Possible Genset?

luvrbus · August 30, 2011, 08:26:27 AM

The older PowerTech made in 90's were not bad the new stuff with the electronics are a PITA most of the time when the boards go bad I just toss the junk and install a Murphy Control System about a 100 bucks extra for the Murphy 100 times better than the PowerTech system

good luck

gus · August 30, 2011, 08:28:24 PM

It had a 10KW Fidelity head with a Kubota engine. (Is Universal still in business?) One floor vent at end of head and one at engine end at former radiator location. Radiator was remoted by PO. It failed our first day on the road so I took it to a marine repair shop in Seattle thinking they could repair it. RV dealers didn't even know what it was, they only know Onan it seems - but they tried. Never did find out why it failed because no parts are available to repair it even if we knew.

Long story short (Obsolete, no parts). It now has a used 7.7KW Westerbeke marine genset from a boat but runs pretty hot because of the exh manifold design (I plan to wrap the manifold and pipe). It stays cool while moving but gets pretty hot when stopped. Shut down once in 90* weather in traffic.

My plan is to blow in cool air from a compartment in front of the gen comp at the top and exhaust it at the two bottom holes mentioned above. I would love to blow the hot air out the top but that is physically near impossible with the current compartment setup. It is a very tight fit. Essentially I'm pressurizing the gen compartment with the two holes at the bottom as the only outlets.

I bought a 256 CFM Dayton blower from ebay so hopefully that will do the job.

luvrbus · August 30, 2011, 08:38:58 PM

No there not around but you got ripped Westereke bought Universal around 2000 and if you look at the Westerbeke site they sell every part for the Universal Generator I buy parts from time to time for the Universal there

good luck

Tikvah · August 31, 2011, 06:32:08 AM

I was watching this one one Ebay
Love to get opinions.

Ebay #390342801379
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390342801379

Len Silva · August 31, 2011, 08:08:55 AM

I would have some problems with that unit. I have only been around one two cylinder Perkins, and that was on a pump, but it had a lot of vibration.

Hard to see the pulley ratios but it looks like a two pole generator, turning at 3600, even though the engine is running slower.

It is only rated at 5750 watts which I think is marginal for a conversion.

I would keep looking.

artvonne · August 31, 2011, 08:11:00 AM

Perkins used to be good, dont know about today, cant comment about something I know nothing about. But its belt drive. Direct drive is more efficient and reliable/maintenance free. IOW, discounting maintenence/potential belt failure, a belt driven generator will use more fuel for equivelent power output than a direct drive. For $4K and change I would look for something better.

<Edit>

I didnt see it was a twin, I went back and looked at it. Its rigid mounted to the frame, no motor mounts/no rubber isolation. Inline twins vibrate more the slower they turn, and mounted rigid I would expect a great deal of vibration tranfered into whatever its parked on, but also cracking leading to failure of the mounts is likely. I bet if you put it under ground in a concrete block house 100 feet from your house you could feel it running. In a Bus? I wouldnt try it.

bevans6 · August 31, 2011, 08:12:11 AM

Now THAT is a generator! I think about exactly what I would look for in a 6KW size unit. Water cooled, belt drive, simple, straightforward, nice size, easy install. You may need to buy it with a fuel tank, since it seems to be mounted on the fuel tank. 120/240 volt option. You could put that in an enclosure and quiet it down a lot, one big issue may be vibration from the two cylinder engine. But less vibration than the air cooled single cylinder at the top of this thread.

Brian

belfert · August 31, 2011, 10:32:13 AM

Quote from: luvrbus on August 30, 2011, 08:26:27 AM
The older PowerTech made in 90's were not bad the new stuff with the electronics are a PITA most of the time when the boards go bad I just toss the junk and install a Murphy Control System about a 100 bucks extra for the Murphy 100 times better than the PowerTech system

Which model Murphy control do you buy? They have lots of stuff.

gus · August 31, 2011, 06:09:15 PM

luvrbus,

You keep saying Universal but there was nothing on my old set that hinted it was a Universal. How do you identify a Universal?

My Westerbeke is a used model, WDM 7.7 as I remember, and it seems to have been mfg between '80 - '84 from what I found on the net.

luvrbus · August 31, 2011, 06:21:19 PM

It was a Universal the last time I saw it Gus and I never saw a conversion done by Marv that wasn't a Universal they were the only ones that would sell to him on the credit lol sorry I shouldn't say negative things about the departed but I don't miss him

good luck

Charles in SC · August 31, 2011, 07:19:26 PM

Quote from: artvonne on August 30, 2011, 07:20:04 AM
Nice to hear all the positive comments about PowerTechs. My MC5 came with an older PowerTech 8K Isuzu diesel, and I couldnt be happier, it runs smooth clean and quiet. It does read 3600 hours, but I suspect the clock was running when it was plugged into power because of how it was wired (bogus). Im going to relocate it in the Bus, and while its out give it a good service and going through. Thanks for the heads up about the gen head bearing, ill be sure to change that out.

I ordered the bearing from Powertech because I was pushed up agist the wall for time and did not want to take a chance on not being able to find the correct but if I was to do it again I would take the bearing out and match it up at a local bearing house. It was a Fafnir I believe. Also the old one was not a sealed unit but the new one was, so with a sealed unit it may not need to be changed as often.

artvonne · September 01, 2011, 07:07:19 AM

Quote from: Charles in SC on August 31, 2011, 07:19:26 PM
so with a sealed unit it may not need to be changed as often.

Thanks, good to know. Still, 2000 hours is a long time. We have a Kubota 7K diesel Gen in the Bounder, its circa 1992 and reading just over 600 hours now. Was only 400 when we bought it in 2005. Probably still had 1992 oil in it lol. Im gonna pull it and keep it for the house for backup power. With todays market the Gens worth more sitting on the ground than in that Bounder, lol.

gus · September 01, 2011, 12:48:52 PM

luvrbus,

Thanks. The reason I asked is that it said Fidelity. Maybe that was a Universal with a different tag? It was obvious that one tag was removed and replaced by a tag that said " Irwin Enterprises" at someplace in CA (can't remember for sure and the set is in Seattle!). Is this the Marv you are talking about?

We couldn't find any source for parts and the marine guy said it was a type that was almost impossible to rewind. Couldn't even find a rectifier for it!

Sure wish it could have been repaired but the one I have seems to be high quality and should work well once I get the blower installed. The main problem with Westerbeke is their ridiculous parts prices. They are unreal. $700+ for a starter, $500+ for an alternator, $150 for a water hose and etc.

Dirtball · September 03, 2011, 05:25:04 AM

Are the Kubota GL Lowboy units still made for USA? I have worked with a liquid cooled unit that was around 7000w. Top quality. Not tall , could be mounted on a roll out service tray, exhaust was ductable on the unit I used. The $1000 Chinese gensets = You get what you pay for. If it was to run farm pump and you had another genny, ie. tractor PTO or another portable genny as backup,yes, But, Not as the primary power for a bus.

luvrbus · September 03, 2011, 07:04:40 AM

You guys are going to be hard pressed to find a Kubota engine on a generator now days that is not built in China along with the head ,I was looking at a 20KW in a Marathon the Kubota and the Siemens head were made in China fwiw.
Kubota makes different grades of their engines they are not all the same

good luck