Onan 10K generator for home use-removed from the rig.

[T18skyguy]

Hi All, A friend of mine got handed a Onan 10K generator from a totaled class A that was going to the junkyard. He wants to use it for home use cause he lives pretty far out in the sticks and their on a well. The issue is he doesn't know what to do with that wiring harness to get it to run as a stand alone genny. I told him to get all the manuals from Cummins as a start. If anyone has any tips or information to point in the right direction much appreciated. I don't know if anything like this has been done before. Thanks, Don

[Bobbo]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Thank you for you patience with me on this. I paid $400 back in 1980 for a set of Onan repair manuals that had Cummins suffix chapters. 50 years ago I was forced to learn generator prime movers because they were attached to generators.

Kato under 1 MW has disappeared LIMA is gone now to 500KW is all garbage like Stamford. Sealed primary excitation and voltage regulators. Unrepairable. The old Onan stator crank saturated field 4.0 -- 6.5 were a kick to work on and use it like automotive sealed modules that cost 10x their worth is the norm. I go back to the days of Rocking Beam mechanical AC Generators. When the regs quit I had to wind 22 ohms of 12 gauge nichrome on a lathe to use as a ballast. Some of the old gensets were nasty with 90 volt 13 amp field current.

I just love it when Mex talks dirty.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Thank you for you patience with me on this. I paid $400 back in 1980 for a set of Onan repair manuals that had Cummins suffix chapters. 50 years ago I was forced to learn generator prime movers because they were attached to generators.

Kato under 1 MW has disappeared LIMA is gone now to 500KW is all garbage like Stamford. Sealed primary excitation and voltage regulators. Unrepairable. The old Onan stator crank saturated field 4.0 -- 6.5 were a kick to work on and use it like automotive sealed modules that cost 10x their worth is the norm. I go back to the days of Rocking Beam mechanical AC Generators. When the regs quit I had to wind 22 ohms of 12 gauge nichrome on a lathe to use as a ballast. Some of the old gensets were nasty with 90 volt 13 amp field current.

[CharlesinGA]

There is no Onan any longer, its Cummins power division, aka Onan. Cummins entirely owns Onan and has taken over everything Onan. An independent Onan Corp no longer exists. Any technical data or parts you get comes from Cummins.

Charles

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The box connections are ONAN
Beyond that generator box stuff is Cummins. Working within the gen box the Onan manuals show clear diagrams for wire numbers. Cummins used less clear photocopies.

And yeah the older models were reconnectable.

I recommend manual over ride of

Fuel rail pump
GLOW PLUGS
And a 12 or 24 hour shutdown timer for convenience.
I know of no remote starter that is sensible if distance is so great starter and engine noise is not discernible. Changing a starter and ring gear is not easy or cheap.

A heavy duty pushbutton like a Cole Hersee is great for glow plugs. A pilot light drawn from the glow plug power wire is best. If you decide on a glow plug relay a Ford fender mount is far more reliable then an original equipment Essex

The most complicated circuit is the fuel solenoid engine run with temp and oil pressure shut down. It uses a latching relay for the fuel solenoid.

I've retrofitted many a MURPHY temp/pressure panel to replace the OEM Murphy gauges are bullet proof.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The box connections are ONAN
Beyond that generator box stuff is Cummins. Working within the gen box the Onan manuals show clear diagrams for wire numbers. Cummins used less clear photocopies.

And yeah the older models were reconnectable.

I recommend manual over ride of

Fuel rail pump
GLOW PLUGS
And a 12 or 24 hour shutdown timer for convenience.
I know of no remote starter that is sensible if distance is so great starter and engine noise is not discernible. Changing a starter and ring gear is not easy or cheap.

A heavy duty pushbutton like a Cole Hersee is great for glow plugs. A pilot light drawn from the glow plug power wire is best. If you decide on a glow plug relay a Ford fender mount is far more reliable then an original equipment Essex

The most complicated circuit is the fuel solenoid engine run with temp and oil pressure shut down. It uses a latching relay for the fuel solenoid.

I've retrofitted many a MURPHY temp/pressure panel to replace the OEM Murphy gauges are bullet proof.

[bounder39zman]

would need full model and spec number to be certain of information, but can be done for sure. If the genny is a ONAN Quiet Diesel, then it has 120/240V, 1 phase power output, as do most residential services. There are many considerations to apply here, but are far beyond the scope of this forum. Special consideration has to be made for a mounting framework, as all the cooling air intake and discharge are in bottom of these generators. An ONAN installation manual would be helpful. I have helped someone do this before, and it turned out to be very nice project.

[T18skyguy]

Thank you Cavie. I know he intends to get an electrician for the house end of it. Maybe electricians might be pretty good at getting the genny set up to go also. He actually has a house and a mobile home next to it, and he was thinking it might be able to power both if it's set up right. This is in the mountains of Oregon, and when the power goes down from storms or fire it can be out a long time.

[cavie]

cal an electrician.

[Dutch_12078]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
The Onans use a bunch of latching relays. You will need wiring diagrams from ONAN not Cummins.

The generators are still branded as "ONAN", but the Cummins site is where you need to go for manuals, etc.

Cummins Generators & Power Systems - RV Generators

[T18skyguy]

Thank you guys I appreciate all your good help.

[Tom_M1]

Here's a link to a YouTube video of a Onan Quiet Diesel 10kw generator:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3nx7OIExHI

Apparently all you need is a battery and fuel supply. The remote start panel should not be needed.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The Onans use a bunch of latching relays. You will need wiring diagrams from ONAN not Cummins. I take it this is a diesel.

Start Run circuit
Safety shutdown circuit
Both are needed.
Onan is famous for using 3 colors of wiring and ID numbers on the wire.

The plastic rings around wires are current sensors. Do not remove. Anything with a plug and socket should be unplugged and doused with Caig DeOxit D100 then replugged.

You need a ganged 240 breaker near the machine.

The generator must be enclosed with ventilation. It cannot survive getting wet.
Long term storage plug the exhaust with a rag. I strongly recommend a RAcor fuel water filter. If the unit has glow plugs I also recommend a push button over ride if temps approach 0°F.

Keep the unit high enough off the ground to make oil changes easy.

[DrewE]

To get the generator running, your friend will need a 12V battery and an AC powered battery charger as the generator most likely doesn't have a battery charge circuit built in. (It's an option on at least some of the Onan RV generators, rarely fitted.) Probably it's unnecessary to worry about the other wires for the inside remote control and hour counter and pilot light for basic operation; the start and stop switch on the generator I think should work just fine with them left unconnected. Of course, having a remote panel would probably be more convenient.

I'd think an old but not completely dead car battery, or a not old riding lawn mower battery, would suffice for starting the generator.

[theoldwizard1]

A generator interlock kit for his main circuit breaker box costs less, is easier to install and much more flexible.

This really has nothing to do with getting the generator running but it will be the next step.