Antique Kohler 5R21 Power Plant

Antique Kohler 5R-21 Power Plant

Hello group!

Wish that I had found this group last year when I first started restoring my 1944 ventage model 5R21 power plant. I have gone back through many of the postings for the last few months looking for any information that may apply to the unit I have.

I am in need of information on the D.C connections made with the 32 volt starting/charging windings, as the wire leads as well as one jumper were removed from the D.C. brushes. (four pairs)

Kohler along with the local rep. was of no help to me and in fact made problems if anything.

Waukesha on the other hand went above and beyond the call of duty in suppling information on the FC-140A Spec G-46117 four cylinder flat head engine.

In addition to suppling both the parts and service books the Phoenix local representative Stewart and Stevenson also told me that the engine was sold to Kohler and that it was in production from 1935 to 1973 with a total production of 140,181 units.

Parts are no longer available for it but they network on finding needed parts from the many sources that they do still have.

My unit has a November 1944 date code on the flat head casting plate.

I have all the information needed on the FC series engines, (except for the gases fuels carburetor mounted) and I can help anyone in need of a copy of any information on the FC engine part of this lighting system.

Kohler could not even answer my first question in the time it took me to completely reverse engineer the Cutler Hammer controller. C-H # C160066A4 S/N 156300R5A. I now have a complete understanding of it as well.

If any of you can shad some light on the DC wiring and requirements on the generator part, I would be greatly be indebted to you.

Model 5R-21 No. 113298 KW 4 KVA 5 Amps Per Term 44 RPM 1200 Batt. volts 32

Can 36 volts be safely used for starting?

I do know that 24 volts was to low to pull the main starting contactor in at the time I tested that subsystem part.

This is my first time posting to this board and I just found out that my WEBTV picture is to large to post and it is not published so it has no URL.

I can send anyone a picture of it using your E mail address if you supply it to me at:

mshearer@webtv.net

Thank you group for your time with this.

--mike shearer--

Mine came with 3 12vdc batteries in series and starts using those. No problems sofar. After a few weeks I tested the batteries and to my surprise they were all showing 12 volts so I suspect that the battery charger puts out over 32 vdc. In any event it would be pretty hard to fry a 'starter' of such size ;-)

I'm still waiting for documentation (es795) from Kohler which seems to be stalling somewhere regardless of the fact that I would be charged for it (and handsomely).

Nice to know about real support from Waukesha though!

I may be able to help you but only around the fall; right now I'm so busy building that the only time I have for this genny is to start & stop it.

Thanks for the response

My unit also has a Waukesha engine model FC-140A and it looks identical to the engine that is on your unit.

It also has 4 cylinders sized at the same 3¼X4 but my date code on the name plate is 4511 (Nov.44)

I do not know how they get twice the output that your unit has over mine.

The charging system in my unit ARE the same windings that are used as the starting motor, so at 1200 RPM the motor D.C. output WILL be more then the 32 volts input needed at the lower starting RPM.

My controller has a HIGH/LOW switch for the charge rate. It shorts out the ends of a center taped 12 Ohm 100 Watt resister that is in series with the D.C. Motor/Generator as a current limiter.

In the low setting 12 Ohms is in line with the battery and in the HIGH setting only 6 Ohms is inline, doubling the charge current.

A mercury switch is mounted to the governors output and when the RPM comes up to over 1200 RPM, it latches a relay that switches the D.C. motor over to the generation mode and prevents a restart attempt until the AC generator voltage drops below the holding voltage on another relay.

The A.C. generating windings are on the same shaft but are completely separate from the D.C. portion and just go along for the ride.

--mike--