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