Old generator manuals

[TerryD]

I picked up an older Voltmaster generator with a 8hp briggs engine on it the other day. I was wondering if anyone knew where I could find manuals on this stuff? Model # on the generator is G4000V2. I've searched and all e-mailing the company got me was a "look on our website and see if the manual is there."

 

[Fordum]

I'm sure you have already seen this, but if you haven't, maybe it will help.

http://www.voltmasteramerica.com/service/troubleshooting.pdf

 

[TerryD]

I had not seen that J, but I will be putting a copy of it with the generator. Thanks. I'm going to get the numbers off the engine today and see if Briggs still has a manual available for it. I just like to have the manuals for all the factory part # lists for filters and other service parts.

As of right now, it works great. It ran about two hours on around a 1/2 gallon of gas pulling our lighting, fridge/freezer combo and chest freezer. We were on the edge of what it could do as I flipped on the basement lights and it started to strain and brown out. For $150 in the middle of a MASSIVE power outage, you won't hear me complain. It saved about $250 worth of food, so even if it stuck a rod through the side of the block tomorrow, it saved us $100 and I can still put a new engine on it and have a generator again.

I've got to take it off the hand truck cart a PO made for it, clean it all, cut a hole in the platform for oil draining (oil just runs everywhere now) and it'll be good to go.

 

[Fordum]

Yep, judging by the model number its probably a 4KW. Most of them are rated at intermittent duty or surge at that level.
Continuous duty is probably about 3.5KW.

Rule of thumb, figure volts times amps to get watts, 1,000 watts to the KW.

Motor starting is different. A motor, like a freezer, refrigerator or air conditoner can pull over 3 times the load when it is starting.

If you can find a information plate on the unit, look for two numbers.
FLA, is the Full Load Amps that the unit draws when running. Multiply that times the voltage, add a small fudge factor, and you have the wattage needed to run that unit.

LRA, is Locked Rotor Amps, which it the current it draws when starting. You genset has to be able to put out the much for a few seconds to get the motor started.

Don't forget that well filled deep freezes will stay frozen for quite a while unopened. So you can rotate plugging them in for a while each to keep more frozen than the genset can run all at one time.

As for the Briggs, the model number on them is quite a font of information. They put just about every aspect of that unit in their number.
Type of mount, type of carb, tank, everything. The code for it should be on their site.
I have two big motors on a couple of my pull behind bush hog mowers, and had the same problem with the oil drain.
Drilling a hole was not an option for me, due to the way the mower was made. Since that hole is a standard pipe thread, 1/4 or 3/8 inch, if I remember, I just put a 6 inch pipe extension with a valve on the end.
Because it would be going through brush, I got a valve with both ends threaded and screwed the plug in the outlet.
So, if a limb turned the little flag lever and opened the valve, I would not lose oil.

Also, made sure to tighten all the fittings really tight so they would not vibrate loose.

 

[TerryD]

It's a 5000W surge, 4000W continuous. Mom and Dad have a Coleman that's very similar to this one that Grandpa bought in the late 80's. I'm fairly familiar with operating one as I've grown up having to use theirs. I've never done ANY service work on one before besides filter and oil changes and was hoping the manuals would have a little information on that kind of stuff.

I found the model #'s on the engine today and got the manuals from B&S online. I've got to get an air filter and spark plug for it this week and I'm hoping to get the work done to the framing and get it ready for storage. I try to keep Stabil in the gas in my cans so I don't have to worry about that. We will see. I also thought about adding a steel pipe nipple and brass cap to the oil fill hole to move the drain spout off the engine some. May still do it like that instead but it could use a few holes in the plate anyways to let it drain off. I think the output shaft side has a leaky seal as well, but I need to clean it all up and run it some to see for sure.

I'd like to get as much service out of this thing as possible while we try to find a 10kW+ diesel.

Thanks for the help J, much appreciated as usual!

 

[Fordum]

It's a 5000W surge, 4000W continuous

Nice.
Even with cutting a hole, there is an advantage to the pipe trick. I put a ball-type valve on the end of mine with a threaded outlet.
Not only do I put the original plug in the end of the valve as an added safety, but I have a fitting that replaces the plug when I am changing the oil.

A hose slides on that fitting and then I just open the valve and let it drain into a container.
Much cleaner, and I don't get my hands oily like I would with taking a cap or plug off and on.

 

[TerryD]

Got the spark plug, air filter and gas cap today but then cut my knee and didn't get to take the genset off the cart it's on. I was hoping to get it washed up this evening and all cleaned up after a few more loads of willow. Oh well, best laid plans, right?