# how to run a diesel generator for free with fuel that does not go bad.



## easyshack

Many things i buy and use are vintage or older, because everything we buy now is china junk. Even if you buy a name brand generator with name brand engine . the generator head is china made. 
The problem with gas generators is, gas. gas only stores for 3 weeks then it goes bad, or then you add 5.00 for pint boddle of Additive to kee it. Best plan is older detroit 253 or 353 detroit diesel genset. they come in 20kw and 30kw. no computers, parts are available work wide and these detroit run on 100% straight used motor oil.
The stock detroit 2 stroke diesel engines have a gear rotator fuel pump. We converted only 5.9 cummind 12 valve to run on used motor oil, but have to buy 450.00 gear rotor fuel pump 1st. the older detroit diesels have this pump stock.
Used oil does not go bad.
Used motor oil is easy to get.
Used motor oil is free.
The older detroit 20 kw genset on craigslist and ebay sell for 1200 to 2500.00. But being able to run free used motor oil, you could pay 10k for it and be ahead.
We just use gravitiy feed and filter it through standard 10 micron spin on filter. We have tested 100% used motr oil even in cold weather to 10 degrees, and works fine. In warm weather it works fine too.
Also the copper windings in these older units was heavier and better copper. not made in china. 
Any new generator you buy has duty cycle. Most are only 30% duty cycle, which is code for only works a while before it gets hot or burns up.
Notice, new generators only have engine warntees, not generator head warntees.
The older detroit 20Kw gensets are 100% duty cycle.
This not a story, but real. i have used these for years, and run on oil even today. Sorry they dont have this info on tv for the many drones who cant think on there own.
Get small plastic tank and electric pump, hit the oil change places and auto repair. after a whiole you will have it.


----------



## Desert Marine

Easyshack I'm not sure where you got the information that gas fuel goes bad after 3 months when store. This is absolutely not true. I have regular gas stored for over 3 years and use it. Actually you can take regular gas that "has gone bad" and mix it 50/50 with new gas and it works fine. As as a side note just add a fuel stabilizer to the gas and the gas should never go bad unless you seriously did something wrong with it and that includes adding diesel stabilizer as well.

BTW I'm not knocking your post about generators. I'm just stating facts concerning that you can and should safely store various types of fuel for much longer than 3 months  I'm sure others here will agree.


----------



## Gallo Pazzesco

I run a number of different diesel mixes in my Lister Peter gen with good success, even used cooking oil mix.

I agree, the older diesels are the better made engines out there these days, if you can find one. I got lucky with mine.

These are my before and after pics. The first four when I bought it, the last three after I had it rebuilt and hooked up to the genset and battery.


----------



## Desert Marine

No matter what those who use generators are still (to some degree) going to have to store fuel and/or some form of oil for LONG TERM usage with those genset. Even off-grid should think about this as well storing batteries without acid inside of them and just have the STORED acid on hand as well. At some point things will either be exhausted and/or may no longer be available until things get back on track (which may take years). It would be useless trying to power a refrigerator or freezer on genset or off-grid power after a few weeks it will be wiser to use that stored power for lights and communication equipment (if it is available).


----------



## Desert Marine

*Where does a geneator fit in your preps?*

Some of us are talking about generators on another thread. That got me to think and rethink how a generator fits or will fit in my preps. My generator usage has evolved, just like my thinking about prepping over the years has also.

I live on one of BOL's depending on which time of the year it is. I live off-grid so my needs may be different for many of you. I have a size-able battery bank and use less than 3KW of power on a daily basis. So for us 7 105 AH batteries with 1 800Watt wind turbine and 2 100W solar panels are sufficient to maintain all of our power needs. Our generator 4KW Champion was used in the beginning to assist in recharging out battery bank with the help of a 40amp battery charger when we were washing clothes. We basically used the generator for that same purpose. Washing clothes and topping off the battery bank at the same time. If/when the SHTF we'll be washing clothes by hand (without any problem on inconvenience).

I do store fuel for the genset. But realistically I know that I won't be using that puppy unless there is dire emergency. All moving things have degradable/breakable parts and I have to include this in my planning as well. For us battery bank efficiency is critical. We want to make sure that we are only discharging our battery bank no less than 30% at a time in order to obtain or extend the usage of our batteries. So far so good. But if the SHTF and we're already 5 years into our batteries what will be the life left on them? That is why we are storing a few batteries without any acid in them so that their life begins when we add the acid (more or less).

I'll cut it short here as I want to benefit and learn from many of you as to what you are thinking and doing. That being the case, where does a generator fit in with your prepping plans or basic day-to-day living?


----------



## Smitty901

In our plans generators are short term. If things go real bad and it turns into a very long term new way of life we will learn to once again live without.


----------



## GTGallop

Smitty901 said:


> In our plans generators are short term. If things go real bad and it turns into a very long term new way of life we will learn to once again live without.


Agreed... I find generators useful for a day or two - maybe three, after that you need to seriously look towards alternatives.
Stage 1 - Generators: Max Use Time 5 Days
Stage 2 - Solar & Battery Combo: Max Use Time 2 to 4 years
Stage 3 - Cave Man Tech: Max Use Time, See Revelations


----------



## Desert Marine

GTGallop said:


> Agreed... I find generators useful for a day or two - maybe three, after that you need to seriously look towards alternatives.
> Stage 1 - Generators: Max Use Time 5 Days
> Stage 2 - Solar & Battery Combo: Max Use Time 2 to 4 years
> Stage 3 - Cave Man Tech: Max Use Time, See Revelations


Not trying to get personal at all, but would you and Smitty901 mind disclosing if you're currently using Solar and Battery Combo in your home or BOL. What I am curious to know is just how many Preppers are using this technology in their daily lives. I see a lot of threads about beans, bullets and some band-aids, but not much about solar,wind and hydro power.


----------



## Gallo Pazzesco

You gotta use everything available to you - for us, here in the South, that means gennies and solar mostly. We get a little wind and there are a few places where hydro can be put into play, but we have to concentrate on alternate means and then be ready to store as much of it as possible.

Winters are not bad for us down here, summers can be and often are. I would think a lot of how one might approach his energy needs post shtf would depend upon location. 

With our biggest concern keeping the well running at least once a day and keeping the freezers frozen, gennies are our preferred alternative energy source for the time being, supplemented by solar. But even when the gennies are running for the well and the freezers, they are also sending excess power to our battery bank - we've sort of got it down to a science around here. We're even using solar to contain livestock. 

I'm looking into a boiler system because one of my close friends was a boilmaker on a sub and he still works in the industry and knows his stuff - but the more I look at boilers the more I think they are too touchy to consider as an alternative source of producing energy if the shtf.

I do respectfully disagree with the notion that post shtf a gennie is only good for five days. Running it a couple of hours a day, over time, it could provide for our needs indefinitely provided we have fuel to feed it. That's why diesel gennies are the only way to go imho.


----------



## Desert Marine

Gallo are you using a diverter from your solar set-up? If not, you could us a water proof DC Submersible Water Heater Element to that can heat your well water thereby reducing the need of using a generator? Here is link of one: 6 Inch 12 Volt DC Submersible Water Heater Element 6 Inch 12 Volt DC Water Heater Element [430] - $49.98 : Missouri Wind and Solar, DIY Wind and Solar Energy they come in 24V and 48V as well.

These are also good for keep livestock tanks from freezing.


----------



## gemoose23

Gallo Pazzesco said:


>


Good Looking Diesel Generator there. I would love more details on the process of rebuilding it. (i.e., What Genset did you use? Did It bolt up? What fabrication did you have to do?)


----------



## mrbenz7

I think a Generator is important, but if you're going to live off grid, then why not consider an Ammonia refrigerator freezer like you have in your RV? Propane will store indefinitely and a 12 volt AGM gell cell battery with solar charging means you could run a fridge for years! It only takes a flame about the size of a dinner candle to keep food frozen and cold. My experience is a 10 gallon cylinder of propane keeps a 12 cu ft refrigerator/freezer cold for more than 6 months. Diesel is the way to go on a generator imho since you can run these on many different fuels including used motor oil and vegetable oils. If you plan right 3KW will go quite far even doing laundry running a generator to assist your solar/wind/battery setup shouldn't be that hard. I would even consider going with 12 volts for lighting since automotive bulbs are everywhere and LED bulbs are dropping in cost.


----------



## punch

great posts and responses. I appreciate it

punch


----------



## CindyOu

Dear Sir, I can feel your anger. China junk? Does your diesel generator import from China? Nowadays, there are lots of bad manufacturers who sell the low quality diesel gensets to users. So, it is very important to find a reliable supplier no matter it is from which country. We know that product quality is the most important. Second, it is the price. third, you also need to consider other factors such as the manufacturer (Whether it runs the company for many years), engine brand is real not copy, or the OEM manufacturer product is not authorized by the original manufacturer, besides, you also need to know about the relationship between KW and KVA. Chinese supplier like using KW to express genset power. be clear this point. on the other hand, try to let the supplier send their certificates to you if you want to buy the diesel generator from his company. Certificates can prove the company strength and production. it is legal or not. Last, no matter the diesel generator you buy is from which country, quality and price as well as other factors are reliable, then it is worth to purchasing. Hope the late reply is still useful for you. If your budget is enough, try to buy the famous brand of generator, it is guaranteed and it has the maintenance service center. If you want to import diesel genset from China, i know alibaba.com and made-in-china, these famous B2B websites.


----------



## A Watchman

CindyOu said:


> Dear Sir, I can feel your anger. China junk? Does your diesel generator import from China? Nowadays, there are lots of bad manufacturers who sell the low quality diesel gensets to users. So, it is very important to find a reliable supplier no matter it is from which country. We know that product quality is the most important. Second, it is the price. third, you also need to consider other factors such as the manufacturer (Whether it runs the company for many years), engine brand is real not copy, or the OEM manufacturer product is not authorized by the original manufacturer, besides, you also need to know about the relationship between KW and KVA. Chinese supplier like using KW to express genset power. be clear this point. on the other hand, try to let the supplier send their certificates to you if you want to buy the diesel generator from his company. Certificates can prove the company strength and production. it is legal or not. Last, no matter the diesel generator you buy is from which country, quality and price as well as other factors are reliable, then it is worth to purchasing. Hope the late reply is still useful for you. If your budget is enough, try to buy the famous brand of generator, it is guaranteed and it has the maintenance service center. If you want to import diesel genset from China, i know alibaba.com and made-in-china, these famous B2B websites.


Question for ya Cindy Lou Who ..... how does one find a 4 1/2 year old thread on Chinese junk, and respond to it with an intent to be relevant? Wouldn't the time be better spent in the "NOW" and starting out with an introductory post on why you are here?


----------



## SOCOM42

A Watchman said:


> Question for ya Cindy Lou Who ..... how does one find a 4 1/2 year old thread on Chinese junk, and respond to it with an intent to be relevant? Wouldn't the time be better spent in the "NOW" and starting out with an introductory post on why you are here?


Post's bottom line says it all.


----------

