved”, with kits sold for a profit here in the US.
And this was after his for DIY building book system was stolen and rapid manufactured in India for mass sale. His system was built by a Portugues speaking kid. He then promoting, selling SolidWorks system download files as his own design.
The real salt came later now recently when some US/Canadian/UK jackoff published out a book with the same named cover, only stuffed full of old open-source earlier systems downloaded material.
NONE of these copy-cat thief’s offer up the most important detailed operators’ information’s. Setting up users for failures. Giving woodgas useage a bad name. “I tried. It is Impossible.” “Always tars up and ruins engines.”
People in general, never fail to disappoint.

Real woodgas loaded engines Users and Operators are the truly exceptional people.
Welcome for wanting to step it up, man. And join the exceptional.
Regards
Steve Unruh

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Hi Steve

Thanks for this reply. Exactly what I needed to hear and answered all my questions. I understand the reluctance for the PDF as there are plenty unscrupulous people out there. I have spent over a year researching this and have collected most of the stuff I need to build it. I just wasn’t sure about a few things and your answer has clarified those points.

To do it properly is no small thing and I didn’t want to waste time and money on needless experimentation when others more intelligent than me have succeeded.

Thanks gain for the reply. Much appreciated

Tim

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Tim, although I bought the book, I seldom look at it. Wayne and others on the premium side have made some improvements that are not in the book. I know because I started building my gasifier in December and have it about 70% done. The construction videos and other build threads with videos is where I got almost all of my information. Plus there is the added benefit of the forum. If you have a question, someone WILL answer it. As someone else on the forum said, the people on here just want you to succeed.

Garry C
“If you don’t build it, it won’t work”

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Thanks Gary. Appreciate it. As funds permit I will probably take on the 6 month membership soon.

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This is Eddie Ramo’s site Tim. He is running a similar sized engine and has put many miles on it now. The is a link to an english translation.

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Thanks Tom
Much appreciated. Had a quick look. Very informative PDF and impressive set up.
Thanks again
Tim

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