Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Racer4]

Went to check one of the houses I watch yesterday. First thing I do when I get there is open the cover on the standby generator and check the display for the last run time. Display showed the wrong time and date, and a bunch of red lights were on.

Flipped the manual start switch and nothing but a click. Threw my multi meter on the battery 12.9 v, flipped the switch again, click and voltage drops to less than 5. So I pulled the battery out and threw it in my truck. Got it home and threw my tester on it and instead of 550CCA, it was only 55! Going to head to NAPA today for a replacement.

Since the oil and filters were more than 5 years old, I’ll pick up new filters, oil and spark plugs and change them out too.

Generator is a Cummins/Onan with an air cooled Briggs Intek Twin. Looked up filters on NAPA $41 for the stinking air filter and $23 for the oil filter! Holy crap. Checked elsewhere and nobody is stocking both, including TSC.

ETA: it is a Briggs Vanguard not Intek.

The negative battery clamp split in half today. I did get it tightened up, but I’ll have to get that replaced.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I've noticed many times those quoting how they use E fuel in this or that old engine and never have problems. I've experienced this with OLD engines too, and I think it's because those old engines aren't jetted so lean, and pass "junk" that would stop up one of the LEAN jetted newer engines. (read Honda)

SR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Our power was off 5-1/2 hrs. yesterday, I didn't even bother to start a generator for the first three hours, and only then to cool down the fridge.

So, as my Honda 2000 needed exercising, that's the one I started and plugged in the fridge, then sump pump.

I didn't need electricity for anything else, so I didn't plug in anything else.

SR

 

[WinterDeere]

I've noticed many times those quoting how they use E fuel in this or that old engine and never have problems. I've experienced this with OLD engines too, and I think it's because those old engines aren't jetted so lean, and pass "junk" that would stop up one of the LEAN jetted newer engines. (read Honda)

I also run regular e-gas out of the pump thru my 2013'ish Honda GX, my 2012 Subaru EX27, and a 2007 Kawasaki V-twin. No problem with any of them.

The Honda GX is the one that gets the bowl drained after each use, as that's on our emergency portable generator, and it's also run on fuel with stabilizer (usually Stabil) mixed before pouring.

The Subaru engine is on a leaf blower and the Kawi V-twin is on a mower, both of which get used daily for half the year, and then parked the other half. Both have a fuel shut off valve that I close to run them dry before their 4-6 months storage, but I don't bother draining the carburetor bowl on either. I also don't bother with fuel stabilizer in either.

 

[arto98607]

You mean Sta-Bil 360 which is the one to use for ethanol containing fuel treatment.

I have used it for several years in small engine fuel and it works as advertised!

 

[tradosaurus]

I make a point to start my 10,000 Watt Champion generator the first of each month and let it run for 10 minutes. I check the oil first before starting.
I only use non-ethanol fuel.

 

[Sprinkler Fitter]

I wonder what other people do to get the noise level down. My gen is LOUD. Tried adding an automotive muffler, but that didn't really work. And tried running the exhaust under water. That also didn't work. Figured out if I set it up to reflect noise away from the house, it is much better. The noise is in the single piston engine design. Even outside on the ground, we can feel the vibrations inside, panting the windows.

I wouldn’t mind having a loud generator just for Home back up or something but we have a food truck and I can’t believe the amount of food trucks that have a screaming loud generator, why would you spend anywhere from $30-$60,000 to fill a food trailer or a food truck and fill it with nice appliances and then get a screaming loud generator? I don’t understand.

We have a quiet Honda on ours that has over 5000 hours on it and if we are the only food truck at an event, we get guys wondering where we are plugged in because they don’t hear generator

 

[WinterDeere]

You mean Sta-Bil 360 which is the one to use for ethanol containing fuel treatment.

Well, that's probably what I should be using, but it's not. The bottle I have is red and just reads "Stabil". Since I've honestly never had a problem related to e-gas, I haven't put much time or energy into sourcing and buying the best stabilizer.

 

[daugen]

Well, that's probably what I should be using, but it's not. The bottle I have is red and just reads "Stabil". Since I've honestly never had a problem related to e-gas, I haven't put much time or energy into sourcing and buying the best stabilizer.

we all think you should stop what you are doing and do this right now!
drain all your old gas out and do it properly. Buy several cases of STabil and get the right one. Take at least several hours in the hot sun to do it.
and no dinner until you do!


just razzing a Philly neighbor...
I only have three motors left to take care of and the gen runs on propane.
The others I do nothing with other than lots of SeaFoam and making sure my gasoline supply is fresh. Kawasaki in JD mower always been a good starter. Snow blower has EFI and that seems to help a little. Otherwise I've gone to Makita cordless.

 

[WinterDeere]

Did you do your own propane conversion? My portable genny is the ubiquitous PowerStroke 6800 with Honda GX engine, that I see all over, I guess they're pretty popular. But they're gas only from the factory, and the propane conversion kit I found for them back when I bought new involved cutting the frame. Some folks reported issues with that, as it really weakens the thing, with regard to travel if you load it onto a truck or trailer, or tote it around on the back of a tractor.

If anyone knows of a better propane conversion kit, I'd be interested. We have propane in our garage already, feeding a space heater, so it wouldn't be hard to tee in another line on a quick disconnect fitting for feeding the generator when back-feeding the house.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

We have propane in our garage already, feeding a space heater, so it wouldn't be hard to tee in another line on a quick disconnect fitting for feeding the generator when back-feeding the house.

BUT, is that line big enough to power a generator???

SR

 

[Robin Veerman]

….and have a loooong line to get it out and away from the garage.
Also hopefully you have a proper transfer switch/interlock installed so that you’re NOT back feeding improperly

 

[WinterDeere]

BUT, is that line big enough to power a generator???

Hah... I did the math on this two years ago, and forget the details. If I recall, the regulator outside is something like 0.5 psi, and that's run into the house in 3/4" PS2 Tracpipe, where it tees off into separate 1/2" (? should check) CSST lines to garage and kitchen. Right now, the only appliance on that leg of the system is the heater, but we did discuss stepping that whole leg up to 2 psi for installing a kitchen range, and then stepping back down to 0.5 psi at each appliance.

So, I'll have to check requirement for the generator, but if we come up short at 0.5 PSI, it'd be the easy excuse I need to just swap up to 2 psi today. That might even give me the option of not having to shut off the heater to run the generator, but I'd have to check that.

 

[WinterDeere]

….and have a loooong line to get it out and away from the garage.
Also hopefully you have a proper transfer switch/interlock installed so that you’re NOT back feeding improperly

I park it outside a closed garage door, running on gasoline. Exhaust pointed away from house, receptacle bank pointed toward house. Probably 5 foot air gap between door and generator, with good wind and airflow around that end of the house, no doors or windows open, and actually that wing of the house is unoccupied (just garage and music studio space).

 

[arto98607]

Did you do your own propane conversion? My portable genny is the ubiquitous PowerStroke 6800 with Honda GX engine, that I see all over, I guess they're pretty popular. But they're gas only from the factory, and the propane conversion kit I found for them back when I bought new involved cutting the frame. Some folks reported issues with that, as it really weakens the thing, with regard to travel if you load it onto a truck or trailer, or tote it around on the back of a tractor.

If anyone knows of a better propane conversion kit, I'd be interested. We have propane in our garage already, feeding a space heater, so it wouldn't be hard to tee in another line on a quick disconnect fitting for feeding the generator when back-feeding the house.

View attachment 954244

I put one of these into a cheap open frame 3500 W few years ago, but your generator is twice as big...

I've decided to keep this for now as a second backup, in case my dual fuel inverter generator should fail for some reason.

It's worth checking what's available on eBay etc.

 

[3930dave]

Ive also read so many negative articles on leaving carbs empty. Drying out gaskets, etc. i really dont know which is the best way to store them.

We've been around this track a few times on here - worthy topic, considering the potential headaches.

Among the variables, I've come to believe regional (and seasonal) fuel formulations are a significant factor. I went to wet storage 10+ years back, when my little Briggs had a stuck float. I know some guys like to "fix" that by picking up the generator, and dropping it on concrete - that might have "fixed" my problem, based on what I found, but not my style, so I took it apart. Stored dry, there were light crusty white deposits gucking up the float - I've heard the same symptom, from other guys around here. Went to wet/stabilized storage - OK so far, but about 1 year back, E-free got wiped from the market here too, at least @ the pump.

Whatever somebody has for a storage strategy, keep doing it, but realize it may play-out differently even one State/Province away....

The goalposts keep moving on gasoline..... one of the reasons I'm more interested in propane/natgas than I was 10 years ago.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Went to check one of the houses I watch yesterday. First thing I do when I get there is open the cover on the standby generator and check the display for the last run time. Display showed the wrong time and date, and a bunch of red lights were on.

Flipped the manual start switch and nothing but a click. Threw my multi meter on the battery 12.9 v, flipped the switch again, click and voltage drops to less than 5. So I pulled the battery out and threw it in my truck. Got it home and threw my tester on it and instead of 550CCA, it was only 55! Going to head to NAPA today for a replacement.

Since the oil and filters were more than 5 years old, I’ll pick up new filters, oil and spark plugs and change them out too.

Generator is a Cummins/Onan with an air cooled Briggs Intek Twin. Looked up filters on NAPA $41 for the stinking air filter and $23 for the oil filter! Holy crap. Checked elsewhere and nobody is stocking both, including TSC.

ETA: it is a Briggs Vanguard not Intek.

The negative battery clamp split in half today. I did get it tightened up, but I’ll have to get that replaced.

Those folks are lucky to have you on-patrol.

Parts cost have gotten stupid for many things..... alternatives (ignoring) are usually still worse accounting....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I put one of these into a cheap open frame 3500 W few years ago, but your generator is twice as big...

I've decided to keep this for now as a second backup, in case my dual fuel inverter generator should fail for some reason.

It's worth checking what's available on eBay etc.

View attachment 959197

View attachment 959198

View attachment 959199

Thanks for posting that.

Cost on those kits is low (esp. in the US).... I've considering trying one on my little gen.... it's more just the time, than $ that has stopped me. As a portable option, I'm liking on propane for small gens; my choice would be 30# tanks - decent runtime, and still easy to move around.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I like that idea! I’ll have to try that instead of Quik Start!

Somebody on here, who hasn't been on in a while, reminded me/us of this simple trick....

Most of us have one or 3 propane torches "somewhere" , and those foldable silicone funnels are inexpensive, pack-down well, and are useful for other things....

When I first saw (name escapes me) posting about this, I thought of chasing vacuum leaks on engines years ago with a propane torch - Why didn't I think of this before ?

Rgds D.

 

[Alan46]

When I first saw (name escapes me) posting about this, I thought of chasing vacuum leaks on engines years ago with a propane torch - Why didn't I think of this before ?

I was wondering the same thing!