Hey guys, this is my newish pulsar 12000 KW generator gasser. I have never put gas in the tank, and only run propane, and plan on never using gas. Owners manual says to run 5w30. It is of my understanding that maybe a diesel engine oil is best for small air cooled engines like this. What would you guys run? I live in the suburbs of Chicago, hot summers, cold winters. At least a 10w is ideal, 5w probably isn’t necessary. Should I run regular api SP 5w30? Should I run euro a3/b4 5w30? Or a euro 5w40 a3/b4. Or should I run Rotella 5/10/15w40??? New to the small engine world. Thank you very much. If it helps, this engine has already been “broken in”.
Engine oil for pulsar generator
- Thread starter Shucks18
- Start date
It's splash lube so I would run a 30 weight.
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- Jul 28, 2024
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- 1,159
any decent full synthetic in a 5 or 10W-30.
What gives you that idea? I worked on propane powered fork lifts and HDEO oil is what the dealer used. Remember the engine output and pressure. Air cooled engines can get hot. I would use a some kind of Xw-40 for winter starts and summer heat.
I use SuperTech 10w-40 Blend in all my OPE including the the 9.5kW generator. No issues.
Cold winters, a 5w bottom number is a must if not 0w. I could not pull over my 10hp briggs at zero F fast enough to start it with 5w in it. Lifted the 5600w unit off the ground with the recoil it was so hard pulling over. Switched to a 0-30w and no more issues. Unit was stored in an unheated garage. Normal local temp range of -20 to 85f.
If it's a pull start you're really going to want a 5w oil for winter.
A 15w or 20w is so thick once you get around 0f you'll never be able to pull start. Get a bit below zero and it might seem like the engine has locked up.
A 15w or 20w is so thick once you get around 0f you'll never be able to pull start. Get a bit below zero and it might seem like the engine has locked up.
We bought this brand new, and broke it in by running for a certain amount of hour/hours that I do not remember, then changed the oil, and repeated that process a few times
It’s got a battery for starting
Just a piece of advice. Buy a good battery maintainer and hook it up. Leave it on. Those small batteries do not take being stored for extended periods of time. The maintainer will not hurt the battery and will extend its life. What provisions have you made for the propane fuel? Large house type tank or portable tanks?
I don't believe that you ever mentioned your location or climate. The battery isn't likely to overcome a combination of extreme cold and a higher viscosity oil. I live in SE Pennsylvania and run 5w-40 in my generators. The one I depend on stays in the attached garage where the temperature never goes below 28 F on the warm side. My snowblower has electric start and stays on the cold side of the garage when needed. It turns over very well with synthetic 5w-30.
As was mentioned earlier, keep a close eye on the battery. The ones that come with the units tend to fail pretty quickly. Either put it on a tender or charge it once a month. You should really exercise the generator at least once every three months anyway, so that would be a good time to charge the battery. If you know that a bad weather event is headed your way then charge the battery and start the unit before it arrives. In the middle of an emergency is no time to figure out that your generator has a problem. Always be prepared.
Started the generator today, 96 degrees today in the suburbs of Chicago. I can’t believe how hot these little engines run. Would it be a good idea to run a large fan and point it at the generator while it runs for an extended period of time?? I did it a few months ago and it helped keep it cooler… kinda seemed like a no brainer idea, unless uneven cooling is an issue
For sure. Put on shady side of the house, in the shade, under a tarp if possible, on a hard/paved surface to cut down on dust/dirt, fan on the blowing toward the inverter side of the unit (control panel on most).
0W40 Euro or 5w40 HDEO
