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Anyone know of Generator repair forum?

HoJoPo said:
Rust converting primer and epoxy spray paint work great, I helped my dad restore the battery tray in a motorhome using them, after using a wire wheel to remove most of the rust.

For the Charger, the dried electrolyte wasn't acidic, didn't react to baking soda (probably mostly lead sulfide crystals), so I vacuumed up most of it and then rinsed the rest thouroughly away.
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Available in rattle can? I dont have a compressor anymore.

Chuck(G) said:
I've always used a rotary wire brush on the stuff. In the old days, I'd prime with zinc chromate, but if you can get down to metal, Rust-Oleum isn't a bad choice--the brush-on, not the rattle-can paint. My opinion is that rattle-can paint is for looks, but brush-on is thicker and more durable. I've never had much luck with so-called "rust converters".
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I was gonna buy a universal chuck for my angle grinder and wirebrush it originaly (battery bay) But use an oscillating sander for the lid.
 
VERAULT said:
Available in rattle can? I dont have a compressor anymore.


I was gonna buy a universal chuck for my angle grinder and wirebrush it originaly (battery bay) But use an oscillating sander for the lid.
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Yes, both the rust converting primer and the epoxy paint were from rattle cans. Just be sure to follow the prep and use on the converting primer, and you should be good. It helps to remove as much rust as you easily can first, and make sure the surface is clean / grease free (iso alcohol or acetone work fine).
 
Glad you got it going.

I've always had good results with Naval Jelly to remove the rust. Then clean with dawn/dish soap and water. Hair dryer. Then paint. It works good with wood stoves at least.

Seaken
 
seaken said:
Glad you got it going.

I've always had good results with Naval Jelly to remove the rust. Then clean with dawn/dish soap and water. Hair dryer. Then paint. It works good with wood stoves at least.

Seaken
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Ive still got a few jars around I could try. I would wire off the loose stuff first though.
 
Naval Jelly has always worked good for both cast iron and sheet steel stoves. BTW, the cast iron used in my wood stoves is a mixture of irons and steels, mostly recycled from the auto industry. I do have a harder time with sheet steel as far as a nice finished paint job. But most people don't get too close so it looks fine from across the room. And it is a lot less work than sand blasting and whet sanding, etc.

Seaken
 
Yes, Soapstone is still popular. Of course, the frame is cast iron and the soapstone is integrated. Not only expensive to buy but also expensive to repair. I had to discontinue my soapstone brand since the majority of my clients are weekenders. But the time the stove got up to temperature it was time to go back to the city! I still have few that I maintain.

Seaken
 
VERAULT said:
Also, Am I crazy on my thoughts on the battery and the new warranties?
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You are not crazy. The quality of batteries seems to have diminished somewhat (at least for lead-acid). Consider Costco as an alternative - most of their batteries are 36 month, and they never hassle you, so long as the date stamp is visible.
 
Never had a problem with batteries bought at my local NAPA, either. The clerk at the counter said that, at one time, NAPA offered "lifetime (of the car) replacement". He said that they had a woman with an old Caddy who would come in every couple of years for a new free battery.

Still have that kind of warranty on my 92 F150 from a local shop and they've honored it. (It wasn't Midas)
 
What's worse is there are maybe three major battery OEMs, the brands are all just variations of those to the brand's specifications.

So the battery you buy at O'Reilly or NAPA may be made on the same line as Interstate, Duralast (Wal-mart), or Mopar/FoMoCo/Delco/Honda/etc...
 
Make sure to neutralize the tray first with vinegar you know the drill lol. As for batteries I always go with Die Hard gold... one in my truck is 7 years old and still going strong. Interstate is always my 2nd pick. The problem with these newer batteries is the recycled sulfated lead in them. If it was my generator, I throw in a user serviceable deep cycle in it. Ya they arent the best in the cold, but they last a ton longer, and you can always replace the acid (after epsom salt treatment to desulfate) in them, another option be AGM.
 
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I wonder if you could avoid some the damage from a leaking battery by using a plastic battery tray or battery box. I hate batteries when used with electrical/electronic devices. The damage from leaking electrolyte always seems to be extreme.
 
I will update this thread once I get a couple days of no rain so I can actually do some maintenance. Just glad its not snow... but it is unseasonably warm for some reason. Should be in the single digits in JAN.
 
Ok, so we went from constant rain back into the freezing temps again and I could do the repairs on the generator.

The work being done was 2 new sparkplugs gapped at 040, oil change, oil filter change, Air filter change, 4 new hose clamps to replace leaky ones on oil cooler lines, and brand new Internstate battery.

All of the work was obviously straightforward except for the stock hose clamps. They seem to be pinch/crimped on and I dont have whatever tool is necessary to clip them off. So fighting to get them off involved a bunch of skinned knuckles. I will check back every week or so and look for any new evidence of oil leaks.


Its too cold to deal with the corrosion and rust so I used a chisel to remove the bubbled paint and a wire brush and vacuum to remove the trapped rust and get it down to a cleaner surface. I used some oil over all the rust until I can better deal with it in the spring.


I also bought a battery tray. Here is where I mess up big time. I put a small 1/4 inch layer of speedy dry on the bottom of the battery tray. You know, because I am concerned about further corrosion. So upon fitting the new battery and firing it up after all the maintenance and repairs were done I was greeted to a wind vortex that took all the Speedy dry material and shot it all over every bit of the inside of the generator... Now its an engine that uses lubricating oil.. And I oiled the battery compartment.. You can imagine the mess and the horror and the obscenities that were spewed out at that point. I had to take the battery out and vacuum up what I could.. But any surface which had the tiniest bit of dirt or oil caused the Speedy dry to cling to it. It took an hour of using paper towel and surface cleaner to wipe down all the surfaces and the engine. I used my office Toner vac wtih a long thin attachment to get hard to reach places. There are still tons of small areas I cant get to with speedy dry. My once relatively pristine generator engine.. is a mess.

That was a stupid stupid thing I had done. Well Lesson learned.. Dont do do that......

I also noticed someone had cut the positive battery terminal back and fitted a new end on. But its and automotive end and a bit too large, so of course the positive cable popped out when I was working on it and the 240V wire was shorting on the inside of the chassis.. So that was nice. I had to take the connector apart and fit it properly. I will needto either replace the entire positive cable to the starter (just to get the proper length back) or replace with a better connector in the spring.

I put it all back together just as the sun was starting to set and took a video. Other than the dumb issues I mentioned its sounding like it used to. I realize I must have 70 to 80 feet of Propane line back to the tanks so the weekly prime is never instant for those of you wondering why it doesnt start right away. The gas pressure regulator may need adjustment, I dont know. It was done in 2018.

Anyway here is a video of me starting the unit after all is said and done, stopping it, then restarting it again. What do you think? How does it sound?
 
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