[Paul8f]

Hi,

have a cheap Chinese-made single-phase generator, but the factory labels are wrong, and I'm unsure of the engine cc, and therefore unsure of the H/P and the max load it can handle.

Here are the specs I do know: Air-cooled, single cylinder, petrol, OHV.

I suppose I could I check the piston stroke with a verniers. But not sure how I could measure the bore without dismantling it???

Also, when it comes to fitting the Tach/Hr meter that I've bought for it, how do I know the number of sparks per revolution? Don't know how many poles in the generator, but I can post a photo of the windings if that helps. (And I'm guessing that when adjusting the governor to fine-tune the o/p frequency, I should do this at about 50-75% of full load?)

Thanks,
Paul.

EDIT.... just another thought: it would be very messy, but could I bring the engine to the start of the compression stroke, fill the cylinder with e.g. old oil, and measure how much comes out the spark-plug hole as I pull up the start cord? Crude I know...!

 

[tabora]

have a cheap Chinese-made single-phase generator, but the factory labels are wrong, and I'm unsure

Let's start with the basics. Make and model number? Photo of the serial number tag? What voltage and frequency are you trying to replicate?

Inverter or conventional? If it's cheap & Chinese, it's unlikely to be 4-pole or inverter, but could be the latter, I suppose. For conventional:

• 2 poles 60Hz = 3600RPM
• 2 poles 50Hz = 3000RPM
• 4 poles 60Hz = 1800RPM
• 4 poles 50Hz = 1500RPM

 

[Jump]

You could slowly add a load until the breaker tripped.

Jump

 

[iowagold]

snap a few pix of the gen set as well.
is this an enclosed gen set?
or an open frame?
if it is open frame there will be all kinds of markings for us.