Full power outage in Spain and Portugal

Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by BenjiWiebe on Monday April 28, 2025 @01:38PM (#43823962)

As an ex small engine mechanic, I'd advise against using a 2 stroke for something like that. A 4 stroke would be a better bet. Better yet would be a natural gas/propane 4 stroke, since gasoline goes stale and plugs carburetors.

Small diesels could be an option but they're harder to pull start for a given size.

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by ethbr1 on Monday April 28, 2025 @03:28PM (#43825054)

Do you have any small engine mechanic books you'd recommend?

They're my kryptonite, but I accept it's mostly my ignorance.

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by rainbowzootsuit on Monday April 28, 2025 @08:27PM (#43827535)

Not a manual in particular, but this is the Bob Ross of small engine repairs' channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_GXW2Y56hOpGchXYNqZOQ

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by 486sx33 on Tuesday April 29, 2025 @06:57AM (#43830901)

R. Bruce Radcliff Small Engines 4th Edition ISBN-13: 978-0826900333, ISBN-10: 082690033X

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by BenjiWiebe on Sunday May 04, 2025 @12:13AM (#43884432)

I learned from another mechanic, no book recommendations, sorry.

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by Kon-Peki on Monday April 28, 2025 @04:30PM (#43825765)

> Small diesels could be an option but they're harder to pull start for a given size.

I once needed to jump-start a small marine diesel, many miles from land...

There was a small lever that cuts compression. You have to get it spinning really fast before restoring compression! It's definitely a lot of work!

EDIT - Here is a cheap modern small marine diesel [1]. The operation manual suggests that you don't have to do anything to get it spinning quickly, you just have to crank it 10 times, put away the crank handle, and then flip the compression switch. That's progress!

[1] https://www.yanmar.com/marine/product/engines/1gm10-marine-d...

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by giantg2 on Monday April 28, 2025 @05:37PM (#43826407)

Even gas engine pull starts have a compression release function built in. That's why you need special cylinder pressure tools to check compression on most pull starts.

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by pomatic on Monday April 28, 2025 @05:35PM (#43826389)

Lister diesel generators are much the same - half a dozen cranks, restore compression and off they go. The hand cranking can easily break your arm if you get it wrong though.

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by dzhiurgis on Monday April 28, 2025 @05:55PM (#43826564)

I did that too and crank got stuck on flywheel. To stop engine I had to climb over the engine where now-removed stairs were since my mate was clueless. Fortunately the crank handle stayed on.

Cranks and decompression levers are gone for at least 30-40 years now tho.

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Re:Full power outage in Spain and Portugal by LorenPechtel on Tuesday April 29, 2025 @06:26PM (#43838769)

Yup, I would certainly use propane for a blackstart system. It stores so much better than other fuels.

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