Forum for air cooled diesel engines and clones

[Boeing]

Hi all....
An update,
Finally got to Atlanta and picked up the Aurora generator.
Nice folks there....huge airport type warehouses.....
They loaded it with a small forklift and I headed to Va.
I had several projects to do up there more important than to open the generator crate.....mistake.
I hauled in water tanks, worked on my dilapidated road, unloaded my "project" Blazer. It was 3 days before I opened the crate. All looked good, I lifted it with a leather strap and a come-a-long to install the wheels. Installed the wheels, front feet, checked the air cleaner, installed 1.5 qts of oil, hooked up the battery cables and looked...and looked....and looked for the ignition keys. Nope, no keys....I searched everywhere, the box, the frame, inside the air cleaner etc.......nope. I called Mike in Canada, "supposed to be wiretyed to the frame or IN the ignition switch"........nope.
I told him that I NEEDED a key as I only had 4 more days in Virginia......
Then he says....I can sent a request to parts in Ottawa and they will mail you a new switch as keys are not kept in stock. BTW, we do not "overnight" mail here in Canada so it will be approx 5 days for you to receive this ign. switch.
I did EXPRESS my discontent but to no avail. The Gen is in Va. and LOOKS good. The replacement ign switch is here in Florida now and will go back up with me in about TWO months. AND......they will not "delay" the warranty date to coincide with the date that I can ACTUALLY see if it runs.
Hope it goes smoother when I DO get it running.
Rob

 

[Pete Judd]

Around here we learned how to "hot wire" all kinds of things by the time we were 12 years old. Bypass the switch to start, don't need a key to keep it running.

 

[Skyco]

It was 3 days before I opened the crate.

You must be a young fellow
I long ago lost all faith in the ability of others to do things correctly, I ALWAYS open the box before I leave a seller's premises if it costs over $5 or is not returnable.

I also learned how to hot wire stuff when I traveled 120 miles to find I did not have my UTV's keys with me
Actually wasn't a hot wire, found on a Yamaha the ignition lock could be easily disassembled, some parts removed, and anything stuck in the key hole would turn it!

 

[Boeing]

You flatter me with the age assumption:laughing: I've been an AARP member for over 13 years.... I remember how to run a hot wire to a starter then use a screw driver to "arc" post to post to get the starter to turn over. BUT....in this case I had bought a new, fairly expensive machine and thinking about jumping wires and arcing posts on something under warranty just didn't feel right. What if I let the smoke out? My Daddy told me that everything electronic; from light bulbs to vacuum cleaners, is factory filled with smoke. IF you EVER let that smoke out.....it won't run. Found that to be true in airplanes, too

 

[David Mc]

Rob, I think your father learned the smoke theory from George Lucas (also referred to as the Prince of Darkness) who is accredited with its discovery as a consequence of his experience as a supplier of various electrical and electronic equipment to the automotive industry. Here are a few other handy references on related matters http://www.mez.co.uk/lucas.html .

 

[Skyco]

After dismantling the alternator I found that it had AVR and not just a capacitor for voltage regulation! The schematic in the manual showed a different alternator!
I have now ordered a new AVR.

I now get to dig into one of mine to see what it has...fired it up last night after a commercial power outage, ran about 10 minutes then dropped the output
I could remove the load and it would start producing again for a minute or so then quit for good.
BTW one tip- when the output is dead the key won't turn it off! Nothing to pull in the stop solenoid. Luckily it can be tripped manually after opening the cabinet door....

Now that I think of it since it lost ALL power maybe it isn't the voltage regulator since I think the solenoid runs off the battery charger portion (12V)...but I am not sure right now.

 

[Skyco]

After dismantling the alternator I found that it had AVR and not just a capacitor for voltage regulation! The schematic in the manual showed a different alternator!
I have now ordered a new AVR.

I now get to dig into one of mine to see what it has...fired it up last night after a commercial power outage, ran about 10 minutes then dropped the output
I could remove the load and it would start producing again for a minute or so then quit for good.
BTW one tip- when the output is dead the key won't turn it off! Nothing to pull in the stop solenoid. Luckily it can be tripped manually after opening the cabinet door....

Now that I think about it since it lost ALL power maybe it isn't the voltage regulator since I think the solenoid runs off the battery charger portion (12V)...but I am not sure right now.

 

[Boeing]

SKYCO, my Aurora says to shut the gen down by the "run/stop" lever....not the key...? Do you have that lever? Sounds like your 10 minute issue is HEAT related.....I'd be looking at the generator regulator. good luck
I DID get the new switch (with keys) from Aurora. Got back to Va. last week and rather than disassembling panels to change switches I actually TRIED the new keys in the orig switch....THEY WORKED..!!! no disassembly required:thumbsup:
I added a 90 degree exhaust elbow to direct the blast away from the gen area.....and it ran wonderfully. Smoked for about 15 seconds I will say it is GOD awful LOUD......maybe an auto muffler would help. Right now it requires earplugs.....:confused2:

 

[Skyco]

Just now got a chance to look at my genset with no output...mine is brushless with a capacitor. Cap checks out, stator coils ohm out, pretty low reading, but at least no open...
I see in one of the online sources there are two diodes in the rotor, ran out of time to get that far tonight...
And now for more bad news....my other identical genset at my camp caught on fire about 3 weeks ago. Best I can tell was a mouse nest inside started burning, then the foam rubber insulation lit off...when I saw the smoke I ran and got my fire extinguisher but could not put the fire out with the "soundproof" cabinet design not allowing enough places to blow the dry chem in.....had to run get a 10mm wrench to start removing panels..by then it was pretty bad.
Had to leave it that weekend as I wasn't in a vehicle that could haul a 400 lb genset home nor could I have loaded it by myself if I had been..
Maybe between the two I can get one working soon and then work on straightening out the other one. I think the engine may be ok, but the fire seemed to start in the generator portion..just what I needed another "project":confused3:

 

[dex3361]

Just now got a chance to look at my genset with no output...mine is brushless with a capacitor. Cap checks out, stator coils ohm out, pretty low reading, but at least no open...
I see in one of the online sources there are two diodes in the rotor, ran out of time to get that far tonight...
And now for more bad news....my other identical genset at my camp caught on fire about 3 weeks ago. Best I can tell was a mouse nest inside started burning, then the foam rubber insulation lit off...when I saw the smoke I ran and got my fire extinguisher but could not put the fire out with the "soundproof" cabinet design not allowing enough places to blow the dry chem in.....had to run get a 10mm wrench to start removing panels..by then it was pretty bad.
Had to leave it that weekend as I wasn't in a vehicle that could haul a 400 lb genset home nor could I have loaded it by myself if I had been..
Maybe between the two I can get one working soon and then work on straightening out the other one. I think the engine may be ok, but the fire seemed to start in the generator portion..just what I needed another "project":confused3:

Wow what a bum deal you are having with generators. What kind are they? Are they China clones of yanmar gensets?