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This set is not working normally. You got a problem there.
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Seems like you might be dealing with gelling fuel. The fuel in the filter and separator will be warm(er) due to heat in the enclosure from the warmth provided by the arctic heater. After it runs through the warmed fuel it now has to draw the bone cold fuel from the tank that sits at the other end of the enclosure and down low so less likely to get any heat from the arctic heater. Doesn't make sense for the drop in engine temp to be enough to kill the engine.AAR followup:
Temperature -25 to -30 Celsius, base temp, plus strong wind (generator outside in wind)
Arctic heater warms unit up to 180F no problem.
Turn arctic heater off, and start generator.
After 10 minutes running generator cooling down to 155 to 165F.
Freq starts to warble.
Drops load
Generator engine dies after some black smoking.
Solutions tried
Polished fuel and added howes anti gel - still cools down and stumbles, drops load and dies.
Added plywood to block off radiator (horizontal surface on top of generator), ran actic heater, put plywood infront of air intake directly in wind, run generator - generator keeps temp - and runs. Coldest temp with 40mph winds started to cool off to 175. Did ok with 100% load and warmed back to 180F.
Last try, defrost setting
Run arctic heater, block horizontal surface on top of generator with plywood, start generator, leave arctic heater running, check one hour later, set has defrosted and coolant temp 220. Even defrosted ice on aluminum hinge for control panel.
If having problems, I would run last way again for an hour or two and then turn heater off.
Questions remaining, is a 190 or 200F thermostat a good option?
Should a 750 watt coolant line heater with cord be considered, that I either charge from house battery, or once generator running, self powered convenience receptacle.
These are about 70$ and gives another option to warm and reduces fuel usage.
Does adding a coolant hose heater add complexity or fragility?
Should I mount the generator inside sea container, or potentially mount an 831a inside container with a nice transfer switch to select power source.
Yes temp gauge is working now - and yes the set will start fine without the arctic heater.Something still doesn't seem right.
I can't believe the engine isn't producing enough BTU's to maintain combustion??
There's gotta be something else wrong.
Once running the coolant temp shouldn't drop too much if the thermostat is working, and the machine should not smoke and shut down just because temp dropped from 180 to 150ish. These machines start fairly easily with no heat down to at least 0C. I can't believe it's shutting off on you only due to cooling down from 180 to under 150F.
Is your temp gage working now, or are those temps still from an IR temp gun?
I just watched that recently and thought I would procure some 2 stroke oil for adding lubriscosity to my main bulk tank. I recently added a clear filter bowl with water absorbing filter on main bulk tank (which I fill set out of) so I can run fuel with a visual reference.Makes sense. At the temps you are talking about it looks like most of the common anti-gel additives ( including howes ) are questionable at best, despite their advertisements of -65F With Diesel 911 being a NO-GO at as little as -20F, which is right where you are at.
I'm no diesel expert but with the pickup tube being at the bottom of the tank you will still be sucking up cloudy / border line gelled fuel.
Sounds like a good place to start investigating!
No, runs very well.Any issue with holding load during the warm months?
Yes I have looked at that fan several times and thought why isn't that clutched...with half inch plywood plus several 2x8 cutt off pieces blocking the horizontal surface, there is enough wind that my wind block nearly floats.Remember when trucks used to stick a piece of cardboard in front of their radiator in the winter?? Maybe you could experiment with partially blocking off air inlets to slow the air intake from the front / side inlets and rely more on the one underneath on the belly, which may alter the airflow within the cabinet.
Confirmed winter diesel.When did you buy the diesel fuel? You may have summer diesel fuel and not winterized diesel fuel. Normally, winterized diesel fuel is sold in the U.S. between November and March.