B&S Generator questions about operation and storage..

[luvit]

.
my new Briggs & Stratton 5500W Generator:

the seasonal storage practices are pretty vague..

1. i drained the fuel tank
2. ran the engine for the 1 min it took to burn-up the remaining fuel in the engine.

• should i have left that fuel in the engine? (and only have emptied the tank?)

B&S says to change the oil every 50hrs, which i did multiple times.

• why is that oil so black after a mere 50 hrs? (full synth 5w30)
• does the engine contain softer metal than cars?

 

[east_tn_emc]

When I purchased my Honda 6500 watt generator last fall, the service tech was very clear that it needed to be run UNDER LOAD at least once a month.

He said this would prevent issues with the generator head and having to reflash it.

I test it once a month by connecting up about 500 watts worth of flood lights and letting it run for 15-20 minutes. I then unplug the load, open the breakers, and turn off the gas valve and let the engine run itself out of fuel.

I also make sure that the fuel in the tank is never "too old" and has plenty of marine-grade sta-bil in it.

For what its' worth, it has always started right up for me and never missed a bead.

 

[darcyh]

I have a couple of gennys and do what east tn emc does. About once a year depending on use, I change the oil and replace the gasoline. Always keep a stabilizer in the gas.

I always have at least one new spare spark plug for each unit.

Dave

 

[luvit]

so is running-out the fuel just a bad idea?
and why does the oil turn black within 25-50hrs of use? (curiosity)

 

[purplezr2]

so is running-out the fuel just a bad idea?
and why does the oil turn black within 25-50hrs of use? (curiosity)

Air cooled briggs usually have a 50hr oil lift with filter every other change in some applications I have seen(toro equipment).

 

[aandpdan]

why does the oil turn black within 25-50hrs of use? (curiosity)

If the oil is turning black then it is doing it's job. The detergents are picking up dirt, unburned fuel, sludge, any wear metals, you name it. It's keeping that **** in suspension so it gets carried away when you change it.

Air cooled engines are rougher on the oil than a water cooled engine, such as in your car. Generators are very hard on oil as they run fast and usually for a long time with a good load on it.

Use a good oil and I wouldn't worry.

 

[EOC_Jason]

^^^ What he said. Also be sure you check the oil level before you start it up every time as some will burn oil. By every time I mean if the power is out and after you run your gen for a while, then turn it off so you can add gas... check the oil! Like the previous poster said... they are air cooled, they run constantly at high rpm, and they are under heavy load...

The reason you turn off the gas / drain the tank, then run the fuel out is so the carb won't be holding that old gas in there which over time will turn to varnish and the needle will stick and the engine won't run. So when the power goes out you will be cussing and swearing, then when the power does come back on the first thing you will do is take apart and clean the carb... lol.

We have a couple generators. One I keep ready-to-go and fire it up every month or two. Obviously I make sure there is fuel stabilizer in the gas. Also I make sure to hook up some things to put a good load on it. During hurricane season I keep spare cans of gas and oil nearby. At the house I have a disconnect / plug setup so I can run power to my main breaker panel via the 220V/20A connector on my generator. I just make sure to throw the main, and the other big power hogs (i.e. A/C). This way I don't have to run extension cords to everything which makes it much safer and easier.

The other generators the gas has been drained and the carbs run dry. Then I put some Marvel Mystery Oil in the tank and gave the motor a few pulls on the cord to get the MMO into the carb. That way the orings are in oil and won't dry out / crack, and any little bit of fuel that might have been in there is diluted by the MMO.

During hurricane Ike (we lost power for like 2 weeks +) my neighbor carted out his generator that was sitting up for years. You could tell the carb was gummed up, he had to sit there and manually work the choke back and forth to keep it running. He got so frustrated with it after things got back to normal he went out and bought himself a new generator and gave me that one. Took the carb apart, replaced a couple parts, put it back together and it purrs like a kitten.

 

[ishiboo]

When I purchased my Honda 6500 watt generator last fall, the service tech was very clear that it needed to be run UNDER LOAD at least once a month.

He said this would prevent issues with the generator head and having to reflash it.

I test it once a month by connecting up about 500 watts worth of flood lights and letting it run for 15-20 minutes. I then unplug the load, open the breakers, and turn off the gas valve and let the engine run itself out of fuel.

I also make sure that the fuel in the tank is never "too old" and has plenty of marine-grade sta-bil in it.

For what its' worth, it has always started right up for me and never missed a bead.

DEFINITELY exercise under load. I usually try to do at least 50% of the generator's capacity, but that can be difficult to do.

 

[Teken]

When people use Sta-Bil how long can this additive keep the fuel in a good state? I gather a combination of temperature, humidity, and grade of gas plays a factor.

Teken . . .

 

[luvit]

If the oil is turning black then it is doing it's job. The detergents are picking up dirt, unburned fuel, sludge, any wear metals, you name it. It's keeping that **** in suspension so it gets carried away when you change it.

Air cooled engines are rougher on the oil than a water cooled engine, such as in your car. Generators are very hard on oil as they run fast and usually for a long time with a good load on it.

Use a good oil and I wouldn't worry.

thanks, couldn't think of all the reasons.. i knew nothing was wrong, hated to see all that black oil.
i use best oil all season oil recommended by B&S (full synth 5W30).

i guess from everyone's posts that running the generator out of fuel is a bad practice, so i'll measure-out some sta-bil and fuel..
.

 

[gatchel]

When people use Sta-Bil how long can this additive keep the fuel in a good state? I gather a combination of temperature, humidity, and grade of gas plays a factor.

Teken . . .

Stabil says one year with a single dose and 2 years with a double dose.

I use a double dose and drain the gas every year and burn it off in our vehicles mixed with a full tank.



The other thing to remember is to use a stabilizer that has the ethanol treatment. Gas contains up to 10% ethanol in the US and the ethanol will kill a carb if you let it sit for a long period of time.

I also run out the float bowl by shutting off the gas and letting it (cool down ) idle after removing the load.


I have a generac 7500 watt unit and it has never failed me in 10 years. Fuel, choke and push the start button. It starts every time.

I also change the oil in all of my small engines at least once a year, even if they only get used once. Oil is the life blood of any engine. Neglect the engine and you'll be buying a new one.

 

[Teken]

Stabil says one year with a single dose and 2 years with a double dose.

I use a double dose and drain the gas every year and burn it off in our vehicles mixed with a full tank.



The other thing to remember is to use a stabilizer that has the ethanol treatment. Gas contains up to 10% ethanol in the US and the ethanol will kill a carb if you let it sit for a long period of time.

I also run out the float bowl by shutting off the gas and letting it (cool down ) idle after removing the load.


I have a generac 7500 watt unit and it has never failed me in 10 years. Fuel, choke and push the start button. It starts every time.

I also change the oil in all of my small engines at least once a year, even if they only get used once. Oil is the life blood of any engine. Neglect the engine and you'll be buying a new one.

Good to know, thanks . . .

Teken . . .

 

[luvit]

I also run out the float bowl by shutting off the gas and letting it (cool down ) idle after removing the load.

ok, so that's what i did, except i drained the fuel tank, then fired-up the generator to burn-up the rest of the fuel in the engine.
.

 

[Highbeam]

You want the carb to be empty during storage. Take the electrical load off of the generator, turn the petcock to off, and let the engine drink all the gas in the carb. I store gensets with the fuel tank topped off to prevent condensation and so that I am prepared for the next outage. Use sta-bil in the gas and I've never had it go so bad that the generator engine wouldn't drink it up.

I do not recommend emptying the fuel tank. That just seems wrong.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Just today I figured I would pull the generator out and fire it up to make sure it's still good to go. (The one I keep fuel in.) Started up easy enough, but I could see a spray of gas from behind the air intake near the carb. Sure enough the fuel line between the fuel cut-off and carb was cracked and leaking considerably.

Not a big deal now, just ran down to the store and picked up a couple feet of fuel line. But if that happened during a hurricane or something I would of been having to McGuyver it...