Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Industrial Toys]

Got my ground issue solved. White corrosion on the Kubota block where the ground cable attached. Easy fix. Not so easy is the power connection block. 5 Terminals. One tiny dab of grease would have made the screws removeable. My friend says Onan wants $200.00 for that terminal block! Maybe that's even the wholesale price.

Good news is that the Inverter makes 60 amps of 120V internally and is only seperated into two 30 amp fused circuits to go externally. That will make my 120 to 120/240 transformer nicely doable at the full 7.5 KW.

 

[3930dave]

My 9V. seemed to run down very quickly when there was a power outage

I can imagine your house lights might dim pretty quickly
if you were powering the whole place with a 9V...

So much rain in this area; read a TBN member in Southern Virginia is stuck at home with two giant
trees across his driveway, and running a big house on gen. Rain has saturated ground and trees are a falling.

I hope everybody stays safe....... could be worse, doesn't take much of a tree to injure or kill someone..... including post-cleanup ops.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Got my ground issue solved. White corrosion on the Kubota block where the ground cable attached. Easy fix. Not so easy is the power connection block. 5 Terminals. One tiny dab of grease would have made the screws removeable. My friend says Onan wants $200.00 for that terminal block! Maybe that's even the wholesale price.

Good news is that the Inverter makes 60 amps of 120V internally and is only seperated into two 30 amp fused circuits to go externally. That will make my 120 to 120/240 transformer nicely doable at the full 7.5 KW.

1) Nice progress IT !

2) I think I'm going to start manufacturing terminal blocks :dollarsign::dollarsign::dollarsign::checkmark:

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I was thinking of some of ur's stories, reading this.....

Four charged over power cut at Margate's QEQM hospital - BBC News

I hope the judge throws a bookcase at them.........

Rgds, D.

 

[Semper Paratus]

My generator saga is about a Briggs and stratton gasoline generator that I inherited. I ran the unit four or 5 years ago for the now deceased 101 year old neighbor and shut it down by closing the fuel cut off. The gen set sat in the barn apparently untouched for several years judging from the amount of guano on the unit. After the neighbor passed I was told to get the unit, if I wanted it. I did. Took a while to clean up. The remaining couple of gallons of fuel in the tank was vile smelling so I drained it a washed the tank down with a bit of fresh fuel. After an oil check and a bit of fresh fuel I was able to start the unit but it wanted to stay on the high speed stop, obviously an over-speed condition. I shut it down and attempted to manipulate the throttle shaft, controlled by the governor and it would not free up. I gave it a dose of PB blaster and a day later still bound up more PB blaster, still bound up. I finally put pliers on the quadrant pressed on to the throttle shaft and moved the quadrant but not the shaft. I have ordered up a new carb, for a reasonable price and will install next week. Get the unit warmed up and see if it makes juice and then an oil change and prep for standby service during hurricane season. It just goes to prove you have to excercise the units periodically to ensure they will work.
I run my home unit about once a quarter and keep it fueled with heavily treated ethanol free gas. During the aftermath of last falls hurricane it started on the second pull. It provided 3 days of service maintaining two fridges and a freezer cold and some incidental lights all on less than 5 gallons of fuel. My theory is that I run the unit to keep freezers cold for a couple of hours a couple of times a day.

 

[3930dave]

My generator saga is about a Briggs and stratton gasoline generator that I inherited. I ran the unit four or 5 years ago for the now deceased 101 year old neighbor and shut it down by closing the fuel cut off. The gen set sat in the barn apparently untouched for several years judging from the amount of guano on the unit. After the neighbor passed I was told to get the unit, if I wanted it. I did. Took a while to clean up. The remaining couple of gallons of fuel in the tank was vile smelling so I drained it a washed the tank down with a bit of fresh fuel. After an oil check and a bit of fresh fuel I was able to start the unit but it wanted to stay on the high speed stop, obviously an over-speed condition. I shut it down and attempted to manipulate the throttle shaft, controlled by the governor and it would not free up. I gave it a dose of PB blaster and a day later still bound up more PB blaster, still bound up. I finally put pliers on the quadrant pressed on to the throttle shaft and moved the quadrant but not the shaft. I have ordered up a new carb, for a reasonable price and will install next week. Get the unit warmed up and see if it makes juice and then an oil change and prep for standby service during hurricane season. It just goes to prove you have to excercise the units periodically to ensure they will work.
I run my home unit about once a quarter and keep it fueled with heavily treated ethanol free gas. During the aftermath of last falls hurricane it started on the second pull. It provided 3 days of service maintaining two fridges and a freezer cold and some incidental lights all on less than 5 gallons of fuel. My theory is that I run the unit to keep freezers cold for a couple of hours a couple of times a day.

What goes round, comes around...... you helped the neighbour, and the family knows you are someone who can give that gen the TLC it needs in a new shop.

It's amazing how affordable complete carbs have become..... plenty of people seem to have good results with them, for not much money...... sometimes gaining available adjustments too....

Always nice to have a spare gen around.... When Things Go Wrong...... if nothing else but to loan to someone who needs it.

Fridges/freezers will stay cold for a while, they don't need power 24hrs/day......

If you think of it, please post up what carb you bought, and how things worked out with it.....

Rgds, D.

 

[PILOON]

On subject of carbs,
I have noticed a fair number of them listed on Chinese sites and occasionally on EBay as well.

About 6 months ago we were told that the New Holland needed a new turbo at the dealer price of $1200.
Web search on China web located what we needed and it was shipped by air and was in hand 4 days later.

Landed cost was a mere tad over $350 all included. Quality size fit etc was just fine, only the OEM branding was absent.
So it does pay to search.
I also have purchased carbs on the net with success.

FYI in this day and age just about everything is from offshore and the OEM's have little control over 'over production'.
It seems that the offshore ethics encourage overproduction and back door bonus activity.

Power tool batteries seems to be one current version of that activity.

 

[3930dave]

After many decades of off-shoring, corporations here have dug themselves into a bit of a hole..... least-wise with anybody paying even a slight bit of attention.....

Since it's all mostly made over there anyway, why pay big $ for a name/sticker ?

Let's take your turbo example........ even IF the lifespan was only 50% of OE, you could by two, and still be well ahead $ wise. Ignoring labour of course.....it's mostly hands-on people who notice how the parts market works anyway......

AND, as in your case, many a time the quality is at least the same......

I often don't mind paying extra for real improvements in quality and performance, but much of the time today, you aren't getting much added value.

Safety is one key factor...... you still need proper safeguards in place in lithium battery packs, DOT fittings on truck air lines, aircraft parts....... but as long as they are in place, or not needed in a given product....... Game On !

I learned a long time ago..... esp. in the PRC, Intellectual Property Rights mean absolutely nothing.

Rgds, D.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I fought with that stupid terminal block and totally destroyed it. I only had a four terminal block, not five, so went with that. Who needs a stinkin ground anyway?

Connected to a 3750KVA transformer to make 220V,and it runs the place nice, including water pump. I was wondering why the motor would surge a little now and then, but I guess it was the fridge or freezer coming on. Was drawing around 15 amp on 110 going into the transformer and 26 amps with the jet pump running.

Next step, get a 7.5 KW transformer 110/220 , overload, contactor and fuel tank. I have a good wireless remote control that I will use for stop/start as well as the contactor, on/off. I will also rig up a transmitter in the ATS to shut the thing down if power returns while I am asleep.

What an incredibly sweet running outfit.

The wind is really starting to blow here. Forecast for 100KMPH, so I might (finally) just get lucky.

 

[3930dave]

Great Save IT !

Many modern diesels are impressively quiet..... nice way to go, esp. if you know the Right Guy to get one from ! :thumbsup:

Pls post up pics of all the cool farkles you are adding to this now-happy diesel.

Hate to say it though..... once you get this snazzy roll-your-own auto-transfer diesel in place, your grid will respond by staying up for the next 25 years !

Re. surging.... might just be load related, but if you haven't already, I'd try a dose of your favourite diesel injector cleaner.

Rgds, D.