Backup power for Mr Carlson's Lab. Let's make this generator run again. To learn more about electronics, and gain access to my designs and inventions, click here: / mrcarlsonslab
I love this kind of content. I love to see you do a series on this project. Like what you are going to do to make it reliable and how you are going to install it into home power systems.
Do you know anyone that repairs small generator heads? I have two honda generators a 5.5kw and 11kw that both heads shorted and I cant seem to find any shop that can rewind or repair them. Or maybe a source for used or affordable replacements. I know this isnt what your channel is for but I thought since your so knowledgeable about electricity you might know some folks or maybe what type of shops or supply stores (used or new) I could find such things...or anyone in the comments have any ideas?
I just wanted to say Thank You. Eight days ago, I had open heart surgery and had, at that point been in the hospital six days prior to the surgery. Since August 2, I have been in and out of the hospital several times. WHAT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ARE YOUR VIDEOS. They made my stay in the hospital much more bearable (I took a laptop) and several of the nurses would pop in from time to time to see what you were fixing in whatever video I was watching. I just hope that my cardiac thoracic surgeon is as good at fixing things as you are. I go back to work in seven weeks at which time I will become a patron. In a way, you helped me through all this almost as much as anyone else. THANKS!
Positive earth! (No, but just to say the Canadians had to learn something from the British.) These gensets run at 1800 rpm, so much quieter than the 3600 screaming, less copper, etc. machines. Keep those videos on line!
LOL! I cringed at that when he pointed out Red as the negative. Someone not paying attention, or accustomed to Red as the positive, might connect the battery backwards.
My fathers garage looked just like that. He had lots of shelving with electronics test gear and old ham radio equipment all over the place. There were work benches with oscilloscopes and multi-meters and power supplies and lots of tools. He even had drawers full of the old tubes for radios and TV's. There were transmitters and receivers and antenna's. Old teletype machine with the paper punch tape that would run through it. I remember one year we took all the paper punch outs, the little dots, and put them in balloons with helium and let them go in my grandmothers kitchen. She had to pop the balloons to get them down. Ha Ha, It rained millions of tiny little paper dots all over her kitchen. I really miss my dad and those days.
Really cool project Mr. Carlson. Making the neighbors jealous and Mrs. Carlson happy. I'm glad to see your mechanical knowledge. I really enjoyed seeing you modify the EGR system on your Camaro, it was neat to see the results compared with the averages of more modern vehicles. My only formal training has been to become a mechanic but I have more of an interest in engineering, I just don't really know where to start to teach myself. The prospect of tens of thousands of dollars in debt is deterring me from returning to school. With that said, I'm grateful you're sharing your knowledge with the world, I find it asinine that someone would down vote this.
I, of course, know nothing of your situation. However, as someone who returned to school later in life, I would encourage you to do it. Take a single class, not too ambitious at first, and see how it feels. If the debt can be re-paid with a year or two's increased earnings, it is worth it if it makes you happy.
What about wiring it in ? I would expect that he adds something which stabilises the voltage and also thinking about safety of himself, the ones who connects and starts it and the physical safety of the utility's line workers ! Line worker safety = make sure to disconnect the incoming line from your owns equipment ie generator while the generator is in service. Remember that if the line power is down and you connect the generator to your incoming line , on the other side of the nearest transformer , it will be HVAC !
Stefan Skoglund I happen to be very aware of the safety requirements to ensure that you don’t backfeed the grid, I’m more interested in how he intends to go about that part (manual transfer switch, interlocked contactors etc.) and also how to select what loads are powered by the generator. And seeing Mr Carlson, who does engine maintenance with a curve tracer, wire in a generator should be quite interesting. Also, I might add that transfer switches and interlocks are something more commonly found on home setups, most permanent larger gensets (50 kVA and up) these days have a option of synchronizing with the grid with the explicit intention of feeding power into the grid. The idea is to be able to fully load the genset during test firings. And a back fed line is something you always have to expect when working on HV distribution system, especially these days with all sorts of grid tied PV arrays and other microproduction. And technically, a cold line should always be earthed on both sides of a fault before anybody touches it, and these dead phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground shorts will pop the transformer fuses instantly if there’s any real power being fed in.
@stephen john gray A transfer switch CAN have that function built in, but not necessarily. Its primary purpose is to disconnect the house wiring from the grid to both keep it from trying to power the whole neighborhood as well as protect line repairmen from getting electrocuted. The first transformer past the house would step it up to a few thousand volts minimum.
I'm old enough to remember car electrics being just plugs,points condensors! But now 40+yrs in the trade as a mechanic I find myself subscribing to your brilliant channel to learn the abstract conscepts behind electronics in order to repair my customers vehicles which are now all wires, circuits, sensors and actuators, which the added fun of nodes, networks, hexidex codes, software et al........... Thought ypu would like to know that everything I pick up from you gets passed straight on to my apprentices. That curve tracer is sweet, watched the build video but not until it's practical use here did I appreciate the trace interpretations. Thanks.
Vehicle CANBUS systems are all kinds of fun in addition to the engine management systems. I was a Drivability and engine computer systems tech for my local GM dealer for 30 years. Been out of working at the transistion from resistive multiplexing to canbus systems and oh how it's changed. We're not auto techs anymore, we're electronics technicians. Lol
A little late to this, I just took possession of one, and your electrical checks are fantastic information for me! Thanks again! LOVE that you've shown a mechanical video!
Don't rev the engine. The armature can't take a lot of centrifugal force. The windings can be damaged from too many rpm's. The voltage can be adjusted from the shunt field resistor in the rear of the generator. Set your hertz to 62.5 no load. That's about 1850 rpm. The engine has a oil pressure switch. I went to the Onan factory in 1987 and got certified on repairing RV gensets just like that. Last buy a bigger muffler. Under load that thing will make a lot of noise.
@@BruceNitroxpro Yeah, but he's being alarmist, it wasn't rev'ed more than a couple hundred rpms. It's highly unlikely that would damage anything, especially given the engine is typically governed/limited in throttle travel to prevent excessive rpms. Regarding the muffler, it sounded like Mr Carlson intends to pipe the exhaust outside and use a larger muffler, meaning the one he's put on there for now is primarily for testing purposes, to keep it from being too loud while working on it. So his recommendations with respect to those two issues, while surely appreciated, are basically unnecessary. The rest is solid advice, assuming he can't find a service/owners manual that provides specific settings for that generator.
My dad bought a camper in the early 1970's that had Onan genset in it. He also bought a manual for it later. The generator head used an armature in it. The manual was very easy to read through to fix things on your own. The sparkplug wires had a braided wire coax like covering to reduce the rfi generated by the unit. The unit we had, had the blower sucking the air across the engine cooling fins and out the side port.
@@andyrecord I had to look 2 times cause i didnt think Paul did engine work or even knew how to since it seems hes more into electronics itself, but since its a generator i do see why he chose to do a video on it.
The same thing came to my mind. I some way Mr. C goes the typical Mustie1 route: Check for spark first. For some funny reason Mr. C also talks the exact same way Mustie1 did narrate his Onan video. Just exchange in your mind the two voices, and you could hear a typical Mustie1 narration :) Too funny
brought back some memories for me. my friend and I used to have classic cars that we collected, and were working on restoring 2 Hudson's, a 47 and a 49, a 53 Nash Ambassador, and an already fully restored 1954 Packard. the 1947 Hudson that had an electric fuel pump. the clacking noise underneath the floorboard would be fast at first, and as the Carburetor bowl filled, the clacking would slow, signaling that the bowl was full,and then you could start her up. he was of the generation when these cars were an everyday thing, and he taught me alot ,like how to prime the carb, on mechanical pump engines, adjusting and replacing the points, setting the timing, replacing brakes, and on and on. I miss him, and the Cars. ☹
The reversed colors for the battery connection are making me twitch! You one-upped Mustie1 with the curve tracer...pretty nifty to see that in action...the combination of two of my interests now covered by two of my favorite creators. I am very interested in seeing the generator re-wired & installed...please continue this video.
Just sold my 60s onan 15kw model 15.0jc. Had a 4cyl air cooled motor built by Studebaker and a massive generator head. Great unit but too big for my needs :) cool vid, these Onans will run forever!
I can't believe Mr Carlson of all people didn't flip the multimeter to frequency to see if the run speed needed adjusted! Sadness! Still great video, loved it.
I use an Onan 4.0BFA RV genset I converted to natural gas for backup power. These 1800 RPM gensets are from a time when durability was more important than cheap manufacture.
"Almost confused, ... its like 'Mustie1' morphed into 'Mr C' Nice to see you outside the lab. ... the backdrop shelf of stacked up future electronics projects is interesting to see too.
As if I weren’t already hooked on this channel, now here’s a “Will It Run” video (a la the Mustie1 channel)... YYYESSS! Now I’m more hooked than ever! I can’t wait until the next billing cycle on Patreon hits so I can start digging into my electronics learning at the highest/customized/personalized level! Exciting stuff! Thanks! 😊😊😊
I just found your video the day after someone gave me a Miller AEAD-200LE. I saved the video and a few days later realized that the generator that you are working on is very similar to the Miller welder/generator that I have. Thanks for the walkthrough!
Great checking on the motor Paul. Good that you had no dramas with the engine. Seems to purr nicely. No adjustments needed by the looks of things... WELL DONE!!! 10/10
Mr. Carlson i can’t hold it back any longer your knowledge has became a strong Inspiration for me! I started as a young child working on small engines took stuff apart to understand what does what, as I grew older my knowledge capacity got greater, (you never stop learning!), and I moved to several other hobbies. Electronics has became my top favorite, but watching You listing to your advice, and everything! I truly appreciate your effort, and time to show and do all of it, and it’s became truly Inspirational for me!
I spent so long looking for a starter motor! Thanks for covering that! I don’t have a curve tracer, so I used an ohms meter, and that worked too. Thank you for this video! I just bought a onan generator out of an rv and I know nothing about how it works, and this video is very helpful!
Interesting and enjoyable video. One thing concerned me though, you kept holding the RED battery lead and calling it the Negative connection. EVERYTHING I have ever dealt with in electronics has Red as the Positive and Black as the Negative. Did I miss something?
Yes, I agree. As soon as he touched that red terminal and said the "negative" my eyes flew open. I've then noticed a short time later that somebody had used the incorrectly coloured cables. I do have to say, I have been watching Mr. Carlson lab for a couple of years. And when he pulled out this Onan generator, he got A LOT more street cred with me.
Love this video! I have one of those older Onan's in a 1974 Revcon. I got it running but it dies out after a few minutes and suspect the problem is in the fuel lines from the fuel tank. Can't wait to get back to work on that project. Good job sir! I really like your work
I enjoy electronic and mechanical, so all those videos are informative and educational. I also enjoy the innovate ideas you use to fix common problems.
@Dave Micolichek You are correct , 1800 rpm units are getting hard to come by because they are known for reliability and low fuel consumption. Only way i would run a generator is if its 1800 rpm hands down the best.
To paraphrase Monty Python…."and now for something completely different". Also you can sell this for $15K to folks in Northern California if delivered!!
Nice change of pace from the electronics. Very interesting. I also liked seeing all of the electronic devices and goodies in the garage. Looks a lot like mine.
Just a suggestion, when you change the oil, go to the Amsoil web page, and order Amsoil 100% synthetic oil for air cooled engines. This will extend the life of all the bearings and will lower friction in the engine. I have a 10 year old John Deere riding mower and it has only seen the Amsoil products with regard to lubrication. It starts and runs like it was new. I also use the Signature synthetic oil in all my vehicles. I highly recommend you have a look. Generators work hard during their lifetimes, and Amsoil is a stellar performer. You’ve done a lot for me and I’ve enjoyed your RU-vid videos and I’ve become a Patreon because of your constant adherence to correct troubleshooting and instruction for individuals who want to hone their skills or learn electronics. So, I thought I would return the favor. I suggest you visit Amsoil’s web page and have a look. It’s worth the trip. Cheers!! Excellent video. Thank you!!
I have never seen anyone go through an entire system so thoroughly, but now I feel like I know what to look for with such a system. Thanks, this was fantastic.
I am utterly FASCINATED at how you troubleshoot a generator motor like this. I am coming from a mechanics standpoint, and I would have started and done things COMPLETELY different. Interesting video!
Those are very high-quality machines. I remember growing up one of my friends dad worked for Onan and drove a service truck his garage was full of those old Onan generator so he was always running them in his shop repairing them it was pretty interesting. I’d love to find one of those to go in my p42 step van.
Onan 2-bangers are sweet running engines and the 4-pole generator is an 1800 r.p.m deal. I have a 2.5 k Onan and it's about that size, just a 1 banger.. Runs like a swiss watch. Good deal!
I know absolutely nothing about electronics except that I was a shortwave listenener many years ago. My rig was a now obsolete Hallicrafters SX110 and I had a center tap antenna. Pulled in some pretty distant stations. Then I saw that you also know a lot about cars. Watched your vid on making your car passable for the emissions test. And then today I watched your video on the generator. Pretty impressive. Enjoy your videos very much. Very informative.
When I was in the Air Force I worked on Onan engines that looked very much like this in mobile light carts. They were very easy to work on as you said.
Well this is a very good demo. Has mechanical and electrical, very useful this time of year. Time for me to get mine out and look it over and run it for the first start up of the season.
My Carlson, you are amazing. I love how when I search for a good video on random “how to” or “about videos” you are often on the list of suggestions. You are always the best video on the subject. I need more people like you in my life. Although I think you are a one of a kind dude. I appreciate what you do and how you do so. Thanks for it all!
I had this exact generator in a 1980 Holiday Rambler Class C motor home. Reliable was it's best trait, vibrations in the motor home it's worse. But she never failed to start and sometimes ran 24 hrs. while dry camping in hot weather. Onan made a smooth generator for sure.
As a professional mechanic and very amateur electronic hobbiest this is the first video of yours where I don't feel completely in over my head:). Of course I've never broken out a curve tracer to check for spark.....
Converted my Onan 4.0 rv genset 4 bfa-1r/16004c to Propane while living on a mtn top in Boulder Creek CA with a 500 gallon Lp tank 2000 heart Interface Inverter and 4 Trojan batteries. I lived in my cabin for 10 years or so. Still have it and will for life.
