Bought more generators

[OldRedFord]

Ended up with three generators following me home Sunday afternoon.

One is a water cooled 3000 watt Fairbanks Morse generator. Output is single phase at 13 or 15 amps. 115 volts and 230 volts. Someone along the line did a very neat wiring job on the output side to terminal strips and things are labeled and neat. Set is from 1947 and looks to be unmolested.

Next one is a Delco light plant. No data plate but looks like a 1200 series or 850 generator set. Not sure on the output voltage and from looking around online it might need 36 volts to start. From 1916-1931

Last but not least is a Kohler light plant.
800 watts and 32-40 volt output at 900 rpm.
Missing the carburetor. Rest is there. From 1932-1934

Now on to the Fairbanks...

It will turn over but I'm not getting spark. I'm not sure how to take the coil housing apart. What I mean is how do I get the lid off the coils inside? I'm not sure how the coil wires feed through the lid either.

[mccutter]

Nice of you to remove all that scrap for the nice old lady...

PS: wait, I'm just seeing the title!

[OldRedFord]

Originally Posted by mccutter

Nice of you to remove all that scrap for the nice old lady...

PS: wait, I'm just seeing the title!

I don't think I did too bad. $200 for all three.

The Fairbanks is in fairly good shape. I was impressed with the wiring in the outlet box. It's in way better shape then my Onan JB 7.5kw

[toprecycler]

The one you are referring to as Fairbanks Morse looks identical to several I have that are Onans. I think mine were sold by Montgomery Ward, and Onan made them for them. Last year, I took one of mine down to an old retired machinist friend who is doing a conversion to run it on propane or natural gas. He has designed his own carburetor system, and is converting engines over for the challenge of it, for me.


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[OldRedFord]

Data plate on the Fairbanks Onan

[mccutter]

Originally Posted by OldRedFord

I was impressed with the wiring in the outlet box.

I would wire that box for you for half-price and use the proper size crimp connectors...

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by OldRedFord

Ended up with three generators following me home Sunday afternoon.

One is a water cooled 3000 watt Fairbanks Morse generator. Output is single phase at 13 or 15 amps. 115 volts and 230 volts. Someone along the line did a very neat wiring job on the output side to terminal strips and things are labeled and neat. Set is from 1947 and looks to be unmolested.

Next one is a Delco light plant. No data plate but looks like a 1200 series or 850 generator set. Not sure on the output voltage and from looking around online it might need 36 volts to start. From 1916-1931

Last but not least is a Kohler light plant.
800 watts and 32-40 volt output at 900 rpm.
Missing the carburetor. Rest is there. From 1932-1934

Now on to the Fairbanks...

It will turn over but I'm not getting spark. I'm not sure how to take the coil housing apart. What I mean is how do I get the lid off the coils inside? I'm not sure how the coil wires feed through the lid either.

The last pic looks like a magneto ignition.

[OldRedFord]

Originally Posted by milomilo

The last pic looks like a magneto ignition.

There are two metal case Autolite coils inside that box.
One point set for both coils. If I'm understanding correctly what I read on the Onan fourm both pistons are at TDC at the same time but one is on compression and one is on exhaust but both coils fire at the same time.


Also interesting is all three gen sets are exciter cranked.No external starter. Not entirely clear how this works.

[digr]

Originally Posted by OldRedFord

There are two metal case Autolite coils inside that box.
One point set for both coils. If I'm understanding correctly what I read on the Onan fourm both pistons are at TDC at the same time but one is on compression and one is on exhaust but both coils fire at the same time.


Also interesting is all three gen sets are exciter cranked.No external starter. Not entirely clear how this works.

LOL you will

[OldRedFord]

Update on the Fairbanks Onan

I have spark to the spark plugs. Cleaned the points and wiring connections at the points.

There is a little toggle switch that is supposed to be set one way for electric start and the other way for hand start. I'm only getting spark when it's set for hand start.

When set of electric start...no spark....no power to the coils and the start coil won't pull in. If I manually make the start coil latch in the motor spins over but still no spark.