Hi, My name is Joe and I am new here. I am a mechanic/millwright/operator in the hauling and rigging business.

I am active on a welding forum and recently we are discussing pitting a diesel engine in a Lincoln SA-200 Red Face arc welder. Some of the other guys and myself think the ideal engine would be an OM-616 because it is about the most reliable engine in that size and power range ever built.

The Lincoln SA-200 Red Face is probably the best engine driven DC arc welder ever built. They are so popular down in the oil fields that they even have a cult following.

The only thing about them that could use some improving is the engine. They were built with a Continental F163 flathead gasoline engine. That was great in the 40's 50's and 60's but with todays fuel prices they are a bit expensive to run.


So anyway i am going to have some questions about the OM-616.

Does anyone know the power curve? The welders were designed to run at about 1500 RPM.

Could anyone post some pictures of the flywheel end of the engine, starter mounting, and any other pictures you might have of an OM-616 that is out of the car and/ or dissembled.

And where is a good place to find a used OM-616 complete fan to flywheel?

As far as parts go, is availability still good? And who are good suppliers for parts?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Joe

You would probably have to use a reduction gearbox, 1500rpm is very low for a 616. It's power is 101lb/ft @ 2400rpm and 64hp @ 4200 (71hp @ 4400rpm after 1979).

A parts car, eBay, craigslist, autotrader, the newspaper, etc.

Click on the "Buy Parts" link at the top of the page and you can get almost anything internal and external.

The power requirements aren't all that high. The F163 that can in it only puts out about 20 HP at 1500

I think I read somewhere on here that a 616 puts out about 13KW at 1000 that would be 17HP and if we increase the engine speed to 1500 even if the torque curve was flat and level that would yield 25 HP.

Just for reference, this is what we are trying to replace

Then you'd practically be operating it at idle speed. FWIW, 616 is popular large boat generator engine, say 75+ foot commercial fishing boats where generator operates 24/7 to sustain reefer rig - popular partly on account of how silent and smooth it runs compared with Perkins and others.

Try an advance search "616 + generator" specific to this forum. Couple of people have mounted em on skids for generators.

That works out to about 46 HP at 2400 RPM

HP = (Torque in pound feet X RPM) / 5252

So how many foot pounds of torque will a OM-616 make at 1500RPM?

I bet it will make more than the old flathead at 1500 rpm!

And at that rpm it would run for the next century probably!

It will weigh about 450# IIRC, though.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Is the generator unit "clutched" to the engine or does it run all the time? Though I think it would be a good engine for that purpose, running it at low rpms like that is going to load the combustion chambers, etc with carbon pretty quickly. You'll want to "blow it out" once in a while. Will there be any damage caused by spinning the generator up to 4k once in a while?

I have some pictures of the back of a 616 at home and can post them later for you. They have an engine-mounted starter like you have there, so that part will be easy. I'm assuming your engine/generator is an SAE bell housing?

jim

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http://www.seriestrek.com

It might be the same diameter as an SAE #3 bell but it isn't quite the same. There is no pilot to hold it exactly centered. Although it might bolt up to an #3 I'll have to measure it.

There is no clutch, it is just a direct drive. How fast I can spin it in order to clear it out is a good question. I once bought one that the previous owner had put the arm on the throttle shaft upside down. As soon as he started it it went wide open. How fast it went? I have no idea but it destroyed the generator. The engine still ran great though. I bought it for parts after he destroyed it.

Well it is defiantly not a standard SAE bolt pattern.

The holes are on a 17 3/8" bolt circle.

Does anyone have a HP or Torque chart for this engine?

I think maybe the fear of carbon build up might be over emphasized.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Yeah it seems to be more a matter of running them too cold than running them too slow.

I can always bump the fuel setting way up and get a couple of fat welding rods and run it hard for a bit.

I was going to bump the fuel up a little bit anyway.

I onece had a ENDT675 (237) Mack that put out 375 HP at the wheels on a chassis dyno, so I know a little bit about Hot Rod Diesels.

Squeeze 100hp out of one of these 616 engines and you'll be a very popular guy around here!

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http://www.seriestrek.com

Just for kicks, what is a typical injection pump number on a 616? It is a Robert Bosch isn't it?

How about head gaskets? How do they stand up to being pushed really hard? Do they use a fire ring on the cylinders or is it a regular flat surface like a gas motor?

Anybody have a HP or torque curve for an OM-616?