Onan Hookup - Help? [message #85041] |
Mon, 17 May 2010 23:11 |
Chr$
Messages: 2690 Registered: January 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Karma: 1
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A few months back I mounted my Onan in the Onan hole. Well, this weekend I finally hooked it all up. She fires right up and gives voltage. There are a couple of problems:
1. I get about 130V which is no big deal with no load.
2. The 50 A breaker on the junction box trips after a few min of run time with no load and with the main breaker in the coach on or off. Doesn't matter.
The way my unit came to me is with two wires under heat shrink to one ring terminal, connected to one of the mounting screws for the junction box cover on top of the genny. There is also a #6 wire coming out of the Onan and going to one side of the circuit breaker. When we tested this at Jerry's the line was connected to the circuit breaker, and the Neutral was connected to the bolt with the two wires connected together. It worked. It was sitting on a wooden pallet. I don't remember if the neutral was connected to the case at the time or not.
In my coach I have the line to the two hot pins on the 50 A plug in the cord compartment. the dual wires to one ring terminal are connected to the neutral and ground pins on that connector.
Looking at the 120V schematic for the coach, it looks like the two wires should go to the breaker and the single wire to the ground point. The Onan heavy maint manual doesn't really give a clear picture, but it may conflict. WTF???
I searched the photo site and couldn't find any photos of how the thing should be wired on the 120V side of things.
Can anybody shed some light?
-Chr$: Perpetual SmartAss
Scottsdale, AZ
77 Ex-Kingsley 455 SOLD!
2010 Nomad 24 Ft TT 390W PV W/MPPT, EV4010 and custom cargo door.
Photosite: Chrisc GMC:"It has Begun" TT: "The Other Woman"
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Re: Onan Hookup - Help? [message #85097 is a reply to message #85041] |
Tue, 18 May 2010 11:25 |
Chr$
Messages: 2690 Registered: January 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Karma: 1
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65 lookers and no comments???
BTW, My Onan has a "push to reset" breaker on a little box on top. I think it was retrofitted. Does not look like the ones I have seen in the photo site.
-Chr$: Perpetual SmartAss
Scottsdale, AZ
77 Ex-Kingsley 455 SOLD!
2010 Nomad 24 Ft TT 390W PV W/MPPT, EV4010 and custom cargo door.
Photosite: Chrisc GMC:"It has Begun" TT: "The Other Woman"
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Re: [GMCnet] Onan Hookup - Help? [message #85102 is a reply to message #85099] |
Tue, 18 May 2010 11:53 |
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My guess is a possible intermittent short on one of the hot lines out of the breaker, or maybe even the breaker itself. Maybe an ohmmeter with unit off might help, with a little jiggling of the lines.
geo groth '73 260 Sequoia
Carson City Nevada 89703
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Re: [GMCnet] Onan Hookup - Help? [message #85104 is a reply to message #85102] |
Tue, 18 May 2010 12:12 |
Chr$
Messages: 2690 Registered: January 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Karma: 1
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It isn't a short. The lines out of the breaker are new and the lines from the coupling at the genny to the outlet are in conduit and Ohm out fine. I will test the output at the generator ahead of the breaker using an outlet box or something.
The breaker is a bit of a piece of crap, though.
-Chr$: Perpetual SmartAss
Scottsdale, AZ
77 Ex-Kingsley 455 SOLD!
2010 Nomad 24 Ft TT 390W PV W/MPPT, EV4010 and custom cargo door.
Photosite: Chrisc GMC:"It has Begun" TT: "The Other Woman"
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Re: Onan Hookup - Help? [message #85106 is a reply to message #85041] |
Tue, 18 May 2010 12:26 |
roy1
Messages: 2126 Registered: July 2004 Location: Minden nevada
Karma: 6
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I would think if you put a clamp on ammeter between the generator and the 50 amp breaker it would tell you if you were drawing current to trip the breaker. With no load it should be obviously o amps. If the breaker trips at any amps under 50 with a load I would get a new breaker.
Roy
Roy Keen
Minden,NV
76 X Glenbrook
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Re: Onan Hookup - Help? [message #85111 is a reply to message #85041] |
Tue, 18 May 2010 12:49 |
Rick Denney
Messages: 430 Registered: January 2004
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Chr$ wrote on Tue, 18 May 2010 00:11 | 1. I get about 130V which is no big deal with no load.
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On the Onan, voltage and frequency are linked tightly, and both are regulated mechanically using the governor linkage on the top of the engine. Adjust the engine speed down slightly so that it regulates with no load at about 126 volts. That was about 62 or 63 Hz on my Onan. It will settle down under load.
Rick "answering the other question" Denney
'73 Glacier 230 "Jaws"
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Re: Onan Hookup - Help? [message #85135 is a reply to message #85041] |
Tue, 18 May 2010 16:09 |
Chr$
Messages: 2690 Registered: January 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ
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Thanks guys, that breaker does look like junk. I will try a different breaker.
-Chr$: Perpetual SmartAss
Scottsdale, AZ
77 Ex-Kingsley 455 SOLD!
2010 Nomad 24 Ft TT 390W PV W/MPPT, EV4010 and custom cargo door.
Photosite: Chrisc GMC:"It has Begun" TT: "The Other Woman"
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Re: Onan Hookup - Help? [message #85315 is a reply to message #85041] |
Wed, 19 May 2010 20:07 |
idrob
Messages: 645 Registered: January 2005 Location: Central Idaho
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Chr$ wrote on Mon, 17 May 2010 21:11 | A few months back I mounted my Onan in the Onan hole. Well, this weekend I finally hooked it all up. She fires right up and gives voltage. There are a couple of problems:
2. The 50 A breaker on the junction box trips after a few min of run time with no load and with the main breaker in the coach on or off. Doesn't matter.
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Chris: The Onan breakers are not very good. I had different 6 KW Onan on a SOB and finally replaced the breaker on the gen set with a regular household one mounted in a panel box near the generator. That solved the problem of the breaker going out at odd times. It was easy and inexpensive but there was more room on that rig than in the GMC. Fortunately I never had a problem with the breaker on the power drawer, but if I had, I would have found a way replace it with a household one.
Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB
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Re: [GMCnet] Onan Hookup - Help? [message #86416 is a reply to message #86397] |
Fri, 28 May 2010 11:19 |
idrob
Messages: 645 Registered: January 2005 Location: Central Idaho
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George Zhookoff wrote on Fri, 28 May 2010 06:38 |
I really want a toggle, lug terminal single pole 50 Amp circuit breaker
as a permanent repair. But can't find one. Bob Burkitt is checking
with his sources but so far no go. Bob used a TQC2440 cb but I can't
find one.
HTH
George Zhookoff
78 EL II
Atlanta
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If you can't find a single 50 amp toggle breaker, get a double and only use half of it. Double 50's are much more common than single ones. Will work just fine.
Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB
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Re: [GMCnet] Onan Hookup - Help? [message #86418 is a reply to message #86416] |
Fri, 28 May 2010 11:55 |
Chr$
Messages: 2690 Registered: January 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Karma: 1
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George, I cant find one either. that is what I really want.
Rob. Yeah, Thought of that. Have to find a place to mount it...
-Chr$: Perpetual SmartAss
Scottsdale, AZ
77 Ex-Kingsley 455 SOLD!
2010 Nomad 24 Ft TT 390W PV W/MPPT, EV4010 and custom cargo door.
Photosite: Chrisc GMC:"It has Begun" TT: "The Other Woman"
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Re: [GMCnet] Onan Hookup - Help? [message #87171 is a reply to message #86668] |
Thu, 03 June 2010 19:33 |
jcurran
Messages: 52 Registered: May 2009
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I have been looking at a lot of circuit breakers lately to replace the one that came with my Onan 4K (Heinemann x0411).
Seems like Carlingswitch E-Series and Eaton CD series match the opening and screw holes in the breaker mount plate. I measure the original breaker at about 70mm between the screws and about 58 mm for the breaker paddle switch.
Have a look at the this Eaton site:
http://tinyurl.com/2b2wxub
and download the catalog (dated 2007). Look at the drawings for the CD series on page 76 and see if you agree.
Anyway, I checked with a vendor and the Eaton 40 and 50 amp breakers retail for $55. They seem to be legacy items and are priced that way.
Personally, I would rather use lugs than screw terminals.
What it seems to boil down to is that I could try one of these breakers for $55 or buy a $15 breaker with lugs and build a mounting plate.
Jim
Jim Curran
1976 Palm Beach
Alexandria, OH
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Re: [GMCnet] Onan Hookup - Help? [message #87723 is a reply to message #87265] |
Mon, 07 June 2010 21:19 |
jcurran
Messages: 52 Registered: May 2009
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Agreed - that's quite a bit more. My 4K has a rectangular opening flanked by two panel mounting holes. I believe this is called an E-Frame mount. I was hoping to avoid making a bracket and stretching the output and load wires to fit a much smaller breaker. But for much of a price difference, I'll go the make-fit route.
I ordered a CA1-X0-02-011-111 from the Great Lakes Skipper. I called Carling and they say this is a custom breaker (made for marine use ?) and is equal to Carling part CA1-B0-34-640-111-C. Cost is $10. It has a handle and threaded lug terminals.
Jim Curran
1976 Palm Beach
Alexandria, OH
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