Removing Onan 6.5kw

February 27, 2012, 06:06:04 pm

I cannot find the procedure for removing the Onan from our 92 U225. It is an Onan Gas 6.5kw Emerald Plus that has the LPG modification kit installed. Sure could use some experienced help. Have a great day
Robert

Re: Removing Onan 6.5kw

Reply #1 – February 27, 2012, 06:56:37 pm

I "removed" mine for service recently. I undid two bolts at the front of the slides, to allow the generator to extend out of the bay. I removed four bolts that secured the generator to the slides. I pulled the gen out onto a motorcycle jack (by myself - I set the jack to be level with the gen). I unplugged the control wires and twisted the generator sideways for access to the backside guts.

To completely remove, I would have disconnected the battery wire and ground wire (if present), and disconnected the gas line. I think that was it.

oldMattB

Re: Removing Onan 6.5kw

Reply #2 – February 27, 2012, 08:02:15 pm

I took ours out too a few months back. Same procedure as Matt used. My slides were in bad shape so I took them out, cleaned them up, replaced some of the ball bearings and painted em' up nice and purdy. My son and I hefted it out of the compartment (make sure you close the main propane valve). It's a heavy little guy. Good luck with your project. Here's a couple of photos.
jor

Re: Removing Onan 6.5kw

Reply #3 – February 27, 2012, 08:39:07 pm

Hello Robert,

If you're looking to completely remove the generator, as I did, to remove what's left of the old insulation and clean up the bay, then you will need some means of lifting the generator out once it's ready. A job best done with two people. I rented an engine hoist for an afternoon for $20. My generator was bolted to a frame secured to the coach - no slides. I'll assume as your coach is the same model and only a year newer than mine, that you have the same setup.

Before you begin, if you are intending to service the unit, I would like to suggest investing in several publications from Cummins/Onan. They have proven to be invaluable, and were not much money. From here --> Cummins Onan Generator Parts and Manuals - Direct from the Factory you can order some parts for your generator, once you enter the model number and series letter. I'd suggest the Service Manual, Installation Manual, and Parts Manual. I also ordered an oil filter, oil filter wrench, and an air filter. There is no fuel filter. (My Emerald Plus gennie is an NHE G series). There aren't many other parts available at the online store; for this you need to find a Cummins/Onan dealer. I found only one online - and they required the part number to search for anything (hence the parts manual).

Four bolts secure the generator mounting frame to the coach. The two in the back were an absolute pain. You can also remove the generator from the frame first if you find it easier. Again, the rear bolts are all but impossible to access. A friend and I removed the genset and frame as a unit.

The wiring needs to be disconnected; take a picture or make a drawing of where everything goes. Disconnect coach power before disconnecting the battery cable at the genset.

The bracket supporting the propane regulator assembly had to be unbolted from the frame. It was left connected and moved out of the way. The air cleaner assembly was removed to avoid damage during the extraction. Drained the oil out before pulling it. The tailpipe was disconnected at the muffler.

Once everything is disconnected and unbolted, you can wrestle the assembly out part way to facilitate using a jack or hoist to get it out and safely down. I would not use a floor jack - not enough area supporting the unit. It weighs 203 lbs, and if it starts to tip you could end up having a bad day.

I made a dolly out of some scrap 2X4 and casters on hand. It made moving and working on the genset easier.

My generator had just under 2000 hours on it when pulled. Was not surprised to find the rear spark plug appeared to be original - there is no way to get at it without removing the generator. Due to the labor involved, a shop would charge dearly for this - who wants to pay $400 or more to change a spark plug?

One of the ignition wires had the jacket worn due to rubbing. After seeing the dealer prices for new ignition leads (like $60 for two wires), I went to Summit Racing and ordered a pair of Mallory 8.8 mm replacement plug wires for $30. They were cut to length and new terminals crimped on.

We pulled the intake manifold and carb to inspect and clean; new gaskets were needed. Again, after seeing the dealer prices, I ordered a sheet of Mr. Gasket intake manifold material for $9 and used the old gaskets as templates to cut new ones.

The brushes were inspected and we found better than 50% left. Good news.

Given the age of the generator, it was decided that as long as I had come this far, I may as well go all the way. New isolation mounts were ordered (about $150 for 3 pieces). It was a good thing too. I posted a thread with pics on this in the Renovations section of the forum awhile back. The old ones were done, and no doubt accounted for the generator shaking as much as it did while running prior to removal.

Now I don't expect to have to remove the genset again anytime soon after all the service done, but you never know. Thinking on the $400 it might cost to pull it out if I need repairs on the road, it was decided to convert the mounting to slideout. While this has cost about $400 in itself, any future service will be simple and painless. Disconnect the tailpipe and fuel line, and the gennie slides right out. The slides were pricey, but latch in and latch out. A new frame had to be fabricated to accomodate this. This part isn't quite done, so can't show you pics as yet.

Hope this helps. It is a pain in the butt job, not a lot of room to work in, but it is doable.

Steve

Re: Removing Onan 6.5kw

Reply #4 – February 27, 2012, 09:54:01 pm

+1 on not using a floor jack. The jack I used looked kinda like this. It is adjustable - I was able to pull the generator from the bay to the jack and back into the bay by myself since there was no lifting.

I redid the insulation also, with a roll of stuff from JC Whitney.

Elsewhere, our forum friends recommend adding a ground strap or wire if you have drawer slides.

oldMattB

Re: Removing Onan 6.5kw

Reply #5 – March 02, 2012, 09:08:31 am

Thank you all. I think with your advice and the manuals I will take on this task. The knowledge base on this site is just remarkable. Great folks here. Will let you know how it turns out. Have a great day.
Robert

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