Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

These work pretty well for getting into tight areas.

Flexible Draining Tool FUNNEL System FLEXIBLE OIL DRAINING FUNNEL TOOL USA | eBay

In addition to draining and filling fluids, Flexible Draining Tool can be used in a wide variety of applications including diverting water dripping from a pipe, filling bird feeders and filling fertilizer containers.

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Sent from my SM-G715U1 using TractorByNet mobile app

Looks like it holds its shape well, I can see that being handy.....

Doesn't ship to Canada - Southpark Fans much?

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

In the trade it common to cut an oil jug into a shallow pan that fits under a drain, then use a pump to get the liquid from the pan to a waste bucket. Not fun when you’re dealing with 10 or 20 gallons but sometimes it’s the only way.

I have a natural distrust of long life coolants, 20 years ago texaco and a few others came out with long life coolants and while they may have been okay in the engine, they destroyed block heaters, hoses and turned to sludge. Lots of engines lost because the coolant ended up on the floor.

Propylene glycol is a common coolant available from major suppliers including fleet guard. It has a lower freezpoint but slightly less heat transfer capacity than EG coolant. Gensets going into the far north often get drained and refilled with PG.

I remember the initial Dexcool debacle.... pro-wrench buddy of mine (admittedly a die-hard blue oval guy) had a real hate on for Dexcool.

They (long life) have come a long way..... but people are as funny about coolant, as they are with ATF...... I remember hearing 2 guys (who didn't look penniless....) in an autoparts store, debating whether to change coolant in a motorcycle..... I chuckled, having worked on bigger equipment...... a lot of bikes probably don't hold anything more than 2L ........

It's a MC thing.... many guys will spend no end of $ on bling..... but 2L of coolant...... gotta think that over ....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Date: May 29/22

Generator: 7kw Briggs

Activity: Hedge trimmed + 500 watt floodlight. Started on second pull.

Final Fueling notes: filled w. NonE gas, Stabil 360

Maintenance notes: No Start - battery @ 6.2V, trickle charger output OK. Needs Battery. Change Oil this Fall

TAmbient: 26C

 

[Robin Veerman]

Interesting. How old was the battery?

 

[3930dave]

Interesting. How old was the battery?

I bought that gen in 2012, so am not surprised at this point.

A former neighbour (bigger budget than mine.... he used to build/race stock-cars for fun.....) would buy a vehicle new, then @ 5 years, pull the battery w/o even testing it and drop in a new one. As time has gone on (more dense (LOL) electronics on/in vehicles, his practice looks even better....

In that ^ spirit, if I HAD to depend solely on a battery to start a generator, I'd probably rotate it out at about 7 years.

Residential Standby - Generac being common, grs would have the best estimate of typical battery life on those.... and, probably has posted on same, just not within my memory banks at the moment.....

A small battery on a portable gen, I'm not complaining @ 10 years...... except when running (it's still low-hours), the battery was always on the factory supplied trickle charger.

Rgds, D.

 

[Robin Veerman]

Well, I asked to see what impact a tender had on battery life. I’d say that it was worth it. I have a 2014 diesel tractor with just over 500 hours, and it still has the original battery. It’s been on a tender for all but the first 3 years. Still starts good…Canadian winter/summer.

 

[3Ts]

In that ^ spirit, if I HAD to depend solely on a battery to start a generator, I'd probably rotate it out at about 7 years.

I agree with the 7 years although I might be able to be convinced to go with 5 years. The folks that maintain my generator want to change it out at 3 years. Far as I'm concerned, if it needs to be changed out in 3 years, they need to change the battery brand.

 

[grsthegreat]

Backup home standbys are recommended to swap out battery every 5 years, but i generally get 7 years out of them as long as there is no battery heat pad in use. With a heat mat….maybe 3 years if your lucky. I always run load test and run my electronic battery tester on them before replacing them for no reason. If its marginal, it gets replaced as i dont want to be doing it in snow and 5 degrees.

 

[Williy]

Second pull reminds me of the time a friend
wanted some help cutting some trees, he had
a Poulan chain saw and it was pullin, pullin, pullin
and pullin, pullin dam thing never did start. We sure
got our exersize that day!

willy

 

[3930dave]

I agree with the 7 years although I might be able to be convinced to go with 5 years. The folks that maintain my generator want to change it out at 3 years. Far as I'm concerned, if it needs to be changed out in 3 years, they need to change the battery brand.

They are running a business for sure, but OTOH, if they've been doing it long enough, they may have had a customer screaming at them when the battery died @ 3 years, 11 months....

Rgds, D.