Winter storage frequency

November 23, 2024, 09:52:01 am

I start my FT once a month in storage as well as the generator and put a load on it for about 15 minutes. Put the tranny in d and r. Am I helping or hurting my FT

Re: Winter storage frequency

Reply #1 – November 23, 2024, 10:00:36 am

Generator practice is good

(ETA - thanks to Pierce's reminder, make sure 15 minutes under load actually gets it up to temperature)

Just starting the coach and not driving it to get ALL fluids up to operating temperature invites condensation and the potential for algae and corrosion and is not good. Better to store with a full tank of diesel treated with biocide (Biobor JF and the ilk) and not start.

For those with an AquaHot, running it monthly on diesel and letting it go through a full heating cycle is recommended to prevent issues due to stale fuel.

Re: Winter storage frequency

Reply #2 – November 23, 2024, 10:58:22 am

To add what Michelle said. We have a big 45KW diesel generator that we rarely ran. When we went to run one day, it ran for a short time and stopped. The generator's engine has a mechanical injector pump. Turned out the cam shaft in the injector pump broke. After removing and taking to a shop to repair, the mechanic first words were, this came from a generator and you rarely ran it. He said a part if let to sit for a while, will rust and then cause the shaft to break. We now run it once a month and wait until the oil gets up to the operating temp before shutting down.

Re: Winter storage frequency

Reply #3 – November 23, 2024, 11:10:30 am

Where you live has a lot to do with winter storage. Algae loves warm temps and tanks that allow venting so they may get water vapor in the tank causing condensation on the tank walls. The algae grows in the interface of water and diesel. Take the water away and the algae won't grow. We love and use bio-diesel but it holds more water in suspension than dino-diesel. Fueling stops have the biggest possibility of algae introduction so the idea of somehow cleaning your tank is actually only good until you fuel the next time. Check your see through bottom on your primary filter for algae after fuel and while the engine is running. Installing a better filter on the generator is a good idea as it uses the same fuel as the main engine. See photo of filter attached.

Yes, an additive that kills bugs and raises the cetane rating of the fuel. So if you don't use your coach in winter and only start it occasionally can help with the summer tank fuel so you may start faster in cold weather for spring travel.

Now that we have a diesel house generator, the coach generator almost never gets started. We have solar and usually travel in the Sierras where it never gets that warm so it just sits. Nice to have for backup electrical or for longer summer trips.

Until the oil temp is 186 degrees or higher, the constant change of air in the crankcase produces condensation on the block walls and forms sludge in the crankcase along with a rust potential. If we don't use the coach for a while, I do start it to move the coach a few feet so the tires are in a different position on the ground. This also moves the third member ring gear and wheel bearings to a different position. Ford in the past, moved their new cars 3 feet every few days.

While diesel in storage may be out of spec because of some fuel additives for smog, the engine could care less how old the diesel is. Some of the crude oil from South America can run larger diesel engines right out of the ground and it's millions of years old. We filled an 500 gallon above ground tank 30 years ago and are still using it for our tractor and diesel generator. Our old 300SD with 450K miles can sit a year and still start in less than a second.

Water in the generator fuel may cause the pump to internally rust, seize and break the little shaft that drives the pump.

And no, 15 minutes running will only create condensation in the crankcase. A big reason engine thermostats are 185 degrees or better as it needs the high temps to evaporate the condensation. That's why short trips to the neighborhood store are bad for vehicles. Idling is also bad. Bad for the engine, bad for people around the coach and prolonged idling is against the law in many places. Turn off the engine while fueling. Old ways die hard.

Pierce

Re: Winter storage frequency

Reply #4 – November 23, 2024, 11:24:03 am

U300 generator added primary fuel filter:

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