Kohler generator overheating

[Gregory OConnor]

I bet Scott is right. 20% blockage is 50 to 60 % efficiency lost. If
flow and air was not the issue prior, it may well be now that you
have drained the block and still have air in the system. I would
loosen some hoses to remove air that is traped and cavitating the
pump????? may be RobR can explain how he got the air out.


I know you are in a pinch to get off to BM so give me a call and I
can try and fine some one to look at it in Temecula. I made a phone
call . ON the road it is good to remember that many euipment rental
yards have inhouse mechanics that are well versed in genset repair
and usuly a wizz on equipment with varity of facets.

GregO'Connor

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Scott Forman"
<scottforman75@...> wrote:
>
> 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
> > >
> >
>