Generator removal

[Hittheroad]

I have been fighting trying to get generator to run and produce voltage and have discovered that I have no continuity through the brushes so this tells me that either the brushes have a broken wire going to them or the slip rings are tarnished or ? whatever it is without the continuity there will be no electricity and I do not see anyway to get to the brushes with the generator in the compartment so my question is will it fit through the door or will I have to pull the door off. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Wish they would have just made these so all you had to do is drop them down but then they would be in a bad elements all the time

[dougm]

i can only speak for the concourse, the door has to come off. You need every bit of the space to remove it. I spent a bunch of time attempting to get mine to work properly, even yanked it out twice... finally had enough and bought a brand new generator from onan/cummins in minniapolis.

[Hittheroad]

Thank you for the reply, without measuring it appears that it will be very tight so I figured the door had to come off. Its a shame that it does not work with only 137 hours on it. Hopefully I wont have to buy a new one I wish the Honda 2000 would run the AC I have a Yamaha 2400 that would run the AC but it wont fit in the compartment What is the most difficult part you ran into getting it out besides the weight ?

[dougm]

exactly that... it has to be lifted and pulled almost straight out, dont try resting it on the exposed fiberglass after door removal and attempt to slide it out or you could end up cracking or chipping the fiberglass. Even though one would think the gen could be rested on the edge and slid out, the bottom of the generator base is not smooth and flat, it will catch on the edge as you try to slide it out. Its definately a two man job. also you will want a bench or stand right beside you to sit the generator on once its out because you will be frustrated and ready to let go by the time you get it up and out of the compartment.

[Blue~Go]

...also you will want a bench or stand right beside you to sit the generator on once its out because you will be frustrated and ready to let go by the time you get it up and out of the compartment.

"Ask me how I know" There's the voice of experience (Dougm)

Just for future reference in case others look to this thread. The "newer" generator door surround does have to come off, as Doug said. However I think the older ones maybe didn't have to (Scott? Didn't you leave the door on your 1994 when removing the gen?). I think how you can tell is our "modern" ones have a sheet metal enclosure, and the older one has a fiberglass one (again, Scott, could you confirm?).

However, I think taking off the door/frame is not a bad thing. I haven't had that one off, but I have had the water heater enclosure, plus a couple of the utility enclosures off, and in each case the wooden cleats on the inside basically fell off in my hands. They were just stuck into some polyester mush. Not a big crisis as the frame fasteners hold them in place, but on the other hand it's also not bad to re-attach them with some thickened epoxy so they are stuck on as intended. Also I changed a couple of mine to through-bolting vs. just wee screws into the plywood strips (just 'cause I was in there, not as a separate project). You can also re-bed the frame, which is not a bad idea every 15 years or so on any penetration.

I think Scott removed his roof air and fit a window unit in the generator compartment somehow (?) And then powers it with a Honda 2000. Obviously whether that is a good idea or not depends on your use case. He's very pleased, as I recall.

[Scott]

Hey guys. I had to remove the door. The Onan would not have come out otherwise. It only added a few minutes. Removing the generator was not a technically difficult job, but physically it was heavy and cumbersome, as Doug said. The gen was about 160 pounds IIRC. Blue, you're correct; the enclosure in my 1994 is gelcoated fiberglass. I have batteries in there now and a 6000 BTU window air con and some other gear. Very happy. I use an EU2000, albeit rarely. That's stored in the rear locker. Incidentally, the Honda successfully ran the stock Coleman roof air (RIP) but I can't confirm if that would have been a reliable combination long term. In terms of noise, weight, space, exhaust, and a bunch of other things, the Honda and window unit combination suits me much better. But it's not for everyone. Keeping things original isn't really my style unless we're talking a 1963 Corvette, big block, 4 speed, side exhaust, black with red interior .

Tangentially, I've dealt with a lot of small-engine carburetor failures caused by ethanol blended fuel. For a rarely-used small engine like my Honda, I use the ethanol-free fuel from a can ($4/quart) mostly because I want it ready to go at all times. With my other small engines, I use pump gas but I make sure to run the fuel system completely dry before long-term storage (rototiller, chainsaw, pressure washer, etc.). If they're used frequently, they seem to be fine on the ethanol blend. That is to say I wouldn't go more than a few weeks without running an Onan (unless it was drained or you live in a state where you can find ethanol free pump gas).

[eporter123]

There is a website where you can search for ethanol free gas stations near you, if legal in your state. https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=OR
The shop that rebuilt my Honda generator told me about it. Also, I’ve been told you can go to certain smaller airports and fill up a 5 gallon gas can with av gas “for your plane” and that stuff is shelf stable for years. This is Oregon specific, but prob. applies elsewhere.

[Blue~Go]

Agree on the ethanol fuel with carbs. On my outboard I not only run it dry, but also drain the carbs (you turn a screw and a little bit of fuel comes out). Not sure if the generator is the same in this regard; but with the outboard even "running it dry" leaves fuel in the carbs to varnish (I think all fuel will do this, but ethanol seems faster and worse).

Can you drain the carb on the Onan since it's part of the Ford fuel system? I've never known.

Scott, I'm with you on "keeping things original." Sure, if it's a '65 T-bird, but not too many RV's fall into that category (that said, if keeping it original is what is fun for someone, more power to them). But who knows, maybe all those mauve velvet RV interiors will fetch a pretty price someday

[dougm]

they share the same fuel tank, but the onan has its own low pressure fuel pump because its carbed not high pressure injected. you could drain the carb and disconnect the electric fuel pump.

[Scott]

On my outboard I not only run it dry, but also drain the carbs (you turn a screw and a little bit of fuel comes out).

Right. Thanks for pointing that out. For gravity fed fuel systems, I drain the bowl then run it until it stalls. It's not ideal to let an engine run lean like that, but it's better than the alternative.

Pictured is the carb from a Honda rototiller that I accidentally (stupidly) stored with half a tank of E10. I tried everything to clear it out (kerosene, injector cleaner, MEK, acetone). It was like honey. A new carb was outrageously expensive, so yet another great machine went to the scrap heap.

Scott, I'm with you on "keeping things original." Sure, if it's a '65 T-bird, but not too many RV's fall into that category (that said, if keeping it original is what is fun for someone, more power to them). But who knows, maybe all those mauve velvet RV interiors will fetch a pretty price someday

I honestly respect people who restore and maintain antiques. I've done it before, and I know from experience that I'm simply not qualified. But one day I'll find the perfect mahogany Chris-Craft and everything will be right.