TOPIC:

trikebldr wrote:
OK, I have a question for any of you who have broken into the innards of the 1300 engine. Are the right and left covers (pix below) exposed to engine oil, or are they "dry" covers?

They are both oil holding covers
Regards
David

Both are exposed to oil.

trikebldr wrote:
Question: this is a side issue from the thread, but, other than when under a heavy winching load, do your batteries ever get warm individually while charging off the alternators?

Good question,
i must admit i have never checked. the wires to the winch motor get warm but you would expect that.

kwak1261 wrote:

trikebldr wrote: Good question,
i must admit i have never checked. the wires to the winch motor get warm but you would expect that.

The reason I asked is that on RV solar systems, if you parallel your batteries fed by the solar charge system, they almost always begin a shift in performance balance between the batteries which also affects the charging between them. The circuit sees the average of the two (or parallel banks), so one gets too much current, then the other gets too little. On my motorhome I use two banks of 12 volts with switches so I can isolate them for long-term charging, and equalization. If I leave both banks tied together, one gets a bit warmer than the other while charging. Then I have to cut it off while the other keeps charging.

Discharging of parallel batteries is much different, as they give up only as much as they have in them. Everything runs well, and equally cool, as they are in discharge mode.

Sometimes I hate the internet as it limits just how detailed you can get in a discussion, and electrical is one area where details are important! I hope my simplifying of terms hasn't lost my points.

OK, now back on point of this thread. Lack of detailed info about the theory of operation of the Kaw regulators makes me wonder if they CAN coordinate well in charging the battery unless they are designed (as the Voyager's are) to work together. I would also like to know just what each regulator's max capacity is. Stators can be easily rewound by hand to boost their capacity, IF the regulator can handle the additional output, and the owner has the patience to do so!

Gents, the reason I asked about oil in the covers is because on my Voyager's parts lists it shows the stators being bolted inside each cover, then the wires exit the cover through a grommet that has been vulcanized to the wires. That junction just looks like a source of serious leakage, especially if the engine were to "burp", increasing crankcase pressures enough to even blow the grommet out.

I have contemplated trying a "poor man's alternator" installation like the Wingers do, by adding a drive pulley to one end of the crank and mounting the alternator in the "pocket" right behind the cylinders, either right or left. it would require cutting slots in the cover to clear the belt.

Aren't there some sixes that are supercharged? Where do they tap off the crank to drive the charger?

I wonder if you could piggyback something off the timing/water pump drive shaft that runs right behind the cylindersand runs the pickup coils in the early engines. If you get a later engine (with the pickups on the crank), the location of the old coils is empty, and does nothing. Might be a simple place to adapt something to.

Wouldn't that be putting additional loading on that already vulnerable plastic gear that drives the water pump?