Diesel generator life expectancy

Charles in SC · December 07, 2008, 06:16:48 PM

Does anyone have a guess as to how many hours a diesel genset will last if it is maintained right. Onan, Wrico, Powertech etc.

quantum500 · December 07, 2008, 06:25:17 PM

I would guess a minimum of 10k hrs with the high extreme being 100k hrs. That would be building your own out of a refer power unit with tungsten internals. Why do you ask?

luvrbus · December 07, 2008, 06:37:32 PM

most of the RV type generators the bearing in the power head have to be replaced at around 3000 to 4000 hrs the engines will last 15,000 to 20,000 hrs.I had a Powertech one time and the bearings went out at 2000 hrs good luck

quantum500 · December 07, 2008, 06:45:18 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on December 07, 2008, 06:37:32 PM
the bearing in the head have to be replaced at around 3000 to 4000 hrs

A cam bearing? Most if not all are push rod engines. It would be very surprising to me that there is valve train failures at such low hours.

luvrbus · December 07, 2008, 06:47:44 PM

sorry Q500 I was talking about the power head good luck

quantum500 · December 07, 2008, 06:56:06 PM

Thats what happens when you read too fast!

makemineatwostroke · December 07, 2008, 07:12:31 PM

I think 10,000 hrs would be good service that is 400,000 in miles, a 100,000 hrs that is 4 million miles I don't know about that one
have a great evening

quantum500 · December 07, 2008, 08:21:09 PM

Quote from: makemineatwostroke on December 07, 2008, 07:12:31 PM
a 100,000 hrs that is 4 million miles I don't know about that one

A busnut somewhere has some experience with the refer power units. Some of them have tungesten sleeves, pistons, and rings. I think with that combination 100,000 hrs should be easy. I'll see if I can find more info on it for any one that is interested.

HB of CJ · December 07, 2008, 08:24:18 PM

Very good question...ASSUMING proper maintainence, the above answers based upon hard earned personal experience hold up. However, if the unit has NOT received proper maintainence, then all bets are off.

Bad air cleaner...NO air cleaner....rare oil and filture changes...NO changes, outside storage in weather, climate, sand, rats, rain, salt, corrosion, snow, temp. fluxes; use your imagination. Oh well. HB of CJ

TomC · December 07, 2008, 09:14:50 PM

A friend of mine had a big rig with the 7.5 Powertech with 3 cylinder Kubota. Engine wise he had to do nothing to it, but had to rebuild the generator once. It was a good thing since Powertech had since converted from a brush type alternator to a brushless alternator. After the switch, he had no problems. When he sold the truck, it had over 23,000hrs on it. Good Luck, TomC

JohnEd · December 07, 2008, 09:35:16 PM

How about the gasoline powered ones? Don't ask why I am curious about this.

John

VanTare · December 07, 2008, 09:54:30 PM

Quantum500 I would like any information you can find on what make of engine he uses I have 80 reefer units (Carrier) that I have had Cats,Yanmar,Kubota,Isuzu and M/B engines and yet to have one last 25,000hrs.My new units have Kubota engines and they have cut the rpm by 23% to try and make it last longer.This is very interesting to me to find this out on conversion board you never know. thanks David

TomC · December 08, 2008, 08:46:30 AM

I had a 6.5kw Onan commercial with a PTO shaft coming out of the alternator that I ran my A/C with on my big rig truck. The sleeper was to high for a roof mount, so I made an air conditioning system with the same components (Red Dot) that were in the cab. With truck driving, you're in a truck stop or parking lot every night without electricity, so having a belt driven A/C rather than electric didn't make any difference. Besides, it was much more powerful (about 25,000btu's instead of 14,000). When I ran the generator, I would always have the block heater on, so the generator always had at least a 1500 watt load on it. I had to decarbon it a fews times with spray through the carb, but never had to pull the heads. It lasted just over 12,000 hours when the oil pump drive broke and it froze up. Hated the hassles of gasoline- separate fuel, cleaning the spark plugs, adjusting the carb for high altitude, etc. Good Luck, TomC

quantum500 · December 08, 2008, 09:03:20 AM

Quote from: VanTare on December 07, 2008, 09:54:30 PM
Quantum500 I would like any information you can find on what make of engine he uses I have 80 reefer units (Carrier) that I have had Cats,Yanmar,Kubota,Isuzu and M/B engines and yet to have one last 25,000hrs.My new units have Kubota engines and they have cut the rpm by 23% to try and make it last longer.This is very interesting to me to find this out on conversion board you never know. thanks David

I worked on finding it a little today and had little luck. It was quite some time ago that I read about it. If memory serves me right it was a popular engine that could be spec'd with the tungestun parts. Over 100,000 hours was not unusual. I'll try to find it tonight when I have more time. I thought it was very interesting at the time.

Charles in SC · December 08, 2008, 06:45:20 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on December 07, 2008, 06:37:32 PM
most of the RV type generators the bearing in the power head have to be replaced at around 3000 to 4000 hrs the engines will last 15,000 to 20,000 hrs.I had a Powertech one time and the bearings went out at 2000 hrs good luck

Luvrbus, how does one know that the bearing in the power head has gone bad. I am wondering because I just bought a powertech with 4500 hrs on it. It seems quiet to me.
Thanks