Generator Oil?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Just to add to this discussion ...years ago we were in an RV park next to owners of a fishing lodge in Ontario. It was remote and only accessible by seaplane.

They had a pair of Kubota generators like we use in our coaches. For the entire six month season the generators ran 24/7. Instead of a crankcase like we have they plumbed their oil to the generators from a 55 gallon drum. So for 180 days and about 4300 hours they never changed oil, just ran them using the 55 gallon drum of oil as a sump. At the end of the season it was replaced with a new drum of oil.

The engines had 28,000 hours on them and were still going strong. The only thing they did special was every week or so they would load the generators with about 14,000 watt loads (two huge electric heaters) just to make them work and burn off any carbon that accumulated from light loads. Their opinion was lightly loading the generators was detrimental.

[Denny]

My Power Tech generator has a sticker on it to change oil every 100 hours and the oil filter every 200 hours. I usually go about every 150 hours and change oil and oil filter and add a quart of Lucas additive. I could never understand adding new oil to a dirty oil filter. I always change both.

[jack14r]

The Kohler 20 KW generator has a Yanmar 2 Liter diesel and they spec 150 hour changes for the oil and 300 for the filter.

[JIM KELLER]

My Power Tech generator has a sticker on it to change oil every 100 hours and the oil filter every 200 hours. I usually go about every 150 hours and change oil and oil filter and add a quart of Lucas additive. I could never understand adding new oil to a dirty oil filter. I always change both.

Denny, You just stated what I have been thinking while reading this thread. Why would anyone change oil without changing the oil filter ! ! !

It doesn't even make sense for a company to suggest it because it is in their best interest to replace the filter at each oil change.

[jack14r]

I agree,I never change oil without changing the oil filter.Evidently both generator manufacturers think that it is OK.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

A dirty filter cleans more efficiently than a new one, but for the few dollars you save it just seems senseless to change oil and not the filter at the same time.