Small Engine Question

[ehenry]

I have a Generac 10kw stand by unit on my house. It is powered by a 22 horse Briggs & Stratton Vangaurd OHV engine. Yesterday the electricity went out and the unit came on as normal. After it had run for an hour or so I noticed it was sounding like it was under a really heavy load. I knew it wasn't that much of a load on the unit because we didn't have that much stuff on in the house. <br /><br />I went out and pulled the side cover off the little house that the unit is in and noticed that there was oil dripping from the air cleaner. When I pulled the air cleaner cover off if was almost half full of engine oil. The unit is made for extended run times and has an oil reservoir tank on it in addition to the normal crankcase oil. I powered the unit down immediately and checked the oil and it was WAY over full. Anybody got any idea why this unit would all of a sudden suck most of the oil from the oil tank into the crankcase until it puked it out the air cleaner??? Thanks in advance.

 

[JB]

Re: Small Engine Question

Howdy, EF.<br /><br />Don't know much about the engine but I have some thoughts anyway.<br /><br />How does the system know when to send oil from the reservoir to the crancase(wet sump with reservoir), or does it recycle the oil constantly (split sump)with a scavenging pump to move oil from the crankcase to the reservoir and a lubricating pump that gets oil from the reservoir to lube the engine?<br /><br />If the system adds oil from the reservoir to the wet sump to replace used oil, it has failed and is adding oil when it shouldn't.<br /><br />If it is a split sump that circulates all oil all the time, the pump that scavenges excess oil from the crankcase sump to the reservoir has failed.<br /><br />Hope that helps some.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Small Engine Question

JB, I'm not sure what its got. I'm thinking its a wetsump system because theres only one line that goes from the oil reservior to the engine and a dip stick that goes down to the crankcase.. This will give me a place to start. I wasn't even sure where I should start looking. <br /><br />Anybody else feel free to chime in on this one.

 

[sloopy]

Re: Small Engine Question

HI<br />this would be a great question to call B and S about! There number is 1-414 259-5333 I have noticed that Briggs and stratton has the best call in service! they will answer any question you may have and they can help define the warranty for you. (sometimes the warranty when on paper makes it hard to understand what type of repairs and service YOU can do yourself.<br /><br />I need to find a spellchecker...

 

[ehenry]

Re: Small Engine Question

Hey Sloopy, you're alright I don't care what JB says about ya. I aprreciate that number. I'm going to give them a call and I'll let yall know what they say.

 

[sloopy]

Re: Small Engine Question

But I thought J.B was my friend <br /><br />sniff* sniff*

 

[lakeman1999]

Re: Small Engine Question

Rather than retype it all, I have copied and pasted below a recent post of mine in answer to another person who had an engine manufacturing crankcase oil under "outboards"<br /><br />During the hot summer that I first purchased my latest lawn mower (tractor), When I went to mow my lawn, I made the regular before starting oil check, and found the oil level way too high, and exceptionally thin. When you live out of town (no gas stations near) at the lake, with two boats, two vehicles, a lawn mower, and other gas powered tools, as well as a sawmill, you keep a few 5/6 gallon cans of gas on hand. So I decided that after my last mowing session, and preparing to make a trip to town I filled the tank on the mower, so I would have another empty too fill in town and bring back to my fuel bank. I finally decided that as the day heated up (98+) the gasoline in the full tank expanded, and tank being full there was no place for it to go, except thru the carb and and into the crankcase of the engine. I never leave the mower tank full between mowing sessions after that. Is this a possibility with out boards? Possibly the engine on occaision comes to a stop with an intake valve or two partially open?

 

[John Carpenter]

Re: Small Engine Question

Had something similar happen with my mower this year. My air filter was clogged solid with dust which caused the engine to pull a vacuum on the crankcase...if it runs it WILL get air from somewhere. It sucked the crankcase dry as there was no aux. tank. Almost lost an engine. Oil filter was also oil soaked. I keep a little closer eye on the oil filter now.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Small Engine Question

I guess I should have noted that this engine runs on natural gas. I pretty sure its not getting gas in the oil. The air filter scenario seems to make sense however i just serviced the engine not long about a month ago and installed a fresh air filter element. I'm wondering if this engine has a crankcase vent or something that could be stopped up causing it to pull oil from the reservior into the crankcase and purging it out the vent in the air cleaner box. Its Dirt Dauber season here.<br /><br />I called the number Sloopy gave me and they tried to help but I got a new guy that was pretty green and he wasn't aware of that particular engine having a reservoir on it.....I'm thinking that Generac must have put the reservoir on it. I'm going to keep after it.

 

[one more cast]

Re: Small Engine Question

B&S has great service assisants, I wrote them one time to get info on an old motor i have and they sent me back the year and month it was built (Sept. 1931) and sent me a copy of an owners manual.Great people,20 years ago anyway!

 

[ehenry]

Re: Small Engine Question

B&S are still good folks. THe guy tried to help me. I'm going to call them back and see if I can get a different person.

 

[sloopy]

Re: Small Engine Question

try <br />1414 259 5906<br /><br />and ask for Kapsy Robert<br />He should be able to help.

 

[norman158]

Re: Small Engine Question

run a leak down test to see if you have a blown head gasket causing excess crank case pressure.this will cause the oil in the breather that you are seeing and may rase H*** with the oil res. also. Generac was most likely the one who put the oil res.on your motor.

 

[norman158]

Re: Small Engine Question

Oh, 1 more thing.B&S owns Genarac.

 

[sloopy]

Re: Small Engine Question

<br /><br />

<br /><br />are those your engines?

 

[ehenry]

Re: Small Engine Question

Sloopy, the top picture looks the closest to my engine. Mine is a vertical shaft twin cylinder running on natural gas.<br /><br />Here's the numbers on it. Its either an 18 or 22 horse engine.<br /> <br />Model - 303774<br />Type - 0119-01<br />Code - 92042411

 

[sloopy]

Re: Small Engine Question

go to www.briggsandstratton.com and click on "MY ENGINE INFO" then sign up and type in your engine serial, model and product numbers, it will then tell you what engine you have!

 

[ehenry]

Re: Small Engine Question

Be Advised.....I called Generac and got their tech support line. I was informed that since I wasn't a dealer of their product that they would not help me even though I own the damn thing. I'm just trying to keep from paying the $100 minimum service call. <br /><br />The last time I had someone out to look that the thing he charged me $175. The majority of his time was spent trying to remember how to wire a switch HE took out. Thats why I don't want to call anyone out to come look at the thing. I'm gonna try Briggs again, maybe I'll get a different guy.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Small Engine Question

Hats off to SLOOPY ! ! ! I called second number you gave me and Mr. Robert did his best to help me. He got really steamed when I told him Generac wouldn't help me. He said he was going to call Generac himself and get someone to call me. SLOOP YOU DA MAN ! ! ! !!

 

[ehenry]

Re: Small Engine Question

Have gone round and round with Generac and they absolutley will not give an end user any information about their systems. While their systems may be good....their support sucks.