Weird Genset problem

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's,

My son and I were boondock camping this past week in Bellplain State Park (NJ) with his classmates for school.
Surely we had to bring my bus and be the only ones that didn't sleep in tents... lol. The second night I figured
I would fire up the Onan 12.5KW generator to replenish the battery bank for the night. About 1/2 hour of running
the gen set, it stalled out... After restarting it several times, it just would sputter and stall.

Ok, time to get the manual out and retrieve the idiot light codes. Of course the codes point to fuel filter issues.
I have two filters. One inside the gen set and an external in line filter that I installed way back when.

It's pretty dark out here at 7pm now a days so the flash lights were all being used for this job..  Knowing that I
just replaced the primary filter (External) last month, I figured I would tackle the internal filter replacement first.
This one is quite a job to do which is the reason I installed an external filter hoping internal would stay clean..

It took about an hour to replace the internal filter so it was time to try it out. No Luck! still did the same thing..
Ok, no problem, the external is a screw on with a water separator. Filled the new filter with fuel and screwed it
on. Retried it and again No Luck! Hummm? I hear the fuel pump in the generator but it seemed kinda lower toned
then it usually sounds. Now I thinking Im screwed without a spare fuel pump..

I went through the manual a couple times and I couldn't find any other thing it could be.. Now, after 3 hours of
trying things, I decided I would unscrew the external filter to see if it was still primed. It was almost empty..
I refilled it and tried to start the genny and I noticed the fuel pump was sounding normal now  and it started up
but within 30 seconds it stalled and the fuel pump sounded very quiet again..

Ok, now it sounds like a fuel pick up problem. I removed the 3/8" copper inlet line from the external filter and
tried blowing into it and I couldn't! Time to break out the air compressor. I hooked the air nozzle to the air line
and at first, it wouldn't blow through but then I herd a woosh and then herd bubbles in the fuel tank.. That darn
thing was clogged... With what I don't know! Hooked the line back up and WALA.. Fired up and ran great..

Now Im worried that I might have crap in my fuel tank... Back in 07' is the last time I had my fuel tank out for
repairs and was cleaned at that time but, who knows... I always keep it full and add conditioner a couple times
a year.. US Coach just serviced all my engine filters last month and the engine runs strong..

Anybody else ever have this problem?

Have a great weekend!
Nick-

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Ok,

Just to add something I forgot.. My genset is piped into my main engine fuel tank. 4" above the engine pick up..

[Homegrowndiesel]

Oh well, You got it. $#!% floating at 1/3 your fuel tank? Damn, always something. Such is the life of a busnut.

  I dont know? Drop a suction pump line in suck off the top, then, drop it to the bottom. Run it thru a big filter, and thru a large setteling tank.? You will get it cleaned out. Run it more. LOL. Hopefully Nicky learned how to troubleshoot problems like this. He would not have learned it in a tent. LYAAT.
   I hope to see you soon, and you have this fixed.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Bill,

Funny you replied to this.. Nicky & I were just talking about you & Roberta on the camping trip! Would

you believe he remembers catching a fish on your dock? What was he 3/4 years old... He will be 12 this

month.. Thanks for the info. I will try the pump and filter it all out.

Say hello to Roberta for us! and maybe we can catch up soon!

Nick-

[muldoonman]

Had the same thing happen on 2 recent trips we took. Figured it was fuel pump. Put an low presure inline pump before hand lever pump and filter on kobata 15 kw and gonna try that. Come to think about it, gen set was sitting still both times we needed it and it died shortly after starting. Tried it runing down road after and ran for hours. Gremlins.

[gumpy]

For future reference, remove the pickup line from the tank BEFORE you blow air back through it. That way, you can catch whatever is plugging it in a can or jar.   

Could be any number of things, from shop rag, to algae, to gasket material. I'd try Bill's advice and pump it out and settle or filter it to clean it.

At least it was a cheap fix. I had a fuel issue on my tractor this past month and it cost me a rebuilt injector pump $$$$$!!