Onan Generator Removal

[Bruce Benson]

My 10kw Onan (10HDCAA11506A) is making a jingling noise.  I am afraid it is the rear rotor bearing.  The only way to work on it is to remove it from the coach.  It is located on the driver's side, under the living room slide.  It appears that the door frame will need to be removed and then it should come out with a fork lift.  Has anyone done or seen this done?  It appears that the pop rivets will have to be drilled out of the frame to remove it.  There are bolts in the bottom slide flange which will allow removing it along with the door frame.

I think I should replace the fan belt, which requires almost complete disassembly to access, because of its age.  I also plan to set the valve lash as the gen set has over 1200 hours on it.  The brushes and injectors will be checked as well.  Does anyone have any thoughts about the water pump and the fuel pump?  Any other thoughts while I have it out?

Has anyone had experience with Onan repair in the San Antonio area?  It looks like Cummins, Camping World or So-Tex Generator Repair are my three best choices.  I can also look in Austin, Dallas and El Paso based on my current travel plans.  Any thoughts are appreciated!

[Ron and Bette Ulshoffer]

We have had Onan remove our generator twice.  The first time in San Diego - they raised it up (high) and removed the generator out of the bottom.  It cost us about $1000 to replace a $50 fan belt.  We just had some work done in Phoenix (Onan), but they were smarter and took it out the side - labor much cheaper that way.  Nice new facility - we parked in their parking area with electricity - would recommend them.  This is not a job I would recommend that you tackle yourself.  The generator is now working fine - knock on wood.  (we seem to say that a lot)

[Tim Bentley Co-Admin]

On generator noises see thread
http://forum.bacrallies.com/m-1238082746/s-0/highlight-Generator/#num0

[Elliott_Mcleod]

Bruce, I had my Onan removed once to replace the radiator which someone had broken it around the filler cap(which is plastic) by tightening it up to tight.  The door frame on the bottom should come off with a couple of bolts and the generator can be removed from the side.  Should be no need to remove the entire frame or pop rivets.  While it is out clean the spark arrestor as well as the items you mentioned.

[Gerald Farris]

For coach owners with a side mounted generator, it is not always necessary to remove the generator to service it. On the 10K Onan in my 2000 Marquis, an Onan distributor quoted me $700 labor to replace the fan belt without even looking at the coach to check for clerance. I thought this was a very high labor cost for a fan belt. So I did it myself in 4 hours with only hand tools and without removing the generator. I am a retired mechanic and it was a little tight but it is a job that the any average mechanic can do.

If the generator needs major components like the stator replaced, it will be necessary to remove it, but complete removal for minor service work is not necessary in most cases. The average Onan mechanic will look at a side mounted unit and automatically quote removal to service the generator. It is not always cost effective to you even if it is easier on the mechanic who is use to servicing a generator as a "bench job". So it is usually a good idea to question a service quote that includes generator removal to be certain that it is necessary.

Gerald

[Bill Johnson]

I agree with Gerald.  We also have a side mounted Onan and while told we would have to remove the generator to replace the fan belt we found that we could do it ourselves without removing the unit (and did).  It is a relatively tight fit, but can be done -- even with these old arms and hands.

[Jeremy Parrett]

Has anyone thought of front mounting the generator on a slide? I found a slide that will fit. Just need some feed back.  I feel this would solve all the servicing issues as well as the weight distribution issue that I have on my 2000 Marquis Amethyst.   Thanks, Jeremy

[Gerald Farris]

Jeremy,
The idea of moving the generator may sound like a good idea, but I think that the cost would be prohibitive. First you would have to have the opening cut and have the edges of the cutout reinforced and painted. Then the A/C condenser and several air lines would have to be relocated to open up the area. Next the mounting points for the generator slide would have to be fabricated, and since the liquid cooled generator is so heavy, they will have to be very substantial. Then you will have to have the generator removed from the side mount (probably with a forklift) and installed on the slide mount, and extend the wiring and fuel lines to the new location plus installing a new generator exhaust system.

Since the generator will probably never have to be removed if you replace the fan belt (Onan recommended service every 1,000 hours) without removal as I did, there is no way that it is cost effective. Also most Onan shops will still remove the generator for any major service work even if it is on a front slide, so there will be little savings in labor cost.

Gerald  

[Ron and Bette Ulshoffer]

I am adding some comments to Bette's comments.  The first time we had the generator removed, it was done by people who had never done it before.  That was in San Diego.  The work we had done in Phoenix was much better and by knowledgable people.  Bruce, I didn't have any noise coming from the gen, but I did have a vibration.  I had to have a new radiator installed, a new fuel pump, new brushes and a new rear bearing.  The bearing was what caused the vibration.  The new facility in Phoenix is wonderful and I highly recommend them......

[Jeremy Parrett]

Thanks Gerald.  Great info. If I win the lottery I will consider a front generator slide as it would make  servicing it much easier as well as moving a heavy weight between the wheels which might balance the coach better and put a little more pressure on the steering tires. Jeremy







2000 Beaver Marquis Amethyst.

[Bruce Benson]

All fixed now!  The problem turned out to be the worn belt was slapping against a plastic baffle.  Total bill was $770 with $170 of that parts.  All fluids and filters were changed, including the coolant.  The brushes were also changed.  

They did pull it out.  I thought seriously about Gerald's suggestion of replacing the belt with the generator in the coach.  My main concern was that I did not know what was making the jingle.  It could have been a lot of things.  I decided that putting the time and effort into un-cowling the generator in coach might well be wasted if the problem turned out to be in the rotor bearing.  As it was, the brushes needed to be replaced so that got done.

The spark arrestor plug had to be heated to remove.  They put the generator on a test stand and loaded it up to get the soot out.  They said that it was not so bad, only about 10% below rated output.  They have seen them at 50% so mine started looking good.  They said that by loading it to the max it blows the arrestor out better and also cleans some of the carbon buildup on the injectors.  After all was done, I was back to 100%.  

They used a little over 2 hours time removing and replacing, so that was not so bad.  

I really do not like having other people work on my coach and I am tight with the dollar.  Overall, though, I am glad to get this done.  It was most unpleasant worrying every minute that the generator was running.  It would have also been a pain to pull it apart then have to deal with getting the parts.  

      

[Edward Buker]

Bruce,
What was the name of the shop you used? It looks like they did a good job and treated you very well. Your generator should be good to go for a long time.

later Ed

[Bruce Benson]

I took it to So-Tex Generator and Engine repair in San Antonio.  They are a full service Onan facility.  

I think that they were conservative in the work that they did.  There was nothing replaced that I questioned.  They certainly had more hours in it than they charged.  They probably charged me for one mechanic when there were always two and sometimes three working on it.  The owner, Rick, did some of the work.  I know he was involved in the last stages of the removal and in solving and repairing the belt issue.  Overall, I am satisfied with the work so far.  

The other side is that the facility was poorly kept, it was a little unclear who I needed to brief about the removal and they had a very firm "no watching policy.  It just seemed lax and disorganized.  I was not relaxed while they had it.  The proof was in the pudding though, in at 8 out at 4 and working fine.  The communication was much improved when I picked it up.  Rick probably spent a half hour explaining it all to me.  

The bottom line is that I do not like others working on my coach and I do not like the "unknown" of the costs.  I need to get over that as I am becoming less and less able or interested in doing it myself.  Now, if I only had a nice enclosed shop with a grease pit.......