Your last generator Maintenance Run

90cummins · Jan 7, 2018

It was 8 degrees F below zero this morning and has been below zero for 3 days and decided to see how my L70 Yanmar would start. It has not been started in 4 weeks.
After it started I manually controlled the throttle preventing full speed so oil pressure could build up. Oil psi was initially 50psi but slowly increased to 100 psi as it warmed up.
I connected generator to my inverter and turned off the utility power and ran it for 30 minutes powering entire house.
It started better than I expected, very pleased. I don't think an engine gas or diesel could start any better.
It is a military spec engine with a 3 quart oil sump and bypass oil filter allowing 500 hour service intervals. It also has 2 intake grid heaters that preheat intake air and works quite well.
This 5kw generator originally was powered by an L90 9hp Yanmar that needed major repairs.
I bought this engine new because it had the features noted above allowing very long service and intake grid heaters for extreme cold weather operation.
Another reason for using the smaller engine was to reduce the fuel consumption.
The reduced electrical output 3.7kw verses 5kw is more in line with what I actually need and also keeps the engine at a higher load which is beneficial for the engine.
Follow the link to a utube video of a minus 8 degree cold start.

Yanmar L70 generator minus 8 degrees cold start. - YouTube

Hope you enjoy
90cummins

Industrial Toys · Jan 7, 2018

In these extreme cold temps, I was impressed my air cooled Yanmar generator started. No Heat, Around 6 degree F head temp.

I was going to try my 7.5 kubota/Onan without plugging it in. Just glow plugs, but opted not too. I would still like to know IF it would have started easily, but couldn't bear to torture it needlessly.

wmonroe · Jan 7, 2018

90cummins said:
It was 8 degrees F below zero this morning and has been below zero for 3 days and decided to see how my L70 Yanmar would start. It has not been started in 4 weeks.
After it started I manually controlled the throttle preventing full speed so oil pressure could build up. Oil psi was initially 50psi but slowly increased to 100 psi as it warmed up.
I connected generator to my inverter and turned off the utility power and ran it for 30 minutes powering entire house.
It started better than I expected, very pleased. I don't think an engine gas or diesel could start any better.
It is a military spec engine with a 3 quart oil sump and bypass oil filter allowing 500 hour service intervals. It also has 2 intake grid heaters that preheat intake air and works quite well.
This 5kw generator originally was powered by an L90 9hp Yanmar that needed major repairs.
I bought this engine new because it had the features noted above allowing very long service and intake grid heaters for extreme cold weather operation.
Another reason for using the smaller engine was to reduce the fuel consumption.
The reduced electrical output 3.7kw verses 5kw is more in line with what I actually need and also keeps the engine at a higher load which is beneficial for the engine.
Follow the link to a utube video of a minus 8 degree cold start.

Yanmar L70 generator minus 8 degrees cold start. - YouTube

Hope you enjoy
90cummins

That started very well, my gas riding mower doesn’t start that fast when it’s summer.

daugen · Jan 8, 2018

I like your idea of holding back the throttle for at least ten seconds.
To me going WOT on an ice cold engine is the definition of metal torture.

3930dave · Jan 8, 2018

90cummins said:
It was 8 degrees F below zero this morning and has been below zero for 3 days and decided to see how my L70 Yanmar would start. It has not been started in 4 weeks.
After it started I manually controlled the throttle preventing full speed so oil pressure could build up. Oil psi was initially 50psi but slowly increased to 100 psi as it warmed up.
I connected generator to my inverter and turned off the utility power and ran it for 30 minutes powering entire house.
It started better than I expected, very pleased. I don't think an engine gas or diesel could start any better.
It is a military spec engine with a 3 quart oil sump and bypass oil filter allowing 500 hour service intervals. It also has 2 intake grid heaters that preheat intake air and works quite well.
This 5kw generator originally was powered by an L90 9hp Yanmar that needed major repairs.
I bought this engine new because it had the features noted above allowing very long service and intake grid heaters for extreme cold weather operation.
Another reason for using the smaller engine was to reduce the fuel consumption.
The reduced electrical output 3.7kw verses 5kw is more in line with what I actually need and also keeps the engine at a higher load which is beneficial for the engine.
Follow the link to a utube video of a minus 8 degree cold start.

Yanmar L70 generator minus 8 degrees cold start. - YouTube

Hope you enjoy
90cummins

You know enough about maintaining diesels to make that look easy.

Not to take anything away from that Yanmar MIL design...... that's pretty sweet.

Nothing beats a real test in the cold..... people are changing out batteries in gas road vehicles like crazy up here lately.....

What oil do you run ? Is 100 psi normal for those Yanmars, or have you done some "tweaks" 90 ?

Rgds, D.

3930dave · Jan 8, 2018

3930dave said:
Trying to help out a friend, who has this clone diesel generator. Bought new at auction, but the Owner's Manual is absent....

Powertek EDG6000S

Looks like this

POWERTEK EDG6S [u'East Regina'], Regina

Found parts here:

Generator Guru

Can't find an Owners Manual online yet. Neither of us has experience with this size of diesel.

Parts link above shows a RunStart lever, and a Rocker Cover Decompression Lever, but no glow plugs that I can see.

Is there typically a pre-chamber in the head that you prime with fuel, then use the Decompression Lever to increase initial cranking speed, then release ?

It is electric start.

Rgds, D.

Similar to the start 90 just posted, the best starting description (tracked down a guy, Mark in Alberta, with the same/very similar clone) I've heard involves feathering the throttle @ start. My buddy hasn't found the compression release yet, (may end up pull the enclosure off next....), and Mark doesn't recall one, but it's been quite a while since he's run his.

Mark's Run/Start throttle description:

The large lever on top is the throttle, and the
little red one I think it releases the throttle from the wide open
position. I only put it in the wide open position once it is started
and warmed up a bit. But it is meant to run wide open when in
operation.

I'm 3k miles away from this gen,..... irritating I can't get my hands on it..... there is what looks like a 3rd brass lever at the bottom of Run/Start/throttle assy, I'm wondering what it does ?

Pics of my BC buddy's actual gen attached: Rgds, D.

90cummins · Jan 8, 2018

3930dave said:
Similar to the start 90 just posted, the best starting description (tracked down a guy, Mark in Alberta, with the same/very similar clone) I've heard involves feathering the throttle @ start. My buddy hasn't found the compression release yet, (may end up pull the enclosure off next....), and Mark doesn't recall one, but it's been quite a while since he's run his.

Mark's Run/Start throttle description:

The large lever on top is the throttle, and the
little red one I think it releases the throttle from the wide open
position. I only put it in the wide open position once it is started
and warmed up a bit. But it is meant to run wide open when in
operation.

I'm 3k miles away from this gen,..... irritating I can't get my hands on it..... there is what looks like a 3rd brass lever at the bottom of Run/Start/throttle assy, I'm wondering what it does ?

Pics of my BC buddy's actual gen attached: Rgds, D.

View attachment 534869 View attachment 534870 View attachment 534871

I had one of those china silent generator's & very familiar with them.
The compression release is on top of the engine and you can't get to it from there.
I had to cut an opening in the top of the housing in order to use it. Cost cutting move for them!
90cummins

90cummins · Jan 8, 2018

3930dave said:
You know enough about maintaining diesels to make that look easy.

Not to take anything away from that Yanmar MIL design...... that's pretty sweet.

Nothing beats a real test in the cold..... people are changing out batteries in gas road vehicles like crazy up here lately.....

What oil do you run ? Is 100 psi normal for those Yanmars, or have you done some "tweaks" 90 ?

Rgds, D.

No tweaks!
I use Rotella 5w40 and 100psi is normal cold 50~60psi hot.
There is no pressure regulator so this is normal.
90cummins

Industrial Toys · Jan 8, 2018

The upper red lever is the on/off. The solenoid only shuts the motor off, but that red upper lever needs to be manually reset to start again. Made trying to remote start/stop this set too difficult! And I had bought the RF stuff already.

The Red lever on the right is the decompression lever when pressed down.

90cummins · Jan 8, 2018

Those controls are the same as mine and others I've worked on.
The red lever on the right is not the decompression lever it is the manual release for the throttle.
When engine is running if that lever on the right is pressed it will release the throttle shutting the engine down.
The decompression lever is on the valve cover which is inaccessible.
90cummins