What are you going to use the engine for? If it’s stationary match the engine to the load
If it’s mobile then a larger low rpm engine would better than a small high rev one.
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Welcome Phil. I had a 292 in a 1976 Chevy van. Terrible mileage but that was a good torquey engine. I pulled a trailer with all kinds of scrap iron for years and even pulled a good sized tractor up a two mile long grade to get it back to my property once. I’d grab that engine. Sounds like the best option you have.
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Welcome to the DOW PhillipvS.
I drove for eight years pretty much exclusively a 1969 Chevy very H.D. C2500 pickup truck with the 292 cid inline six and cast iron four speed transmission in it. September 1980 to September 1988.
It was my “Penitence” vehicle to break my needs from the evils of years of need-for-speed street racing.
That engine is one stout piece of work and I doubt if a fellow could irreparably destroy it except in gear forcing it overspeed going down a long, long down grade.
Mine had been a held long in service Gov’Mint Forest Service truck with a large fire hose reel permanently installed on it. So moved, then parked a lot sitting in fire seasons. Half the year sitting, do in nothing.
By the time I got it the engine interior was thick, thick sludged up. I dropped the oil pan to clean that gunk out. Same time pulled the valve cover and the lifter access side covers. Manually fingers, stiff brush, kerosene scoped out and washed down all that was readily loosen-able.
Pulled the rocker arms, ball pivots and hollow push rods. Cleaned and inspected for excessive wears. None, excessive, even with the sludging conditions. Then, one at a time pulled all for the connecting rod caps for bearing inspection. Made the decision to in-place install .002 thicker replacement connecting rod bearings. Pulled some of the main bearing caps. Some wear visible, fingernail test, plastiguage measurable. Re-used as is. These can also be replaced with with the engines assembled and crankshaft still in-place. “Spun-in” with a made up pusher tool inserted into the crankshaft oiling hole.
I put in a deeper body, longer geared high volume oil pump. Ooow! 100+ psi cold oil pressure. I gto slipped instread a high pressure pump! Pan off again and put in the old standrds pump relivef valve spring.
I then ran that engine those 8 years another 160,000 miles. Changed the common grade petroleum engine oils (plus 1/2 quart of ATF for it’s high detergents) whenever the oil would carbons loading darken.
The measured compressions, at the annual major tune ups, increased over the years as the piston rings slowly decarbonized and freed up.
I did this exact same restoring on others 1960’s inline Ford, AMC/Rambler, Chrysler/Dodge, and AMC/Rambler engines.
A high point in American production engines for simplicity, long-life durability, and economy in hard worked operations.
In rough roads service all of these will shake loosening their heavy hung intakes and exhaust manifolds. Creates a vacuum leak screwing up engine idle. Prevent by re-tighten every six months. All of these engines with their side of block tin covers, and their stamped steel valve covers will seep oil. Seeping O’K. Leaking is Not. New thick cork gasket time. With your favorite goo sealer. It will still reoccur.
These all have direct exhaust heating of the intake at a direct connected junction for intake heating to vaporize the in-intake gasoline mist droplets.
Wood gas you do not need, or want this. At least make up an exhaust grade gasket to block and isolate for this heating. Soft copper sheet, even.
Sure. Sure. A fellow could compare, contrast the Chevy’s 292 smaller bore versus longer stroke against the Ford’s inline 300’s nearly even bore and stroke. AMC’s 196-232-258’s. Chrysler/Dodge’s 198-225’s.
Lips jabbering.
As TomH said these are all low rpm, high torque grunt pullers intentionally manufactures designed for best fuel economy under loads. Not RPM engines. Commercial use lowest maintenances’ and repairs needed. Lowest costs of operation.
In your case use which IS available. And you can get parts shipped in from the USA/Canada parts directly.
Regards
Steve Unruh
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That reminded me. Mine was a 3/4 ton van and I have had it stacked to the max inside with cord wood and the mileage was exactly the same empty or loaded. That always amazed me.
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Cutting to the final conclusion on what I consider the very best of the American made inline sixes to woodgas adapt it is the 4.0L AMC/Jeep engine.
Read here, skipping down to Section 2.6 4.0L
Unusual, this wikipedia article give actual comparison connecting rod lengths. The 4.0L version with the longest rods.
It already as for fuel injection improved had the intake and cylinder head improvements.
The exhaust separation out.
The weaknesses I saw in the Chrysler-Jeep dealership were factory tube steel exhaust headers cracking.
Not using a knock sensor these had at times knocking problem on regular unleaded gasoline. Depending on the brand. The seasonal mix. Even an individual gas station.
Compression was high edgy, in the high 9:1’s
Ha! Ha! Hard to pry these loose from knowing Jeepfolk.
Look for clapped out over-options laden Grand Cherokees sitting flat tires neglected out in the suburbs. AC and climate controls all wonky, too expensive to repair. Power seat and power windows no longer functioning. The SEFI scaring away all of the carbureted guys,
You can get then get the already highest horsepower factory I-6 in a medium displacement “free” built in.
And it was by far the latest in production up though 2006.
Steve Unruh
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My personal opinion is stay away from the Renix 4.0 engines. I couldn’t find a way to cut off the injectors unless I did it individually. Unplugged ballast resistor to the fuel pump but I didn’t like the idea of the injectors firing dry.
My buddy doesn’t seem to care, he wants me to put a gasifier on it. Cherokee Laredo 4dr with the choice transfer case. I told him to unplug all the injectors when not in gasoline use and the switching over would have to be on the side of the road.
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Tried and true off road machines. Good torque with crap fuel economy. Easy bolt on mods for more power, decent reliability besides crank sensors and ecm problems. These I have seen many of, all water damage off road application or stick reach up and grab wires. Easy fix both, but dead on the road with a problem. Spare parts glovebox kept. Jeep pickup was a rare option to 4wd 4.0, would be a great candidate coupled with ax15 5 speed trans. Auto were not as long lived under hard abuse, but often jeepers are lackadaisical on proper maintenance, believe its a jeep, they survived the war, they can survive without maintenance!
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Cody I agree the actual AMC used bullet terminals Renix systems were crappola.
But I did a quick search for “six circuits on-off switches”. They are made. They are available. Industrial, and be several hundreds of $'s.
I then refined to “multiple circuits on-off switches” A whole bunch of three circuits switches shows up. $18 to $42 depending on their life-cycles durability.
Just use two of these switches. 1-2-3 thru one. 4-5-6 thru the other. You could even bridge connect up the stems of two toggle types.
No different the W.K. himself, and Marcus aways building with two woodgas, and two mixer air valves controls.
S.U.
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I’ll let him know. It’s back in my buddy’s possession. Sold it back for quick cash plus he was missing it.
It’s still yard art at my house though, I’m the only one he trusts to work on it because I fight him on every stupid mod he sees on YouTube, gimmick fad stuff.
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Marcus. I’m pretty sure SteveU doesn’t expect you to reply in his same syntax but it’s damned nice of you anyway.
I had a 90 Wrangler with the 4.0. Never any problem with that engine but I got real good at laying in the mud changing clutches and one adventure with a failed U joint. I added a drive shaft loop after that. I guess Jeeps are good for rock crawling. I prefer a lot more wheel base.
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The Warped Perception channel.
This is #3 of a series of 9 with different fuels, ignitions (timing changing), dyno brake loaded and then with an added pressurizing exhaust driven turbocharger.
The guy is an excitement video-presenter. He’s not an engines guy.
If your system does not R.H. sidebar show his others in this series of videos. Go down to his channel name while viewing on youtube: open it up; and find his playlists, for this engine series.
Ha! The link address directly to this playlist kept getting blocked. S.U.
Then:
Clear view see-in cylinder video by a Chris N on youtube.
Search for his channel on youtube for this short video.
Regards
Steve Unruh
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Second video Must have been a video about a Lada.
One of you guys needs to make a see through head like that and run WG. I’d like to see Methanol and then Methanol with WG.
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No TomH, no Lada’s or any other weird obscere like an early 60’s Renault Dalphine.
Chris N’s video came up on a running see thru videos youtube search.
It is a single cylinder, overhead valves head thru-studs clamped down over his clear view cylinder onto some kind of crankcase lower end.
It shows on gasoline how far down the pressurizing/heat-making visible flame front travels down the cylinder, piston pushing.
Quite a lot of efforts and dollars to build these up, and then 4000-8000 frames per minute video.
I reckon A fellow could set up a whole homestead mini-three powers system (PV solar-woodgas-propane/gasoline/diesel) for the costs and efforts it takes to make these, visual quality, of video’s.
Nope. Won’t me becoming the entertainer to scratch your methanol/woodgas itch.
I can get more meaningful understandings from black and white on paper, data sets. Graphs and Charts
Steve Unruh
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https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BTbzugkRI_8
Smart phone short of the acrylic cylinder see-through converted engine.
Link works for me. Obviously not allowed to re-distribute.
An on-line article with an embedded, longer build-it up video. Then fuel and run it.
R&T and you should be able to see this one TomH.
Slow motion running video starts at 12:50 thru to the end. Ending with darked room taken video.
S.U.
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Did you look at the number of views on those videos. That guy could probably afford to remake the Ten Commandments.
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Hi All,
This only has relevance if used to select and best results wood gas currently available engines.
Watch this, “The Simplest Modern Engine - from Volkswagen!?”
This engine was VW used as a base engine into 2015. Modern. Out there. Get free, buy cheapish now.
Focus on the internal bore, stroke; combustion chamber; and large inlet and exhaust porting’s.
And as the speedkar guy will say all of the modern expected added complexity in even Honda’s, Toyota base usage engines just are NOT there. Cannot wear out and fail.
Also note with obviously not annal levels of oil changing the very minimal wear in VW’s oversized bearing surfaces.
MODERN shown in the pistons pictures.
I use this speedkar guy for all of my import four and six cylinder looking inside exploring’s.
He’s Ontario, Canada I think.
Use a SouCow, San Diego guy, and the Kansas guy for the US/Canadian well worn engines exploring. Thier super expensive Euro stuff I have no interest. And anyone wanted to working woodgas shouldn’t either.
Pristine, clean new engines videos means nothing to me. Super squeaking clean babies gives no indications of what kind of adults they will become, eh.
Long, long hours in real world working services is the only valid measurement of good, or bad. Can make work. Or, will patterns failures drive you nuts. Engines and people.
Regards
Steve Unruh
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The engine with plexy glass head is running very rich.
Have a look here, I can not tell you what the mixture ratio is but I can tell you its right.
it does turn a little orange when the throttle closes and the high vac draws in extra fuel.
Its very hard to compare one kind of fuel to another unless you are going to actually tune it.
You guys should watch Ebay for a Gunson colourtune.
Its fun to play with but its not meant for an engine thats running under load
Just for quick tinker as you see here ( and even this is pushing the heat tolerance of the tool)
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True he is running gasoline rich, alright Wallace. You can even see the some the liquid gasoline? oil? splashing.
I think this is intentional on his part to keep the heats low for the longest filmable time on his plastic cylinder.
Yes very true on the Colortune tool. I found it only useful for unloaded idle mix adjusting. Found it actually useful for cylinders balance comparing due to intake distribution problems. Or single cylinder poor combusting due valves leakage, coolant into that cylinder; or even an oil pumping cylinder. Grrr. Single cylinder getting oil drowned from an old hardened SOHC valve seal getting jammed cracked from cam-in wedging out top of bucket the older style of adjusting shims.
Yeah. Loaded mix adjusting you use spark plug coloring, heat gauges watching. Your ears. And you can even educate your nose.
S.U.
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Hi All,
A very variable stormy Spring Day has me inside dodging hailstorms and, winds, rains and 10 minute sunshine gaps. This is our known tornado season.
So . . . another engine tear-down and analysis for woodgas use video.
1994 Ford 302 (5.0L) small block V-8.
In it’s last modernized version, with low friction roller valve lifters, and full sequential fuel injection.
Same base as my own 1994 Ford pickup. On the DOW, these and the bigger brother 351 V-8’s have been woodgassed successfully.
Here is the guts insides looking:
Listen, or CC translate read his introduction.
Notice the factory 4 into1 tubed heaters (exhaust grade SS) still intact and sound.
At 11:15 thru 11:38 watch him rotate and see the piston strokes and up and downs.
Ha! Ha! You only-always V-8 guys this all looks beautiful, normal.
To inline four cylinder guys it looks weird as hell. Two going up Together, while two going down Together AT THE SAME TIME is normal.
As I said almost every V-8 is NOT just two four-cylinder engines Vee attached!
Ha! Beginning at 11:32 watch him then struggle getting the water pump off. Seizing bolts!
He curses, “Someone did some thing wrong here!” Nope. Just a typical Ford pushrod V-8 engine.
The coolant seeping corrodes and fattens the steel bolts. The coolant corrosion narrows down the aluminum timing cover thru bolt holes.
He heats. Mmm. O.K. But better to air blow and suck out past the few turned out gaps; any loosened corrosion particles. Then flood with a penetrating spray lubricant. Work back and forth. Stop. Brake clean wash out spray. Air blow out. Re-lubricant spray some more.
Cursing will not help.
Pray? For patience to hands keep off the big bar, or a powerful impact gun. Twisted bent, heads snapped off bolts will jam you up for sure.
He finally finishes up at 14:45. Note at 14:28-14:45, the bolts still stuck in the removed water pump.
Wire wheel buff to clean, narrow, to get them out. Shaft grease or cold galvanizing spray coat these bolts before re-installation. YOU may be that next guy. Especially if you were silly enough to buy into a rebuilt water pump. New. New. New.
Ha! In this videos ending at 23:15, he says this Ford V-8 is the simplest V-8 engine he’s done.
Later he does an old style 350 cid Chevy small block. And then claims IT is the simplest V-8 engine. Why?
Four easy bolts off water pump on those.
Regards
Steve Unruh
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Don’t mean to infect this serious thread, but, SteveU, this is for you, hope you can get some nostalgic “kick” of it.
I couldnt let go of the thought, that my favourite Saab’s was “putt-putting” around in the Us back then.
I snapped a pic under the hood of my 96 v4.
I hope im have the time to gasify one of this in the future, combining two of my interest’s (woodgas and old Saab’s)
Saab two-stroker with charcoalgasifier.
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