Yanmar generator

[bher]

I just bought a 6 kW Yanmar diesel generator. It has a 10 horsepower Yanmar engine. It is new with a 1 year warranty, but it may be surplus stock or something like that. I paid $1300 total. I live 600 feet off the road on a steep wooded hill. After the xmas snow, I decided that I had had enough. I will keep the generator in shed about 30 feet from my garage. I expect it to be pretty loud and vibrate (single cylinder diesel). I think that I got a pretty good deal. Anybody have any thoughts or experiences with Yanmar generators.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

A, was the other guy concious when you made the deal?
B, You have a great machine
C, Vibration should be minimal, they are used in motorhomes & busses.
D, with a decent muffler system it will purr like a kitten
E, it will sip fuel
You got very lucky!

 

[gws]

6kw diesel for $1300 is a great deal. Only issue might be parts. First thing to do is get a service maual. Many of the smaller yanmar engines will cross to RV and marine versions.

Noise shouldnt be that much of an issue if its in an enclosed shed. A gas engine of similar horse power would have been noisier Make sure you connected the generator to your home correctly. A good transfer switch is a must. Anything else can be dangerous to your or others working on downed lines.

 

[bher]

Thanks for the feedback. Franz, as the resident generator expert, I am glad you have good things to say. I kinda figured that it would be hard to lose on this deal, as I am pretty sure I could sell the unit in the newspaper and make a few bucks. GWS--I have the engine model number, so I will see about getting some service info.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Parts should be easy to come by, when you need them in about 10 years. Big starting battery is a must.
Change filters & oil at recommended interval, give it a sip of fuel, and let it run for a few weeks.
Yanmar is really a marine diesel engine company. What you have is a genset designed for a boat. Many of them went into bus conversions back in the 80s.
I believe Yanmar has a web site that may have the information you are looking for.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Is it okay to run #2/ home heating oil in these engines? This would make it really convenient, especially during an extended power outage.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

For about the 9,999,996th time, #2 home heating oil & #2 off road Diesel are the same thing, from the same compartment in the same delivery truck, on the same trip.
The main difference between the 2 products is TAX. In NY, there is NO tax on home heating oil, and there is TAX on off road diesel.
I've run my Yanmar 240D on nothing but #2 home heating oil for 22 years with no problems. Using oil from your heating tank will generally mean you are running on a fresher fuel supply if nothing else.
NEVER use kerosene to fuel a Diesel of any kind, there is no lubricating quality to Kerosene.
Never use Either on a small Diesel like this unless you want to replace a lot of parts.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I understand that #2 home heating oil and #2 off road diesel are the same product, however, they are not the same as #2 Low Sulfur or On-Road diesel that you get at the pump at your local gas station. My question was more to the point of whether or not these engines were designed to operate on high or low sulfur diesel. Maybe it doesn't matter, I don't know, but that's all I was asking.

 

[gmason]

I've got a 6kw genset with the y100 engine and it's a 2 cyl engine. Areyou sure it's a single cylinder? Look for the injection lines running to the 2 "heads". Mine is a SDMO french built machine.

Here's a few things that I found.
1st make sure you check the oil and start it before you need it. Mine had a little plug of grease in the fuel/injector line that kept any fuel from getting to the cylinders. Once I cleaned this out, fuel flow was regained.
Also, the muffler on mine does not quiet it down too much, if you want it quiet, you'll have to enclose it. I have started mine in 18deg with 3 pulls of the rope. Lot's of black smoke that startup though.

good luck
gary

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I really don't think these engines care one bit about lo sulphur -v- "hi-sulphur" diesel.
Other than a proclaimed slight loss of power I've heard about from OTR drivers, I've never seen anything saying elimination of sulphur from diesel fuel was a problem. I should also point out, I've yet to meet an OTR driver who didn't claim loss of power from something, from popcorn in the cab to the fat waitress at the truckstop.
Re the post on a plugged line, I'd more than agree it would be a good idea to go thru the unit and confirm operability before getting into a situation where you need it bad.
Exercizing the machine regularly is a good idea too. It also provides a good reason when the wife asks why you saved those old electric fry pans.