Honda CX160 - are they all the same or are there some differences in sub-variants?
No not all the same you want the GX range (no such model as CX)
You want it with the 3/4" (19mm) parallel shaft option (and not the taper bore option)
And you want it with the oil alert option fitted.
The (Low) oil alert option a very useful cut out device and if your really practical you can convert it in with a pressure switch to cut the compressor off at full filled pressure and shut the petrol (gas) engine down as well as for low oil level .
3. You also don't want a reduction gearbox to be fitted
2. Consider the cheaper Honda GC light duty range by all means it's the same GC model as fitted to the cheap Coltri compressors but they are crap by comparison to the GX range.
3. Consider also the frame motor or engine motor mounting slots you have on your existing compressor baseplate as the petrol slots these are on different spacings if electric or engine mountednand you may or may not have these additional mounting slots on your existing frame.
4. The driver pulley you have on your existing electric motor will be a different diameter on the electric motor than the pulley you would need for a petrol engine. In the UK at 50 Hz a 2 pole motor runs 2900-3000 rpm compared to the Honda petrol that runs at 3600 rpm at full throttle. By all means if your practical you can throttle the RPM on the petrol engine down to match but you will need a strobe or RPM check tool to get the throttle settings right and if you can't lock it at reduce throttle RPM at full bore your in for problems.
In addition if you do you lower the RPM you also lower the torque power ( Kw power) needed to drive the compressor bit. Again the GX would work better than the light GC range and for longer.
Also if you change the pulley you also may need to change the drive belt length to maintain the same distance between the driver pulley and the driven pulley on the block. If so buy a good quality "Cogged" belt or even a branded belt supplied by the likes of Gates Fenner Dunlop Continental these belts are also OK. Just don't buy more crap unbranded belts made in China and if you do.... buy three.
Finally rule of thumb guides
1. Difference between an electric motor to petrol engine conversion is to buy a petrol engine that is 3 horse power lager than the electric motor fitted so 3HP fitted you need a 5HP petrol and so on
Consider also our 232 bar and 300 bar requirements
2. Finally always run the hot engine exhaust away from the block and any plastic parts
3. When mulling around the other brands your suggesting make absolutely sure the crankshaft to exhaust position is correct as they are not all the same and you don't want the hot exhaust blasting heat onto the compressor block it needs to blow away from the block. Be aware of these considerations,
4. And really really finally make darn sure you have a long 15 foot air intake hose tied up a tree up stream of the wind direction. Consider also a cheap CO detector £60 and to value your life also fit an additional hopkalite catalytic filter to turn any CO that could get entrained into the air intake into the safer CO2 and water vapour during the catalyst conversion process. Ok that's about it done for now loads more I guess LOL Iain
