Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Williy]

Not really sure so long ago but the diesel engines of MR CHOO CHOO
use #4 diesel and have 2 ea 4000 gallon tanks one on each side. And
the pistons are so big you can climb in the cylinders they are so big!
Our diesel Yanmar generator I tested two months ago just turned the
key fired right up! I believe that a guy on youtube that works on small
engines said not to use the stablizer for the fuel.

willy

 

[5030]

Sunday at 2pm. Right on time as usual.

 

[3930dave]

Not really sure so long ago but the diesel engines of MR CHOO CHOO
use #4 diesel and have 2 ea 4000 gallon tanks one on each side. And
the pistons are so big you can climb in the cylinders they are so big!
Our diesel Yanmar generator I tested two months ago just turned the
key fired right up! I believe that a guy on youtube that works on small
engines said not to use the stablizer for the fuel.

willy

I've had good luck using Stanadyne in diesel here..... but there are many variables..... geography/climate, storage, volume used, bio-diesel content.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Sunday at 2pm. Right on time as usual.

Rgds, D.

 

[5030]

My diesel standby is directly plumbed to my 500 gallon bulk diesel tank which always has Power Kleen biocide in it. Never had issues with it. Goes in my diesel tractors as well. Truck gets on road diesel with biocide as well.

 

[Williy]

He was talking about small gas engines

willy

 

[daugen]

ah, I can finally talk about something on topic...
Westinghouse gen hit two year mark, and like all other small low annual hour engines I have/had, I go two
years on the oil change. Now if I ran this gen four or five days in an outage, I'd give it a thank you oil change then anyhow...
I probably average 20 hours a year max on this gen. With full synthetic not like oil is going to break down.
would be nice premium touch if they added an oil pump and oil filter, you could go longer intervals without worrying.

 

[WinterDeere]

Just stumbled onto this thread, and will admit I did not go back and read the 612 pages between the first and the last, but the whole subject surprised me. I do quite the opposite, in that I prep the genny for long-term storage after each use, not knowing whether my next need for it will be in 2 weeks or 2 years. Then it's stored, much like it would be on a shelf in the factory or big box store, I never do "maintenance runs" between usage.

Basic Honda-powered 8 kW gasoline job, here's my routine:

1. Always mix fuel stabilizer with all fuel going into the tank.
2. In as much as it's impossible to know when an outage will be ending, endeavor to leave the tank less than half full, so that fresh fuel can always be added at next use.
3. Always shut down at the end of an outage by closing fuel shutoff valve, and letting line run dry.
4. Always drain carb bowl of fuel at end of an outage, mine has a nice little bleeder screw for this purpose.
5. Always change oil after an outage, and before putting it back into storage. Doesn't matter if usage was only 4 hours, I want it stored with uncontaminated oil in the crank case, as it might be a year or three before next use.
6. Watch hour meter, and keep up with all other maintenance items (spark plug, air filter, etc.) at specified intervals.

Following this routine, it has never failed to perform when needed.

 

[3930dave]

My diesel standby is directly plumbed to my 500 gallon bulk diesel tank which always has Power Kleen biocide in it. Never had issues with it. Goes in my diesel tractors as well. Truck gets on road diesel with biocide as well.

Your turnover rate is probably pretty good.... so that is helpful right there .

I've a can of International branded biocide on the shelf.... used it when I first got my 3930 - top of the tank didn't look right, then once or twice since. Fuel supply quality can always be an issue, but I suspect that as the bio-dzl content gets driven higher, most of us will become regular biocide users.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

would be nice premium touch if they added an oil pump and oil filter, you could go longer intervals without worrying.

As you know (former big-marine owner), everything gets built to a Price.....

It does surprise me sometimes, how long small engines hang in there, with zero maintenance.... I suspect that some of the factory validation testing is done around that issue, given how many owners neglect small (and larger) engines....

Many/most people who hang out here are maintenance-aware, so this crowd knows the value of what you practice...... but iike Eat Properly, Get Exercise, Get Enough Sleep..... reminders don't hurt any of us

Rgds, D.