Generator Lister CS/6

Some years ago I bought 4 Lister Metro Lister CS/6/5KW generator sets. Love the Lister sound and 600RPM is good for longevity. Moe details at utterpower dot com. The guy (a friend) was going bust thx to yet another overreach by the EPA that should not control stationary engines (they weigh about 1200 pounds each) and begged me to buy them. A side issue is that I hear he just bought Bugatti and puts in solar panels at Upper Saddle River NJ (the RICH), meanwhile I still shovel horse manure. That was years ago and so they sit. I have run them on diesel, veggie oil, waste motor oil and some crap that I think was transmission oil some centuries ago. My Troy 7550watt generator did a number on my AnthraKIng, although the whine from the squirrel cage motor has died down and the feed motor has now resumed working. So I wish to try out the Listers on the farm. Purists call Indian Listers Listeroids. So here is the issue.

The Metro gen sets (Listeroid) come with huge, heavy alternators that were supposedly 5 KW.The units must weigh 200 pounds alone. The 6 HP engine of course cannot feed that much but by increasing the speed to 800RPM (8HP) I am close. They are really terrible Indian specials that are known to be an issue, crude but reliable. the diesel engines run forever, I also hear that sheep farmers down under have run these for 15 years 24/7 without issue and some Thai guy has run water pumps with them for 20 years so there ability to burn anything plus longevity interests me. They sell many thousands of these gen sets in Asia where they are loved and respected but they don't run Coaltrols. I would love to rebuild the alternators. Listeroid speed regulation is a challenge too although I think I have that one licked.

So any thoughts? Anybody want to try to rebuild them? Of course for a fee. Being without power for days can change your perspectives.

I attend the hit and miss engine shows, I myself was thinking of a lister diesel, but some say the new india engines should be dismantled and tolerances checked and remove any traces of sand from the casting process. One thing that is important is the govener needs to keep a steady rpm's, if they are as steady as a new gen set ??? Tolerances were not that years ago like today's precision bearings compared to the old babbit poared bearings, but I still love the old put putters, just don't try to run them to todays rpm's or being only 600 rpm's and todays gen heads take 1850 (I believe) the speed increase of the pulley's would increase the govener varaitions.

Yes, I heard about sand in the castings and dismantled and rebuilt them and put magnets in the sump to catch any metal. I bought Franco oil filters but never installed them. Yes, I got to 800 RPM/5kw by playing with pulley sizes and yes the generators run at 1800RPM. The way those things are built is incredible. I too have drooled over at the Rough and Tumble Show exhibits..... Meanwhile back to the generators.

coalnewbie wrote: I too have drooled over at the Rough and Tumble Show exhibits.....

Yes, I do also and have shown an engine of mine at rough & toumble, I usually attend every year, love the steam games on a friday night, but was rained out this year.