3600 RPM generator noise

[[email protected]]

I have begun using a Honda 5500W generator while my lovely, quiet
Onan 2 cyl. is laid up. Wow! this thing sounds like it is beating
itself apart! There is a rattle sound like loose sheet metal riding
over top of normal engine blat and generator whine, and I haven't
found any loose parts yet.

Guidance, please?


Tom Willmon
near Mountainair, (mid) New Mexico, USA

Net-Tamer V 1.12.0 - Registered

 

[SQLit]

I have begun using a Honda 5500W generator while my lovely, quiet
Onan 2 cyl. is laid up. Wow! this thing sounds like it is beating
itself apart! There is a rattle sound like loose sheet metal riding
over top of normal engine blat and generator whine, and I haven't
found any loose parts yet.

Guidance, please?


Tom Willmon

I have never heard a Honda that is that loud.. I suggest that you start by
taking the sheet metal off where you can and see what stops the noise. (If
anything)

 

[Robert Morein]

I have begun using a Honda 5500W generator while my lovely, quiet
Onan 2 cyl. is laid up. Wow! this thing sounds like it is beating
itself apart! There is a rattle sound like loose sheet metal riding
over top of normal engine blat and generator whine, and I haven't
found any loose parts yet.

Guidance, please?

Not typical. The noise should be even.

 

[Me]

I have begun using a Honda 5500W generator while my lovely, quiet
Onan 2 cyl. is laid up. Wow! this thing sounds like it is beating
itself apart! There is a rattle sound like loose sheet metal riding
over top of normal engine blat and generator whine, and I haven't
found any loose parts yet.

Guidance, please?


Tom Willmon
near Mountainair, (mid) New Mexico, USA

Net-Tamer V 1.12.0 - Registered

Fix the ONAN, and trash (Trade) the Honda for a 1800 Rpm Gas
Genset.......


Me

 

[danny burstein]

Dear Tom

Have you considered an electronic silencer? It works like this:

At the source of the noise you place a microphone connected to an INVERTING
pre-amp in turn connected to a power-amp driving a loud speaker attached to
the outer housing. Some car companies and vacuum cleaner manifacturers are
using such a system to silence noisey systems. The use of destructive
interferrance is not new and it also works a treat.

But as Arthur C. Clarke discovered back in the 1950s, these devices can
run into some explosive problems...

Check out his writeup of the "Fenton Silencer", availble in the "Tales of
the White Hart" compilation.

 

[Vaughn]

I have begun using a Honda 5500W generator while my lovely, quiet
Onan 2 cyl. is laid up.

Tell us more about the Onan, perhaps we can help.

Vaughn (The often-happy owner of an old CCK)

 

[[email protected]]

Newsgroups: alt.energy.homepower

Tell us more about the Onan, perhaps we can help.
Vaughn (The often-happy owner of an old CCK)

And I too have been, for 6 years now. I bought my CCK from an Old Boy
in Odessa for $450.

Last time I ran it, oil pressure was slow coming up and never reached
its normal operating value. I shut down and pulled the cover off the
oil filter, restarted to observe whether there was oil pump output
coming into the filter. There was very little, if any, and I shut it
down.

So, what fails: pump drive, pump internals, pick-up pipe?
The book looks like it's a fairly major tear-down to get at the pump,
and I have too many other jobs in my bucket right now to want to go
into that.

Thanks.

Tom

Net-Tamer V 1.12.0 - Registered

 

[[email protected]]

Newsgroups: alt.energy.homepower

Dear Tom
Have you considered an electronic silencer? It works like this:

[snip]
But as Arthur C. Clarke discovered back in the 1950s, these devices
can run into some explosive problems...
Check out his writeup of the "Fenton Silencer", availble in the
"Tales of the White Hart" compilation.

And those who have read "Voyager" (story of the non-stop, non-refueled
around-the-world flight of Rutan and Yeager) will recall, their
noise-cancelling headphone system quit early into the flight.

Tom


Net-Tamer V 1.12.0 - Registered

 

[Vaughn Simon]

Last time I ran it, oil pressure was slow coming up and never reached
its normal operating value. I shut down and pulled the cover off the
oil filter, restarted to observe whether there was oil pump output
coming into the filter. There was very little, if any, and I shut it
down.

So, what fails: pump drive, pump internals, pick-up pipe?

Wow, I have never seen that problem. Mine has neither oil filter nor
oil pressure guage, so I would never know about such a failure until it were
too late.

Now you have me thinking about adding an oil pressure guage. When I
get home, I will look at the book.

Vaughn

 

[Vaughn]

So, what fails: pump drive, pump internals, pick-up pipe?
The book looks like it's a fairly major tear-down to get at the pump,
and I have too many other jobs in my bucket right now to want to go
into that.

My first look would be at the pressure relief valve, it could be stuck or
have a broken spring. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to find it. The
diagram shows the parts, but gives no hint as to their location. I am afraid
that you will have to lift the engine off the the oilpan casting.

Also, one of my Onan books shows an accessory oil pressure switch, but
again, gives no hint as to location. I have not been able to find a 1/8"
fitting.

Please let us know what you learn.

Vaughn

 

[Vaughn Simon]

Pdf Onan manuals here: http://www.donhillmaninc.com/Engines/engine.htm
Good small engine forum here:
http://www.perr.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=ade59dd33cf69d2eecc1fe9b591a3a82
Don't let the small nu
mber of posts put you off, they just switched to new forum software last
week. There are a couple of Onan greybeards there.

Again, please return and tell us what you have learned.

Vaughn

 

[Vaughn]

Another good one is smokstak.com, they have great Onan forums.

Thanks, I added that one to my favorites file.

Vaughn