using to much oil

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Butch1956

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I sell Yamaha generators used in the ice fishing industry that are run on the eco mode all the time. The owners manual doesn't give a break in procedure, so the customers just start using them normally in the eco mode. Several units have started using oil, enough to make them shut down from low oil after 1 or 2 tanks of fuel. The units have been taken into a service center and tested but were told the units are ok and only have 4% leak down, so manufacturer won't do anything. My question is does leak down have any affect on the condition of the oil sealing rings and second does anybody now of a way to correct the oil consumption with out tear down.

Is anyone else having this trouble with the Yamaha 2000 watt inverter generator
 
I wouldn't do it, but Chevy had a TSB lback in the 50's when the new OHV V8 came out to use a cleaning product called Bon Ami to seat piston rings. Google bon ami chevy for more info.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I wouldn't do it, but Chevy had a TSB lback in the 50's when the new OHV V8 came out to use a cleaning product called Bon Ami to seat piston rings. Google bon ami chevy for more info.


Boy.....You must really be old! I have heard of that "Fix" as well, but I would not employ it.

To the OP: Those motors need to be run in with a load on them, preferably with the load varying, maybe every 15 minutes. If you could rig up a "Load bank", which could just be a board with a bunch of 200watt light bulbs, run it on 1800 watts, for 15 minutes, then 1000 for 15, and so on, checking the oil every hour, I bet the consumption would drop off pretty quickly.

An oil change to start off (With a good conventional oil, since you really don't know what has gone on so far) would not be a bad idea.

Does Yamaha actually manufacture these engines, or are they Chinese cheapies?
 
I'm with 4wheeldog.

Don't do bon-ami trick (I'm aware of this trick), instead: do the loading trick.

Only by cycling the engine with load would the rings been properly broken in. No other tricks can overcome the oil burning issues.

BTW: same as the "whipping" trick used when breaking in freshly rebuilt engines with new rings. In mere miles, the rings would have seated properly....

Q.
 
I think that you are on the right track. Tell your customers to avoid using eco mode for the first few hours of operation.

Alternating heavy and lower electrical loads would be preferred but not always practical at break-in.
 
I've never used the Yamaha inverter generator, but we have 3 of its Honda equivalents at work (Honda EU2000i). We didn't really do any special break-in on them, but the load we put on them (radio transmitters) typically makes them vary speed quite a bit- just a few watts draw when the radio is listening, but hundreds of whats when it transmits. You can hear them out in the field revving up and down with the transmitter, so that's probably why ours broke in well. They got plenty of speed and load variation right from the get-go. We run the oil WAY too long in them, to be honest, but they don't seem to consume any.
 
Yah, the break in issue gave me something to consider as I was blowing snow with a brand new Predator Chonda. I used it last year for only about 10 hrs. It has engine mounted throttle controls and it was left at WOT. It doesn't use oil.

To the OP, I would tell your customers that the rings haven't seated. YET. That as soon as the engine is broken in properly, the consumption should go down.

The rings in some engines are susceptible to trouble. Others not so much
 
Yah, the break in issue gave me something to consider as I was blowing snow with a brand new Predator Chonda. I used it last year for only about 10 hrs. It has engine mounted throttle controls and it was left at WOT. It doesn't use oil.

To the OP, I would tell your customers that the rings haven't seated. YET. That as soon as the engine is broken in properly, the consumption should go down.

The rings in some engines are susceptible to trouble. Others not so much
 
Since you know how your customers are running the machines, break them in for them before they take possession. Use the staggered load method to set the seals for your customers and change the oil when done. Tell your customers that you have run them to set the seals and get rid of the initial wear metals and they are ready for their needs. The initial work on your end will save you the headache you are dealing with now.
 
Originally Posted By: PhilsSmallEngine
Since you know how your customers are running the machines, break them in for them before they take possession. Use the staggered load method to set the seals for your customers and change the oil when done. Tell your customers that you have run them to set the seals and get rid of the initial wear metals and they are ready for their needs. The initial work on your end will save you the headache you are dealing with now.



double & triple agree with Phil's suggestion above. That is what I would do if I was selling them. Once word gets around they use a lot of oil, you won't be selling many in the future. Break them in for 5 hours with varying load & change the oil. There must be something at your shop or around the house you can run on the gen to break it in
Steve
 
Originally Posted By: steve20
Originally Posted By: PhilsSmallEngine
Since you know how your customers are running the machines, break them in for them before they take possession. Use the staggered load method to set the seals for your customers and change the oil when done. Tell your customers that you have run them to set the seals and get rid of the initial wear metals and they are ready for their needs. The initial work on your end will save you the headache you are dealing with now.



double & triple agree with Phil's suggestion above. That is what I would do if I was selling them. Once word gets around they use a lot of oil, you won't be selling many in the future. Break them in for 5 hours with varying load & change the oil. There must be something at your shop or around the house you can run on the gen to break it in
Steve


I use 2 electric heaters to balance the load and you can change the wattage of the heaters to vary the load on the engine. Every 3 months I "exercise" my generator this way for 40 minutes to keep it in top working condition. The variable wattage electric heaters would work well for breaking in the engine.

Whimsey
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Are they using synthetic or conventional oil? Engines break in better using a conventional oil.



Nonsense.


Most every new bike,car,truck is shipped with synthetic oil today. If syn was better for break in don't you think the oem would ship it that way,considering it's cheaper and would reduce cost.
Old wives tale
 
Originally Posted By: PhilsSmallEngine
Since you know how your customers are running the machines, break them in for them before they take possession. Use the staggered load method to set the seals for your customers and change the oil when done. Tell your customers that you have run them to set the seals and get rid of the initial wear metals and they are ready for their needs. The initial work on your end will save you the headache you are dealing with now.



Not a bad idea.

And I'd just keep it to myself. Break them in yourself properly,change oil and done deal.
Your doing them a favour to be honest.
 
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