Generac 5500 watt generator

[TallPaul]

The motorhome I just bought has a Genrac Q-55G generator with the Generac GN480 engine (only 67 hours on it). It's a 2 cylinder V engine on it's side and I think is about 15 hp. Anyway, the air filter assembly takes a paper element and an oil wetted foam element. I looked at it and the foam is dry, but the paper element has stains from oil wetting. Seems odd to have both sandwiched together in contact. Anybody have experience with this setup? How do you oil the foam? I guess you would wring it out very well. How do you clean the foam? Can I hose it from the back side with CRC Electronic Contact Cleaner (which leaves no residue)?

 

[doitmyself]

Paul,

I had a John Deere mower with the foam over paper filter. I cleaned the foam with dish washing soap and water. Rinse very well and squeeze dry in paper toweling or cloth. Squeeze in just enough oil with your hands to get a very light application - maybe a tablespoon or so? I sometimes wring the oiled foam again in paper towel to remove the excess. It only needs the slightest amount of oil - you don't want the paper to become oil saturated. When you buy a new one, it should be pre-oiled and you can get an idea how much (or little is on it).

The contact cleaner may deteriorate the foam and/or won't flush the crud out unless you use a lot.

 

[TallPaul]

Okay, I get it. The filter really doesn't have that much oil in it, so I could wash it in the basement bathroom sink and it would not add any more oil to the sewage treatment process than a few handwashings after working on the car anyway. That should be easy. Thanks.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

It appears that engine takes a Kawasaki oil filter. Hmmmmmm!

 

[TallPaul]

Takes a Wix 51394. But the sad thing is the Wix catalog does not list an air filter for it. It has a Generac flam retardant paper air filter, #73123. But I can't get a cross reference. Going to have to buy an air filter from the RV dealer at top dollar I guess.

Is the oil wetted foam redundant? Most engines get along fine on just a paper filter. Do I really need to mess with the oil wetting part of it?