need help with starter for my 89 3 kw 24v generator

[Isaac-1]

Hopefully you will find it was something simple and it will fire up on the first try.

Ike

 

[wiccantoy]

Can only hope. Im getting to the point of paying someone so I wont be pulling my hair out. But don't have the extra cash right now.

 

[Isaac-1]

I am in about the same position on a diesel powered air compressor project, it sat up for a couple of years and now will not start, worse yet it is a German built engine and the service manual is a poor translation that spends too much time telling how to turn a screw driver and not enough time telling which screw to turn.

 

[wiccantoy]

I am in about the same position on a diesel powered air compressor project, it sat up for a couple of years and now will not start, worse yet it is a German built engine and the service manual is a poor translation that spends too much time telling how to turn a screw driver and not enough time telling which screw to turn.

Man that sucks. But I real for ya.

 

[wiccantoy]

Well truthfully it should all have the same fix's since it is just another diesel.

 

[wiccantoy]

Well finally for a chance to try to start the gen unit. Charger put a full charge on the battery for about a week with a slow charge. Went to start it and nothing. Turned the bleeder valve while I cranked the 2nd time and got fuel right away. Trued about 4 times and nothing. Sat and really thought about all things it could be. Than I really sat and thought about how old the fuel could be. Figured was with the fire company that owned it for 4 years +. And they got it from the military with fuel in it. So im guessing 5+ years. So first thing tommorow fuel is getting drained from the tank and gonna put fresh in. Thinking what else I could add to it to have a better shot

 

[wiccantoy]

Well added fresh fuel after draining the old which was nasty added diesel 911 to it and shot a small amount of either and still wont start. About to sell the **** thing with all the **** money I have into this thing. Gonna let it sit for a day or two. Who knows maybe it has a stuck injector and hopefully the diesel 911 will help. Really at a loss. New filter, new oil, new starter, it ran about 5 years ago. And now nothing. Just kills the battery which is also new and will puff a little black smoke while I try to get it to start. So I know it is getting through. Really need someone that knows these gen units to come look at it. 2 heads are better than one.

 

[wiccantoy]

Almost seems it isn't cranking enough with a fully charged 24v battery. When I loosen the fuel line to the injector it cranks faster. And as soon as I tighten the line it will crank slower.

 

[wiccantoy]

Well got off the phone with the guy the built the starter. He wanted me to gets reading while cranking the starter. Needed to be on the hot post of the starter solenoid. And the ground on the starter connection to the chassis. Seems to be getting 18.5- 21.5 during cranking. Strange thing is this and the old starter are reverse crank. But the old one cranked the engine over. Just had issues.still waiting for the guy to call back. He was busy with another customer..

 

[ETN550]

even old fuel sould light off.

Are you saying the new starter is rotating backwards?

 

[wiccantoy]

The factory starter was reverse rotation.

 

[derf]

The factory starter was reverse rotation.

SOME Diesels will run "backward".
That one will not.
Get the starter straight.
If you were closer I'd buy it from you.

You're killing me, Smalls.

 

[wiccantoy]

Im telling you the one that it ran on was one that cranked backwards

 

[derf]

Im telling you the one that it ran on was one that cranked backwards

Then you may have broken it. If nothing else there is a fan on that motor that will not cool properly if turning the wrong way. There really is no option for rotation here. The gen head doesn't care if it goes CW or CCW but the Diesel motor certainly does. I am pretty sure the oil pump will not work properly when turning backward.

 

[wiccantoy]

WORST THING is I had 2 starter repair guys look at the starter and looked at the teeth and bench test it and said it is rare but turns counter compared than most.

 

[ETN550]

page 1-9 in the manual

TM 5-6115-615-12

States that the engine rotates Counter Clockwise when viewed from the generator end.

So this means Clockwise when viewed from the engine fan end which is the same view as staring straight at the starter gear.

Therefore, the starter gear must rotate Counter Clockwise in order to turn the engine clockwise when viewed at the fan end.

So if i read all the posts properly your starter rotation direction is good.

This part about fast and slow cranking with the fuel line nut loose or tight is very strange indeed.

Do you have a diesel fuel shop in the area that could test the injector? Usually they do it for free. But the injector can be a pain to get out of the head. I had to weld a metric lugnut on a piece of threaded rod and make a slide hammer affair to yank one out. It's okay to use the thread on the top to pull on.

 

[wiccantoy]

Thank you. I knew a guy that used to rebuild these starters for the military wouldn't stear me wrong but was rethinking all this about y it isn't starting.

 

[wiccantoy]

Etn550 if you have worked on anything that has 1800 or so psi. When loose it will spin much faster than when the line is closed. The same when working on a gas engine, pull a spark plug and it will spin much more easy.

 

[ETN550]

Okay, I see what you are saying. Based on my experinece of buying many kinds of the smaller units from G/L I have had to bleed the injectors many times. I never noticed any real difference in cranking speed due to the injector nut being loose or tight. I guess that is because the starting system is strong to begin with.

Not sure where to go from here. Do you think it is cranking fast enough to start? Diesels do need some speed cranking unlike a gas motor.

If it is squitring fuel out when the injector nut is loose and we think it is rotating the correct direction then something should happen. If it is getting white or grey smoke when cranking then that is a sign that it is getting fuel and it is trying. Could be bad spray on the injector or slow cranking speed.

A compression test would rule out a problem in the cylinder. But that requires a special adapter to replace the injector. 300psi would be a good minimum pressure to accept.

Trying to check the easiest stuff first. I think next step would be to test the injector. If the injector does not want to com out try threading a metric 20mm? lugnut on to it and pry evenly on two sides. If it still does not come out you might need to rent or borrow a slide hammer tool from an auto parts place. They usually loan them. some injector come right out by hand others.. well... you know. A diesel shop can test the injector while you wait. Parts are available, they are Bosch injectors. They can replace just the tip and they can reset the opening perssure by shimming. If you think it is cranking fast enough then this is the next step.

 

[derf]

Injector pump and fuel pump are plunger driven and would both squirt if engine was rotated backward, I think.
They might spin faster with the injector removed but with just the line cracked you shouldn't get enough bleed off to make much of a difference in compression and rotation.
Wish you were closer. Sometimes it is much easier to troubleshoot in person than it is to do so over the internet.