Kohler generator overheating

[Greg Young]

Hi Bryan & Scott and everybody

Follow up to our generator issues. I had the radiator serviced and it was only 20% blocked, so the guess is that was not the problem. However, I was wrong about the fan. Ours appeared to be sucking air in rather than blowing out. There is a junction box leading to the fan motor, which was wired normally - Hot (black) to black, neutral (white) to white. I reversed these and the motor continues to suck in. So how does one reverse the wiring and actually make it change direction?

I'm also a little baffled about oil levels and think we may have a plug somewhere - the dipstick showed oil level above max, yet when I opened the plug, with the filter off and the oil filler cap off, no oil came out. Putting in
more resulted in oil spilling out the breather hose.

Sorry, I'm not a gearhead like so many of you, but I can follow instructions if they're detailed enough...

Thanks!
Greg Young
1986 PT40
Escondido, CA
(760) 807-1727

----- Original Message ----
From: Greg Young
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, August 7, 2008 7:17:51 PM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Kohler generator overheating

Hi Scott - Thanks for the info. We have the standard vertical, so I think the fan's OK. Time to flush, and if that doesn't improve it, I'll probably take it in for "professional" (i.e. expensive) assessment.

Greg Young
1986 PT40
Escondido CA

----- Original Message ----
From: Scott Forman <scottforman75@...>
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, August 7, 2008 5:54:06 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Kohler generator overheating

Greg,



If you bus has the stock vertical radiator with traditional fan, it

should blow out...or at least that is what mine does.



Later models...and some retro-fitted earlier ones...have a horizontal

radiator with squirrel's cage fan blowing down and out.



I ran my Yanmar this past weekend at heavy load in 104 degree heat

and it never went above 180.



Scott Forman

86 PT38

Memphis



--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", Greg Young

wrote:

>

> Hi Bryan - Thanks for the idea. Which way is it supposed to turn -

exhausting air through the radiator, or pulling it in? I would think

out, which is what ours is doing.

> -Greg

> 86 PT40

>

>

>

> ----- Original Message ----

> From: Bryan Altier

> To: "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"

> Sent: Thursday, August 7, 2008 3:45:08 PM

> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Kohler generator overheating

>

>

> Greg, We had some problems with ours overheating

> just at times, (hot weather) and I discovered that the cooling fan

on the

> radiator was turning backwards. Reversed two wires and problem

> solved.

>

> Bryan Altier

> 88WLWB 40

> Greenville, SC

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Greg Young

> To: Wanderlodge Forum

> Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 4:09 PM

> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Kohler generator overheating

>

> Hi -

>

> Our Kohler generator is overheating under load. So far I've

replaced the thermostat, and so I guess that flushing the system is

the next step.

>

> Details:

> 86 PT-40

> Kohler 12.5CCO67-RV

> Yanmar 4-cyl engine

> with no load ran cool. Started adding load at around 180 degrees

> Added load up to 20A leg one, 30A leg two - all three cruise-air

AC's running plus some other appliances. Maintained about 115V all

the time.

> Temp slowly climbed up to about 215 before I took the load off. In

the past it actually tripped the high temp switch, but I didn't see

any point in doing that again.

> After I took the load off it slowly dropped to around 200. Stopped

it then.

>

> We've got two weeks before we head to the desert and 100+ heat.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

>

> Thanks!

> Greg Young

> 1986 PT40

> Escondido, CA

> (760) 807-1727

>