Generac diesel generator

[Ed Herrick]

I have recently acquired a diesel generac model 2418-0 20 kw generator. I was told that the generator windings were bad. Where can a person get a manual on this generator so that I can start trouble shooting. Also where is the best place to get parts for a Generac generator?
Thanks

[Jim Rankin]

Look up your Generac dealer on the web or in the phone book.

Even without a manual, you can do some general things like ohm the winding circuits (disconnected from the exciter and regulator) for continuity and short circuits to the frame and possibly get a megaohmeter test for shorts to ground and between circuits in the stator, if the ohmeter continuity and short circuit tests check out ok. For shorts to ground and megger test, the neutral will have to be isolated from the ground for the test to work.

The same tests can be done on the field (armature or rotor usually) once it is disconnected from the voltge regulator. There is no substitute for visual inspection and cleaning in the process of diagnosing a generator set. Maybe you will get lucky and find a simple fix like bad diodes, broken wires, blown fuses etc. Generator ends can be rewound or maybe you can find another one cheaper.

Is the engine running?

[Ed Herrick]

Jim
Thanks for the pointers. I will try to get a chance to check it out this weekend. As for the engine yes it runs well. I do not yet know what the make of the engine is. It says Generac on it but I am pretty sure it is a Japaneese diesel engine.
Thanks

[Gunny]

Ed:
I am NOT a fan of Generac. Their engines are made in Korea, Japan or wherever they can get them as cheep as possible.
They do have a good idea with their regulators, a few LEDs on them give you good clues and trouble shooting direction. That is probably a brush type machine. Shine a flashlight into the windings and see if there are any burned windings, make sure the brushes are in good shape and on the slip rings. One brush should go to ground. Make sure you do not have anything connected to the out put and fire it up. If no out put, see what the LED's are doing and we'll go on from there.

[Richard Swanson]

In the past I picked up a gen set that sat in a field for a few years and a little mouse had chewed one lead in to, but I had to really disassemble the panels to get to it and find it.

[Billy J Shafer]

I have seen Hino engines on most of the large ones.Small ones have Mazda or Nisson engines.But with Genajunk you never know what your going to find.

[Franz©]

Billy, I thought that was GeneCrap, that's what we been callin em for 20 years. Even self respecting rodents won't nest in GeneCrap.