3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

skyzoomer wrote:
I don't own a RV and my Champion C46540 will be used as a backup generator for our home during power outages. That being the case, I have to store the generator in our home when it is not in use.

I won't store the C46540 in our home with gas in the tank so I will have to drain the tank after each "power outage" use. My plan is to rig up a gallon gas can (empty coleman fuel can) and use it to run the C46540 for about 10 minutes once every 2 months to keep the generator magnets magnetized. If a power outage happens, I'll siphon the WD40 out of the C46540's gas tank and fill it with gas.

Since the C46540's gas tank will be empty for long periods (maybe a year till the next power outage), I plan to turn the fuel valve to the off position and pour a gallon of WD40 into the tank. Then slosh the WD40 around so it completely coats the inside of the gas tank. I will slosh the WD40 once every 2 months when I run the generator from the make-shift gallon gas can.

MY QUESTIONS:

1. Is running the C46540 for 10 minutes once every 2 months sufficient maintenance? Especially to keep the generator's magnets magnetized?

2. Will using WD40 in the gas tank be OK to prevent rust forming inside the gas tank?

3. Think the WD40 can last for up to 2 years before a complete WD40 change is done?

4. Will the WD40 harm the fuel shut off valve or anything else it will be constantly be in contact with during storage?

Thanks,
Skyzoomer

Hey Zoomer,

My specialty is in the area of electricity/electronics and education. Ironically, I have become a "Jack of Many Trades" mostly due to growing up with a dad who was a top notch mechanical engineer who did everything. His philosophy was if you could get something fixed for $10 or buy the tool to fix it yourself for $12, you should buy the tool because you might need to fix it again later. I not only continue his tool and fix-it philosophy but believe I inherited his mechanical gene as well as my mom's creative gene .

I share this because I don't want to give the impression of being a "know it all" who is obsessed with telling everyone what to do.

A couple of things about WD-40. It was initially designed as a water displacing product. It has a very low viscosity and residual film thickness. It shares a lot of chemical properties with Kerosene. So much so that WD-40 will work as a fuel for kerosene lanterns, starting fires, and even running diesel engines.

As for storing the genset in your home, is it like sitting in the living room or a closet adjacent to the living area or in a basement or attached garage?

Assuming when you say "home" you really mean indoor living space, I have another suggestion.

It is extremely easy to remove the fuel tank from the Champion. Two 10mm screws to take off the top end rail on the engine side, four bolts on top of the tank and a squeeze of the fuel line and it slides right out. If it takes more than 5 minutes, you are wasting time. Also consider the method bobandcat devised to remove the upper section of the generator, including the fuel tank.

If you adopt one of these two methods, you can easily and safely store the genset indoors. The fuel tank will be left outdoors or in the shed where you store gas in cans or other gas engines.

To prevent rusting inside the tank with your salt air environment, mix up a concoction of gas, outboard motor oil and fuel stabilizer. Mix the oil and gas in a 50:1 ratio and add stabilizer according to the label on the package. The engine will run on this concoction just like gasoline without the additives.

Additionally, do not neglect to drain the fuel bowl on the engine's carburetor. Remove the brass nut on the bottom of the float bowl so you can dump any remaining fuel out. Watch out for the small O ring gasket at the top of the bowl. It must be replaced in the proper position or the bowl will leak. When first removing the nut, use a socket, not an open end wrench. Being brass, the nut will round off easily if you use the wrong tool. Expect it to be extremely tight on your first removal.

You are correct that the genset needs to be exercised on a scheduled basis. I do not believe the issue is keeping the magnets magnetized so much as keeping the piston and rings from freezing up and all the bearings covered with oil. Since the genset is indoors with no fuel to go bad and gum up the carb, why don't you just put clean oil in the engine crankcase, remove the spark plug and squirt a few cc of oil in the top of the engine cylinder. Pull the starter rope a few times to distribute the oil and put the plug back in. Then, pull the starter rope a few times each month to redistribute oil and keep things loose.

You cannot completely drain the fuel tank by turning it over. There is an internal lip at the filler hole to keep fuel from sloshing out. Draining fuel through the petcock is a slow, slow process. Faster draining can be accomplished by completely removing the petcock. This also gives you a chance to check and possibly clean the in-tank fuel filter.

This turned out to be much longer than I intended..... sorry.

I do feel that this would be a more sensible, economical and safer approach than the WD-40 system you proposed.