15yr Old Generac Never Started

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I bought a house with a 15 year old Generac Guardian 4079-1 10kW standby generator that the owner builder never finished installing. It's never been used. The transfer switch is running to one of my 100A subpanels so that's wired. The lp line is all set to go.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge if it would be a good or bad idea to try and get this working? It goes against my better judgement and I'm leaning toward just ripping it out and installing a new Briggs & Stratton 10kW standby. I don't want to risk dirty power blowing stuff up if I get it fired up.

Any experience or wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
 

user 100

Senior Member
Location
texas
I bought a house with a 15 year old Generac Guardian 4079-1 10kW standby generator that the owner builder never finished installing. It's never been used. The transfer switch is running to one of my 100A subpanels so that's wired. The lp line is all set to go.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge if it would be a good or bad idea to try and get this working? It goes against my better judgement and I'm leaning toward just ripping it out and installing a new Briggs & Stratton 10kW standby. I don't want to risk dirty power blowing stuff up if I get it fired up.

Any experience or wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

You should probably (or get someone to) check gas inlet valve and the pressure regulator at least- you said it's never been used, but a decade and a half is a long time for that to sit idle.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
If you decide to try starting it, a good first step would be to remove all spark plugs, put a teaspoon or so of oil into each cylinder and turn the engine over slowly. Then after you have a good film of oil on the cylinder walls you can replace the spark plugs and continue from there.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
If you decide to try starting it, a good first step would be to remove all spark plugs, put a teaspoon or so of oil into each cylinder and turn the engine over slowly. Then after you have a good film of oil on the cylinder walls you can replace the spark plugs and continue from there.

As GoldDigger suggests, your problems are likely to be mechanical, not electrical. If it spins, your power quality should be the same as it would ever have been.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
what have you got to lose by trying it?

you might want to have a real service guy come out and give it the once over first. note that I used the word "real" to describe the service guy I would want. a lot of residential generator service guys got that way by taking a one or two week class.
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
I vote for crank that sucker up! (after doing what GoldDigger suggested).
Check that oil in the crankcase. I can't speak for your machine but some machines ship with no oil. If it's never had it's startup and burn-in, there's no telling.
Maybe you can find the original manual online and see if it has anything particular they instruct you to do for an initial power-up.
Let us know how it goes.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
If you decide to try starting it, a good first step would be to remove all spark plugs, put a teaspoon or so of oil into each cylinder and turn the engine over slowly. Then after you have a good film of oil on the cylinder walls you can replace the spark plugs and continue from there.
And maybe grease the bearings as well?
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
First, check the oil....Then, If the plugs are easy to get to, I would disconnect and short out the coil, put a shot of Marvel down each cylinder, turn it with the starter for a sec, repeat once or twice. Then, put everything back together and try for a start.

If the plugs are a PITA to get in and out, just check the oil and go for broke. It will probably fire right up.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
If you decide to try starting it, a good first step would be to remove all spark plugs, put a teaspoon or so of oil into each cylinder and turn the engine over slowly. Then after you have a good film of oil on the cylinder walls you can replace the spark plugs and continue from there.

If it were mine I would check the oil and flip the switch.


You could just flip the switch but I doubt that after 15 years anything would happen ( battery will be dead ).

GoldDigger is on the right track with putting some oil into the cylinder heads.

I would drain the oil ( it's 15 years old) and replace with new break-in oil. Then put oil in the heads as suggested and see if it will turn over.

If the gaskets haven't completely dried out and it's leaking oil it could be worth saveing. Might be worth repairing anyway.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
You could just flip the switch but I doubt that after 15 years anything would happen ( battery will be dead ).

:lol:

Golly gee willikers, I never woulda thunk it. :p

For testing purposes I would likely just use jumper cables, if the oil level was right, I would hit it with a small shot of either and turn it over to see if it wants to live.

If it seems like it wants to run I would crack a fuel line till I could smell the LP or Nat gas and continue from there. If it was reasonably protected from the elements there is not going to be much wrong with it.

But to each their own, this subject is a Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge argument. :)
 
Thanks for the encouragment and all the help

Thanks for the encouragment and all the help

I needed it!

I had an old cement mixer covered from the weather that the motor windings rusted inside. I was able to fix it. I was concerned about the unit producing clean enough power if the generator windings were hosed. I called Generac a couple months ago and they suggested I trash it.

I'll run a flex to the unit and try to fire it up. I like the Marvel mystery oil suggestion. I once quieted the screaming lifters on an old Volvo with that. It does need a once over. I'll give it a shot. I should be able to find an experienced Generac guy up here in the mountains if I need the help.

Thanks again to everyone.
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
My Dad bought a 36 Chevy from his Boss in the early 60s. It Had sat there for years. Dad snuck out there every day or so with some Diesel, then oil and let the cylinders soak. Then started with the hand crank and moved it bit. Repeat. He paid $50 for it changed the oil, gassed it up and watched his bosses jaw drop when it fired right up and he drove it away.
 

RLyons

Senior Member
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I could never in good conscience recommend B&S generators. The company I use to work for was one of the top installers in the region and I've personally seen some bad things. Thing I don't get is I have a hand me down lawn mower approx. 20 years old that never had the oil changed and it still runs even after the wheels fell off.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I needed it!

I had an old cement mixer covered from the weather that the motor windings rusted inside. I was able to fix it. I was concerned about the unit producing clean enough power if the generator windings were hosed. I called Generac a couple months ago and they suggested I trash it.

I'll run a flex to the unit and try to fire it up. I like the Marvel mystery oil suggestion. I once quieted the screaming lifters on an old Volvo with that. It does need a once over. I'll give it a shot. I should be able to find an experienced Generac guy up here in the mountains if I need the help.

Thanks again to everyone.
Of course they will tell you to trash it - they want you to buy a new one, you should have told them you would be purchasing a Cummins if you were to replace it:)
 
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