Generac / Honeywell 17Kw Air Cooled Generator Oil Change Tutorial

[@brettberrie2406]

Another excellent, clear and concise educational video! Thank you Roger

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

Hi Brett Berrie. Thanks for checking out the video. Oil changes are so important. Doing them on these generators is not that hard as everything is so accessible. I appreciate your comments. Roger

[@billsblots]

Really good info and clearly done. Need to change oil and filters and replace the battery in my 22KW. Thanks.

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

Hi billsblots. I’m glad the video helped you out. As you know changing the oil on these generators is not that difficult. Access to the filter and drain tube is pretty good. When replacing the battery check the paint underneath and the area round it. I found on mine the original paint is starting to bubble. There is some rust appearing. This spring I’m going to clean it up and touch up the paint. If you keep up the maintenance and stay on top of other items you can get a long life out of these machines. Since we don’t have many outages I tend to forget about checking some of the other things the generator may need. Good luck, take your time and have fun. Thanks. Roger

[@mchristopher]

Thank you! Perfect video.

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

Hi mchristopher. I’m glad that the video was helpful for you. Oil changes on these air cooled engines is critical to avoid oil related problems. If your not sure exactly when to change the oil its better to do it sooner than later. Material wise we’re not talking a large amount of money. It’s the labour is where the savings is. Plus you don’t have to rely or wait around for someone to show up. Thanks for watching and posting. Roger

[@mchristopher]

@@repairitdontwreckit4257 agree 100%. I’m sure is would have been several hundred dollars for a service call for oil and filter change. My air filter was perfectly clean so I didnt change it. Now that I’m using Mobil 1 full synthetic vs conventional oil, how often do you recommend changing the oil assuming a 10 min timed weekly run and maybe 1 or 2 incidental short term power failures of less than an hour per year. I’m in the northeast climate. Thanks again.

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

@@mchristopher Hi there. Where I live it sounds similar to your climatic conditions. Power outages are almost nonexistent. I have a weekly 10 minute weekly exercise. I’ve been changing it once a year and the oil comes out extremely clean. Its replaced once a year regardless of how little time has been put on. Occasionally I will test the system and run it for 30 minutes. There’s no set schedule for this. There’s many different opinions on how often it should be done. Running the engine for 10 minutes does not get hot enough to remove all of the moisture especially in the winter. Removing the valve covers and inspecting for any signs of sludge is worth while as it is fairly easy to do. I’ve been doing this for more than 12 years with zero oil related issues. It’s not a lot of money for such an expensive piece of equipment. I tend to over maintain. Be sure to check around the battery for any rust. This is the only area so far that I found needed to be cleaned up and spot repaired. Thanks again. Roger

Excellent video! Do you have one for the replacement of the spark plug?

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/foS0fJ2tqpyKopYsi=5KL2aWRiXmEog2mP Thanks for checking out the video and posting. Here’s a link for a video I did on doing a compression test and replacing the spark plugs. Thanks. Roger

Do you have a video for the replacement of the spark plug?

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/foS0fJ2tqpyKopYsi=3vQlwLhr7r1rTfIO Here’s a video I did on checking compression and replacing the spark plugs on a generator. Thanks. Roger

@@repairitdontwreckit4257 Thanks man! It was easy.

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

I’m glad it worked out. You’re correct that it’s not a difficult job. Some basic tools with most of the information in the owners manual. Thanks. Roger

[@craigsuslosky3974]

Good video. I have a 16kw that I have to service soon as there are no records of what maintenance has been done to it. As long as you turn the control panel to "off" the generator can't start, correct? Does removing the 7.5 amp fuse lose any stored info, such as the run hours or the scheduled exercise run? I watched your valve adjustment video also, very good video. Thanks for making these!

[@pauldelesbore2788]

How do you check/change the battery on that 17kW generator?

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

Hi Paul. I have a video at my channel called “voltage drop test and battery service. It should have what you are looking for. Thanks for taking the time to check out my videos. Roger

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqK1YqWFgraeeMU Here’s the link Paul.

[@hogcracker6969]

I think you should have ran the generator for at least 5 minutes to warm up the engine so the oil will drain better.

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

@@hogcracker6969 You’re correct. I can’t remember if the generator was warmed up prior to doing the video. If I didn’t mention warming up in the video that was an important step I missed. Thanks for posting and bringing it to the viewers attention. Roger

[@kevinmarchini5272]

I don't use automobile oils in air cooled engines especially LP NG the emission standards only allows a ZDDP level around 750ppm to 800ppm small engine oils like Briggs and Stratton 5w30 100% synthetic or Amsoil small engine 5w30 100% synthetic are around 1300ppm Mobil 1 isn't 100% synthetic either just full synthetic big difference, automobile oils aren't designed for the bearing loads and not designed for flat lifters also breaks down really fast because of the extreme heat the constant RPMs are stressful this gets overlooked way to much these automobile oils also burn off way faster from breaking down so quick its ok for short outages and exercise but not good for extended outages

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

Hi Kevin Marchini. Thanks for checking out the video and your comments. I always want my videos to be accurate in the information I provide. I double checked the manual that came with the generator in the video. That generator is about 10 years old. In the maintenance section regarding oil changes it states “All GENERAC oil kits meet the American Petroleum Institute (API) Service Class SJ , SL or better.” From what I have read the S stands for gasoline engines. The manual says that a 5w-30 synthetic oil can be used for all temperature ranges. I went to the GENERAC website. They sell their branded oil specifically for standby generators. Its brand name is called Geo 5w-20 full synthetic. It is the oil they are including in their service kits. I tried to find more information about this oil. I frequent a website called gentekpower.com. A majority of the people that are on the site are GENERAC dealers and generator service companies that share information with each other. I posted a question about Generac’s oil and mentioned the oil that I was using in the generator in the video. I trust their input. They are servicing thousands of generators a year and many have been doing that for a long time. Some of these guys buy their oil by the barrel. Everyone that responded uses the 5w-30 synthetic without any issues. Maybe the oil that GENERAC is selling addresses your concerns regarding using automotive oils in air cooled engines. I did notice that some of the GENERAC standby generators now are fitted with hydraulic lifters. As you know oil is a very complicated topic. The best advice I can give to people is to use the oil that the manual that comes with their equipment recommends. Also changing your oil on schedule and more often under extreme conditions is key to protecting the engine internals. Thanks again, Roger.

[@kevinmarchini5272]

@Repair It Don't Wreck It yes that's all they can write I'm telling you from tearing engines apart and dealing with lubricants for 30 years there's a reason why the small engine formulas are alot different that's what I'm explaining

[@kevinmarchini5272]

@Repair It Don't Wreck It the 5w20 Generac does have more ZDDP than the 5w30 Generac oil the 5w30 Generac is still better than any automobile oil it has other additives that cars don't to help fight the stress involved

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

@@kevinmarchini5272 Thanks Kevin. That’s good information to have on hand. Roger

[@kevinmarchini5272]

@Repair It Don't Wreck It your welcome if your in an area where the outages are usually short its not as important but like where I'm at last outage was 5 day's I'm rural cold climate these true small engine oils do not break down what happens is the lower ZDDP oils get really thin and lose the wedge barrier causing high cam shaft wear causing premature valve adjustments and burn off starts getting worse and worse over all bearing wear is obviously sped up I specifically wanted the 816cc engine so I don't have to worry about valve adjustments hydraulic lifters my old unit was the 990 solid lifter my house isn't huge and just about everything is natural gas so no need for bigger unit 14kw runs everything in my house at same time including 2 ton central unit it doesn't phase it but it's a true 14 doesn't matter what fuel source my first unit 12kw went 20 years I wanted something I can monitor so I upgraded biggest problems with these units is oxidation from sitting caused by moisture I run mine 1 hour medium load no less than 8 times a year usually every month 5 minutes a week no load is a joke for something that sits outside 24/7 if you have a personal unit run it even at 12 times a year that's only 12 hours not a big deal whatsoever and you know its ready

[@irishamerican8790]

can you list all the tools and products you used in the description or a pinned comment?

[@repairitdontwreckit4257]

Hi irishamerican8790. The only tool that is required is the oil filter wrench. The diameter of the oil filter 2-3/4” or 70 mm. You would need to purchase a oil filter wrench that would work for this diameter. The wrenches are available at any automotive parts store, online or any retailer that sells motor oil. The products that I used are listed at the beginning of the video. You can pause it to retrieve the info. I rather keep the description as short as possible to the point. I hope this helps you for your project. Remember to check your owners manual before starting to see if there is any special instructions. Thanks for visiting and posting.Roger