Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

I'm a land lubber and know for a fact that diesel (heating oil) if properly stored in a dry temperature stable environment such as an in home heating oil tank will remain usable for many years.
A marine environment is totally different. Moisture is a huge issue and will promote bacterial growth that will plug filters at a minimum and quickly damage any newer common rail diesel.
I live in Massachusetts at an elevation of 1895' and have never had nor heard of an issue locally with diesel that was properly delivered and stored.
I did have a barrel of diesel once that had water in it and it went bad, it plugged my tractor fuel filter and the engine started skipping. Had to drain my tank & flush the system.
You make a good point here on your experience in the marine world.
Your engines are large state of the art modern common rail diesels that have little tolerance pertaining to fuel quality.
Todays diesels have fuel filters that are rated at 2 microns or less the filter on my 1990 Dodge Cummins is most likely 10 microns.
In any situation there is always an exception to the rule and you pointed it out.
Proper handling and environment is the key to long term storage of fuel.
I'd like to mention that all my diesels are older with no electronics and from a preping point of view they will be happy running on any fuel that is clean.
To ensure the fuel is clean I use a goldenrod water block then a 10 micron filter followed by a 2 micron filter.
90cummins

Another modern diesel issue (mobile equipment now, small gens more so later in time) is tolerance to filter-plugging. An old mech-inj diesel might stumble and shut down due to a plugged filter. Restrict a modern diaphragm-pump on a diesel with a plugged filter, and you may be replacing the pump. Usually not a cheap lesson.

If I had to pick common fuels for long-term storage, I'd rank them this way:

1) Propane, only because Natgas is not commonly stored. Nothing else needed.

2) Next common liquid dino juice - Diesel. With appropriate stabilizer and biocide added. Replenishment needed with time.

3) Altho even pure gasoline isn't what it used to be...... Efree with stabilizer added. Replenishment needed with time.

They all can be made to work, over longish periods of time. My Hi-Rel/Lazy side likes propane's lack of Needs ______ added for insurance.....

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

To ensure the fuel is clean I use a goldenrod water block then a 10 micron filter followed by a 2 micron filter

I appreciate the feedback. Triple filtering is the bomb, I have the sediment filter, then the waterblock. On my old marine diesels, we ran
with primary and secondary Racors with different microns. Lot of opinions on do you run with the 2 and plug all the time, 5's and 10s used to be more common, but with common rail, I think you have to filter down to one micron? ? Don't know.

none of these small engines are CR. So they probably will run on low octane gas fairly well, I know Hondas seem to run on anything.
Most of us reading this use Seafoam and other stabilizers, understand need to keep water out, etc,. We are the choir, so yeah, I bet if you kept your diesel tank full, so no wall sweating/condensation, and put in a full dose of additives, I might feel safe going out to four or five years.
But ten year old diesel must be like bunker fuel... and if you can get your machinery to run on it, marvelous. Good to use it up.
Old diesel has a particular smell, like a wine turned, you'll know when you smell it usually.

I'm a believer in we are what we eat. So I try to feed the machinery good stuff so it will run reliably. I'm sure much is overkill and I'm the successful result of much marketing by Mobil I, etc.

My Massey is Tier II, the Kubota a III. What if you put old fuel through a new Tier IV?
Any impact on emissions equipment? Again, don't know.
these small engines really have very little emissions equipment, only what California seems to dictate.
Gas engine emissions equipment could get a lot more complicated, like diesels.
Can you imagine DEF with your gas engines? Catalytic converters vying for space under the hood of your
2kw inverter gen? I don't think so...

 

[90cummins]

Today's tier ll, lll, lV engines have changed the game. Tolerance to fuel quality is near zero with high pressure common rail and catalytic converters. Heck a gentlemen I know bought a new compact kubota and operated it like his old equipment only running it fast enough to do the job.
Trouble soon followed with the machine shutting down.
It couldn't perform Regen putting around & idling.
All my engines are very tolerant of low loads and short runs, not good for them but they don't complain.
I also make sure they get a hot supper to keep them happy when I can.
90cummins

 

[ultrarunner]

One gen did four homes? Please explain. Adjacent condos?

4 single family homes on the end of a cul-de-sac...

I only had the Honda 5000 for a few weeks when the earthquake hit and the neighborhood was lucky in that power was restored in less than 24 hours... some of the property I manage was out almost a week...

The cul-de-sac homes range from 1800 to 2400 square feet... 3 and 4 bedrooms...

The concern was refrigeration and spoilage.

When I came home that night... my neighbor had my generator running in his driveway next door with 4 extension cords with one going to each garage and into the kitchen...

My service truck has a 36 gallon fuel tank with transfer pump so we had fuel...

 

[dragoneggs]

4 single family homes on the end of a cul-de-sac...

I only had the Honda 5000 for a few weeks when the earthquake hit and the neighborhood was lucky in that power was restored in less than 24 hours... some of the property I manage was out almost a week...

The cul-de-sac homes range from 1800 to 2400 square feet... 3 and 4 bedrooms...

The concern was refrigeration and spoilage.

When I came home that night... my neighbor had my generator running in his driveway next door with 4 extension cords with one going to each garage and into the kitchen...

My service truck has a 36 gallon fuel tank with transfer pump so we had fuel...

Well done. Sounds like a lot of long extension cords!

 

[ultrarunner]

I suspect long extension cords. If I recall (?) ur's description of the event, it was older detached homes.

My read on what he's touching on is - What is "essential" ? If you live in a geography with year-round mild climate (no severe heating or cooling needed), don't need to pump water (potable or sump drainage), and don't have big industrial/ag/livestock requirements, then emergency needs (yes, one can get by w/o these too....) really only come down to refrigeration and lighting.

In that scenario, I can see a 5kw Honda doing the job. Chances of 4 refrig compressors all trying to start at the exact same time are slim, and I can't see his Greatest Generation neighbours being daft enough to pull out hairdryers during an emergency.

Historically, us **** sapiens were well adapted to wide swings in temperature. Many people aren't today, so the comfort and convenience of emerg backed up heat and AC are well liked by many. That, and all the electronic modcons we like to have are part of today's lifestyle; but they don't take much power, and most of us recognize them as "wants".

Rgds, D.

Yep... pretty much nailed it.

I also have several 12 gauge and one 10 gauge contractor cords... not enough to reach everywhere but enough to make it work.

Also learned in times of need that most of us that prepare will be in demand...

The 4 homes all between us have keys to the others home and really the perfect neighborhood with 3 being retired and me being the kid...

After it was all said and done I mentioned that I really need to get a bigger generator to power the neighborhood because neighbors down the street wanted in but the generator and cords were maxed...

I did offer space in my chest freezer if they had something to keep frozen so it all worked out...

 

[dragoneggs]

Yep... pretty much nailed it.

I also have several 12 gauge and one 10 gauge contractor cords... not enough to reach everywhere but enough to make it work.

Also learned in times of need that most of us that prepare will be in demand...

The 4 homes all between us have keys to the others home and really the perfect neighborhood with 3 being retired and me being the kid...

After it was all said and done I mentioned that I really need to get a bigger generator to power the neighborhood because neighbors down the street wanted in but the generator and cords were maxed...

I did offer space in my chest freezer if they had something to keep frozen so it all worked out...

Yeah does sound like a perfect neighborhood too. Even though the four homes are all on 1 acre lots that share a long driveway, we all get along great. We were the youngsters until a couple years ago when a 40year old couple with little baby moved in. The other two neighbors are long retired... they keep a eye out for us still in the workforce, and are super easy to deal with.

 

[BHD]

started my old generator this afternoon, it has been some time since I have ran it, took the battery from the combine, and put it on the generator, the unit has a late 50's early 60's, 230 cu. in. Chrysler industrial flat head, running a 30 kw unit, producing 240 three phase, the engine original was on a massy 82 combine, I had overhauled the engine and only ran it a few years on part of the acreage, before retiring the combine, found a generator with a blown engine for cheap and mated the Chrysler engine on to the generator, back in the 80's, and in the late 90's built a concrete block building to house it in, the littel 4000 watt unit we ran for over 30 days after an ice storm in 1977, we have used the generators a few times since then

when I was making a decision for a generator, I wanted to be able to run my AC plug in welder, and it needed 50 amp.

but if I had life to relive I would have just bought the lincoln 250 amp gas welder I have and put in a transfer switch and used that for my back up generator, have used it a lot for power, ( ought it for welding and building a steel post, oil sucker rod corral), the welder has a 10,000 watt generator in it as

for the few three phase loads if needed I have a rotary converter, that I used before I had three phase power, so if needed to I could click that one and get the three phase if I need the walk in cooler or freezer, (normally not used except when processing meat), also Have a few shop tools that need three phase,


I did not try to start the small 4000 watt unit, both the 30kw and the 4kw have been converted to propane, may try to start the small 40 watt unit tomorrow,

 

[3930dave]

Date: Oct 06/17

Generator: 7kw Briggs

Activity: 1.5kw heater on one leg, shopvac on other leg (vac'd Jeep, Civic).Duration 60 minutes.

Final Fueling notes: filled w. NonE gas. Stabil 360 Protection already in fuel can.

Maintenance notes (Done, or Required):

Elec start. Started second crank, full choke. Temperature 17 deg C. Battery measured 13.07v after run was over, before re-connecting float charger. Leg with heater measured 122VAC.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

started my old generator this afternoon, it has been some time since I have ran it, took the battery from the combine, and put it on the generator, the unit has a late 50's early 60's, 230 cu. in. Chrysler industrial flat head, running a 30 kw unit, producing 240 three phase, the engine original was on a massy 82 combine, I had overhauled the engine and only ran it a few years on part of the acreage, before retiring the combine, found a generator with a blown engine for cheap and mated the Chrysler engine on to the generator, back in the 80's, and in the late 90's built a concrete block building to house it in, the littel 4000 watt unit we ran for over 30 days after an ice storm in 1977, we have used the generators a few times since then

when I was making a decision for a generator, I wanted to be able to run my AC plug in welder, and it needed 50 amp.

but if I had life to relive I would have just bought the lincoln 250 amp gas welder I have and put in a transfer switch and used that for my back up generator, have used it a lot for power, ( ought it for welding and building a steel post, oil sucker rod corral), the welder has a 10,000 watt generator in it as

for the few three phase loads if needed I have a rotary converter, that I used before I had three phase power, so if needed to I could click that one and get the three phase if I need the walk in cooler or freezer, (normally not used except when processing meat), also Have a few shop tools that need three phase,


I did not try to start the small 4000 watt unit, both the 30kw and the 4kw have been converted to propane, may try to start the small 40 watt unit tomorrow,

That's quite the collection you've put together..... I like hearing the history of custom builds :thumbsup:

I like propane and natgas, more as time goes by..... esp. for equipment that sits idle most of the time.

Rgds, D.