Delco

[Ronnie Dykstra]

Just purchased my first Delco. I don't know anything about these engines. Not sure what model or voltage generator is. Can't get spark out of coil. All help is appreciated. I'm going to try to attach pictures.

[Don C. Wiley]

Ronnie;

Your generator appears to be a Model-850 Delco-Light. You are missing some parts. You should have a round, thin sheet metal shroud that goes around the cylinder. Without a shroud the air cooled cylinder won't cool. The "fan" in the flywheel blows out and pulls air down around the cylinder. The fuel tank is usually riveted to the shroud, so when you find a shroud you should also find the fuel tank.

You will need to hook 32 volts to the panel that is marked Bat + and Bat -. You can use three 12 volt batteries or two 12 volt batteries and an 8 volt. The whole system works best with 32 volts.

Your no spark problem is probably due to the fact that the resistor on the end of the coil reduces the 32 volts to around 4 volts. If you were trying to use one 12 volt battery, the resistor dropped the 12 volts to probably less than one volt, not enough to make a good enough spark to run the engine.

If you don't have it hooked to a 32 volt battery load it will run way too fast and start to jump all over the place. The metering "jet" in the mixer is made just the right size to make it run around 1200 rpm under the charging load.

It is also an electric start. When hooked to a 32 volt battery and you lift up on the lever under the relay on front of the control panel. The battery voltage is applied to the DC generator and it opperates as a DC motor to crank the engine.

There is a lever on the mixer (if it hasn't been broken off) that you set on "start" and that acts as a choke. When it starts to fire you move the lever toward the stop setting until it runs up to speed and smooth.

Don't try to run it without a 32 volt battery and a shroud.

Have fun with it, but remember, they were designed to be bolted to a piece of concrete two foot square and two foot high. Be sure you have it bolted down pretty well.

"DELCO DON" Southern Illinois

[Ronnie Dykstra]

Thanks for the help. I have the fuel tank, it has rust pin holes. I also have the shroud, but i'm missing the top. Have end piece that covers the end of generator. I'll get some batteries and give a whirl. Thanks again for the help. I'll post again when its runnign or need more info.

[Jim Rankin]

The rusty tank can be relined with a splashing compound like Red Cote. Just make sure it is cleaned thoroughly, but in your case gently. Maybe by sloshing a handfull of sand in hot water and degreaser around for a while. I used pebbles in the last one I did, but it was not thin anywhere, just full of rust.

Jim