Kohler generator overheating

[Rob Robinson]

I bled the air out using boththe petcock upbeside the thermostat and the one down on the radiator tank. The radiator on mine has two petcocks. One on the top side of the tank and one under which acts as the low drain point. I bled air out using the radiator tank top side petcock.

2008/8/14 Gregory OConnor <"Gregoryoc@aol.com">

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%40yahoogroups.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%40yahoogroups.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%40yahoogroups.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%40yahoogroups.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
> > >
> >
>

--
Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
94 WLWB