Small Diesel Generator Repair needed

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Can anyone recommend someone for the repair of a small diesel generator?
The engine stopped functioning.
 

windeguy

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It is an Apollo AED6500SR which is like many generators from China like the Aurora AGI6800SDE. It has a CF186F single cylinder diesel engine about 440CC which stopped running. I changed the fuel filter, but it might have a dirty injector.
 

jd426

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Dec 12, 2009
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Was it in Storage for a long time ? how did it stop working ..
Since you say you already changed the Fuel Filter/ Water sep
take the fuel injector line off ( it probably has pressure fit unions on it)
make sure that line is nice and Clear ..eliminate the easy stuff first before assuming the Injector is bad .
 

windeguy

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It was running for about an hour. Then it started to labor for about 10 to 15 seconds and it stopped running.
There is only a simple plastic in line fuel filter. No water separator. It has only about 200 hours total on it over 3 years.
But when I need it, I like to have it.

The problem I have with working on it is that I do not have easy access to the engine. I cannot find a way to get the cover off the unit (it has a shroud) over it. I removed all of the visible bolts holding the cover to the chassis and I still cannot lift it off.
 

jd426

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Since you say it was running for an hour and then stopped.
Did you replace the Fuel filter AFTER this happened or just before ?
 

windeguy

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Since you say it was running for an hour and then stopped.
Did you replace the Fuel filter AFTER this happened or just before ?

After. And when I looked at the original filter, it did not appear very dirty at all.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Bad gas perhaps, have you purged the lines after changing the filter to void trapped air?

Bad diesel, perhaps.

I am not aware of the procedure to purge the lines for this engine, and as I said do not have easy access to most of the engine.
 

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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I used to have one of these machines and you're right, you have to completely disassemble it to get access to the engine. *The fact that it ran for an hour after you changed the filter would suggest that it has bled through, but I did have to crack the injector pipe to get mine to run after i changed the filter. *But one gulp of air in the fuel line and will not run and you'll have to bleed it.

There is a decompression lever on top of the engine which I only discovered after I took the covers off. *You can access it through the door, but you need to know where to put your hands. *This lever will allow you to crank it on the starter freely enough to bleed the injector line.

They are quite basic and reliable engines. *The only thing I can suggest is that you remove the injector, clean it, bleed it and give it a try, *Failing that the only other causes of not starting is low fuel pressure or low compression which would mean a rebuild and would have no idea where to get parts for it.
 

beeza

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You can also try the air filter. *They are cheap paper ones. I replaced it with a piece of foam and just washed it every now and then. **Unlikely to stop it running as the symptom for a dirty air filter is usually belching out black smoke from the exhaust, but it should at least run.
 

windeguy

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I used to have one of these machines and you're right, you have to completely disassemble it to get access to the engine. *The fact that it ran for an hour after you changed the filter would suggest that it has bled through, but I did have to crack the injector pipe to get mine to run after i changed the filter. *But one gulp of air in the fuel line and will not run and you'll have to bleed it.

There is a decompression lever on top of the engine which I only discovered after I took the covers off. *You can access it through the door, but you need to know where to put your hands. *This lever will allow you to crank it on the starter freely enough to bleed the injector line.

They are quite basic and reliable engines. *The only thing I can suggest is that you remove the injector, clean it, bleed it and give it a try, *Failing that the only other causes of not starting is low fuel pressure or low compression which would mean a rebuild and would have no idea where to get parts for it.

I filled the tank. It ran for an hour. Then it stopped. Then I changed the fuel filter. It would not restart.

I just cranked it will pulling the decompression lever for about 30 seconds. Waited a few seconds and tried to restart.
Still will not start. I will have to see about pulling the injector out, but getting the cover off is my current issue with getting deeper into it.
 

windeguy

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This is what the generator looks like. Mine does not have that small port with four screws in the top cover.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Silent-Encl...ctric-Start-/152307402724?hash=item23763a87e4

s-l500.jpg
 

zoomzx11

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Jan 21, 2006
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Sounds like some good advice. You have no service manual ? I have had extensive experience with marine diesels in boats I have owned. If it ran for a period of time after the filter change then highly unlikely to be air in fuel lines. Since you mentioned it has only a primitive filter I would look at dirt and or water in fuel system. You need to run the fuel in the engine through and probably remove and clean, maybe replace, *the injector injector. I would look carefully at the fuel tank for water or dirtY fuel. If the fuel is old it could also have algae growth if you have not used an algaecide. If fuel tank is metal you may easily get water via condensation soon followed by the algae. Heat and humidity in DR are ready made for algae growth. All diesels need absolutely clean well filtered fuel. Above all do not run any more fuel from the tank until you know it is spotless clean. A decent diesel truck mechanic should be able to clean lines, remove the injector, which should be rebuilt. You can clean the fuel yourself. Good luck and I hope the lights stay on in the meantime.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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I filled the tank. It ran for an hour. Then it stopped. Then I changed the fuel filter. It would not restart.

I just cranked it will pulling the decompression lever for about 30 seconds. Waited a few seconds and tried to restart.
Still will not start. I will have to see about pulling the injector out, but getting the cover off is my current issue with getting deeper into it.
In every diesel I've the fuel to the injectors had to be primed before it would start.

Is there a small primer lever? My Yanmars had to loosen the fuel line to the injectors, tap the lever on, tighten the fuel line, release the lever. Repeat until there was diesel leaking from the injector inlet, kinda sorta like bleeding a hydraulic brake system on a car or motorcycle.

There may have been an air bubble in the fuel line, so when the fuel in the line was exhausted, no go. All the cranking in the world won't get it to start if there is any air on the high-pressure side.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Sounds like some good advice. You have no service manual ? I have had extensive experience with marine diesels in boats I have owned. If it ran for a period of time after the filter change then highly unlikely to be air in fuel lines. Since you mentioned it has only a primitive filter I would look at dirt and or water in fuel system. You need to run the fuel in the engine through and probably remove and clean, maybe replace, *the injector injector. I would look carefully at the fuel tank for water or dirtY fuel. If the fuel is old it could also have algae growth if you have not used an algaecide. If fuel tank is metal you may easily get water via condensation soon followed by the algae. Heat and humidity in DR are ready made for algae growth. All diesels need absolutely clean well filtered fuel. Above all do not run any more fuel from the tank until you know it is spotless clean. A decent diesel truck mechanic should be able to clean lines, remove the injector, which should be rebuilt. You can clean the fuel yourself. Good luck and I hope the lights stay on in the meantime.

It did not run at all after it stopped running and I changed the simple in line fuel filter. The service manual is useless with respect to this issue.


I will need to get the cover off to get at the injector after looking at a manual a similar if not identical engine.
I did find this:

http://www.repairdynamics.com/186F_Diesel-_Yanmar_L-A-Manual-Complete.pdf

I will need to find out how to get the cover off since that is not entirely obvious even after removing more than 20 bolts that hold it. The injector is on top of the engine and the fuel tank appears to be attached to the cover. Not the most serviceable of designs.

From everything being said, it appears to be air in the high pressure line and/or possible dirty injector.
 
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beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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Try just cracking the fuel pipe union at the injector and crank it whilst holding the decompression lever. *You should be able to get access to the injector through the door, so you won't have to take the cover off.

You could also try drawing some fuel through using a syringe and some rubber tubing. *I reckon you have an air bubble by the fuel pump.
 

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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It did not run at all after it stopped running and I changed the simple in line fuel filter. The service manual is useless with respect to this issue.


I will need to get the cover off to get at the injector after looking at a manual a similar if not identical engine.
I did find this:

http://www.repairdynamics.com/186F_Diesel-_Yanmar_L-A-Manual-Complete.pdf

I will need to find out how to get the cover off since that is not entirely obvious even after removing more than 20 bolts that hold it. The injector is on top of the engine and the fuel tank appears to be attached to the cover. Not the most serviceable of designs.

From everything being said, it appears to be air in the high pressure line and/or possible dirty injector.



The fuel pump is at the top of the engine, the injector is on the side. *You can see the injector through the door, you can't see the pump that well, and you may need to undo all those bolts to take the cover off.

You will also need to remove the exhaust and drain the fuel tank. *The tank is part of the cover assembly.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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The fuel pump is at the top of the engine, the injector is on the side. *You can see the injector through the door, you can't see the pump that well, and you may need to undo all those bolts to take the cover off.

What you say is contrary to what I seem to have. The fuel pump is on the side of my engine visible when I open the normal service door with the black handle. The injector is on the top and not visible at all. I can see the pump well, It has a run/stop handle attached to it, but I cannot see the injector at all. I have removed every bolt I can see and the cover does not lift off. . I will have to drain the fuel somehow, or pinch off the tubes connected to it, since the tank is attached to the cover and see what else is holding the cover on.