Your last generator Maintenance Run

[90cummins]

Does this "auxiliary fuel tank" attach directly to your 2000i tank??

It’s connected using a modified eu2000i fuel cap that has a fitting & fuel hose threaded into the top. The auxiliary tank I use is an outboard motor fuel tank with a priming bulb attached.
The EU2000i has a fuel pump and will pull fuel from the auxiliary tank.

 

[LouNY]

I've encounter wet stacking in two different diesels when they got idled considerably.
One was a turned up Detroit 4-53 two stroke, the other was a way warmed up Deere 4430 id you goosed that throttle you could feel fuel drops raining down on you. I day when it was idleing while we were doing something else (I don't even recall what that was) when we got back to it was blubbering away and had fuel running down the stack. Gently opened the throttle up and had a fuel shower for a bit, when it quite raining hooked it up to a wagon and took her down the road by the time she got to the field with the empty wagon got the loaded one and got it hauled to the farm she was right back to normal. That was a 125 hp tractor turned up for pulling with a different pump and she maxxed out a 300 hp dyno, then my brother had it turned down a bit to "just" a bit over 200 hp.

 

[90cummins]

It’s connected using a modified eu2000i fuel cap that has a fitting & fuel hose threaded into the top. The auxiliary tank I use is an outboard motor fuel tank with a priming bulb attached.
The EU2000i has a fuel pump and will pull fuel from the auxiliary tank.

eBay sells the modified fuel cap all you need is an auxiliary fuel tank.

 

[90cummins]

eBay sells the modified fuel cap all you need is an auxiliary fuel tank. View attachment 4416938View attachment 4416938View attachment 4416938
View attachment 4416938View attachment 4416938

What happened here?
Sorry

 

[3930dave]

What happened here?
Sorry

Good info, No Worries...... likely just Evil Bay splattering their Ads for you.....

Way back somebody (from Quebec ?) posted detailed rebuild notes, from when they overhauled a good sized diesel that was used on a house, but essentially ran (almost) forever un-loaded. Not Pretty.

My simpleton-view of stacking is Diesels Like To Work..... (back to daugen's point about operating Temp....). One of the times this came up, I pulled down a short but informative article from CAT, on wet-stacking.... but I think that is on my old computer....

Rgds, D.

 

[Alan W.]

Dont know how many hours Ive spent in idling semis at truck stops and loading docks and have never had one wet stack. I know that the phenomenon exists just never experienced it.
Then they come out with the idle timers that shut the truck off after a few minutes of idling. So you had to turn the cruise control on and tap the speed button once and the baby would idle from now on.

 

[daugen]

if you search wet stacking on generators on you tube, you will see a lot of videos.
sure is something you don't get with propane
most diesels are water cooled and have a temp gauge so this should be manageable.

 

[JRH02]

Propane... well that helps a bunch. Are you talking about city busses?

you tube, you will see a lot of videos.
sure is something you don't get with propane

 

[subhunter]

ArlyA here is a video of the extended run tank for eu2200s.

 

[3930dave]

Dont know how many hours Ive spent in idling semis at truck stops and loading docks and have never had one wet stack. I know that the phenomenon exists just never experienced it.
Then they come out with the idle timers that shut the truck off after a few minutes of idling. So you had to turn the cruise control on and tap the speed button once and the baby would idle from now on.

Sometimes, even with older/simpler machinery, there can be noticeable performance characteristics between "identical" models, even given similar use and maintenance cycles.... Not talking about outright major mechanical failures, just how "twins" can each have their own "personality".

That ^ said, it does seem like a game of Whack A Mole, with modern engine tech..... Not the Stacking issue we've been discussing, but I had a recent chat with a seasoned Heavy Truck (sales) Rep...... on the subject of idling, he said the guys he knows who get the best lifespan out of their emission systems, are the ones who nearly never idle their trucks. He was heading out the door of the shop, so I didn't get to ask about aux-power solutions in that case (thinking of an older really nice truck I saw @ the Clifford show a few years back, with a neat little Kubota under the hood, for Aux power when parked).

Not necessarily a direct correlation between Truck and Gen worlds, but certain things do track to some extent.... (emissions are catching up w. gens....).

Rgds, D.

 

[arto98607]

ArlyA here is a video of the extended run tank for eu2200s.

That looks like a pretty good setup!

I made a decision 3 years ago to run my "new" Firman 2.9 kW on propane only, and so far it's been hooked up to 30 lbs bottle.
I keep few full 100 lbs bottles in the barn for other reasons anyway so those are my longer term source of fuel, if ever needed.

This is what I bought about 3 years ago and it had less than 1 hour on the meter.
(We also keep non-inverter 3 kW model, and Firman inverter 2kW as a spare)

We live about 1 mile from large natural gas pipeline, but no connections since it's rural area.



Cheers

 

[JRH02]

That looks like a pretty good setup!

I made a decision 3 years ago to run my "new" Firman 2.9 kW on propane only, and so far it's been hooked up to 30 lbs bottle.
I keep few full 100 lbs bottles in the barn for other reasons anyway so those are my longer term source of fuel, if ever needed.

This is what I bought about 3 years ago and it had less than 1 hour on the meter.
(We also keep non-inverter 3 kW model, and Firman inverter 2kW as a spare)

We live about 1 mile from large natural gas pipeline

View attachment 4417922

Cheers

Just one little controlled leak would be wonderful.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Reminds me of the days when some farmers used to put induction wire under transmission lines to power their electric fences.

 

[JRH02]

Reminds me of the days when some farmers used to put induction wire under transmission lines to power their electric fences.

I'd do that for trespassers, not so much the livestock.

 

[Racer4]

Did my aunt’s Briggs 20kw yesterday. I originally changed the oil at 9 hrs with a Briggs service kit back in May of 2023.

At 77 hours yesterday, the oil was only showing about 3/8” on the dipstick. Changed the oil, filters and plugs.

Couldn’t believe how low the oil was. In 68 hours, it burned almost a quart. My generac never consumed that much oil. Mine would burn a little when I used TSC Traveller full synthetic. Doesn’t burn any when using Mobil 1.

 

[grsthegreat]

Brand new engines can burn oil. Are you sure it burned off that much? Those only hold like 1.6 gts as i recall. I know when a generac is down to 1/2 way to full mark, its only short like 1/4-1/3 of a quart of oil.

Also, i know i switch generacs to synthetic after about 25 run hours, im not sure what Briggs recommends

 

[3930dave]

Did my aunt’s Briggs 20kw yesterday. I originally changed the oil at 9 hrs with a Briggs service kit back in May of 2023.

At 77 hours yesterday, the oil was only showing about 3/8” on the dipstick. Changed the oil, filters and plugs.

Couldn’t believe how low the oil was. In 68 hours, it burned almost a quart. My generac never consumed that much oil. Mine would burn a little when I used TSC Traveller full synthetic. Doesn’t burn any when using Mobil 1.

Hi Racer, coupla questions....

Is that Briggs water-cooled ? Not sure where you are located (thinking about Summer ambient Operating Temp), and would that Briggs service pack include Synth oil ?

Small older Briggs had a svc interval around 40 hours; what is the factory interval on this 20kw ? (Ex. if it was 50 hours, it didn't run to crazy high hours, but still, 18 hours is 36% in that scenario.....).

I'm with grs re. break-in as a possible factor.

Rgds, D.

 

[Racer4]

Hi Racer, coupla questions....

Is that Briggs water-cooled ? Not sure where you are located (thinking about Summer ambient Operating Temp), and would that Briggs service pack include Synth oil ?

Small older Briggs had a svc interval around 40 hours; what is the factory interval on this 20kw ? (Ex. if it was 50 hours, it didn't run to crazy high hours, but still, 18 hours is 36% in that scenario.....).

I'm with grs re. break-in as a possible factor.

Rgds, D.

Air cooled 993cc vanguard. Oil change interval is 100 hours. Capacity is 78-80 ounces of oil. The Briggs service kit has Briggs synthetic oil included. No leaks anywhere so it had to get burnt.

 

[90cummins]

Watched a YouTube video from the motor oil GEEK (Lake Speed) the other day where he confirmed what I knew about seasoned oil & air filters.
He purchased a new Toyota truck and reused the oil filter after the first oil change.
He uses science & technology to support his results.
Changing air filters prematurely on heavy trucks is detrimental to the service life of the engine which is a known fact and the same is true with oil filters.
New filters have large openings in the filter media that are filled in with contaminants during use. The more contaminants in the filter the more efficient the filter is at removing smaller & smaller particles. However as the filter becomes more efficient at removing contaminants the less efficient it becomes at flowing. That’s why heavy trucks have air restriction monitors that tell you when replacement is required.
60 or so years ago I recall one of the major auto manufacturers recommending that the oil filter be replaced every other oil change.
I’ll attempt to attach the link to videos.

 

[90cummins]

Hi Racer, coupla questions....

Is that Briggs water-cooled ? Not sure where you are located (thinking about Summer ambient Operating Temp), and would that Briggs service pack include Synth oil ?

Small older Briggs had a svc interval around 40 hours; what is the factory interval on this 20kw ? (Ex. if it was 50 hours, it didn't run to crazy high hours, but still, 18 hours is 36% in that scenario.....).

I'm with grs re. break-in as a possible factor.

Rgds, D.

Were those exercise hours or loaded hours.
Professionally installed standby generators are sized for worst case load scenario. During an outage I would be conserving power (minimal load) to conserve resources.
Perhaps the engine was not adequately loaded during this break-in period.
Just a thought.