baldwinh Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 My 8kw Onan Diesel generator has been working fine, when I push the pre-heat switch it goes "tickety-tickety" and after about 15 seconds fires right up. This week while running it, it started to emit more of a "clunking" sound, very rythmic and regular (and pretty loud). I shut it down, today checked the oil level (clean and full) and when I pushed the Preheat button again to try staring, this time it gave off the "clunking" sound instead of the quiet purr of the normal "tickety-tickety". Any ideas on what might be the problem? I didn't leave the preheat button pushed long enough to try to start it for fear the clunking was ruining something. Thanks in advance for any ideas / input Herb & Kathy Baldwin 2003 Airstream Land Yacht XC365 2006 Saturn Vue Toad WB8BHK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoDirectionHome Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 That's a pretty expensive piece of machinery. If that sound is a rod knock, main bearing knock or a valve hitting a piston you could be in for a big fix. Hard to say... how many hours on the generator? I'd get somewhere that you can get an educated opinion. You did the right thing shutting it down. "There are No Experts, Do the Math!" 2014 Freightliner Cascadia DD16 600hp 1850ft-lb 18spd 3.31 260"wb SpaceCraft S-470 SKP #131740 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarvan Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 Yes, get it diagnosed before you run it anymore. Previously a 2017 Forest River, Berkshire 38A, "The Dragonship". https://dragonship.blog/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldwinh Posted March 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 Took it to the Freightliner dealer tonight to have them check out the brakes (heading to the west coast in a couple weeks) and when they're done with it then taking it down the street to a Cummins/Onan dealer/repair shop - hopefully it won't be TOO expensive! Thanks Herb & Kathy Baldwin 2003 Airstream Land Yacht XC365 2006 Saturn Vue Toad WB8BHK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobsallyh Posted March 21, 2016 Report Share Posted March 21, 2016 Please let us know what Cummins/Onan find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarvan Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 'clunking' is usually not good, and often expensive. Previously a 2017 Forest River, Berkshire 38A, "The Dragonship". https://dragonship.blog/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldwinh Posted March 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 Onan dealer (Fort's Industrial Engine, Mansfield, OH) called today and said it's a fuel pump. They've ordered it, it'll be in tomorrow and it'll be a little over $300 installed. i'll find out more tomorrow why a fuel pump would "clunk" - I'm guessing there must be some sort of linkage that came loose and/or broke and was flopping around. In any event, it'll be fixed and a lot less expensive than a new $4000-$7000 generator. Herb & Kathy Baldwin 2003 Airstream Land Yacht XC365 2006 Saturn Vue Toad WB8BHK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoDirectionHome Posted March 25, 2016 Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 Great news. I was hoping you'd only have to do bearings and not have to cut the crank or buy a rod. Sounds like you dodged a bullet. "There are No Experts, Do the Math!" 2014 Freightliner Cascadia DD16 600hp 1850ft-lb 18spd 3.31 260"wb SpaceCraft S-470 SKP #131740 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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