Genny cooling issues

[Greg Young]

Thanks Wayne - I've seen the blowers and wondered what they were for. I will check to see if they're operating.

I infer from your statement that the airflow on the radiator fan is intentional - that it's supposed to pull air in across the radiator and exhaust into the genny compartment, then blown down and out by these blowers? (Pretty convoluted - but I'm not a thermal or any other kind of engineer...)

Thanks again!
Greg

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From: Wayne Kotila
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 2:20:56 PM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Genny cooling issues

Greg, there are a few elecrical components on the inside wall that you can see when you run the gen. tray out. and there is also at least one fuse on the controll box on top of the generator, butI think thats ones for the 12 volt generator starter circuit. I would check out the solenoids and the electric box that I mentioned on the inside wall.

Also with the generator tray out if you crawl under the coach you will see in the generator encloshure area above where the generator sits when the tray is in, there are 2, 12volt blowers and some duct tubing, these help to remove hot air and should come on when the generator starts. Mine weren't working soI went to a junk yard and got a couple blowers out of a couple late 70s model Dodge pickups to replace mine. You could use any 12 volt blower that was about the rite size. The one'sI took were easy to pull as they were high on the fire wall andI just had to pull a few screws and a wire conector to remove them. If you end up replacing those motors make shurebefore youmount and wirethem up that the rotation is correct so that both fans are drawing air into the blower inlet.

Wayne

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From: Greg Young
To: Wanderlodge Forum
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 3:51:35 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Genny cooling issues

Hi Everybody -

Ernie and all - Thanks on the pointers on the Chrysler power seat controls. Found one, and after a little plastic modification it fit and works perfectly. Now we can move the co-pilot's seat again!

This one's a little more critical. Late last week we had the generator worked on after it completely stopped producing power - its rotor bearing was shot and the stator and rotor were about to start arcing due to insulation wear. Had them "washed, baked and dipped," and $1700 later are now getting plenty of power. However, it seemed to be overheating still, as it did on last year's long trip. We have a 1986 PT-40 with the side-mounted radiator and the Kohler / Yanmar12.5K generator. So I've pulled the radiator and noted that the fan wasn't getting any current from the generator. I
bypassed the feed and found that the fan blades were binding on the housing. I've now got the binding fixed, so it will rotate freely - but two things still baffle me:

1. Is there a circuit breaker or fuse somewhere on the power feed to the fan that could have blown because the fan blades were stuck? Any idea of where to look for this?
2. Have noted that the fan was installed so that the airflow is from outside to inside - pulling air through the radiator and exhausting it out through the cage and to the center of the coach. Is this normal? Functional? Flipping the fan blade doesn't help - it's got scooped fins and only collects air in one direction. Thoughts? The guys who repaired the genny suggested I get a 12V radiator fan at a local auto parts store, but then I'm faced with having that switch on when the genny's running..

Thanks!
Greg Young

86 PT-40 Bluefire
itching
to get on the road.

Each time you judge yourself you break your heart.
-Kirpal Venanji