Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Who loves and understands their Original Onan ?
| Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358752] |
Thu, 17 September 2020 20:27  |
hertfordnc
Messages: 1164
Registered: September 2009
Location: East NC
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Seems like most of the generator talk on this and other GMC forums is 'what to replace it with'
I became pretty enamored with the Onan CCK that came with my Revcon. The coach has not moved in a long time but every couple years a hurricane threatens us and i get the Onan running and it runs FOR DAYS. Then i forget about it for another couple years.
My recently acquired Birch needed a generator. I found an Onan Emerald 1 that will just fit with minor mods and should still use the power drawer rails.
The guys on Smokstack.com understand these things at a very deep level. THrough them i've had no trouble keeping my old CCK running and getting my head around the Emerald.
From what i understand, the Power Drawer is not unique. Onan made a whole bunch of that type generator without the sliding drawer and with a different carb configuration.
Of course there are quieter more fuel efficient gensets but they ain't cheap and it seems like with a little patience the Original can be made to work pretty well.
Just curious if there other fans of the green anchor.
Dave & Ellen Silva
Hertford, NC
76 Birchaven, 1-ton and other stuff
Currently planning the Great american Road Trip Summer 2021
It's gonna take a lot of Adderall to get this thing right.
[Updated on: Thu, 17 September 2020 20:29] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: [GMCnet] Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358757 is a reply to message #358753] |
Thu, 17 September 2020 21:08  |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
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My 6K Onan has sat since early March without running. I went into the coach
yesterday for an all systems check, and hit the start button on the ONAN.
3ea 10 second bursts on the starter, and she fired up and settled right
down to her governed speed. 15 seconds later, the automatic transfer switch
changed from shore power to generator power, and I turned on the roof air.
Not a burp, or a stumble. Always does that, no issues. It has the
electronic ignition that is crank triggered by a magnet mounted on the
flywheel. Gary Bovee's kit. Works swell. No ignition points to foul. All
systems checked out. She is ready to roll. All we need now is to get rid of
Covid 19, and the wildfires and accompanied smoke.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon
On Thu, Sep 17, 2020, 6:53 PM Matt Colie via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> Well, I have a BF (4.0) in my 73-23 that is just about DC3 reliable. It
> gets almost 1/3 of the attention it deserves and I know it would start and
> run right now if I push the inside button.
>
> Matt
> --
> Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL,
> GMCES
> Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum
> Brakes with Applied Control Arms
> SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
>
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358761 is a reply to message #358752] |
Fri, 18 September 2020 07:35 |
Jim Miller
Messages: 501
Registered: March 2008
Karma: 10
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hertfordnc wrote on Thu, 17 September 2020 21:27
Just curious if there other fans of the green anchor.
Yes, count me as a fan of the Onan. I have them in my two coaches and love them. Add to that the many Onans that I have repaired at GMC work rallies at my family's compound. Unless they have a rod hanging out the side (which I have never seen) then I can make any of them run. The design is perfect for our coaches from the standpoint of being 1800 RPM, the cooling system which is intended for operation in the closed compartment and also the simplicity of the generator section and its excitation circuit. What could be easier than a bridge rectifier, a voltage clamp and a PT/CT transformer?
There are, of course, improvements that can be made to the ignition system which will help a lot and the original control boards are sketchy after 40 years of exposure to the elements. I have developed replacement choke mechanisms, electronic ignitions (not the Bovee kit), electronic voltage regulation and also replacement field assemblies which are the common failure items.
I marvel at the negative attitude taken by some GMC owners - especially those on the fakebook group - toward the Onan. The troubleshooting process is straightforward and logical however many get discouraged when they post about a problem and are rewarded with a cacophony of scattershot replies ranging from "get rid of it" to any number of other "replace this, replace that" approaches of blindly trying to throw things at the wall and see what sticks.
Jim Miller
1977 Eleganza II
1977 Royale
Hamilton, OH
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358762 is a reply to message #358752] |
Fri, 18 September 2020 07:48 |
kingd
Messages: 592
Registered: June 2004
Karma: 2
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This is specifically directed to Mr. ONAN Jim Miller. I find it truly amazing that Jim has developed a process
to rewind ONAN fields with copper wire. What is more amazing is that he will actually do this for
other people. Some GMC folks are truly special. My 1976 SOB may have come with an ONAN but when I
got the MH about 1990 the TROLL was gone, replaced with something else as a makeshift install.
Because of the info available on this forum and by extension from articles people on here have
created, I wish I had an ONAN every time my ***** won't start.
THANK YOU JIM M. and others on this forum !!!
DAVE KING
lurker, wannabe
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358769 is a reply to message #358752] |
Fri, 18 September 2020 11:17 |
bwevers
Messages: 597
Registered: October 2010
Location: San Jose
Karma: 5
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My 6KW Onan starts reliably. It has Bovee's ignition. It usually starts after a few seconds of cranking. The only problem is when the air temperature gets over 115ºF it vapor locks with the alcohol gas. Maybe if I pull the drawer out it will cool better.
Bill Wevers GMC49ers, GMC Western States
1975 Glenbrook - Manny Powerdrive, OneTon
455 F Block, G heads
San Jose
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358771 is a reply to message #358752] |
Fri, 18 September 2020 12:34 |
rgogan
Messages: 82
Registered: February 2004
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Karma: 0
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At the last GMC international rally that I attended in Iowa, I polled the attendees at a generator lecture for the number of hours that they had on their Onan's. I hold the record for that poll at over 2000 hrs. However, those hours certainly did not come painlessly.
I have made just about every imaginable repair possible and here are some highlights that others may have not seen:
1) Some models of the facet electric fuel pump came without a grommet for the 12v wire power supply. When running the generator, I would have intermittent failures especially when the generator would run rough and vibrate. Eventually, the fuse would blow randomly for no diagnosable reason. One night I was looking at the fuel pump in the dark and noted arcing between the 12v supply and the case of the fuel pump. The wire's insulation has worn through and the wire was grounding to the case causing the intermittent engine failure and eventually the fuse blowing. Prior to this, it had actually burned out some printed circuit tracings on the control board when I tried to insert an oversized fuse. I replaced the pump with a properly grommeted one and also the circuit board was upgraded to a new design totally covered with some type of silicon insulation. More happy times.
2) More recently, I felt that irregular running and random stopping of the engine was related to the mechanical points. I fooled around with every conceivable gap and filing the points without help. Finally I bought the point set from Applied GMC that allows adjustment when the engine is running. Still, I could not get a smooth operation no matter the gap or timing. Finally found that the wire exiting the point box through a narrow slit in the box that was without a grommet, had its insulation worn through. Replaced that wire and had excellent results. I had ordered the electronic ignition upgrade but never bothered to install it after that problem was fixed. More happy times.
3) The most challenging problem was the Walbro LMB 185 carb. Experienced more problems with erratic operation that did not improve with a carb rebuild kit. Still suspecting it was a carb problem, I sprayed light oil on the carb and intake manifold gasket and had a sudden change in the RPMs. Checked the intake manifold gasket and found it was not leaking. Finally found that the shaft of the butterfly throttle had worn out the bushing in the housing. I was lucky enough on Ebay to find an unused carb that had been sitting on an inventory shelf for 40yrs. It was a LMB 181 and externally was identical to the original Onan carb. I purchased and installed it, and despite all my previous problems, I am in love with this generator again. The operation is unbelievable smooth and power has been restored. Hardly any RPM change when both roof A/Cs kick in. This is even with the electric water heater in operation. Does anyone rebuild or rebush the throttle shaft?
This outlines some of my more unusual problems that can be easily averted with inspection of the wiring and regular lubrication of the throttle shaft bushing. If you would like to hear about the other 10 more common problems, let me know.
Bob Gogan
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358772 is a reply to message #358752] |
Fri, 18 September 2020 15:55 |
TR 1
Messages: 348
Registered: August 2015
Location: DFW
Karma: -7
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Another fan of the Onan here... She does what she needs to do with a minimum of fuss.
As for the carb, I think up to a year or 2 ago, you could send it back to Walbro for a rebuild... Though I believe the may have discontinued that service.
I like my Onan even more with the Bovee ignition and dual fuel kit... I can't think of the gentlemen's name who worked with US Carb on the kit a few years back, but I picked mine up shortly after and I love it.
Generally run it on gas when going down the road for convenience sake... (Easier to fill the gas tank than the propane) but when I'm running it stationary, propane is the way to go...
Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
Manny 1 Ton Front End,
Howell Injection,
Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
Fort Worth, TX
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| Re: [GMCnet] Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358773 is a reply to message #358772] |
Fri, 18 September 2020 16:04 |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
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Jerry Work is the gentleman's name.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon
On Fri, Sep 18, 2020, 1:56 PM Mark Sawyer via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> Another fan of the Onan here... She does what she needs to do with a
> minimum of fuss.
>
> As for the carb, I think up to a year or 2 ago, you could send it back to
> Walbro for a rebuild... Though I believe the may have discontinued that
> service.
>
> I like my Onan even more with the Bovee ignition and dual fuel kit... I
> can't think of the gentlemen's name who worked with US Carb on the kit a few
> years back, but I picked mine up shortly after and I love it.
>
> Generally run it on gas when going down the road for convenience sake...
> (Easier to fill the gas tank than the propane) but when I'm running it
> stationary, propane is the way to go...
> --
> Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
> Manny 1 Ton Front End,
> Howell Injection,
> Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
> Fort Worth, TX
>
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358781 is a reply to message #358771] |
Sat, 19 September 2020 10:38 |
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Richard RV
Messages: 631
Registered: July 2012
Location: Full-timer for 12 years, ...
Karma: -17
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rgogan wrote on Fri, 18 September 2020 10:34If you would like to hear about the other 10 more common problems, let me know.
Bob Gogan
I would like to see your list, Bob.
Richard
'77 Birchaven TZE...777;
'76 Palm Beach under construction;
‘76 Edgemont waiting its turn
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| Re: [GMCnet] Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358785 is a reply to message #358781] |
Sat, 19 September 2020 11:43 |
Randy Hecht
Messages: 93
Registered: March 2019
Location: Roswell, GA
Karma: -5
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Member |
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As I am finishing the water systems this month in my GMC project, the Onan 4K is next on the list. So any information will be helpful.
> On Sep 19, 2020, at 11:39 AM, Richard via Gmclist wrote:
>
> rgogan wrote on Fri, 18 September 2020 10:34
>> If you would like to hear about the other 10 more common problems, let me know.
>> Bob Gogan
>
> I would like to see your list, Bob.
>
> Richard
> --
> '77 Birchaven TZE...777;
> '76 Palm Beach with 18,477 verified miles;
> ‘76 Edgemonte
>
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358801 is a reply to message #358752] |
Sat, 19 September 2020 18:45 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Big fan here as it was a joint GM/Onan project. Usually we have a pedestal power at camp. Most use is when pulling into a truck stop or rest area for lunch. Toaster, espresso machine, microwave, roof air, frig on AC. I have no primer and still have points. Starts right up every time.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #358802 is a reply to message #358752] |
Sat, 19 September 2020 19:17 |
captjack
Messages: 271
Registered: February 2010
Location: Sebastopol, California
Karma: 1
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Well, I'm not sure I "love" my Onan, but I've solved most of its problems.
I resoldered all the connections on the control board
I installed something like the Bovee ignition before he had it developed. I wish I had waited.
I converted it to dual-fuel using Jerry Work's kit.
I only run it on propane. My problem with gasoline is that the Onan serves as the first warning of vapor lock when I'm driving. Shortly after the Onan quits, my 455 does as well. Not a problem when running on propane. On propane, it starts promptly, doesn't smell as bad as gasoline, and the oil never seems to darken. No choke required since the propane comes in as a gas.
Well, I guess I do love it now.
Jack Christensen - K6ROW,
'76 Glenbrook/Clasco - "The Silver Bullet",
Sebastopol, CA
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| Re: Who loves and understands their Original Onan ? [message #365616 is a reply to message #365608] |
Wed, 21 July 2021 21:31 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Senior Member |
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I love my 6-K Power Drawer. I wouldn't even think about replacing something that was specifically designed for our coaches with something that needs to be adapted. My original Onan had 1679 hours on a broken clock when I got the coach. I replaced the clock, but really had no idea how many hours were on it. It always started right up and ran fine, but it was a little tired. The only problem I ever had with ti was that the fuel pump would overheat and stop working under extreme conditions.
I was fortunate enough to purchase a "reconditioned" Power Drawer that Steve Ferguson had obtained from Kerry Tandy several years back. I installed it, and after fixing a few workmanship issues from the 'reconditioning' it has given me good service, especially after retrofitting it with the Gary Bovee Pertronix ignition kit and a new Facet fuel pump from Applied GMC. The only issues I have had with it were the one time I had the circuit breaker trip while running both AC units on a 117 degree day. and having the generator shut down (from an overheated fuel pump) in 104 degree heat. I fixed the latter problem by simply opening the generator door, giving the pump some fresh air.
Any other issues have been self inflicted (burned traces on the control board that could be fixed with some wire and solder patches}
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
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