Onan 5500 Longevity? Valve Adj?
How many hours on your Onan 5500? Anyone close to, or over, 2500-3000 hours? I believe that's roughly equivalent to 100,000 vehicle miles. Can the valves (on both cylinders) be accessed via the...
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I see your original post couple years old. have a shop that works on these gennys. replacing cyl heads is relatively expensive.
I suggest checking valve lash @ 900 or so hrs. have literally hundreds of these sets in customer base, many in commercial use. Most common problem with engine is valve guides come loose in heads, but usually not before 2000-3000 hrs. Drive belt & tensioner typically lasts about same amount of hours. make sure you check field brushes & rotor slip rings at 1000 hrs or so. Probably should replace @ 1000 hrs, probably will not last for 2000 hrs, and if brushes wear to point where they arc and burn slip rings, then you have a $1000+ repair instead of $75.00 brush replacement. Have had customer get 7000hrs with nothing but basic maintenance, and have seen complete engine failure at less than 1000 hr.
All function of usage, maintainance, and some luck factor, I guess..
I suggest checking valve lash @ 900 or so hrs. have literally hundreds of these sets in customer base, many in commercial use. Most common problem with engine is valve guides come loose in heads, but usually not before 2000-3000 hrs. Drive belt & tensioner typically lasts about same amount of hours. make sure you check field brushes & rotor slip rings at 1000 hrs or so. Probably should replace @ 1000 hrs, probably will not last for 2000 hrs, and if brushes wear to point where they arc and burn slip rings, then you have a $1000+ repair instead of $75.00 brush replacement. Have had customer get 7000hrs with nothing but basic maintenance, and have seen complete engine failure at less than 1000 hr.
All function of usage, maintainance, and some luck factor, I guess..
