Onan 4K genny starter crapped out so I want to . . .

[DonTom]

I want to junk the Onan 4K in my Y2K and replace it somehow, some way (any safe way possible) with my two inverter gennies.

I removed the Onan today (only way to get to the starter), and I will repair it. I even have a new Onan starter here, and it should only take a few minutes to replace.

But I do NOT want to put the genny back in my Y2K motorhome. Too many advantages with my two inverter gennys. For example, they can do 7.6 KW at 240 VAC for charging my electric motorcycle (which will only take 6.4KW max) , and they also have a RV-30 for the 120 VAC 30-amp Y2K motorhome. Also, I will have a spare genny, which is easier to deal with for many things. They have wireless remote start and a couple of other ways to start. Not the Onan 1960's technology. They are EFI too!

Putting the repaired Onan genny back into the Y2K motorhome is an option after I replace the starter. But I do not like that idea.

I was able to get by with it for my last trip, but the starter was slow, very intermittent, and drawing excessive current. But replacing the starter is NBD, now that I have the Onan out.

I am thinking about using the genny area for storage space for whatever, after I get a piece of plywood or whatever to make a bottom for it. The inverter generators will not fit in there, so that is not an option. The small cover to the outside is a problem, also making it more difficult to get the Onan in and out, as it has to come out from under the motorhome when parked in such a way to have enough room. One advantage of nothing being level around this house other than the house.

I am thinking about removing the gasoline from the inverter gennies and storing it in a small gasoline container or two in the old Onan area, and simply putting the inverter gennies inside the motorhome or something like that. They will be difficult to get outside because of the weight, and they will take up some needed room, but they can be removed to the outside when parked for a while.

Anybody have ideas or suggestions that I have not thought of? Or should I forget the entire idea and just put the Onan back in after I replace the starter?

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

I went to Home Depo today and I found three precut plywood sheets that fit perfectly in the bottom genny rails. They just happened to be 18" by 30" each.

I came up with an idea. I will remove the passenger seat in my Y2K RV, as it is never used anymore. It's easy to do as it is required to be removed to get the "doghouse" off. That will give me room for my two inverter gennies, along with all the other junk I carry. And make it a bit easier to get the engine cover (doghouse) off from now on.

I will carry the gasoline cans in the old Onan area in these containers that fit perfectly in the generator door. I also have my gasoline line in there for the Onan on a valve that can be opened and closed. So I can fill them from the RV tank as needed.

I have a way to get the 60 lb inverter generators in and out as needed with a small cycle ramp that I can also take with me.

I will travel with no gasoline in the inverter gennies, and when I hit the road again after I use them, the gasoline will go into the RV gas tank, easy to refill from the old Onan hose.

I am sure I will never miss that Onan. I rarely use it while en route anyway, as I have two large inverters in my Y2K RV that have as much power as the Onan. The times I did use the Onan while en route were just to give it some exercise from lack of use.

I do not boondock as much with my 2022 Class A, and it has a 5.5 KW genny, which means perhaps 5 KW for charging my bike if it is not running anything else.

While I do own a Suzuki DR200SE ICE bike I could take instead, it is a hassle to get up the cycle ramp as it has a clutch and doesn't have all the luggage capacity of my small electric bike, where I can (and have) take a full cart of groceries back to the RV with the help of a backpack.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[udidwht]

Another option would be to fabricate some type of slide tray for the new generator (or even the Onan if you continued to use it). This way it would be much easier to access for any potential repair.

 

[DonTom]

Onan if you continued to use it

Not a chance! Anybody here want it, just come pick it up here with a new starter and all for free (who says nothing's free)?

If there is any advantage to this Y2K 1960s-designed Onan compared to my inverter gennies, I sure would like to know what it is! They are all rated at 100% duty cycle, my inverter gennies cost less with double the power and can do 120 or 240 VAC. And modern EFI instead of a stupid carburetor with an elevation adjustment.

But there is one thing that I do not care about, is that I can no longer just press a button from inside my Y2K motorhome to run a genny. But I have two large inverters that have as much power in each, which I normally use anyway for the MW oven, coffee maker, hair dryer, or whatever.

I already have a plan for everything. I will use the Onan storage space, but for lighter stuff, since it is now a plywood bottom (bolted down).

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

Another option would be to fabricate some type of slide tray for the new generator (or even the Onan if you continued to use it). This way it would be much easier to access for any potential repair.

I decided to reuse the metal bottom plate from the Onan. I removed all the stuff from the genny bottom plate (six time-consuming, very tight Torax 45 screws--tight even with an extended 1/2" socket wrench), and I now have the plate off the generator and engine. I am now trying to clean the bottom plate, not sure what the best way is to remove old baked-on oil--anybody have an idea? I have been scraping off most of it with soap pads. It helps, but it is somewhat slow.

I just want it to be as clean as possible when I reinstall it.

It will not only be a lot stronger than the plywood I have in there now, but it will also give me a few more inches of vertical room as it sinks a little. But there are other issues to deal with, as it has large holes for the old muffler and stuff like that--but I have a plan using the plywood.

BTW, the more I play around with my two 60 lb 4.6KW peak, 3800 Watt continuous each (together 7.6 KW continuous, 9.2 KW for a few seconds) 120/240 VAC EFI inverter gennies, the more I hate the ancient design of the Onan 4K.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[John From Detroit]

The only thing I will either add or stress is exhaust.

Every yeaer during power fail season and at many "Off grid" events people who do not pay attention to where the exhaust goes go to sleep....... and never wake up (Die) Please do not join them

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

For heavy duty degreasing I use stuff called Purple Power. A really strong surfactant, comes in gallon jugs at auto parts stores, maybe even wally world. My pickup had leaking heads for the better part of a decade and everything south of there was coated with a thick layer of hardened oil and dirt. Knocked off the chunks with a putty knife and hit it with purple power and a stiff brush. Takes it down to bare metal, a hose rinses it off. Use gloves, extended exposure to skin will cause a chemical burn.

Edit: Undiluted this stuff is strong enough to lift some types of paint. So just because it's water soluable only use it long enough to get the job done.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[DonTom]

Every yeaer during power fail season and at many "Off grid" events people who do not pay attention to where the exhaust goes go to sleep....... and never wake up (Die) Please do not join them

I am very aware that the exhaust from portable generators kills around 100 people per year, even with all their safety features, such as the CO sensor.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

For heavy duty degreasing I use stuff called Purple Power. A really strong surfactant, comes in gallon jugs at auto parts stores, maybe even wally world. My pickup had leaking heads for the better part of a decade and everything south of there was coated with a thick layer of hardened oil and dirt. Knocked off the chunks with a putty knife and hit it with purple power and a stiff brush. Takes it down to bare metal, a hose rinses it off. Use gloves, extended exposure to skin will cause a chemical burn.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

View attachment 2390105

Sounds like what I need, I will get some. I will also read the safety instructions!

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Dealing properly with exhaust & fuel will be your two major challenges when make converting portable gensets to stationary power. Once you try to leave/use them in an enclosed bay instead of lugging them outside, you are contravening their basic design.

 

[DonTom]

Once you try to leave/use them in an enclosed bay instead of lugging them outside, you are contravening their basic design.

Mine will only be used outside when stationary. And they won't be that close to the motorhome, and the exhaust will be aimed well away from anybody.

I have a small adjustable cycle ramp to help me lift them into and out of the motohome. Used on top of one of these.

I could not put the gennies in the Onan space even if I wanted to. They will not fit.

I have never needed to run the genny while in motion, or even at a rest stop or whatever. I have large inverters to run my MW oven, Keurig, hair dryer, etc., from my 300-AH lith battery.

While it will be a small hassle compared to just pressing a button to run the Onan at any time, I will find it more than worth it for my needs to move the gennies out and in as needed, and to deal with the gasoline. I pump most of it out and then run each until it dies to get rid of the rest of the gasoline before putting them back in the RV.



-Don- Reno, NV

 

[whiteva]

I have given serious consideration to replacing the Onan gas hog with my Honda 2000i.
Adding exhaust pipe and electric start can be accomplished in my shop.

 

[DonTom]

I have given serious consideration to replacing the Onan gas hog with my Honda 2000i.
Adding exhaust pipe and electric start can be accomplished in my shop.

I have heard of that being done before.

Mine already have their own starter and battery.

Each has three ways to start, including a wireless remote control. But I have two 4K inverter gennies, and they are too large to install anywhere.

Taking them in and out of the motorhome as needed will be a small hassle, but that is not a big deal to me.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[whiteva]

Each has three ways to start, including a wireless remote control. But I have two 4K inverter gennies, and they are too large to install anywhere.

Taking them in and out of the motorhome as needed will be a small hassle, but that is not a big deal to me.

-Don- Reno, NV

My "little Red" is small and quiet, looks like it will fit quite nicely in the space. She ran for 3 weeks after hurricane Michael producing power for our A/C and other needs until the grid could be replaced. Onan would have required about 12 gal of gas per day, Lil Red used 2.5 to 3 gal per day. It was a life saver to have A/C, lights, TV and dish network.

 

[DonTom]

Onan would have required about 12 gal of gas per day, Lil Red used 2.5 to 3 gal per day.

Yeah, and my EFI inverter generators claim to be 15% more fuel-efficient and 10% more powerful than a similar carb-inverter genny. That's way ahead of an Onan 1960's design 3600 RPM genny. I do not understand why this type of Onans exists these days. Only disadvantages, from what I've seen in the specs or anywhere else.

Where did you find that doghouse cover for your inverter genny?

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[whiteva]

Where did you find that doghouse cover for your inverter genny?

Design and built in my shop along with the 30 amp to standard household plug for connection.
Shelter has foam layer to help further limit DB and will fold for storage.
Build time about 3 beers for both.
Cheers

 

[DonTom]

For heavy duty degreasing I use stuff called Purple Power. A really strong surfactant, comes in gallon jugs at auto parts stores, maybe even wally world. My pickup had leaking heads for the better part of a decade and everything south of there was coated with a thick layer of hardened oil and dirt. Knocked off the chunks with a putty knife and hit it with purple power and a stiff brush. Takes it down to bare metal, a hose rinses it off. Use gloves, extended exposure to skin will cause a chemical burn.

Edit: Undiluted this stuff is strong enough to lift some types of paint. So just because it's water soluable only use it long enough to get the job done.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

View attachment 2390105

I cleaned off the genny bottom plate with that stuff today. It did a great job, a lot better than I was expecting. It is now so clean that I will not get my hands greasy when I reinstall it.

It's now ready to mount, but perhaps I will do that later because . . .

I was in Auburn for only a day, just to dump off a carload of stuff. I am now on the way back to Reno to dump off my Tesla and return tomorrow to Auburn on a motorcycle. An ICE motorcycle for a change. Engine heat, heated grips, and seat should be nice going over the cold 7,240-foot summit.

Then I will be getting my Class A ready for another trip to southern AZ. SE AZ this time, and then I have no clue where to go next. I should be heading out in a day or two after I get back to Auburn.

The genny plate is for my Y2K Class C, so that can wait.

I will head out for Bisbee and the Patagonia area in my Class A, unless I change my mind before I get there, which I have been known to do. But I think the RV Park in Bisbee requires a 3-day advance notice or reservation, which I will not do until I get closer.

-Don- Verdi, NV