Kubota DC Generator & DIY Watermaker - Parts List

OK, Here it is.  Mostly complete parts list for the home-built Kubota DC generator  and DIY watermaker.

(note:  These are LONG posts, if you got here via the 'water maker' label sorting method, make sure to click on the 'older posts' at the end of this one to see the rest of the series)

Item	Part #	Sourced From	Cost	Notes
MAIN MOTOR
Kubota Diesel	EB 300	EBay	$400	Not sure about part number.  Might be EA 300?
Heat Exchanger		nextgenerationpower.com	$400	Have had issues with bolting flange being too thin, warping and leaking.
Hot Exhaust	¾” galvanized steel piping	Local hardware store	$35	Had MPT nipple welded to old exhaust flange
Hot Exhaust Blanket	Custom	Local Supplier	$150	Makes it nice and safe!
Water Lift Muffler	1.5”	Local surplus shop	$50
Cold Exhaust Hosing	1.5”	Local Surplus shop	$24
Drive Spindle	19501-8451-0	Kubota	$59	This is 1-7/16” x 3.5” Other sizes:   19501-8451-2 1-1/2" x 3.5" PTO shaft 14972-8451-2 1-3/16" x 2.17" PTO shaft 14943-8441-3 46mm x 90mm PTO shaft
Alternator Drive Pulley 7.75”	1-2BKH80 1-2913-143	Surpluscenter.com	$26 $9	Pulley and bushing
Water  pumps drive pulley – 3.35”	1-BKH32 1-2913-143	Surpluscenter.com	$6 $9	Pulley and bushing
Alternator Drive Belts	9400-14A1015 (Qty 2x)	Local Auto supplier	$35	I like Gates Green Strip
Water Pump drive belt	9400-13A1500	Local Auto supplier	$22
Platform	Ebay, Craigslist, and other local surplus sources	Local welder	$200	I cut the part on my table saw, he welded them up.
Isolator Mounts	V10Z77MAGB-30B	vibrationmounts.com	$35	Another home-built had selected these.  I suspect they may OK for just a Gen, but adding the CAT pump they might be too light.  Will watch them for damage. UPDATE:  One has failed.  So, yes.  These are too small for this design.
RAW WATER PUMP
Raw Water Pump	Jabsco 1673- series	Ebay	$75
Pulley – 4.45”	1-BK47-B	Surpluscenter.com	$10
Pillow Block	6494K11	mcmaster.com	$38
Jack Shaft	7405K9	mcmaster.com	$38
Coupler	6099K42	mcmaster.com	$37
Keyway stock	98530A177	mcmaster.com	$13
DC GENERATOR
Alternator	2700JB	Ebay	$95	Leece Neville 130A LARGE FRAME alternator (for better cooling). Higher Amp alternator will stall Kubota, stick with 130A max.
External Regulator brush plate	A038100265S, 39-5204 or 100265	Leece Neville ase-supply.com	$22	Used to convert to allow using external regulator
External Regulator	XAR	Xantrax (Ebay)	$125	Am thinking  to make custom regulator  with finer control of AMPs out.  Allow for both WM and Alt to operate at same time.
Upper tensioning Arm		Local ‘truck’ junk yard	Free	Just ask around, they had a pile and said take one!
Pulley	P-167	ase-supply.com	$15.50	Any local supplier
WATER MAKER
CAT Pump	CAT 311	Ebay	$175	Find of the Life!
CAT Clutch	CAT 34962	autowashonline.com	$200	This one hurt, to pay MORE for the Clutch then the pump!
HP relief valve	1200PSI	Ebay	$28	Make sure to route the ‘exhaust’ to a safe place – will make a mess if she blows!
R/O Membranes	#2C	cruiserowaterandpower.com	$374	Rich has lots of options on how to purchase parts, and at good prices.  Look around for your best mix.
R/O Pressure Vessels	#2D	cruiserowaterandpower.com	$900	WOW these things went up in the past 8 years!  RO membranes came down though. . . .
SS HP fittings and hoses	Many -	Premier Rubber (Portland OR)	$350	These small parts add up!
Plastic LP Fittings and hoses	Many -	Home depot	$50
Flow Meter –Raw Water	0-5 GPM	EBay	$26	VFB-86-SS would work here, but it is $77
Flow Meter – Produced Water	VFB-81-SS	Dwyer-inst.com	$56.50	Used 6-60 GPH  range meter, SS Parts
Feed water Pressure Gauge	21-1640-I	Surpluscenter.com	$19	-30/+60PSI  - this one is VERY LARGE, I actually purchased another smaller one but do not recall the source.
HP  Pressure Gauge	21-1572-X	Surpluscenter.com	Free	There are many options here.  I actually reused mine from a salvaged unit.
HP Needle  Valve	SS-18RF6-A	EBay	$50	Took a long time to find this for under $200
UV Sterilizer	Search for “Reverse Osmosis UV Ultra Violet Sterilizer Ultraviolet”	Ebay	$99	Commonly used in aquariums.  Make sure to get Stainless Steel or other suitable materials.
PREFILTERS & RAW WATER PLUMBING
Sea Strainer		EBay	$75
Housings	Standard 10”	Purchased at Closeout sale	$30	Total for 3x.  Can source anywhere, I like the clear housings. cruiserowaterandpower.com has for $17 each!
20u Filter Element		Purchased at Closeout sale	$2	I used Spiral Wound for 20u element, thinking it is a bit more robust.
5u Filter Element		Purchased at Closeout sale	$2	I used pleated filter for 5u as it has more surface area.
Hydrocarbon Filter Element	8-BF-1-1R 2668705	BilgeKleen part number Westmarine.com	$63	Was about the only place I could locate the element.  JUST PURCHASE the element and put into standard housing, not the Kit.
Active Charcoal Filter	10”	Purchased at closeout sale	$5	Standard 10” housing with activated charcoal element.  Used in back flush line from house water system.
3-way Bronze valves	70-604-10 500388 WM# 185506	Conbraco / Apollo valves Defender.com Westmarine.com	$60
‘Bronze’ nipples	PN-750 GRO-PN-750 WM# 10202414	Groco Wholesalemarine.com Westmarine.com	$70	These are just now becoming available.  MAKE SURE TO USE BRONZE not BRASS!
‘Bronze’ Check valve	290605 WM# 308619	Seafit Westmarine.com	$20
Many other parts and hoses		Local marine and home building suppliers	$250	Use Bronze and underwater rated hoses for anything important!  Plastic can be used for LP side of sea water (after needle valve)
OTHER ITEMS
Sodium Metabisulfite sterilant FOOD GRADE		EBay	$12	Use to ‘pickle’ the water maker.
DOW CORNING 111 VALVE LUBRICANT & SEALANT		EBay	$20.50	Use to lubricate membrane seals when interesting into housing
Salinity  Meter	Search for ‘TDS Meter’	Ebay	$19	Again, often  used in Aquariums

Adding it all up, the grand total comes to:  $4,884.50

I have to say, it is always a BAD THING to add up actual costs, I would have guessed around $3000, but it is what it is.  And one needs to remember, this is total.  Including all those Small Parts that seem to always slip away!  Things like exhaust hose, prefilters, sea strainer, etc.  It does NOT include my 100's of of hours spent sourcing parts and assembling.  But it also does include some nice extras like the UV light, hot exhaust wrap,  and hydrocarbon (oil) pre-filter.

Some places got away from me due to time.  Towards the end I needed to just Get It Done.  Lots of the small Bronze parts were purchased retail.  Same for the HP SS fittings and hoses.  The Heat Exchanger, and that darned clutch!  Overall, I might have been able to shave off $500 or so, and if I had worked a bit more on membrane housing alternatives (I had salvaged end caps from a scrapped water-maker, was looking for suitable piping to make the housings with) maybe another $400-500!  Still, even this would have have added up close to $4000.  As it is, we are at $5000 and perhaps 4-5 YEARS of aggressive EBay searching!

Alternative?  Cruise RO Water and Power's smallest system (20 GPH) retails for $4200.  If I had combined that with the Honda 2000i generator we would have had a total solution for about the same $5000.  Use the Honda to recharge batteries, Honda and/or main motor (via the inverter) to run the RO maker.  But at half the RO capacity.

Their 30GPH unit with a cost of $5050 gets us close to the same output level.  It  will still run on a single Honda 2000i (as well  I assume our 2000W Prosine inverter).  Puts the solution cost around $6,000 (though to be honest, we already have a Honda generator - carried as a backup to the backups. . . )

The 40GPH has the same capacity is my home built one, costs $5350 - but it will not run from one Honda unit. Though it likely would from two. (total solution would run around $7100)

Now, I am not picking on Cruise RO - in fact I think they have perhaps the simplest systems and best prices around.  If one is going to purchase pre-built, I think you would not go wrong making sure they are on the short list.  AND if you are assembling a Home Built - they will sell you the parts as well at rather competitive prices.

Given what we have, I am not unhappy.  And a big benefit is large capacity and running using our diesel fuel (which we carry a LOT of) vs. Gasoline.  But, looking at it all:  Some Solar panels, the 30GPH Cruise RO water maker, and a backup Honda 2000i is not a bad system and well worth thinking about.


NOTE:  NOVEMBER 2, 2012 - Make sure to read this entry concerning the pre filter housings!
http://mvvikingstar.blogspot.com/2012/11/water-maker-pre-filters-failed.html