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See this is why I deferred. This makes absolute sense, and had I been thinking about it more... the set produces power the moment its on, so it absolutely has to be from somewhere on the outbound circuit giving you hell. Thanks Guy.OK. Stop. If the problem is not a problem, until you close the out put circuit breaker, (K1) then the problem is not your main gen. Its from the K1 to output terminals. Thats the only thing that changes when the set is running no load, and running with load.
What kind of a load are you running?
Where is it hooked up?
How is it hooked up.
Pictures might give up a hint.
But I dont think you have a main gen problem.
Which also means the chassis is hot when the bar is in place... lucky you didn't get 'bit'. Thanks Kurt!Sounds like one of the leads running from K1 to the output lugs has chaffed through the insulation and is shorting to the chassis. The clue here is removing the bonding bar makes the problem go away. Removing the bar eliminates the path from the chassis to Neutral.
Pop the top cover off and carefully inspect the 3 leads from K1 and check their run from there to the lugs.
Nesting there is very common... did you find chewed wires or any wire issues? Did you undo the connections, clean, and reassemble? Past removing the nest... what else did you do? Where this nest is, would not necessarily change the issue you were having (as this is before the contactor down to the lugs). The outbound circuit is more to the side of the machine with the water separator. Those large wires that leave the contactor and go down to the lugs are suspect to me (and I think others here).
This is why I cover the large cutout under the engine with 1/4" hardware cloth and sheet metal screws on every machine I go through. The holes under the batteries are covered properly with the batteries and trays in place, but the rodents go into the engine bay through the large cutout, and ALWAYS nest here. You got lucky. There are thousands of machines across the US in private hands, with that hole wide open... makes for a scary proposition... try to not think about it.I found the creature of interest !