Generator Maintenance.

OK, I said I needed to get started working on the motorhome if we are ever going to get out of here.  So I dutifully headed right over to storage and traded the truck for the motorhome this morning.  It started right up like it was only yesterday that it was put away.

Diesel engines are like that, since there are no spark plugs or electrical components that make spark, if you have enough battery left to heat the glo plugs and spin the starter, they come right back to life almost instantly.

Once back over here, the problem was to change the oil in the Onan generator.  I pulled the coach up in our driveway.  The neighbors can't complain about a vehicle in your driveway that is currently being driven.  So no matter how large, if it hasn't been parked without leaving for three days, the city is blind to its presence no matter how many calls they get.

I rolled under and pulled the plug with the drain pan almost at once.  It only holds three quarts, so it doesn't take too long to drain.  I left it open to get it down to the last drop, but the wind was blowing the little stream all over so I had to plug it back up.

The problem with the genny is that I have never been able to get the oil filter off up thru the bottom access panel like the book instructs.  There are hoses and stuff that make it almost impossible to reach around and still get a good enough grip  on the filter.   Remember the Jet Ski?  Same thing.

So I began disassembling the case around the engine inside.  This isn't too bad of job, and after about thirteen ten mm bolts the front panel came off.  I grabbed my favorite three finger oil filter wrench and the filter was off and in the drain pan.  The new one spun on just as quickly.

As I was adding oil, I noticed that there wasn't any coolant in the plastic overflow tank...... And that it was cracked.  That sort of shut down the project, since I don't have another tank, and on Sunday have no way to find one.  I just bolted the genny back together and cleaned up my tools.

I had another project to fix the  rider side shade in the windshield, so I started on it deciding that it had just fallen to pieces.  And, luckily I had all the pieces, so after a while I had it reassembled and working.  It was becoming later in the afternoon, so the rig had to go back to its storage lot.  The day was over.

I will have to get working on finding a source for that evaporation tank before we leave out of here.  The crack is in the top, and I can add mixed coolant to it and get by if we need to run the genny for anything, but since it is dry, that's probably the way to leave it for now.

So maintenance seems to have identified a larger issue, but at least it still runs and we are headed for repairs for next time.  Perhaps that will be in the desert!

Retired Rod

Happy Halloween!!!!!