Hobart M-5 Generator

[ng19delta]

I am trying to decide what to do with a 95% complete Hobart M-5 I have had sitting around for a few years... It needs full restoration, and is missing a few parts like the battery cover, engine shroud, air cleaner, fuel tank repaired, and the generator needs to be overhauled. I got it with another one, which is still on my rebuild list after I finish my Dodge WC, but I really no longer have the space nor desire to mess with it. The engine turns through ok, and it is already about 75% apart for overhaul.

Anybody have any interest or want to make an offer? The decision is sell it here, or part it on e-bay, and I am just real lazy about the e-bay route.

Generator is located in Merchantville, NJ

PM if interested- I don't see them kicking up a lot.

Scott

[ng19delta]

btt?

[ng19delta]

Apparently, I am putting one of them back together- unrestored- to at least generate power as a backup in case anything happens with this darn storm this week on the east coast... Hope it works! I am mainly concerned about having power to run the sump pump & fridge...

Have it about half back together at the moment...Have to see if I can get gas in the morning, though... And maybe a chunk of hose for the radiator- though I do have some ideas about how to jerry rig it... Interesting experiment in quick reassembly- Have to mount the dynamo tomorrow, in whatever weather is going through, as I have to use the engine hoist. May learn anew trick, however... lol...

Scott

[ng19delta]

Building one out of two... Seems the worst has passed, but I am still going to finish it up tomorrow, so, should I need it, I have it... I am tired of rushing to get it going as it had been apart for about 5 years! I did find a mouse house in the back end of the dynamo: I had to pull it apart to clean up the brushes & holders,so it got a good cleaning... Everything moves freely, as it should. Hoping to have it the rest of the way back together tomorrow... ay not be restored, but will be usable till I have time to do the rest of the work!

Scott

[ng19delta]

Just have to finish cleaning & reassembling the battery charge generator, hook up a few wires, and clean the gas tank, and I can put the housing back on, and try her out... I am hoping for a working generator, then I'll start the running restoration, but still have use of the machine... Then, once I have the running restoration finished, I'll sell off the spare or something, I guess!

Scott

[ng19delta]

Well, gave her a try today, but had no battery. I used my 400amp starter/charger, but I guess the starter needs the hard battery as a basis, and the other just helps, as it would not even turn... As the engine turned by hand ok, I built a handcrank(out of an old tractor one...) and tried that way. No joy. So I checked spark, and spark is ok, so I checked fuel. I manually primed all four cylinders, and hand cranked it. All I go was a puff of smoke from each cylinder as I hand cranked it, but no noise, or even an attempt to start. Kinda annoying. SO I figured I'd check the intake, and so pulled the carb off, and removed the manifold. There were no blockages. I manually flow tested the carb by blowing compressed air through the inlet, with the choke open(carb in hand) and got a fuel spray from it, so the carb seems to be ok...

Next step- check the valve train. Pulled the side cover, and turned the crank. All valves moved ok. Drained the coolant, and removed the head. Pistons had an appreciable carbon build up, but nothing out of the ordinary. As I moved the pistons the top of the cylinders, I scraped the carbon, and got them cleaned up. I removed the valve retainer pins(very easy compared with the usual keys, and I FINALLY found a use for the valve compressor I have that is squeeze operated! Anything with a real valve spring is too strong for it!) and valves. I put my hand over each cylinder in turn, as I rotated the engine with the crank, and checked the vacuum/pressure as the piston travelled- all four seemed to have good vacuum & good pressure, so I figure a good valve cleanup/lapping should help with the overall compression- which seemed to be low when I checked with the head on.(I used the thumb method, and was not happy... The compression gauge was out of order at that point, so I did not get a reading. The needle had FALLEN OFF! I had to unscrew the face, and put it back on. I found an easy way to calibrate it: I put a double quick-connect into the gauge in place of the hose, and then hooked up the compressor hose- I set the regulator & then just aligned the needle to match! Seemed to work...)

Tomorrow I'l lap the valves, and reassemble it, and see how she goes!

Scott

[ng19delta]

Lapped in the valves, tomorrow to reassemble the head and upper parts... Anybody offhand know the torque for the headbolts & the pattern?I'm going to try to clean off the block & throw a coat of grey paint on it to match the original. Not a great repaint, just a make do for now...

Scott

[Rakfine]

this link should give you the information you need

http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthrea ... les+torque

[ng19delta]

this link should give you the information you need

http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthrea ... les+torque

Thanks! I came across that last night & signed up to the site...
Scott

[ng19delta]

Anybody know the cold valve clearance for these engines? Couldn't find it on smokestack...

Scott

[ng19delta]

Just to update, after a whirlwind reasembly, I got my generator to operate very nicely last Sunday!





Thought you might enjoy a few videos... Click on the pics above... More pics of the work on the photobucket site...

I did not try to make this a restoration: I still have more I need to do, but wanted to have it operational in case I needed it!

Scott

[Adam]

Whats the difference between this M-5 and a E-3. Looks like the same Hercules engine,

What did you do for a head gasket, reuse the old one or did you have spares.

Adam

[ng19delta]

Whats the difference between this M-5 and a E-3. Looks like the same Hercules engine,

What did you do for a head gasket, reuse the old one or did you have spares.

Adam

Hi Adam-
I am not familiar with the E-3... It is a Hercules ZXB 4 cyl.

Head gaskets are readily available... I found an NOS set of gaskets on e-bay, but they are also available through old tractor parts places on line. THEN I found I was real lucky-What I had been thinking for YEARS was a heat insulation setup under the engine cover turned out to be 4 NOS headgaskets, as provided by the manufacturer! I was tipped off to them by the Smoke Stack forum...Someone mentioned it in a posting,and I realized that what I thought was some kind of insulation was actually the headgaskets, wrapped, stacked & bolted in place!

Scott

[Rakfine]

This attachment may help.

[Rakfine]

another view