generator storage

[norseman]

Just under a year ago I purchased a brand new 3.5kva generator with a view to having an electrician wire it into the home in case of any prolonged power outages in our semi-rural location.
Circumstances change however & the geni has remained unused ever since; by that I mean not even had the engine oil added let alone started up.
I assume the machine would have been protected against internal corrosion during manuf. & it has been dry stored since my purchase, but as there is no possibility of it being put into service in the near future are there any precautions I should be taking?

Thanks folks.

 

[JohnW2]

Circumstances change however & the geni has remained unused ever since; by that I mean not even had the engine oil added let alone started up.
I assume the machine would have been protected against internal corrosion during manuf. & it has been dry stored since my purchase, but as there is no possibility of it being put into service in the near future are there any precautions I should be taking?

I would think you would be advised to start it up, and run it for a short while, every now and then. I try to do that with mine every 2-3 months, but it's often a fair bit longer than that. If it's not being used, it shouldn't need any more oil (provided you did fill it with oil when you first bought it.

Kind Regards, John

 

[martygturner]

Put some oil in it and hand turn it over...oil is a great preservative.

Bit ( 2 squirts from an oil can) of light oil in the bore via the spark plug hole and a hand turnover should be all that's needed for long term storage, repeat before you start it up just to get the bore coated. When starting for the first time make sure that the unit is turned over a good few times with the fuel off to get the big end bearings coated and some oil up to the galleries.

I too would run it once or twice a year, but I wouldn't add fuel to the tank, use an external tank and a bit of fuel pipe or drain the tank well once done.

After all you want it to work when it has to, and as you don't need it at the moment its probably a good idea to check that it does actually work.

 

[norseman]

Many thanks to both of you for the replies.
I'll also give the battery an extended charge using my C-Tek charger, as that will condition the battery as well.

 

[Bodgedbuild]

I used to work at the U.K's largest "live" aviation museum and the engineers on the vintage aircraft would use Aeroshell 2XN fluid. As well as a drain and re-fill they would fill bores etc and even spray it on cams and in exhaust/inlet ports. They would then label the engine "Inhibited do not crank" to ensure it wasn't started. When re-commissioned the engine would be spun over with plugs removed to empty the bores but the engines could safely run with this as a lubricant in their oil tanks/sumps. I believe it has anti-acid as well as anti-corrosive properties. Sometimes these vintage engines would remain inhibited for years with no corrosion damage.
I would not run the engine periodically unless it will be run until totally warmed up each time, otherwise moisture and acid would form in the engine.
You can normally buy this stuff quite easily online because many private pilots use it too.
The only downside is you must not use it if the engine has a CAT fitted and the engine will smoke heavily for about 10 minutes once re-commissioned.

 

[Diver Fred]

Having worked for a large company that has standby generators I'd recommend you follow 'Bodgedbuild' recommendations above. I'd the generator has a battery do disconnect and remove, charge quarterly but expect it's life to be short.

Once the ICE has been started then run it for at one hour twice yearly to get the engine and the oil thoroughly hot to ensure any water in the oil is boiled off. That kills ICE motors quicker that anything.

My employer stopped the twice yearly engine run routine and then after a couple of years paid the price of engine unreliability - breaking down when running, failures to start, etc.

 

[norseman]

I would not run the engine periodically unless it will be run until totally warmed up each time, otherwise moisture and acid would form in the engine.
You can normally buy this stuff quite easily online because many private pilots use it too.
The only downside is you must not use it if the engine has a CAT fitted and the engine will smoke heavily for about 10 minutes once re-commissioned.

Thank you for that advice & product info.

My employer stopped the twice yearly engine run routine and then after a couple of years paid the price of engine unreliability - breaking down when running, failures to start, etc.

Thanks for that DF, points noted.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Consider using super unleaded (assuming it's petrol) rather than e7- the e7 will cause problems with fuel lines and other rubber bits in the carburettor if left standing.

 

[norseman]

Consider using super unleaded (assuming it's petrol) rather than e7- the e7 will cause problems with fuel lines and other rubber bits in the carburettor if left standing.

Geni manuf. states machine is E10 compatible, which being a US designed product is a given as 'they' have been on high ethanol gas for years.

 

[Burnerman]

Drain the fuel tank and completely refill with Aspen fuel or equivalent......the genny will then be ready for work even if left for years.
John

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Drain the fuel tank and completely refill with Aspen fuel or equivalent......the genny will then be ready for work even if left for years.
John

Had to Google that- useful tip for occasional use things (chainsaw etc)- ta!

 

[norseman]

Drain the fuel tank and completely refill with Aspen fuel or equivalent......the genny will then be ready for work even if left for years.
John

Unit is brand new John, no fuel or engine oil added from new .. straight out of the box.