Onan 5500 marquis gold

Rovin' Bones wrote:
Now it is too damned cold to sit outside and pull the fuel filter and carb for cleaning.

The fuel filter probably should be changed but give it an appropriate dose of Berrymans B12 Chemtool carb cleaner and run it a time or two.....and you might be amazed at the result.

my 2006 5500 had troble with brush wear at 260 hours finaly had to pull gen. this year and replace armature

My Onan 4.0 is in a 1983 Midas Freeport. It came with the unit. I have a little over 500 hours showing on the meter. It works almost perfectly. I say almost because lately it has been requiring me to go into the generator bay and feather the governor to start. Once started and warmed up it runs flawlessly and smoothly. I wish the problem would have manifested itself before this cold blast arrived. Now it is too damned cold to sit outside and pull the fuel filter and carb for cleaning.

Either the PO never used the generator or only exercised it because if it is exercised as per the manual it would have at least 96 hours on it. So it seems it was seldom used for any reason and that is bad for the engine. You may have some varnish issues but they are easily taken care of. Just read the manual and follow directions and ten, fifteen years from now it will still be running great.

Moved from Forum Technical Support

Stabilize the fuel before long periods on non-use.

Run some good carb cleaner through with the gas at least once a season, twice if used a lot.

FWIW, we have a 96 Southwind with the original Onan 5500 generator.
It works great. Just excercise it under load regularly.
Don't forget to change your generator fuel filter, that often gets neglected.

If your generator is working properly, it should last many years/hours.