Your last generator Maintenance Run

   / Your last generator Maintenance Run #771  
I did the 50 hour oil and filter change on my Isuzu 12.5 kw generator bought in 2012 from Central Maine Diesel. The meter read 59.9 hours after running it a 1/2 hour to warm up the oil.

I sucked it out through the dipstick hole like I do on all my engines now. Then replaced the filter. Don't know how they did it, but essentially no oil ran out of the horizontal filter when I removed it. There's no check valve. My wife's 1961 Studebaker Lark had a vertical oil filter. It never leaked oil when removed. It had a check valve. About filled my oil extractor tank. The sump has 6.7 liters in it according to the book. Put about that back in, around 7 quarts.

Used Mobil 1 ESP 5w40. After I bought it, I asked the guy at Advance Auto about 5w30 ESP for my VW. He said they have it now. You have to ask for it. Wish I'd known ahead. Would have just bought it for my generator, too.

Put a knife edge battery disconnect onto the positive post. Couldn't get it on the negative post due to being so close to the outside shell covering the generator. This will provide a quick disconnect in case of fire. Advance Auto had these, too.

Ralph
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run
  • Thread Starter
#772  
I did the 50 hour oil and filter change on my Isuzu 12.5 kw generator bought in 2012 from Central Maine Diesel. The meter read 59.9 hours after running it a 1/2 hour to warm up the oil.

I sucked it out through the dipstick hole like I do on all my engines now. Then replaced the filter. Don't know how they did it, but essentially no oil ran out of the horizontal filter when I removed it. There's no check valve. My wife's 1961 Studebaker Lark had a vertical oil filter. It never leaked oil when removed. It had a check valve. About filled my oil extractor tank. The sump has 6.7 liters in it according to the book. Put about that back in, around 7 quarts.

Used Mobil 1 ESP 5w40. After I bought it, I asked the guy at Advance Auto about 5w30 ESP for my VW. He said they have it now. You have to ask for it. Wish I'd known ahead. Would have just bought it for my generator, too.

Put a knife edge battery disconnect onto the positive post. Couldn't get it on the negative post due to being so close to the outside shell covering the generator. This will provide a quick disconnect in case of fire. Advance Auto had these, too.

Ralph

Nice sized sump, though I'd expect as much from Isuzu. +1 on getting the maintenance done Ralph.

Is that knife edge the olde school type I'm picturing ? ..... open frame, mostly not insulated ? .... or is there a newer flavour around that I haven't noticed....

What does your Isuzu spec for oil standard ? Not being critical of your choice, I'm just curious....

ESP is an interesting oil - I can see where you'd want it for your Vdub Dzl. One of the things I find interesting about ESP is that Mobil only rates it as a CF oil - given the high performance and long OCI typical of euro diesels, ESP is obviously a capable oil. Some rainy day I'll see if I can figure out where ESP has a conflict with the CF+ specs.

I do like the flexibility of a "fleet" oil; ESP is a nice option to have around. Looks like we can get a 0W30 version up Nord here.

Rgds, D.
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run #773  
The knife edge has a heavy plastic piece holding the 2 male/female posts together.

In the future, I'll just ask for the Mobil 1 ESP 5w30 and use it for everything, including my VW TDI unless I've sold it back to VW in the meantime.

I don't really care what the Isuzu calls for. It's a diesel. It needs diesel oil to keep the carbon in suspension for long term change. We're limited to what we can get. Would rather have the 0w30 in diesel form. Once could find it in gasoline formulation. Get 0w20 for my gas pickup.

The Isuzu doesn't need ESP. I supplemented with "turbo diesel 5w40" that I'd bought for my tractor and lawn mowers (can use diesel oil in gas engines but not the reverse, unless you change more frequently).

Ralph
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run #774  
In the future, I'll just ask for the Mobil 1 ESP 5w30 and use it for everything, including my VW TDI unless I've sold it back to VW in the meantime. ~Snip~

Ralph



Thanks for the information - it looks like Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 meets the VW 507.00 low sulfur oil standard!

I have been buying European Castrol Edge or Liqui Moly, which are not easy to find locally, except at the VW dealer.

Volkswagen Oil Standard 54. / 57. Approved Oils | my-gti.com

It's still expensive oil, but the 10,000 mile change interval helps (all highway driving in my case).

:thumbsup:
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run #775  
Currently on generator power. Storm zoomed through yesterday evening & lost power around 6:45 pm. When they missed their projected fix time of 8:45 pm I cranked up the Champion 7k (electric start, fired up at first press). Current projected fix time is now 10 am after missing the second guesstimate of 11 pm.

Burned about 4 gallons between 9 pm & 4 am when I shutdown for a refill (I used a partial jug for the initial fill). Oil still looks like new and full up.

BTW, the brass ball valve worked out fine for the fuel drain line I added. Takes a while to gravity drain through fuel line but gets the job done.

Nick
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run
  • Thread Starter
#776  
Currently on generator power. Storm zoomed through yesterday evening & lost power around 6:45 pm. When they missed their projected fix time of 8:45 pm I cranked up the Champion 7k (electric start, fired up at first press). Current projected fix time is now 10 am after missing the second guesstimate of 11 pm.

Burned about 4 gallons between 9 pm & 4 am when I shutdown for a refill (I used a partial jug for the initial fill). Oil still looks like new and full up.

BTW, the brass ball valve worked out fine for the fuel drain line I added. Takes a while to gravity drain through fuel line but gets the job done.

Nick

Running like a Champ ! :thumbsup: Thanks for the field data on the valve, others will be interested in that. I couldn't see myself buying a small generator w/o manual start, but electric is sure convenient, and for some folks, a necessity.

A friend of mine has a 7kw gas Champion, and has been happy with his - they seem to be good value vs. $ spent.

Always nice to have power available, but I imagine it's warm enough down your way these days.....

If it stays out longer, any chance to run it on propane Nick ?

Rgds, D.
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run #777  
I could run from bottle propane now, a regulator came with it. To have access to the 500 gallon tank I would have to run a line from the tank (80 - 90 feet) or tee from the furnace supply (70' ?). I may have pick a neighbor's brain on cost/feasibility of setting up a tap (HVAC guy). The wife has been lobbying for an auto start system (propane fueled). BTW, the 7k has a manual start pull cord. I have started it that way & it works fine (one pull).

Nick
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run
  • Thread Starter
#778  
I could run from bottle propane now, a regulator came with it. To have access to the 500 gallon tank I would have to run a line from the tank (80 - 90 feet) or tee from the furnace supply (70' ?). I may have pick a neighbor's brain on cost/feasibility of setting up a tap (HVAC guy). The wife has been lobbying for an auto start system (propane fueled). BTW, the 7k has a manual start pull cord. I have started it that way & it works fine (one pull).

Nick


Here is hoping that you are still not "testing" your gen this morning :thumbsup:.

That sounds like a fun project..... propane burns clean and stores well. Keep us posted if you implement full auto-start; I'm sure that many would like to hear the details.....

Mostly my comment comes from being an old (grumpy) MC rider, who misses having kick-start available on modern bikes..... I hope small gens never go that way. (Yeah, I know, losing it sheds weight from a MC.... :) ).....

Partly because it is in a different direction, but they definitely did design a nice pull-start mechanism on my 7kw. My 2kw starts fine (knock wood), but the pull effort is actually higher than on my 7kw.

Rgds, D.
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run #779  
Our power went out in the evening a few days ago... We turned on the LED lantern in the living room and had LED flash lights buy us.

We sat around and talked for quite a while and I then turned on a batt powered radio and we listened to a ball game... It was rather nice sitting around talking and listening to the radio and I never started a generator.....didn't need to...life was just fine...

After 3 hours, the power came back and we all went on with our normal evening activities...

SR
 
   / Your last generator Maintenance Run
  • Thread Starter
#780  
Our power went out in the evening a few days ago... We turned on the LED lantern in the living room and had LED flash lights buy us.

We sat around and talked for quite a while and I then turned on a batt powered radio and we listened to a ball game... It was rather nice sitting around talking and listening to the radio and I never started a generator.....didn't need to...life was just fine...

After 3 hours, the power came back and we all went on with our normal evening activities...

SR

Change can be good sometimes..... during the big August blackout about 10 years ago, many inner city kids saw the stars for the first time.

Unless it is -40 out, or I need a sump pump on NOW, I don't rush to fire a gen. Battery radios are good for general listening, but around here not much use for power utility updates - my router is on a UPS, so my internet stays up short term.

With moderate weather, short outages can be like a camping trip, w/o leaving the couch !

Rgds, D.
 

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