Anybody have experience with old Gensets?

[JSinMO]

@DavidBarkey Excellent procedure Dave. That’s how it should be, thanks for typing it up!

I don’t want to open a can of worms on the oil debate, but what’s your thoughts on oil? I believe these would have called for a straight 30WT non detergent. I’ve considered the Shell 15/40.

[DavidBarkey]

@DavidBarkey Excellent procedure Dave. That’s how it should be, thanks for typing it up!

I don’t want to open a can of worms on the oil debate, but what’s your thoughts on oil? I believe these would have called for a straight 30WT non detergent. I’ve considered the Shell 15/40.

Yes that is what was required at the time those engine were built . Since then advances in oil technology has given us many more option than were available back then . For what it is worth , I use 15w40 diesel oil in my flat head engines in the summer months . The zink and sulphur not found in gas gas engine oils offers added protection .
My 2 cents worth . You may keep the change .

[keith]

My only experience with generators was when I bought one from a guy who was parting out an old motor home. His add said it was in working condition so I brought it home and tried to turn it over by hand. No go wouldn't budge.
Then I separated the generator part from the engine and found a mouse nest under the bottom of the ring gear where there's very little clearance.

That nest had straw, dirt, twigs some kind of cotton type fibre packed in so tight it took a few different tools and a bit of time to remove it. After that
the engine could finally rotate thankfully.

The generator housing was so corroded it pretty much broke in pieces during disassembly. The wiring in the control box was a mess but since the engine was for the GT it didn't matter. So it kind of shows you not every non functioning generator is junk. If I was more careful taking it apart and pre soaking the screws, nuts and bolts with penetrating fluid it probably would have been a good generator to have .

For interest in these generators there's a forum called Smokestack Generator Forum that's similar to tractor forums with lots of Onan info.

[JSinMO]

@keith Thanks for the tip about the smokestack forum I haven’t been over there in a long time. Not even sure I knew they had a generator section. I’ll have to go poke around!

[keith]

I never searched google but you may find forums dedicated to each brand of generators you have.

[JSinMO]

Well I just can’t stand to wait any longer! I’m going to see if the guys will run.

Here our first victim……..I mean test subject!

I followed @DavidBarkey set up procedure
And put some gas and Seafome in the tank. I’ve always had an affinity for these 1970s era Briggs & Stratton engines. They just seem to work no matter what, and as it turns out this one is no different! I set the choke and gave a couple of pulls and away it went! The engine sounds great to me, runs smoothly, but the generator isn’t making power.

Here’s an old voltage tester for you and yes it still works good!

I decided to see if I can get them all running then circle back to the generators. Up next is the Onan.

Got it ready to try but gas was pouring out of the carburetor. I took it off and I think I see the problem!

She is gummed up! Took awhile to clean it all up and I still couldn’t get it to start. You guys know the drill had the carburetor off a couple of time and then try again. It put up a bit of a fight, and it almost made me say bad words, but it finally took off and ran! Looking over this one makes me wonder it they were scavenging parts from it for other machines. It was set up at one time for an electric starter.

Also the governor spring is missing. You guys that are purists or actual real mechanics can turn your heads now! Because I used what I had, the spring out of an ink pen! Tell me I didn’t grow up on a farm!

I’m 2 for 2 so far, but the generator doesn’t work on this one either I’m wonder if they lost magnetism from sitting so long?
Finger crossed that the other 2 run!

[JSinMO]

Well I was supposed to mow the grass today but I just couldn’t tear myself away.
I started working on the the 3rd one, it looks to be an older generator attached to maybe a mid 1990s Briggs engine. It too needed some carburetor work, the diaphragm was stuck but I was able to carefully loosen it up and what do you know this one seems to work fine!

I might as well go after the last one! It sure would appear this one has been fed a hot supper more than once!

I got it ready to run and I got nothing. No fuel getting to the chamber. So I pulled the carburetor off. Kinda interesting old setup. This looks to be an older Briggs engine It would be nice to try to figure out how old it is.

I cleaned it up and reinstalled it and gave it a whirl, successfully! We’re making power!

I still have some carburetor work to do though. It will run the bowl empty and then die. I can keep it fluttering along for a bit by choking it. I think the needle it sticking.

So all in all a pretty successful day. All four engines now will run after sitting for a couple of decades. Since I still have a little work to do on the last one we’ll call engine work95% done and half the generator actually generate.

[Toolslinger]

Having spent the weekend working on a generator, I can say, your machines have much nicer access... I was a hundred bolts or so in to the sheet metal covers of an MEP-802a Military surplus diesel unit.

I had a couple Winco gen sets such as you have here. They had those bomb-proof Briggs on them. No matter how much I neglected them, they'd always start (somtimes with a wiff of ether). They always made power fine for items that didn't care about power quality. When I inherited my folks place, that put me at 4 generators. The Wincos were both the oldest, and only 2000 watts, so they hit the auction block. I kept a couple more modern Briggs powered machines that also put out kinda trashy power, but more of it. So far, they have been very good with starting after neglect, but they'll never have the life span of those old machines.

I just got the MEP as a whole house unit. They're apprently good at making clean power. Everything has a computer in it now, so that's become more of an issue for me. Plus, being diesel fired, I know I'm not going to have the same kind of fuel storage issues. Having a 1000 gallon heating oil tank will take care of any potential need I have. I usually only burn 800 or so over the winter, so that's a pretty big safety margin for reserve fuel storage.

[JSinMO]

Thought I’d have a look at the 2 that aren’t making power. I took the back of the generators off and clean the connections and pick up rings then back together and I’ll be darned!

Now all 4 are running and making juice!
But now I feel a little bad to scavenge one to power the old tiller. Might have to think it over a bit!