Generator Running Full RPM and Overheating

[nbedinger]

a long shot but maybe you can find a manual that gives the procedure for getting your gen engine and gen output dialed in:

https://power.kohler.com/en/generato...ical-resources

Check out your dad’s meter model on the web, see if it tells how to set the freq range for measurements.

Good luck

[chrisa]

Something is really off now. Anyone want to buy this thing ? I was turning it down and the hertz started to slowly decrease, but now the cranking reset button keeps popping out. Also, when I got it close to to 63 hz the volts were only at 88. What am I doing wrong?

[gcyeaw]

I assume the engine speed is changing when you adjust the screw??
The actual rpm's should be 1800. If the generator output is noisy (not a clean signal) it can confuse the meter. You can put a load on it using heaters, they are not so sensitive to frequency (the old ones with no electronics). A load might calm down any noise interfering with the meter.

[Mike Hohnstein]

https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect...000/p6609.html

My solution, works well.

[gcyeaw]

Originally Posted by chrisa

Something is really off now. Anyone want to buy this thing ? I was turning it down and the hertz started to slowly decrease, but now the cranking reset button keeps popping out. Also, when I got it close to to 63 hz the volts were only at 88. What am I doing wrong?

Sorry, we crossed each other while updating. Was the generator working OK before you touched it? (not a wise crack, just trying to figure if it had a problem from the beginning)

[chrisa]

Originally Posted by gcyeaw

Sorry, we crossed each other while updating. Was the generator working OK before you touched it? (not a wise crack, just trying to figure if it had a problem from the beginning)

I think I may have figured out what was going on, at least part of it. To answer your question, it was spewing radiator fluid and the cranking reset button would pop after an hour before I started messing with it. Also, looking at where it is adjusted to now on the stop screw compared to previously, I think the hz was way off before I started fooling with it as the previous owner had the generator running very fast.

What was giving me trouble figuring out the hz was the AC units would change the volts and hz dramatically (88 volts and 180hz). I plugged an oil heater in as they are most constant with their request for electricity. Once I did this, the volts dialed in to normal non-fluctuating numbers and so I adjusted the rpm to get the correct hz. I adjusted the hz down from the high 70s to right at 60hz and 114 volts with the 1500 watt heater turned on at full. I ran it for another 40 minutes and the red cranking reset button hasn't popped yet. It was running at 140 degrees at the radiator using a thermogun after the 40 minutes. After looking at where the radiator fluid was previously leaking, I think it was coming out of the overflow at the bottom rear of the radiator, so maybe it wasn't a big deal after all. Does all of this sound right?

What makes the cranking reset button pop? Is it normal for these generators to kind of bounce around a little?

Thank you again to everyone for their patience with me. I am relatively young (34 years old) as my bus is older than me. Sometimes I feel way in over my head and couldn't do it without this forum and the help of those wiser.

[gcyeaw]

Can you take a pic of the reset button? My old unit had a fuse so I am not sure if we are on the same page? Also, consider the breaker is way old so may just be faulty.