M8109 progress - onboard diesel generator cover

[OPCOM]

Today my friend Preston and I cut up the body of the previously sacrificed Kubota-powered lighting generator trailer and built the cover for the M8109's onboard genset. The main part of it anyway.

I didn't have time to take pictures but I will do it soon because it was not very hard to do this and it will look good. Others might want to do the same thing. The set goes in place of the driver side toolbox and fuel tank (or where an M35 spare goes).

The hard part was the cutting with a torch, which Preston, a long-time union pipe-fitter, knows how to do very well. Some of the hidden edges are not totally smooth, but that are... hidden. Or will be.


The pics of the Kubota machine being installed on the M818 conversion are here.
http://bunkerofdoom.com/travel/ss2009/index.html
Select "M8109 Build" from the menu.

Now Preston is going to make up the final part, the box-like assembly which will serve as the front cover for the enclosure and as a helpful step for this old geezer to get into the M8109 cab. This will take some TIG welding. We would have worked through the night but he and his lovely wife Sarah were going to entertain another couple for supper, so I had to hastily retreat when the time limit arrived so they could start getting dinner ready.

Please check back for pictures of what we have done so far. Tomorrow Sunday, probably. I will try to show every detail and also the drawings we made, as well as a template for the curve of the truck's cab rear corner, which was a tricky part.

 

[OPCOM]

pics as promised. Still to be cleaned up and painted but it fits for the most part.

The rear section was already in place as was the outside lower section.

The front edge of the outside section had been welded to the C-channel that supports the outside of the mounts. This will have to be ground free and moved out about 1" so that the lower outside edge of the front curtain will fit flush with it. This will result in the cover being 1" wider at the front, to match the rear.

The cover was too long and too tall to fit without cutting. The top and 'outside' door was used.

The front facing area, which is cut out to expose the alternator (under the blue tarp), will next be enclosed in a box made of remaining generator trailer body metal. That box will have its front extend downward to shield the entire front-facing section of the alternator (alternator's 'rear' cover). This will keep road splash and trash from being sprayed from the front wheel into the alternator.

Left over are two sections of metal that would be, if installed, the 'inboard' covers to the yellow body. There is no way, or real need, to cover that completely, but a couple of sections will be cut and bolted up to the brackets inboard of the generator set to act as splash guards.

Into the cab clearance area will be put a section of plumbing insulation, that is the thick foam tubing that covers a/c lines. It is usually split along its length so it will slip onto the edge, and be up against the cab. The generator cover can not be bolted to the cab because the cab and M109 box move independently.

So, this is still pretty ugly but it is a lot better than the naked set wrapped in a tarp.

 

[OPCOM]

2 more.

 

[srodocker]

Thats awesome!!

 

[indy4x4fab]

I have been thinking of doing something very similar on the passenger side of my wife's m810.

 

[OPCOM]

Lessons learned -
get a quiet machine no matter what,

get an 1800 (2 cyl.) or 2400RPM (usually 3-cyl.) one.

a 3600 single cyl. will be very loud.

a single cylinder 4-stroke will lose rpm between power strokes

water cooled is best as well because it cuts down cylinder noise.

think beforehand about the exhaust and how to blow it away from the vehicle.

a loud or vibrating machine -will- be annoying even inside a shelter or box

6KW will probably fit with some work, other are probably too long

Consider a "truckers' APU". They didn't have them cheaply when we did mine.

consider how you will keep rain off the machine.

M810 - If Cummins, there is no in-tank pump. You have to add a fuel tap and return to the tank and might need a lift pump to keep the genset primed up as diaphram pumps used on some gensets don't draw too well when above the fuel level. Its best not to tap the M810 Cummins fuel line because the set might let fuel drain back and lose the truck's prime.

 

[indy4x4fab]

For right now the plan is to mount our 6500 watt gen (we already have) on 6.2 and 6.5 engine crate isolate-rs to cut down on vibration. The noise we will just have to deal with for now, there's always room for up grades down the road. As for weather proofing I have an old m101a1 cover that the tops dry rooted so I figure I would just make an gen cover out of the side sections of it where its still just fine. Evetaully we would like to up gread to a diesel gen unit like this one in the picture. But momma says we need to get the inside finished first, so that way its ready for the up coming rally season.

 

[maddawg308]

Looks good, but you can pretty much rule out offroading now as a hobby. Any large bump or rock you go over will take out the genset box....

 

[No.2Diesel]

Hi,

Looks good so far. Its packaged nicely and the Kubota motor looks to be in great shape. Yeah its a few inches lower than the running board but its not too bad.

The Kubota generator obviously has its own closed cooling system but for extreme cold weather operations have you considered: connecting the Kubotas coolant system with the NHC250?

- This would allow you to keep the main engine warm all night if running the generator.
- It would also work the other way around and quickly warm the Kubota up in cold weather after a long days drive.
- You also could tap into the system with a heater core and provide an alternate heat source in the M109 box if your camping in extremely cold weather.

Nice work. Oh I just noticed... You may want to install a flexable mudflap to keep debris out of the generator's radiator and move it out of the way during operation but I'm sure your addressing that.

 

[OPCOM]

Looks good, but you can pretty much rule out offroading now as a hobby. Any large bump or rock you go over will take out the genset box....

That is right, but offroading has never been a hobby of mine. I use ATVs (previously dirt bikes before that one crash) for that kind of fun. There is Offroading and then there is offroading.

I should explain exactly what this truck is for. The M8109 truck build is a utility truck and is not designed for professional or high risk offroading seeing it has that enormous M109 box on it as well as a lift gate. It is also now geared for road speeds and that includes the low range being taller (T-1138 xfer case).

The truck is the basis for one of my businesses, "RadarTruck". Radartruck can (once it is completed) arrive onsite at your outdoor activity and warn early of rain, hail, newly forming tornados. The radar set is not installed yet, but it I've done some modifications to it for better performance and it is ready. It will go on a mast bolted to the back of the cab, which raises the radome up above the box. When stowed, the radome will sit on the cab roof inside a ring of metal that protects it. I am looking for a more powerful radar, BTW if anyone has a marine radar with enclosed radome of at least 4KW or 50-100 mile range.

For a weekend on a 600-1200 acre dirt bike/ATV/offroad park, etc., it will go where the vehicles owned by yuppies, gypsies, and hipsters can't go. That means no annoying kids, goats, or dogs leaving little presents behind. So there is that option.

About the genset. It is hard to see it, but on the outer lower edge of the cab step and generator mounting assembly is a 1/4" thick 4"x3" C-channel of the type with build-up in the inner corners to maybe 3/8". It is designed to be a hard rail to fend off side obstacles and to some degree those from undeneath. The leading edge of the C-channel is cut at an angle to ride up on an obstacle instead of being pushed aft by it. Additionally, the C-channel is about in line with the outside of the front wheel so it is less likely that anything will be getting that far back -mainly because I do not intend drive it over things like that.

The genset also has a 1/4" thick diamondplate deflector shield 2-3" underneath it. The entire assembly is connected to the frame by three fuel tank mounting brackets at the inboard side, two of which have been specially reinforced, and the C-channel connects those brackets at the outboard side. The box is connected to the C channel on the outside. The C channel is what is right behind that yellow sheetmetal. The yellow sheetmatal at the lower edge of the box is for looks, or will be once it is painted green. Its not perfect but the box is not going to crumple away because I run over something.

If the whole thing becomes too boring, I could go back to 16.00x20's for 5" more clearance but I won't go with the Goodyear military type steel rims because they are too thick for full lug-nut engagement on the front studs and extremely heavy. The project was designed to take them and still allow full articulation, and that is indeed what I had before but I didn't like the driving behavior at highway speeds. More likely I am going to put semi truck steer tires on the fronts for improved safety.

Hope this clarifies what it is for!

Hi,

Looks good so far. Its packaged nicely and the Kubota motor looks to be in great shape. Yeah its a few inches lower than the running board but its not too bad.

The Kubota generator obviously has its own closed cooling system but for extreme cold weather operations have you considered: connecting the Kubotas coolant system with the NHC250?

- This would allow you to keep the main engine warm all night if running the generator.
- It would also work the other way around and quickly warm the Kubota up in cold weather after a long days drive.
- You also could tap into the system with a heater core and provide an alternate heat source in the M109 box if your camping in extremely cold weather.

Nice work. Oh I just noticed... You may want to install a flexable mudflap to keep debris out of the generator's radiator and move it out of the way during operation but I'm sure your addressing that.

Thank you on that. I considered letting the Kubota warm the truck engine. It is what is usually done with the newer 18-wheeler APUs, a really good idea. I'm not sure where to attach the coolant fittings for that. Have not examined the NC250 enough. I have a cab heater plumbed in but something tells me those fittings and the 5/8" hoses may not be large enough for the genset. I am open to suggestions as winter is coming. hah it was 78 today.

The Kubota is a hard-starting thing. crank crank crank. It has a glow plug. The directions are to turn the key till the glow plug light goes out, then crank it. Still its sluggish.

Because I originally had 1600x20's, I removed the special M818 mud flaps. They are made of metal and curve over the tires. (image) I would like to re-instate them, but that are in IL, 54Reo has them. I have a pair of steel mud flaps from an M109. I probably should make use of those. All I need to do is mount one at an angle there as if it was the original type. I 100% have to put one on the passenger side to protect the fuel tank.

I would like to put a '90' on the genset exhaust and aim it out the side. If I were to angle an improvised mud flap properly, the blast of air from the set's cooling fan would carry the exhaust away to the side.
On that Kubota set as it is mounted, the cooling fan blows air towards the back of the truck, the opposite of how a vehicle radiator and fan is set up to work. So, I have some airflow to work with in moving the exhaust away. I intend to install a CO sensor in the shelter. I would not mind having to move something out of the way, but the exhaust still has to be dealt with.

 

[NSCoyote]

with respect to the exhuast, could ou not tie into the OEM exhaust of the truck usng a T- type fitting in the main pipe somewhere that the gen exhaust can clamp to? it would help direct both sound and fumes up and away from the truck

 

[OPCOM]

I could do something with the exhaust. The way the cooling fan blows, there is a huge torrent of air carrying the exhaust away with it. I have been thinking about how to 'angle' the blast so it tangents away from the vehicle.

I have had to put this off due to not being well, but I will resume working on it soon. All the pieces for the enclosure are now cut, so I need to figure out how to do 'blind nuts" or "blind studs" so it will mate up as nicely as possible.

I also am in need of two M818 "mud flaps", which is really a fender of sorts as shown in an above picture. They go in front of the first rear axle and prevent stones from being thrown at the fuel tank, and in this case at the generator.

I left them with 54Reo in Illinois because I had 52" tires on the truck, but since I have traded back to normal size tires I need the things again.