Your last generator Maintenance Run

[daugen]

my knowledge of wet stacking comes from marine diesels run for too long at idle speeds, such as in extended no wake zones. Large high performance marine diesels like MAN and MTU had issues with large yachts being run too slowly up and down the Intracoastal. The issue was load, and the engines not getting hot enough.

 

[Dakota_male]

What kind/brand of diesel do you own that has a problem of "wet stacking"?

I have a bunch of different diesels here and I've NEVER seen even one of them wet stack, no matter how I run them.....including when powering my pto generator.

Only diesels I've seen that wet stacked was some OLD dozers and slobbering john deer tractors...

SR

I have to agree with you only seen some old worn out GM V 6 diesels wet stack after idling alnight during cold winter nights. None of mine do but technology (CNC machining, high pressure injectors) has greatly improved since the old manufacturing days.

 

[grsthegreat]

I had a Generac Guardian 22KW (G0070431) installed about a month ago. I was hoping to get the maintenance parts cheaper than they are sold in the kits but there is no number on the oil filter.

Where do you folks get your parts for oil changes, etc?

i get them directly from generac..as im a dealer. the oil filter part number is 070185ES. the entire kit is part # 64850.

they recommend oil filter and new oil between 20-30 run hours. also adjust valves at this time
at 200 run hours do full maint ...air and oil filters, new plugs

 

[3930dave]

I've never hooked it up because it is loud...

About 15 years ago I was given for taking it away... a auto transfer 30 amp 220 natural gas gen-set.. will also work on propane... guessing it dates from 1980

The folks that bought the house wanted no part of it and the Realtor said she knew someone that would probably take it away...

It is a single cylinder air cooled generator... quite compact and heavy and loud...

It is an old time brand... Winco and uses a regular car battery for the starter... probably someone way to muffle the sound... but figured it was a good project someday...

That would be an interesting project.... my vote would be propane...... in-between car projects, I suspect it wouldn't take you long to add an appropriate muffler....:blacksmith:

Rgds, D.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Dang, that's a LOT of maintenance on those things...

I guess guys just pay some one else to do it??

That's a good money maker for someone!

SR

 

[4570Man]

Dang, that's a LOT of maintenance on those things...

I guess guys just pay some one else to do it??

That's a good money maker for someone!

SR

A lot of people over stress maintenance IMO. Change the oil when required and don’t poison them with ethanol and most engines will treat you well. I hear the line “ I want a 3 pt this do do this because I don’t want another engine to maintain” all the time. Maybe I’m doing something wrong but it doesn’t seem to be that hard.

 

[3930dave]

The push is to mandate is high as E30... some in government said it is a way to speed up the process to new "Green" technology because cars simply don't rust away in California.

Corrosion is now the norm and very good for business

It does seem to be getting worse, around here. I was talking with a retired CAT mechanic, who was helping his neighbour..... snowblower wouldn't run at all, after only one season. He had the carb apart, it was pretty much totally plugged with white powder-like deposits.

Higher ethanol content is just another way to further punish/demonize IC engines..... and extract more taxes.....

I stick with (thankful I can still buy it....) non-E gas with Stabil and/or Seafoam, stored wet and full in all my small engines. My weather here constantly swings through such wide temperature and humidity ranges that I don't want any tanks sitting empty.

Regional fuel formulation will vary, so what works well (or not) in one geography may play out differently somewhere else..... for small engines, IMO once you find out what works well, stick with it consistently, even if it involves bat's blood and eye of newt :bat: :magician: :blacksmith: :wizard:

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

A lot of people over stress maintenance IMO. Change the oil when required and don稚 poison them with ethanol and most engines will treat you well. I hear the line I want a 3 pt this do do this because I don稚 want another engine to maintain all the time. Maybe I知 doing something wrong but it doesn稚 seem to be that hard.

Fuel restrictions/headaches aside, the rest of it (air filter, plugs, oil change.....) shouldn't be that big a deal, but even that is more than a lot of people today want to bother with......

As grs has posted about, some people will spend big money on an automatic whole-house system, then just totally ignore the maintenance.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Doing some generator research....... (having a friend with gen troubles, who lives far enough away I can't loan him mine....), and came across these kits:

Century Fuel Products | Generator Conversion Kits | Forklift Parts

Champion lists them in their Q+A section re. Conversions.

There seems to be lots of propane kits around, but wanted to post for consideration, esp. for anybody looking for Natgas kits....

Never heard of them before, but can't say I've actively gone looking for these kits either.

Rgds, D.

 

[nikdfish]

Ran the whole house unit on simulated outage for 45 minutes yesterday (first day of month). No issues & it ran the 5 ton heat pump for a bit (about 20 degrees F at the time) while wife was cooking with multiple appliances. Still a little bugged by the degree of the couple of seconds voltage drop at heat pump start (40v showed on the media center's UPS momentarily) & may see if a mod is available for the compressor start circuit to lower the max draw. On the other hand, it wasn't enough of an issue for the load management module on the heat pump to intervene and shed the load. Oil level good & oil very clean.

Nick

 

[Wakey]

Thank you.

i get them directly from generac..as im a dealer. the oil filter part number is 070185ES. the entire kit is part # 64850.

they recommend oil filter and new oil between 20-30 run hours. also adjust valves at this time
at 200 run hours do full maint ...air and oil filters, new plugs

 

[3930dave]

Ran the whole house unit on simulated outage for 45 minutes yesterday (first day of month). No issues & it ran the 5 ton heat pump for a bit (about 20 degrees F at the time) while wife was cooking with multiple appliances. Still a little bugged by the degree of the couple of seconds voltage drop at heat pump start (40v showed on the media center's UPS momentarily) & may see if a mod is available for the compressor start circuit to lower the max draw. On the other hand, it wasn't enough of an issue for the load management module on the heat pump to intervene and shed the load. Oil level good & oil very clean.

Nick

Big, capable system there...... often there is "tuning" we want to do though :thumbsup:

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Trying to help out a friend, who has this clone diesel generator. Bought new at auction, but the Owner's Manual is absent....

Powertek EDG6000S

Looks like this

POWERTEK EDG6S [u'East Regina'], Regina

Found parts here:

Generator Guru

Can't find an Owners Manual online yet. Neither of us has experience with this size of diesel.

Parts link above shows a RunStart lever, and a Rocker Cover Decompression Lever, but no glow plugs that I can see.

Is there typically a pre-chamber in the head that you prime with fuel, then use the Decompression Lever to increase initial cranking speed, then release ?

It is electric start.

Rgds, D.

 

[buickanddeere]

Trying to help out a friend, who has this clone diesel generator. Bought new at auction, but the Owner's Manual is absent....

Powertek EDG6000S

Looks like this

POWERTEK EDG6S [u'East Regina'], Regina

Found parts here:

Generator Guru

Can't find an Owners Manual online yet. Neither of us has experience with this size of diesel.

Parts link above shows a RunStart lever, and a Rocker Cover Decompression Lever, but no glow plugs that I can see.

Is there typically a pre-chamber in the head that you prime with fuel, then use the Decompression Lever to increase initial cranking speed, then release ?

It is electric start.

Rgds, D.

Probably a clone of the Yanmar 10HP air cooled single diesel. No glow plugs or intake grid heater. Open combustion chamber.

 

[3930dave]

Probably a clone of the Yanmar 10HP air cooled single diesel. No glow plugs or intake grid heater. Open combustion chamber.

Around that size, I seem to recall 13hp listed somewhere online.... rated something like 6kw.

I have no experience with these diesels. May start a dedicated thread for this, and/or stop by a sailboat forum, but wanted to start by asking the brain-trust here How To Start ?

Rgds, D.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yes, sounds like my Yanmar 3.7 and larger models are similar. I'm guessing, the decompression feature makes glow plugs unnecessary. I can't say I started the thing in severe cold, but I would say it starts well. Very well. By contrast, the small Kubota Diesel engine in my Steiner will not start in Fall and spring moderate temperatures without glow plugs.

If I had to start the Yanmar in extreme cold and it wouldn't start, I would probably grab a propane torch and heat the head, or intake or anything else I thought might help.

BTW, The trick is to get the engine spinning over with the decompression lever open, and then while still cranking let it close, so you get the momentum to create the necessary compression.

So, for these purposes, the pull starter is a joke. Mine is off, and I see no reason to put it back on.

 

[3930dave]

If I had to start the Yanmar in extreme cold and it wouldn't start, I would probably grab a propane torch and heat the head, or intake or anything else I thought might help.

BTW, The trick is to get the engine spinning over with the decompression lever open, and then while still cranking let it close, so you get the momentum to create the necessary compression.

^ ST - see bold note above ^

Thanks IT ! That was my guess as to how it's done, but needed feedback before directing my buddy on this.

If I owned a Lear or Citation, I'd just hop on and stop by his place to help, but he's a few thousand miles from me....

I've pull started diesels when I had to, but that was a tractor, and it took another tractor to do it. Not my idea of fun.

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

I just stuck a magnetic oil pan heater from one of my tractors onto as much of the engine block as I could on my Generac.
This nasty system with current record low temps is exactly why I should have gotten the cold kit. So I added this little 300W heater, hopefully better than nothing. Am going out in a few minutes to temp gun it, curious how hot it gets.

 

[grsthegreat]

I just stuck a magnetic oil pan heater from one of my tractors onto as much of the engine block as I could on my Generac.
This nasty system with current record low temps is exactly why I should have gotten the cold kit. So I added this little 300W heater, hopefully better than nothing. Am going out in a few minutes to temp gun it, curious how hot it gets.

better than nothing. i opened up mine the other day when it was 3F outside. the inside of the generator compartment was warm, the engine was warmish to the touch. the battery was warm. nice overall. i started it up and it sounded the same as if i started it in the summer. im sold on this kit.

 

[Industrial Toys]

The only issue I ever had with this Yanmar genset (Except having to get the rotor rewound, which is why I got it for free) was to replace the small Walmart bought lawn and garden battery after a few years.