Shibaura Engine running generator

[WranglerX]

Think this reads a little better...

Percentage of Charge, 12 Volt Battery, 24 Volt Battery, Specific Gravity
100% 12.70, 25.40, 1.265
95% 12.64, 25.25, 1.257
90% 12.58, 25.16, 1.249
85% 12.52, 25.04, 1.241
80% 12.46, 24.92, 1.233
75% 12.40, 24.80, 1.225
70% 12.36, 24.72, 1.218
65% 12.32, 24.64, 1.211
60% 12.28, 24.56, 1.204
55% 12.24, 24.48, 1.197
50% 12.20, 24.40, 1.190
45% 12.16, 24.32, 1.183
40% 12.12, 24.42, 1.176
35% 12.08, 24.16, 1.169
30% 12.04, 24.08, 1.162
25% 12.00, 24.00, 1.155
20% 11.98, 23.96, 1.148
15% 11.96, 23.92, 1.141
10% 11.94, 23.88, 1.134
5% 11.92, 23.84, 1.127
Discharged 11.90, 23.80, 1.120

 

[jaydee325]

Thanks DL. My post was from my phone and I could not get the formatting fixed

 

[KenMT372d]

Specific Gravity of the battery water-acid doesn't mean the battery plates are good. My electronic's instructor showed us that the water-acid poured from a charged battery into a glass jar still shows the jar of battery water-acid should still start the Firetruck. FYI - St. Pete. FL. fire department had issues with truck batteries not cranking over the trucks even when the Specific Gravity showed them 100% changed. Still remember this classroom demo 50 years later.

 

[zzjea]

I have tried everything and it has started several times since I put in the new solenoid but it reverted back to not starting. I used the jumper from my wife's car battery (fully charged) and it started twice. I let it run for 45 min. It would not start again after that. I then disconnected the jumper and hooked up the motor home batteries and it started twice but no more. I grounded the motor to the jumper and to the frame plus everal different ground points. The jumper ground wire was always hot and drawing amps but it did start a couple of times. I was by myself and no way to test starting amps or voltage as I could not reach a start switch and read a meter at the same time.

The only thing I have not touched is the pump/glow plugs solenoid or the control board (both of which are hidden and almost inaccessible). If I bypass everything else and directly connect to the starter (+) and the starter body (-), with the car jumpers, the motor will spin the flywheel as long as I am connected to the battery.

How long does it take to burn up a starter, seconds, minutes???

I am very close to giving up on this thing. It's not like me to do that but I have now put in 3 starters, 2 solenoids and spent hours under the vehicle trying different tests and advice, to no avail.
I must be missing something somewhere in all of this.

 

[zzjea]

I've forgotten all that was posted here, but I think it was "that time" several posts ago.

I thought I made it very clear that I have this issue with the jumper cables also not just the MH circuits and batteries. It started twice with the jumpers and twice with the MH batteries.

I don't think some reply-ers have been following my thread closely. Maybe it's too long and some are getting tired of it. I agree, I need an electrical expert that can be more specific than clean your contacts. I am on a tractor forum with a generator issue. Maybe that's the problem. I thought it was an electrical issue. Anyway, thanks to those who have tried to be helpful.

 

[WranglerX]

At this point you need to pull it out where you can work on it.........

Jumper cables are not best solution for powering up something, even temporary...
IT could be hydrolocking by having diesel leaking past injectors...
Excessive load on alternator (generator unit) or engine bearing issues where it wont let it spin up....
Try separating alternator (generator ) from engine...
Bad starter alignment with flywheel....
Maybe take problem to manufacturer of engine/generator combo...

Sorry to belabor issues, but most of your short cuts you are trying are not helping...

SHIBAURA engine Manuals & Parts Catalogs

I guess I'm out of here...

Respectfully

Dale

 

[KenMT372d]

Understand your standard volt meter [VOM] leads are to short to reach the 30 feet of the RV. To measure the voltage drop along the [+] cables & them the [-] cable-RV frame you just need any old wire, any guage will do the job. I have used old phone line wire & even old extension cord wire, all you need is to extend the volt meter leads from the "points under test" back to the meter so you can voltage drop when you crank the engine. Your volt meter will just across points under test, the extension wire don't carry any large currents when measuring voltage. [ Do not try & test any current -
amperage draw with you VOM setup like this. ]. Reading some of the other replies ... if you take off the fan belts on the engine [just for a short test] you will remove any chance you have a alternator or water pump binding up the engine making the start motor work extra hard.

 

[zzjea]

Just wanted to let you know that it appears that I have the genset problem solved. It will start every time I tried it (5-6) since doing more work on the electrical. I think the major issue was an aluminum insert (spacer) between the genset starter motor and the engine frame bracket. It was very oxidized which left little conductivity on the ground from the motor. It is now pretty shinny. I thought it was permanently attached to the bracket but I accidentally knocked it loose and realized the degree of oxidization that was not visible before. It did not come out when the motor was pulled. I had cleaned the side I could see already but did not know it was just a spacer. I added a (battery cable) ground from the starter motor case bolt to the MH chassis ground post just to make sure I had a good ground back to the house batteries. I also put in a new solenoid for the glow plug/fuel pump (may not have been needed but it was probably original) and cleaned every contact I could find on the genset. It will start from the 4 6v house batteries as it was designed to do. It seems that it was mostly a grounding issue but not where most everyone suspected. It wasn't the cables or length of run (30') from the house batteries to the front of the MH where the genset is located. The little 3 cyl Shibaura diesel engine works perfectly with no changes to it at all. I'm glad I did not give up on it. Persistence often brings rewards. I now have more experience on this model of Generac than Generac does.......

 

[searcyfarms]

well congratulations!!!! im very excited for you and yes persistence pays off usually - i have been called stubborn a time or two over the years - i have never had a shibaura that didnt run well personally they seem very good from my experience and smooth runners for 3 cyl. oxidized aluminum is awful!!!

 

[airbiscuit]

That's one of those gremlins that is hard to find. I had a Ford Probe that was having starting starting/charging issues. The battery should have been good, and I cleaned the battery posts and terminals. I took it in to our hometown shop - you know the kind that is competent, honest and never does more than needs to be done. It turns out, I had replaced the end of my battery cable, but didn't use dielectric grease. There was corrosion in there I couldn't see. Strange things happen when different metals and electricity meet. I have changed battery cable ends many times before without dielectric grease with no issues, but this time it failed. Glad you found your answer