Kohler generator overheating

[Scott Forman]

Greg,

Others may chime in, but I am not convinced that the fan "sucking"
instead of "blowing" is your problem. 80's FC's (including my
old '82 FC) had basically the same radiator/fan set-up and the fan
sucked in so as to not be blowing hot air out on the "porch" area.
As long as the fan is moving air across the radiator, it should not
matter which direction it is moving.

You may want to look for plugged hoses on a radiator stuck closed.

Scott

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Greg Young
wrote:
>
> 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@ yahoogroups. 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@ yahoogroups. 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
> >
>