GTL fuel in a Mosa welding generator.

[E T]

So, the recently acquired Mosa generator has arrived.
First off I'm going to give it a service. Fresh oil, filters and check the valve clearance.
I saw a YouTube video from another Dutchman who switched from regular diesel to GTL. He said it would run cleaner and quieter.
What is the opinion of the experts on here, @GRW ? Safe fore a Lombardini diesel?

 

[Wildefalcon]

What's GTL?

 

[badabec]

Gas To Liquid. Naural gas converted to 'diesel'. Cleaner etc. It's a bulk buy thing in UK, more for the Eddie Stobarts.
I think....

 

[E T]

Gas To Liquid. Naural gas converted to 'diesel'. Cleaner etc. It's a bulk buy thing in UK, more for the Eddie Stobarts.
I think....

It's used quite a lot for boats here. I've got a yachting club nearby selling it.

 

[GRW]

So, the recently acquired Mosa generator has arrived.
First off I'm going to give it a service. Fresh oil, filters and check the valve clearance.
I saw a YouTube video from another Dutchman who switched from regular diesel to GTL. He said it would run cleaner and quieter.
What is the opinion of the experts on here, @GRW ? Safe fore a Lombardini diesel?View attachment 500266

I don't know I'm afraid, sorry.
I'm guessing the engine is a 12LD air-cooled twin or similar?
In work they just rebored & did the heads on one of those. Not a complicated or modern engine & furl system, so probably pretty robust if it's one of those.... but Lombardini parts are damned expensive, so might be best not to deviate from diesel tbh.

 

[E T]

I don't know I'm afraid, sorry.
I'm guessing the engine is a 12LD air-cooled twin or similar?
In work they just rebored & did the heads on one of those. Not a complicated or modern engine & furl system, so probably pretty robust if it's one of those.... but Lombardini parts are damned expensive, so might be best not to deviate from diesel tbh.

Yes, it's a 12LD477/2 engine.
According to the www GTL burns cleaner and can give up to 4dB less noise. The only drawback seems to be that rubber seals might start leaking. Regular diesel makes them swell and GTL might make them shrink again. Every site I checked says it's a straight swap for diesel albeit a bit more expensive. I'll have a bit of a think about it.
That dutch guy on Youtube switched to GTL in 2017 on his company's Mosa which was allready 7 years old by then.
The generator bit went belly up in February this year, so that's another 7 years on GTL.
I hoped it would be less susceptible to bacterial growth, but apparently that's not the case.

I ordered new filters and oil, but after checking I found that the oil on the dipstick is very clean. Fuel and oil filters look brand new as does the air filter. I guess it had the service just before the company that owned it sold it.
It starts and run like a swiss watch and delivers power and welds quite nice.
Only bit I found is that it's leaking/sweating a tiny bit of diesel at/near one of the injectors.

 

[Erie Fred]

Sounds like that bio-diesel, just a fancier branding.
It had similar problems with rubber parts too.

 

[E T]

Sounds like that bio-diesel, just a fancier branding.
It had similar problems with rubber parts too.

No, it's not bio-diesel. GTL is made from natural gas and is synthetic.
We also have HVO which is made from waste vegetable oil. That's bio- diesel.

 

[angellonewolf]

if it works fine runs fine and seams to have been looked after why not just run on what its suppossed to work on

4db differance seams f all

and more expensive sounds not a better to thing to do either

runs cleaner im sure that would be nice but any real reason for this over the chance it might do the engine ?

 

[E T]

if it works fine runs fine and seams to have been looked after why not just run on what its suppossed to work on

4db differance seams f all

and more expensive sounds not a better to thing to do either

runs cleaner im sure that would be nice but any real reason for this over the chance it might do the engine ?

Guess you're right.
I was hoping, it being synthetic, it would have less chance of bacterial growth. I'm not going to use the generator an awful lot and all the modern day diesel is part bio-diesel.

 

[GRW]

IIRC the UK importers/ distributors for Mosa is Wilkinson Star.
It'd be worth finding out which Alternator they have fitted (being Italian maybe a MeccAlte or a Sincro perhaps?) also what control unit.

 

[angellonewolf]

Guess you're right.
I was hoping, it being synthetic, it would have less chance of bacterial growth. I'm not going to use the generator an awful lot and all the modern day diesel is part bio-diesel.

what about asking for info on the fourm for fuel addatives might be a better option (i know seafoam is so say good for 2 strokes to keep fuel good for much longer period (though i think seafoam is more usa thing ?) sure there must be the same for diesel

 

[More Amps]

You can get anti-bacterial treatments for fuel tanks if you're worried about it sitting there unused for long periods

E.g. https://www.liqui-moly.com/en/gb/an...QjuwhzVl59hPClpSvw1UfcOSG300B4bXPdN1WQY#21317

 

[GRW]

I had a quick look online at the data for the genny. Being a Mosa then being a Welder/Genset is typical.
I never had a lot to do with Mosa stuff - but they are quite different beasts to conventional gensets in the UK - & I really don't actually think it'll have a Meccalte alternator being a welder set.
It does appear to have a capacitor bank as part of the electrical system (not sure if that's just to manage the welding output, or also as the generator output voltage regulation as well.... I couldn't spot an AVR listed in my quick scan, so it might well be)

 

[E T]

No, it doesn't have an AVR. Only the capacitors.
Downloaded this manual from internet.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.mosaenergia.com/assets/manuales/motosoldadoras/CT_350_LSX_CC_CV_manual_ENG.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjM_4Xdg--NAxVag_0HHc6QLl4QFnoECB8QAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw3EAXsFyoCceQXUCDUI1DYl

 

[Talk]

If there is no financial gain, then I would continue to use diesel, add a little two stroke oil to it
to lube the pump and injector.
Noise reduction wuold be nice, but not at the cost of over all longevity, I would imagine
the engine would run hotter too, not good for valves or guides.
I like them Lombardini engines.

 

[Erie Fred]

Use

Guess you're right.
I was hoping, it being synthetic, it would have less chance of bacterial growth. I'm not going to use the generator an awful lot and all the modern day diesel is part bio-diesel.

Use a biocide.
More than just bacteria growth, there is lubricity and other concerns.

 

[MattF]

GTL is made from natural gas and is synthetic.

How can it be synthetic if it's made from natural gas?

 

[E T]

How can it be synthetic if it's made from natural gas?

I'm no chemist so have no idea how it works, but what I understand is that it is synthesised from natural gas and not distilled like regular diesel is from oil.

What is GTL Fuel? | GTL vs Diesel & HVO Guide | Your NRG

Discover what GTL fuel is, it's advantages and how it compares to other traditional fossil fuels. Contact our experts to switch to this greener diesel alternative.

yournrg.co.uk

 

[E T]

A more technical bit which is way over my head.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/gas-to-liquid-technology