Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Industrial Toys]

I believe the Male threads on a 1/4 ball valve are too short to seal up tight. Strange! But that was half a dozen tries ago at this. I am wondering if it's worth the mess to take my Racor fuel filter apart, inspect it and lube the "O" rings. Really grasping at straws now.

 

[RoyKing]

Take the valve out and reseal everything down to pump with permatex. The drop tube in the tank could be leaking up near the top, try hose stuffed into the tank as a test.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

I’d try to localize it by sealing the end and pumping a vacuum with a clear tube and look for bubbles. Test each section / component this way and you will find the leak. If you suspect drain down on the return put an isolation valve and close it after the run but make 100% sure you open it before starting as some engines will overspeed with the return blocked.

I wouldn’t use the hardening sealer, but the PTFE paste will seal even poor threads and takes many months to harden up at least.

Drop tubes made from double threaded fitting are likely culprits. For the size you are using you’d be better off making your own one piece drop tube from steel tubing. Build a one piece and there is zero chance of leaks:

Drill out a compression fitting so steel tubing can pass all the way through and mount in top of the tank.

Cut the end of the tube at a sharp angle (so it can’t get plugged by debris)

Slide the drop tube through the compression fitting in the top of the tank until it touches bottom and pull it back 1”. Tighter the compression fitting to hold the tube at that position.

Cut the top end of the tube where you want to switch to pipe thread and install another compression fitting.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Thanks. I soldered a copper tube onto a tightly drilled out 90 fitting that threads into the 1/2" bung, so there is no pipe connection, beside the 1/4" NPT fitting coming off of the 90. I removed that assembly and tested it a month ago already.

Seems I got half a dozen big batteries lying around the shop floor and not a one that's any good.

What's the minimum cranking amps or group size for a 3 cylinder Kubota D722, kept inside, unheated down to minus 10 c, with access to power for charging?

 

[Blaszer]

Anyone have an experience with Aurora Generators? Looking at getting a 20kw with a canopy enclosure and 50 gallon base tank paired to a ASCO 185 200amp ATS. Powering a new 3 car garage/2 bedroom building.

 

[Industrial Toys]

ASCO switch. I like. :thumbsup: Good enough for the Nuke Plant, good enough for me. The newer ones are terribly complicated though and require a laptop and software.

Any pictures or data on the genny? Make of engine and alternator? SPEED?

That's a BIG generaor. Why so big? I shut off most of my electric heat and run a 7.5KW typically, also using a 200 amp switch. Mentioned it before. But last week during the day, when power was out, I was using under 1KW.

 

[Blaszer]

We have had good luck with the main house ASCO ATS, 10 years and no issues yet, so I figure why not get another. The Aurora generator is made in Newmarket, Ontario. This model is powered by a Perkins 4 cyl 2.2 liter N/A diesel running at 1800 RPM, and the gen head is a Mecc Alte. All controlled by a DynaGen

Seems like a quality setup and should last for 30 years (I hope.. this unit will
be installed outdoors unlike the main house one).

Industrial Toys, They have several lower KW units built just the same, but they are all so close in price, that I guess being able to run everything at once isn’t that bad lol. This house will be my full time home, and while I am not home that much of the day, the boss is, and she doesn’t need to be tasked with understanding why she can and can not run during a power outage. Will be running all electric appliances with exception to the stove (propane).

 

[Blaszer]

The larger base is the optional 50 gallon tank setup. All in, it is a very compact size @ 33 W x 57 L x 50 H

 

[aczlan]

Anyone have an experience with Aurora Generators? Looking at getting a 20kw with a canopy enclosure and 50 gallon base tank paired to a ASCO 185 200amp ATS. Powering a new 3 car garage/2 bedroom building.

From Garage Journal (mostly talking about their portable gensets):

It's a cheap Chinese import, probably the same as the Titan and all the other clones. Many are made in the same factories. If you're talking the sub-10kw portables, they're light-duty, high-RPM diesels... not a prescription for long lasting. Only one I would consider would be the Perkins-powered 10kw.

What output rating/portability are you looking for?

They're a generic Chinese generator, the same Yanmar clone engine as all the others, same basic case design, shared alternators, etc. I highly doubt they're made in Canada.
The factory/assembly pictures show a control panel in Mandarin, and all employees pictured of Asian descent. I'd rather buy a cheap import gasser locally (I hear Princess Auto has similar stuff to HF), where parts availability will be less of an issue, and more are produced. Gasoline does not store as well as diesel, but you wan to exercise your generator with load frequently. The reports I've heard on the 6500W's (mostly the ones in the sound enclosure) have all been poor.
Two gassers would be cheaper and more reliable then the single diesel

Aaron Z

 

[Blaszer]

Aaron, I did see that thread and they must be out of the air cooled portable business. Nothing (as far as I can tell) is chinesium about their current products. All Perkins or Cat engine and seems to be a super high quality product