Hi,
I've been using a Briggs 10 horse generator for back up on my home, or even once lent it out to my family when a tornado killed the power for 5 days.
It comes in real handy, but I've noticed it's an incredible oil burner and you have to stay on the consumption or it's curtains... (no low oil cut-out.)
In general every generator I've been around burns oil, and much more than any lawnmower, snowblower.....ect.
To combat it I put in a PAO synthetic 10-30 oil and it shut the consumption down to nothing. Under a lend out it stood a solid 5 days of running up to 40 amps back-feed to my mother-in-law's house. I was worried here, and instructed her to check oil on every tank run out, and it needed nothing...nice surprise.
Do you think synthetic was the cure or would a general 10/30 have done the trick.
If I remember 5-30 was the oil spec from Briggs.
Any experiences on this with the generators?
Generators are oil consumers
- Thread starter INTJ
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My Echo generator, with a Robin 11hp engine recently used about 4 ounces of oil in 15 hours of running. This is with over 2,500 hours on the engine. I would call that pretty good. Oil was Rotella T 15W-40.
Originally Posted By: boraticus
I have a Kubota D850 diesel 6kw generator with 6000+ hours on it. Change the oil every 150 hours. Zero consumption between changes. Usually run Rotella 10W30 or 15W40, or other quality HDEO mineral oil, whatever is the best price.
Originally Posted By: INTJ
Hi,
I've been using a Briggs 10 horse generator for back up on my home, or even once lent it out to my family when a tornado killed the power for 5 days.
It comes in real handy, but I've noticed it's an incredible oil burner and you have to stay on the consumption or it's curtains... (no low oil cut-out.)
In general every generator I've been around burns oil, and much more than any lawnmower, snowblower.....ect.
To combat it I put in a PAO synthetic 10-30 oil and it shut the consumption down to nothing. Under a lend out it stood a solid 5 days of running up to 40 amps back-feed to my mother-in-law's house. I was worried here, and instructed her to check oil on every tank run out, and it needed nothing...nice surprise.
Do you think synthetic was the cure or would a general 10/30 have done the trick.
If I remember 5-30 was the oil spec from Briggs.
Any experiences on this with the generators?
The crankcase capacity is 2qts. or 64 ounces and my longest run time was about 120/hrs and no consumption here. The Briggs consumption spec. would put it at 2qts in that span....interesting.
In the past oil on this has been a compromise because you risk damage with too heavy a grade on a 0*(F) degree start. And once warmed up, then you are on the adding cycle again.
I believe that 10/30 base IV oil will do just fine on a very cold day.
It's a nice OHV engine, and will start on the second pull in cold weather, but it doesn't have any bells and whistles such as the low oil cut off, and the cylinder sleeves are not replaceable. In fact, it's not a 'true' sinewave generator but we've run electronics on it with no damage.
Originally Posted By: INTJ
Do you think synthetic was the cure or would a general 10/30 have done the trick.
If I remember 5-30 was the oil spec from Briggs.
Any experiences on this with the generators?
Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: INTJ
Do you think synthetic was the cure or would a general 10/30 have done the trick.
If I remember 5-30 was the oil spec from Briggs.
Any experiences on this with the generators?
"""I don't know. A friend has a generator repair business(certified Generic tech)and he uses M1 5-30 off the shelf...."""
Mobil-1 ??? What a surprise!!!
I think that some small OPE engines just like to use oil and some use more synthetic oil than conventional oil. I have a 305cc B&S Kool Bore engine on my snow blower that eats Mobil 5W30 at an excessive rate. I switched to a high mileage 5W30 oil and consumption has slowed down considerable but not completely. Another byproduct of using Mobile 1 was gobs of residue accumulating on the spark plug. That has also been pretty much eliminated since going back to a conventional oil.
Nothing wrong with the engine either. Bought it brand new. Broke it in correctly with mineral oil for five hours and ran M1 thereafter until last year. It has 150 psi compression, starts well, works strong and is easy on fuel. Just seems to have a taste for oil. Without a doubt, it's the worst engine I've owned for oil consumption.
Originally Posted By: steve20
"""I don't know. A friend has a generator repair business(certified Generic tech)and he uses M1 5-30 off the shelf...."""
Mobil-1 ??? What a surprise!!!
Originally Posted By: troyb43
I read on the Briggs website they considered an once per cylinder per hour is normal oil consumption.
OK, Oil for Thought.
My John Deere riding mower is a twin cylinder Briggs.
The horsepower is 20 or 25; I don't remember now, but it's 500cc.I've used 5-30 mineral for break-in, and for the first season @ 18-20 hours on the clock, and no usage.
This baby runs hot too, so I put in 2 quarts fill of a PAO 10/30 thereafter, now into 6 years.
My thought was high oil evaporation via heat with these generators, due to load, and they are somewhat shielded from the surrounding air, whereas the mower has a cowl induction.
Is it the" heat" or is it ultimately a difference in local designs, hence a manufacturer anomaly such as different ring pack tensions, etc?
As I've mentioned, I've been around a lot of generators, mostly Briggs, but a few "imports" and the Honda is the same deal-- uses oil.
But I've found the 'stop' on it. I'd like to try my PAO 10-30 theory on my employer's generators, as this could stop the fuss about watching the oil, and toting the oil and funnels around.
Curious.
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I'd run a straight 30W in it. I bet the consumption will drop.
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Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: steve20
"""I don't know. A friend has a generator repair business(certified Generic tech)and he uses M1 5-30 off the shelf...."""
Mobil-1 ??? What a surprise!!!
LOL! We run from 5500W Honda gensets to some old Coleman (B&S single cylinder 7kW gensets) in our office for certain parts of the power backup during outage, never have I seen/heard such bazarre call that B&S is expected to burn oil in such an excessive rate.
You got an issue with the motor itself I must say, even with all the B&S motors (lawnmowers, tillers, etc.) I've serviced/own/operate so far, I've never heard of such outrageous oil consumption rates.
Q.
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: steve20
"""I don't know. A friend has a generator repair business(certified Generic tech)and he uses M1 5-30 off the shelf...."""
Mobil-1 ??? What a surprise!!!
Originally Posted By: Quest
LOL! We run from 5500W Honda gensets to some old Coleman (B&S single cylinder 7kW gensets) in our office for certain parts of the power backup during outage, never have I seen/heard such bazarre call that B&S is expected to burn oil in such an excessive rate.
You got an issue with the motor itself I must say, even with all the B&S motors (lawnmowers, tillers, etc.) I've serviced/own/operate so far, I've never heard of such outrageous oil consumption rates.
Q.
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