One step forward, two steps back

[Light in the Dark]

Thought I would put some hours on an 802 I swapped all the fuel lines on a couple weeks back. Come back to shut the set off to wire up the load bank (after letting it get to temp)... now there is oil everywhere. Seems I have an oil leak behind the main belt drive pulley (I can see a drip back there, and oil is spun in a radial pattern all around the floor, doors, and roof of the set).

Awesome... just what I wanted for Christmas. Thanks Santa!

What kind of box of grief did I just open up?

 

[Light in the Dark]

And yes, I will consult the TM. Just getting ready for another long drive down to Letterkenney today, so it will be sometime this week.

 

[Tinstar]

At least you found the leak now, instead of when generator was actually needed.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Very true. I've got 5 sets here at the moment, with two more being recovered in the morning, but the sentiment is the same. This is one that I have tentatively designated as my own... but that changes all the time .

I believe I have already found the procedure I need to undertake in 9-2815-252-24 under 3-28. GEAR FND COVFR. But if anyone here has first hand info on this crankshaft front oil seal... I am all ears.

 

[Guyfang]

Thought I would put some hours on an 802 I swapped all the fuel lines on a couple weeks back. Come back to shut the set off to wire up the load bank (after letting it get to temp)... now there is oil everywhere. Seems I have an oil leak behind the main belt drive pulley (I can see a drip back there, and oil is spun in a radial pattern all around the floor, doors, and roof of the set).

Awesome... just what I wanted for Christmas. Thanks Santa!

What kind of box of grief did I just open up?

The hard part is removing all the stuff in the way. The seal is easy. Bite the bullet. Take it apart. Look at the gear end cover, see if it's loose, but having seen and done this a number of times, I would lay money on it being the seal. After taking the gear end cover off, simply pop the seal out and put a new one in. It's like I said, the easy part. Removing and replacing everything around it is the PITA.

 

[frank8003]

Hey, good title there.

 

[Guyfang]

It is possible to remove the front end of the set in one piece. It's not the way described in the TM, but if you look at it, and feel your way through it, you can do it. I won't say it's easy. But rather then dismantle every last part of the front end, or risk damaging the radiator, it's worth pulling the whole thing. Do you have an overhead lift posability? If not, two people can do it easy.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Finally got around to buying the seal to do this job in the next few weeks. I know there is a gasket behind the cover... suppose I will only kick myself if I try to reuse it.

Seems this is the best price I can find on it: https://sleequipment.com/onan-genuine-part-186-6147-gasket-end-cover-g.html

They want $15 to ship a gasket though.... anyone got any better sources? Thanks

 

[jamawieb]

For that price, you can buy a full gasket set off ebay for $95. It's from china, which I don't like but I've bought a couple gasket sets and been real happy. I've compared the seals and gasket to genuine lister petter items and they are identical. It also comes with a head gasket and I used it on one of my personally units to just see how long it would last, I've put 1000 hours on it now without a problem. You can't beat the price

 

[Light in the Dark]

I'll have to look at that auction site. Thanks

 

[Light in the Dark]

I know the oil seal I got was $17 shipped (versus upwards of $100+ through official Onan channels). Same part.

 

[Farmitall]

I know the oil seal I got was $17 shipped (versus upwards of $100+ through official Onan channels). Same part.

The utterly obscene prices for "off the shelf" type parts is maddening. Seals are available in all sizes and there is ALWAYS a substitute number. I used to rebuild forklifts with an older gentleman and he always could find a seal for anything cheaper than going OEM from a company/mfgr. Bearings are another classic example of the ripoff market that exists.

 

[Guyfang]

The utterly obscene prices for "off the shelf" type parts is maddening. Seals are available in all sizes and there is ALWAYS a substitute number. I used to rebuild forklifts with an older gentleman and he always could find a seal for anything cheaper than going OEM from a company/mfgr. Bearings are another classic example of the ripoff market that exists.

I used to fix Hilti tools for a large construction company. They had perhaps 150-200 Hilti concrete drill hammers. The TE72 and TE74. Two GREAT drill hammers. They also had a "great" price. Mega bucks. We sent the drills to Hilti to be fixed. Cost the company big bucks. One day the boss called Hilti up and asked for training on the repair of the drill hammer, special tools to fix them, and a stockage for parts for repair. Hilti came to us, spent 10 work days training us on not just the TE72 and TE74, but all kinds of other things. Great training. Then they dumped the spare parts into a parts bin from them, and came by every month to count what was left, and refill parts used. It took our Master repair weasel about two seconds to see, that we were paying about 6-8 times what bearings cost from normal suppliers. From that time on, the stockage of bearing never went down, because we bought bulk, and got them for cents on the dollar. Anyone who buys bearings OEM bearing, needs an inspection of the brain case.