Generator

[Vern]

I have a 7200Watt McCulloch generator I bought used.
What is the normal procedure for exercising it periodically?

How often should I run it & for how long? Load or no load? Etc.

Vern

 

[JayinNY]

I try to run mine twice a year, with a load on it for about an hour. I bought it 16 years ago used and have had no problems with it.

 

[Billy Shafer]

I would run it at least twice a year. With a load half hour would be ok.

Sounds odd for me. I am use to the big standby units. Once a week half hour under load. Can't get use to the small stuff.

 

[jeffcat]

My two cents. First off does it work now? Next thing is only run a generator with hi-test gas. I am serious!!! It will keep the engine from surging or hunting. You do not want that with any power source. If you haven't changed the oil yet, do it. Follow manual or download the PDF from the internet. Find a friend who has a good digital meter that measures frequency. Shows on a meter as Hz. It means Hertz or frequency. This is critical for electronics. Never set a generator by voltage. You must set them for frequency. Keep the gas tank right to the top and store your unit in a cool dry temperature stable area. All of the stuff I have listed are the ideals. Run it for maybe 20 minutes every two or three months running a flood lite bar or something. Let us see what the other guys will add. The picture shows one of my meters. See the setting in red? Little $20.oo meter on Ebay. Look at the one in the photo. It is another type and the frequency function is right in the middle of the settings.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

My standby is a Generac. Runs on propane and exercises for 12 minutes each week. Ellis

 

[GEO-TH, In]

I got a frequency meter off Ebay and mounted it permently on generator after discovering the frequency was 75.

My other generator came with built in meter

 

[Mutt and Jeff]

As often as every other of the 22 small engines in your garage get exercised.

 

[showcrop]

I agree with 2X a year with a good load at least one of those times. With the other 22 small engines in your garage when they don't go the job gets put off. if your generator doesn't run you can be in for some major inconvenience.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 22:51:34 03/03/19) My two cents. First off does it work now? Next thing is only run a generator with hi-test gas. I am serious!!! It will keep the engine from surging or hunting. You do not want that with any power source. If you haven't changed the oil yet, do it. Follow manual or download the PDF from the internet. Find a friend who has a good digital meter that measures frequency. Shows on a meter as Hz. It means Hertz or frequency. This is critical for electronics. Never set a generator by voltage. You must set them for frequency. Keep the gas tank right to the top and store your unit in a cool dry temperature stable area. All of the stuff I have listed are the ideals. Run it for maybe 20 minutes every two or three months running a flood lite bar or something. Let us see what the other guys will add. The picture shows one of my meters. See the setting in red? Little $20.oo meter on Ebay. Look at the one in the photo. It is another type and the frequency function is right in the middle of the settings.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto15254.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto15255.jpg">

jeffcat, what is this about high-test preventing hunting and surging? what is surging anyway? I thought that we YTers came to agreement to years ago that use of hi-test for anything other than knock prevention was a fairy tale.

 

[MarkB_MI]

If you take a couple of precautions when you shut down your generator (or any small engine), it can sit idle for months or even years and still start right up when it's needed.

First, always run the carburetor dry by shutting off the fuel and letting the engine run. When it dies, pull gently on the starter cord until you feel compression; that ensures the intake and exhaust valves are both closed. (Obviously this only works on single-cylinder motors.) That keeps moisture out of the combustion chamber and prevents the valve from sticking open.

I don't know that fuel stabilizers like Stabil actually work, but it makes me feel better when I add some to the tank.

For extra protection of the cylinder and rings, you can remove the spark plug and squirt in a little oil, then pull the engine through a few revolutions. Remember to bring the engine into its compression stroke as described earlier when you replace the spark plug.

 

[1946 BN IHC]

Would the same parameters apply to a 900 wt., 2 stroke generator newly bougth? Make is a King Tools.

 

[Texasmark1]

Like all my gas engines that get run ever so often, like mowers in winter, clean, fresh, premium fuel, stabilizers, and a fuel shut off valve to run the carb dry ....a lot of which are tips I picked up on here.....multi-viscosity syn. oil for good lube at startup. Topping it off with keeping the battery maintained, or at least top it off before you do a running cycle. I try to run at least every couple of months, don't forget to turn the fuel on....easily forgotten but I am trying harder, and run for about 15 minutes or so to get everything hot and boil any absorbed moisture out. What works for me may not work for you but you asked.

 

[jacks]

I bought a new Briggs and Stratton 8500/7000 generator about 1 1/2 years ago to provide power for a construction project. Always ran non ethanol gas treated with stabil. When the project was complete, I stored the generator in a shed and turned the fuel shutoff valve off and let the engine run out of gas. About 4 months later I tried to start it and it would not try to start, no smoke, no sign of combustion. I checked out the fuel system and found that the shutoff valve was totally blocked by rust. It is a steel body valve. I cleaned the valve out and it ran fine. If you live in a humid climate and have a vented gas tank, water will condense inside the tank, and settle to the low point, which is probably the fuel shutoff valve. I am going to have to replace the steel body shutoff valve with a brass valve. I am glad that I discovered this problem in a non emergency situation.

 

[Spook]

Not a generator, but I?ve kept a craftsman tractor overwinter for years, I fill the tank up, shut the valve off, run it out, then put a piece of duct tape over the vent in the cap. Yeah, another use for duct tape .....

 

[Dean]

Bingo, Mark.

I don't exercise my portable genset but I do use premium fuel and always run both tank and carburetor absolutely dry upon shutdown. I also use only full synthetic oil.

The suggestion to pull the engine through to the compression stroke is a good idea and I will do it from now on.

Dean

 

[Gene Davis (Ga.)]

I was a McCulloch dealer when this generator came out. I sold a couple of them. Be very careful that you do not run it at full rated load for long. This will let the magic smoke escape and then the generator is finished.

Gene Davis (Ga.)

 

[jacks]

I like the duct tape idea. It would probably get lifted off the cap by vapor pressure in warmer weather though. For a mower that gets used regularly in warm weather it should really work well.

 

[Dave BN]

I try to run mine once a month. Thats what the professionally installed stand by power units do.
This is one engine that you want to be able to depend on when you need it. If it takes an hour or even a day to get the lawn mower or chain saw started thats a pain but not as bad as trying to get a generator to start in a storm and you need to flush the toilet or run the furnace.
I put Seafoam in the gas tank also.

Dave

 

[Billy Shafer]

In Texas on critical care units. It is once a week half hour under load.Log book required. You can do the test unloaded three times a month. But the fourth time must be under load. If a unit is broken it must go under repair the same day. If it can't be fixed in 24 hours. You must bring in a backup unit. Get caught without a log book. You are in trouble.

At least that was the rules when I retired. I am sure they still apply

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 09:57:57 03/04/19) Would the same parameters apply to a 900 wt., 2 stroke generator newly bougth? Make is a King Tools.

I tried helping my Pastor with one of those. My advice would be use non-ethanol fuel with a name brand 2 cycle mix oil and run at least the carb dry. I'd empty the tank myself. Don't expect a lot out of those little gens- a couple lights, maybe a power drill, a radio or charging a phone, stuff like that is about the limit of their design.

 

[Bob M]

Presuming you have a dry place to store your generator my advice is to empty the fuel tank, run it until it quits, then simply leave alone it until needed. No regular "exercise" is required.

I have two cheap Coleman Powermate generators (2,500 and 4,000 watt) I loan to desperate neighbors during extended outages. Both had been sitting unstarted for nearly 4 years before a widespread outage here last weekend. I dragged them out, checked the oil and filled them with ethanol-free gas. Both started on the first pull, then ran/made electricity perfectly for the next 18 hours or so.

My "primary" generator (a Champion 3,500) gets run several times every winter. It is stored with the tank full of enthanol-free gas and treated with Stabil, the fuel line shut off and the carb run dry. It too starts on 1 or 2 pulls whenever needed, even after sitting for 9 - 10 months.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 09:11:47 03/04/19) Presuming you have a dry place to store your generator my advice is to empty the fuel tank, run it until it quits, then simply leave alone it until needed. No regular "exercise" is required.

I have two cheap Coleman Powermate generators (2,500 and 4,000 watt) I loan to desperate neighbors during extended outages. Both had been sitting unstarted for nearly 4 years before a widespread outage here last weekend. I dragged them out, checked the oil and filled them with ethanol-free gas. Both started on the first pull, then ran/made electricity perfectly for the next 18 hours or so.

My "primary" generator (a Champion 3,500) gets run several times every winter. It is stored with the tank full of enthanol-free gas and treated with Stabil, the fuel line shut off and the carb run dry. It too starts on 1 or 2 pulls whenever needed, even after sitting for 9 - 10 months.

Bob M why do you recommend that Vern keep the tank of his primary generator dry and not run it, while you keep your tank full and run it several times each winter?

 

[jeffcat]

I would say the "dry" ones are really long term and as he said are loaners and
5hey can get the gas etc. His he wants to get it going NOW. Always run that
carb dry. Saves soooooo much trouble and headaches.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 14:17:27 03/04/19) I would say the "dry" ones are really long term and as he said are loaners and
5hey can get the gas etc. His he wants to get it going NOW. Always run that
carb dry. Saves soooooo much trouble and headaches.

I have been using Stabil, shutting gas off, and running carb dry on most of my small engines for many years. I still wonder why Bob doesn't think that Vern doesn't want his to start NOW too.

 

[Fleeter]

I have a older (1985) 5500 watt Homelite mounted on a furniture dolly.
Have never "exercised" it other than to use it when required.
It get used probably on average 10 hrs per year.
To shut it down, I turn the fuel off and run it dry. I then check oil and refuel it. I place a piece of electrical tape over the tank vent, cover the unit and roll it under my bench.
I do clean the unit and check all fasteners periodically.
The 11 hp CI cylinder Briggs states not to use ethanol containing fuel on the tank so I try not to - but It isn't always available.
I did convert it to electric start a couple of years ago as it was difficult to pull start in winter.

 

[Bob M]

Let me clarify: The generator I store full runs only when we lose power. It has sat unstarted as long as 18 months. But this winter I have needed it on 3 separate occasions for outages already.

I leave the tank filled for a couple reasons: 1 - It gives me an extra 5 gallons of gas on hand for emergencies (there's been times where we could not even purchase gas nearby for several days during wide-spread outages), and 2 - It speeds up getting the generator fired up quickly when needed (no fumbling in the dark trying to fill the tank from a gas can).

But my preference would be to store the generator dry. I've run into situations where fuel gradually leaked out thru bad shutoff valves and leaky carburetors, which horribly gums up the carburetor. And I had a situation just last weekend with an elderly neighbor's generator where the shut off valve could not be turned by hand - it was stuck on account it being gummed up from weeping-type leak. When I tried to open it with pliers the valve literally disintegrated leaving the generator inoperative. I wound up using one of my dry-stored "loaner" generators to run her furnace and a couple lights.