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The Secret to Long Gas Engine Life
- Extend engine/welder life
- Ensure peak performance at all times
- Maintain reliability/avoiding costly breakdowns
- Prevent voiding warranty coverage
- Maximize resale value
Customer Testimonial
“The hardest part about routine maintenance is actually making it routine. By getting into the habit of checking these items, your engine drive will run reliably and deliver optimum performance for thousands of hours. Finally, remember that many people sell their old engine drive when they upgrade. If you can show good engine maintenance records, your engine drive will command a higher resale price.”
— Mike Trinkner, Senior Product Engineer, Miller Electric Mfg. Co. and Jeff Gruell, Senior Mechanical Project Engineer, Kohler Co.
Application
Maintaining welder/generators with Kohler gas engine drives, which includes the Miller Legend, Bobcat and Trailblazer series.
Key Business Issue
- Ensuring equipment always provides peak performance and runs reliably throughout its expected life.
Challenge
- Up to half of all engine drive owners don't follow proper maintenance procedures.
Previous System & Process
- Erratic maintenance schedules and poor procedures.
New Solution
- Read your owners manual and follow the advice in this article, provided by experts from Miller and Kohler.
Results
- Oil changes performed routinely. Bobcats and Trailblazers feature an oil change maintenance meter. The meter even does a negative countdown, providing a constant reminder of how many hours you're being neglectful. Failure to change oil causes premature engine wear and, in extreme cases, the oil completely loses its lubrication properties and the engine seizes.
- Oil level checked routinely. Twin cylinder carbureted engines commonly found on welder generators consume oil—about 0.5 oz. per hour. Kohler recommends checking the oil level on its engines every 8 hours, so make it part of your routine to check the oil (see Fig. 5) every time you fill the gas tank or at the start of every shift.
- Change oil filters. If you don't regularly change the filter, it eventually becomes clogged with impurities that restrict oil flow. Dirty oil causes premature wear on the engine's bearing surfaces. Bottom line: change the oil filter every 200 hours.
- The right fuel. Always use clean, fresh fuel of 87 octane or greater. When stale fuel is burned, it creates varnish that gums up the carburetor. Problems caused by stale fuel use aren't covered under warranty. Never use E85. The ethanol attacks and corrodes the rubber, brass and aluminum fittings within the carburetor and will ruin the engine in just 15 minutes. Reformulated gas is okay to use in all Kohler carbureted engines, but it will be less energy-efficient than 100 percent gas.
- Fuel filters. Replace the filter every 200 hours or any time that you suspect that you've filled up the tank with a bad batch of gas. If the filter gets too dirty, it will restrict the amount of fuel that travels to the carburetor, which results in a “lean” air/fuel ratio. The lean ratio will inevitably reduce the generator power available and lower welding output.
- Change the air filter. At the very minimum, replace the air filter every 200 hours. An extremely dirty air filter prevents the proper amount of air from reaching the carburetor. As a result, the engine runs “rich” (too much fuel and not enough air), which fouls the spark plugs and reduces generator output and power at the arc. If you place a heavy load on an engine drive with a clogged filter, such as running a 5/64-in. diameter flux cored wire, you might not get all the power you need to weld at maximum efficiency. Further, you'll see a slower acceleration from idle rpm to run speed rpm. When you need immediate power, you won't get it if you have a dirty air filter; there's simply not enough air to ignite all the fuel present.
