I worked for Waukesha Motors right out of high school, in the bar stock room moving the raw bar stock to the various machines that made the engine parts. Next to the stock room was the boiler room and then the engine test room. Eight of these engines being tested maybe not all running at the same time but usually four or six under full load the rest were getting hooked up or unhooked. The pounding, cement vibrating, air pulsating of the working engines was indescribable the only other place in this world that even comes close was being between the two boilers of a Navy destroyer at 30 knots. These engines saved countless lives keeping the power working in the hospitals by operating the generator on one end of the engine and the ac compressor on the other end with that function in mind that is why I think they were manufactured to be this big, supply the power and keep the air comfortable so most people never knew the rest of the area was in the dark.

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Cool story Frank!!☺

@larrydunlop378

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, Great story Frank. Thanks!

In 1974 I was working as a mechanic in Indonesia in the oilfield for an oil company. They had a Waukesha exactly like that one that ran a gas compressor, but instead of diesel, it ran on natural gas straight from the gas wells. The engine had a gas regulator and carburetor on it. It also had a huge radiator like that. It ran continuously 24 hours a day although occasionally because of a fluctuation in gas pressure from the wells, the engine would die, so I would have to go out to the pad and get it restarted(sometimes in the middle of the night with just a flashlight.) I had to do an overhaul on that engine one time. That's the largest engine I've ever overhauled. The access covers at the bottom are how you get to the connecting rods and each cylinder has it's own cylinder head. I set up a chain hoist up above the engine to lift the heads with it, The top of each piston has a threaded hole on each side so you can fasten a short chain, then you use the chain hoist to lift each piston and connecting rod assembly out. They're too heavy to lift out by hand. I remember the pistons were as big as a bucket. They also had 3 or 4 398G Cat engines with gas compressors behind them too.

@jacobsherven4175

Жыл бұрын

They're still just as heavy today, lol.

@4321grp

Жыл бұрын

5790 cubic inch engine

@erinsblaiar

Жыл бұрын

htfjftj

@melvingibson4525

8 ай бұрын

Waukesha gas company engines are still around today

80 litre, first built by Wakesha in 1962, if you look close you'll see dual starters, one per side, and dual injector pumps connected through a bell crank shaft running through the block. Injectors weigh about 35 pounds, burns close to 100 gallons an hour! I serviced one monthly at LA DWP that pumped water as a backup to an the old main pump station at the Van Noman complex. Story was, it originally pumped out dry docks at Long Beach Naval station. It had a 14 inch inlet, 12 inch outlet on the pump, moved about 14 cubic feet per second of water. Beautiful sounding engine, my favorite of the 60+ engine fleet for its sound.

@josemendes9593

Жыл бұрын

Esse motor é uma obra de arte. O barulho dele, é sinfonia para nossos ouvidos.😮🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

@able880

Жыл бұрын

I had started in the offshore oilfields back in the early 70s working on generators - there were 1000s of those engines on drilling rigs - It was very common to see those Waukesha engines in the gulf of Mexico on drilling rigs - there were often 3 of those and 2 six cylinder 400 kw generators for the 100s of thousand watt mercury vapor lights all over a off shore drilling rig - At night the floor is lit up just like the noon day Sun - so there were dedicated lighting load generators - The old rigs used engines to drive the draw works and turntable so they only needed 1500 KW along with 400 KW generators for the lights around the rig - Most of those older rigs were up grated in the 80s to all electric - also they could drill far deeper - With the Waukesha engines with 3 generators phased in together they could generate 2400 kw - We bought retired locomotives with EMD engines - on a locomotive they might be rated at 2000 kw - we up grated them to put out 6000 kw or 6 mw - Today a rig with 3 EMDs might generate 18 MW max - that's about enough power to run around 12000 homes in the US & going by the numbers that would be some were around 4500 gallons of fuel an hour at 18 MWs it sounds like a lot but not so in the oilfield - also those engines run for 20 to 30 yrs on a locomotive - we often changed the generator skid out once a yr with a replacement or reworked it once a yr on the rig -- it's the same today -

Mike isn't so much of a "small" engine mechanic anymore, not with the Caterpillars and other huge gen sets he's collecting anymore. Can't wait to see him tear into the big stuff and get it running too!

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

@tlspurlen6442

Жыл бұрын

Just wait until he finds a Cooper Bessemer GMVA

Waukesha’s are great engines. I did a power plant with 3 v-12’s and one V-16 spark ignited engines burning natural gas. 5,000 KW total.

Saw Mike talking to the guy, I thought this was going to be Mike's next project.

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

If Joe would sell it, Mike would have bought it!!☺

Tell mike there is a Waukesha gen at the manchchester, nh. Waste water plant that has 100 hours of use and 4160volt. I think it is a 6 or 8 cyl. They would give it away if u r insured.

That was crazy! It's so nice that guys like Joe brings these beauties to the shows so we can drool and dream a little... Not cheap transporting it or running it! Great video!

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Bud!! Yeah the engine is the cheapest part of that whole operation!!☺

What I think is so neat is that I live in Waukesha WI and about 15 minutes from me on the west side of downtown is where engines like these were made all those years ago.

That toy is working like if it just came out of the assembly line, no oil leaks, fast starting, that engine maybe around 1600 HP, outstanding and impressive, most kind of you for sharing it with us, from the endless summer paradise Puerto Rico Jesus Torres

Love this. The size and the sound of it starting and running is cool. Thanks for the video. From when days when stuff was quality made in the USA with us workers.

Deep in the basement of the now permanently closed Harrah's casino in Reno is a giant backup generator made from a WW2 destroyer engine. It's a relic of their cold war era fallout shelter and tunnels.

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting!!☺

@ThriftStoreHacker

3 жыл бұрын

@@805ROADKING I'm currently working on getting access. If I can I'll do a video.

@wrenchguy

3 жыл бұрын

Lets see.

@gregorymackenzie1527

Жыл бұрын

Great

@cherylstevens9370

Жыл бұрын

A vid would be great there’s nothing like engine porn

I worked on several 5782D on drilling rigs. Now caterpillar has become the standard

What a beautiful monster! I don't think I've ever seen Mike so happy!

That's a crazy amount of power there! Very cool, thanks for showing us!

These engines were being made in the early-mid 60s . . . power rating continuous duty 60%, intermediate duty 80%, and standby 100%. Yes, many of these units were installed in hospitals and municipal buildings as standby power, but many also went to offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana and Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. Note the output to the dual AirResearch turbochargers feeding dual intercoolers. These engines could still produce more power when they were fitted with water-cooled intake manifolds. When these engines were running under full power on a test stand the exhaust scroll housing would glow a dull cherry red . . . memories of a then young gearhead. Waukesha made many smaller engines that were installed in cranes, e.g., Bucyrus Erie and Manitowoc, and agricultural tractors, e.g., Olivers with lanova energy cells. Additionally, Waukesha made the single-cylinder diesel engine for cetane testing.

Hi RK hi Mike, I was there on Saturday of the Tuckahoe show. (had my eye out for you guys, but didn't see you!) I was the guy who gave the owner a HP rating, except he told me the generator was 1000 kW, and I guesstimated the engine at 1500 HP. Generators like this have perhaps a 94-95% efficiency for the generator itself. So I figured 1000 kW*1.34 /.95 and came up with 1400 HP and rounded to 1500, not 2000. Engine was probably somewhat oversized when new. Thanks to the owner and thanks to you guys for the video! The best was that I asked the owner why he bought it - the answer was "because he could" - PERFECT!

That is a real treat to see operate. Thanks Buddy for taking us along

Nothing Cooler than Fig Bucking Engines!!! I used to work in a small data center. We had 2 Natural Gas Backup.Generators! They were these humongous I-6 engines. Being NG, They had Spark Plugs & Electronic ignition! So they had an interesting sound! Good Exhaust & Muffler system so they weren't horribly loud !!!

I have a tiny one lung diesel like the one they use to charge the batteries. Its a 7.5HP liquid cooled Kubota diesel. It was a Tri-pack off the side of an OTR semi. It had an alternator, A/C compressor, and a good sized self regulating generator on it. It was of course made to be run while the truck was parked to have heat and A/C, and 120 and 220VAC from that tiny engine instead of a big 15 litre diesel drinking a gallon an hour minimum of diesel for the same thing. I use it as my camping genset now. It is heavy as sin for its size, but very reliable, quiet, and puts out all the power I need it to. I can even run my little 120/240VAC 180amp inverter stick welder from it no problem.

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

That Kubota is a cool lil' engine!!☺

That’s absolutely amazing. I’ve seen a larger generator engine, but not on a trailer! What a cool thing to get to fire up.

@spaceace1006

Жыл бұрын

How about those Cruise Ships with the twin V-20 Diesels? That's sumthin' to see!!😁

I've had the honor of working on 1 waukesha diesel identical to this that was used as backup power generstion at a power plant. Very rare units but awesome and very reliable

Love to watch you guys. Ya’ll are so lucky to be able to see and share history. Thanks

Mike is giddy, like a kid in a candy shop LOL, great to see someone so passionate and knowledgeable enjoying an amazing piece of machinery

You guys, some people might not get it, but that is way cool! Thanks for the vid that shows such a beast running. On a flat bed. Portable. They could do concert power with that( many shows don't use "house" power, but bring in horsepower and generate their own). I'm babbling, but just wow! Thank you!

I was an Electrical Superintendent for the Air Force. The biggest generators I worked on were 1000KW Worthingtons. The Air Force had much bigger ones. These engines ran at only 250 rpm They put out 2400/4160 directly from the generator.

Wow! That thing reminds me of some of sets that are made by Dale Electric. Their speciality seems to be large industrial, Government and military applications. It also has some similarities to a huge Paxman set that I once saw at a machinery sale - Sixteen cylinders, I think it was. I'd bet this Wuakesha sounds pretty sweet under load!

Give Mike a couple of weeks and he'll be working on his own one. GO FOR IT, MIKE! - Joe -

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! That wouldn't surprise one bit!!☺

Wow what a monster. Sounds so good at idle. Can here every piston hit.

Made my day, thanks for the effort putting this up.

Wow, now that is an engine for sure. Now if he can just get it in his lawn tractor he will have a show piece. Thanks for the video.

Gorgeous. Thanks for the video 👍

I worked at a university where there was a 1000 KW Waukesha 480 volt, 3 phase, delta wound generator. It was in their power plant which had a 7 MW generator fed by a coal fired boiler. Waukesha, Wisconsin was probably where it was built.

beautiful engines Waukesha. where I worked we had a v12 like this running a generator and another 3 smaller 6 cylinder engines running water pumps. all fueled with natural gas

love it great to see mike there , good one

That is the biggest generator I have seen that could be towed down the road King . Thanks man ! ENJOYED..

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! That thing is a Monster!!☺

Smallenginemechanic explaining a HUGE engine. Very nice!

Wow that was awesome. Thanks so much for sharing. Mike was like a kid in a candy store I can't blame him I would of been too!

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! He loves that stuff!!☺

It sounds great they definitely built a great running engine there

Used to work on these generators , L5790 engines. They ran on methane from sewage gas or well head gas.. Could be temperamental on the sewage gas due to variations of the fuel make up, we ran them at about 70% capacity to avoid problems. Last new one I saw installed was a Combined Heat and Power unit at a brewery where they ran on towns gas and recovered tons of low temperature hot water used in the production process. More cost efective than a conventional low temp boiler.

Next up on the SmallEngineMechanic channel we load bank a 800kw V12 genset! Man that thing is cool. Looks like it belongs in an old diesel locomotive.

Interesting that it is electric start. Alot of these extremely large diesels were Air start. And that is true what Mike said a about being over square. Again, these large engines usually had a much longer stroke than bore. Great video guys. Very interesting.

Wow, that's awesome! Mike is a kid in a candy store.

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

Glad you got it on Video :) awesome !!!! Thank you

Good to see you Mike on a different channel.

We use Waukesha engines in the oil patch up here in northern bc. Way bigger than that one. Used for compression of gas. We would rebuild that and use it our gas plants.

Awesome engine, Road King. In the 90’s, I worked around a Cat 800kW generator. It was a 3516, V16, which also ran at 1200 RPM, on natural gas. Put out nearly 1200 HP, continuously (not a standby). My memory says the engine and generator weighed 27,000 lbs. Ten years ago, I was working around a Cat 3608 diesel generator. Puts out 2500 kW from a 3500 HP engine. Big monster straight 8, with air starters.

@salamisalesexpress

2 жыл бұрын

I work on natural gas 3516s and 3606-8-12-16s. Neat to see the 3608 as a diesel makes that much: as a gas job its barely 2000.

@gregholloway2656

2 жыл бұрын

@@salamisalesexpress cool. I think the 3516 produces about 2000 HP on diesel.

@wishusknight3009

Жыл бұрын

@@gregholloway2656 1200hp would be pretty under stressed for it.

Cool! Enjoyed watching.

That almost sounds like a EMD! That old Waukesha is just too cool!

@Romans--bo7br

3 жыл бұрын

It doesn't sound anywhere near "like an EMD", unless you're thinking of the naturally aspirated / Roots scavenged 567 engines.... kind of, at idle. When he brought the idle way down low.., it reminded me more of the 244 and 251 Alco's... lots of piston "rocking" in the bores.

@ericcoffedgp40

3 жыл бұрын

@@Romans--bo7br Yeah, I was referring to the old school 567s. It does sound like an old ALCo!

Sounds incredible.

Mike talk him into selling it yet, what a beast. Hope you had a great time at the show RK 👍

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Bruce!! Yeah we had a blast, that was a great Show!!☺

I lost count of all the gensets I built working at Waukesha Engine Power Systems. That's a 12 cylinder VHP engine. The most built model. All gone now. GE took us over and moved operations to Canada. I was fortunate to be able to retire.

I saw the thumbnail and title and thought "Oh man SmallEngineMechanic needs to see this." :-)

Thats cool! Ive worked on hundreds of Wauk’s in the Gas compression world, but they all run on Natural Gas, never actually seen a Diesel one. If you think that old girl is big, I wish I could show you one gas plant I know of up here in Northern Alberta. There are 6, P9390 V16 Waukasha engines running massive Ingersoll Rand 6 throw gas compressors all inside one massive building. Its quite the experience being in there when there all online! Anyway cool Video, Thanks for sharing!

I worked there in the 70’s. The cylinders were honed next to my machine. 7.5, 8, 9 and 10 inch diameter pistons.

Wow! That's a beast! You can tell Mike wants one!

@tomploeg2260

3 жыл бұрын

A kid in a candy store

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

If I had a place to put these massive generators and engines I would keep them to show future generations

We used the inline 6 version that were the same length just half the cylinders. Ours were 800 hp, so you can figure 1600 to 1800 hp. They will come apart at 1300 rpm. Seen it happen.

Mike could probably start his own power company with all his generators!

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

That is AWESOME! :) Certainly something you don't see everyday, or hear running! ;)

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

Looks like a 7042 engine similar to ones in Alberta connected to a natural gas compressor. Set up and run on NG used to move NG thru pipeline to customers. Worked on them on-site repairs

Many years ago (Mid 90's) I serviced Hydrovane compressors for a guy and one job was at a Kelvinator white goods plant..They pressed all the stove and fridge metal stuff and I saw this massive gen set with cables coming out of it the size of your forearm and the huge twin turbos sitting over the enormous V12 engine painted red but looked just like that...I just thought Fark that's gotta have some punch...Never saw it go tho...According to the calculator(7"x8"x12) it has capacity of 60 litres/3660 ci.!!

Runs perfect!

Awesome really, the electrical output is over 1000hp!

That looks like a Marathon Electric Generator. I believe Waukesha used Marathon Electric Gen sets. Both built in Wisconsin

Why is Mike allowed to start that? He's the SMALL ENGINE guy! 😁 Thanks for sharing this!

Few years ago our huge hospital was tore down from being abandoned for 10+years 150+room surgery er pt obgyn had it all back in the day down to a 3 room hospital for light care. Anyway it had 2 engines like that for back ups they just scrapped it killed me but they guy that owned the building didnt want to sell anything unless he got 80%+ new value even if they havent ran in all that time.

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah that's a shame!!☺

I am Service Technician of Diesel Generators ☺☺👌👌👌👌👌

This one is in super perfect shape. Most recently made engines are in a worse state and smoke like coal chimneys. 👍👍👍

Here in Arizona Waukesha engines are popular with the farmers for water pumping. But rather than a few hundred hours, they run nonstop for several months every year for more than ten years. But they are powered by natural gas.

Nice. You don't see one of these all that often, though several seem to be available at the moment.

Look under the Waukesha name, there is an M which I believe is for Marathon. The old Waukesha diesels used the Swedish Hessleman system which started on gas( petrol) then ran on diesel. In the past, Waukesha also worked with Wartsila on its gas fired engines. The company used to make' Big Wak' engines.They used to have a WAKDS (supercharged) model diesel that was used in some of the old Walter trucks.Also other models of Walter trucks used butane fueled Waukesha's. Waukesha in later years was owned by Dresser Industries and made the nat. gas fired ' Thunder Pumpkin' engine. I believe G.E. bought the company from Dresser.

@mikejohnson4617

3 жыл бұрын

If you are referring to the M under the W on the tag on the intake manifold (and maybe other places), the WM stood for Waukesha Motor Company (locals called it the "Motorworks"). My recollection is that Waukesha Engine was owned by Bangor Punta, then Dresser Industries, then Haliburton, then private equity firm, then G.E. and currently by Innio. I worked there 19 years during Dresser and Haliburton ownership. I'm not sure but I think engine assembly has been moved to Canada but Waukesha plant is still there and I suspect they still manufacture critical large components such as engine crankcases, crankshaft, heads etc. I don't see flatbed trucks with large engines being shipped like we used to.

That was cool! Next week, back to a Briggs 1 cylinder! 👍

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

Looked like the one I saw on the Sohio Resolute, other than the radiator as I think it was water-cooled, just do not remember. About the same power, 480v, individual thermostats for each cylinder.. Only non routine maintenance I had to worry about was finding the dead injector, and change it out. On a steam ship, this was back up power, not every day power. Have fun

Like a kid in a candy store. Mikey Likes

Good job 👌👍

That tree is loving all that direct inject carbon in its leaves..

I work on th natrual gas version of these they are still made and awsome engines. The rich burn 7044 makes 1600 horse power at 1200 rpm and a crap load of torque. They are 7040 cubic inches.

That thing is a beast!

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

Amazing piece of engineering.

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

Such a beast!!

"OVER SQUARE". LEARN SOMETHING EVERYDAY. THANKS! SUPER COOL SOUND AT 1200 RPM.

FROM WAUKESHA WI MY HOMETOWN

Really cool!

Good performance mike

Beautiful machine

Electro mechanical ..BEAST

Love the video!!

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Larry!!☺

Cool engine!

Very nice, I have a Mitsubishi the same size 850Kw at 1500.

Its big and beautiful, and it sounds like a truck!

I thought that was mike , then he turned and i knew it was him, he was all over that thing.. he works on those..

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

..purring like a BIG kitten...lol...good one, keep safe..

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

that's a neat engine.

WOW that's a generator! Less than a thousand hours! just about run in

That's friggen cool!!!!

@805ROADKING

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Buddy!! ☺

hi there nice i saw it john

The slower it idled, the faster Mike's heart rate went! LOL!

Nice Video RK :)

We run a lot of the natural gas versions on gas compressors and generators offshore.