Subject: [Shop-talk] natural gas generator

From: "John Niolon" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:12:46 -0500

well... today I need a natural gas fed generator guru...

I've got a Generac Standby Generator for my home 30kw that is powered with
natural gas.   Has worked fine for 7 years... consistantly comes on once a
week and exercises itself...   this week it didn't ???

It has a v6 Ford 3.0L engine, solid state ignition... pretty bullet proof.
So I try to start it manually.. the engine spins normally and actually tries
to fire off but won't continue to run.   I checked fire... It's got it
(knocked the crap out of me)  I can smell natural gas from the exhaust.

There is a 1/2" gas line connected to a 'regulator/valve which feeds the
intake manifold.  The valve has a low fuel pressure switch which trips a micro
switch to signal a fault.  The pressure switch activates when gas is turned on
and the microswitch (NO) closes when the pressure button activates it.  There
is a solonoid on top of the valve that I hear/feel actuate when the start
cycle starts (and again I smell gas.   But the dang thing just won't catch up
and run..

I'm thinking it's a fuel problem...  something maybe in the valve...

another odd thing...  It wouldn't run Sunday when I tried it manually...  I
tried it again Tuesday and it started perfectly and ran with no problem...
tried it again today... NO START!   so now it's intermittent also...

any ideas, expert direction, CWAG, sorcery, ?????

thanks
John

Many people are alive only because it's illegal to shoot them.
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From: Randall <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 22:58:50 +0000

John,

I know basically nothing about natural gas engines, so this may be a worthless suggestion.  But I'm wondering if perhaps the fuel pressure is too high for some reason, maybe a bit of crud caught in the regulator valve or similar and the mixture is too rich to burn.  Just like gasoline, natural gas has a relatively limited range of mixtures where it will burn.

Beyond that it would be the usual things, ignition timing, valve timing, etc.

Randall

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From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 11:27:11 -0700

> but until I can find a 
> water column gauge

Easy enough to make; just some clear vinyl tubing and some water.

Randall

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From: Steven Trovato <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:02:26 -0400

That's what I did.  Check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnlfQK-8qy4

-Steve Trovato
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