Picked up a generator. I have a few questions...

[FastLane]

I bought a used generator. Homelite LR5500. I has a Briggs and Straton 11 hp. The guy bought it and used it a bit a first but left it in his garage. The engine wouldn't start. I paid him 200 bucks for it.

I replaced all the fuel hoses and a fuel pump. I took the carb apart and cleaned it out. I changed the oil to a semi synthetic 10W30 and put in a new spark plug. It runs awesome now. I see Briggs recommends a synthetic 5W30 on their website. Any thoughts?

It has 2 120 volt plugs and 1 240 volt plug. The 240 plug is a twist lock style. I want to use the generator to power a construction heater and a welder. How to i change the twist lock style to a 240 volt 20 amp construction heater style plug???

I had two 120 volt 1500 watt heaters going plug a drill and a angle grinder going. No issues.

 

[fdcg27]

Make up a pigtail with a female of the appropriate type for your heater and a male twist lock using the appropriate gauge of wire.
Cheap and easy.

 

[MolaKule]

Take a look at this:

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-2711-L14-30P-Industrial-Grounding/dp/B00002NATY

Does your socket look like this?

If so, you need a Three Pole, 4-wire plug.

 

[Donald]

I would make up a pigtail as suggested rather than try and alter the generator. You might want to use 5W30 synthetic if it was going do be run in cold weather.

I am not sure I would use a generator to power a heater and welder. Why not get some kind of propane or similar fuel heater? You will go through a lot of gas trying to run an electric heater and you can get a lot more BTUs from propane than from a 5 KW generator.

As for a welder, how large a welder? Many welders take a 50 amp circuit. My Lincoln Invertec needs a 60 or 70 amp. 50 amps is over 10 KW. So your not going to run a very big welder. A welder/generator might have been a better idea.

 

[Oldtom]

Congrats on your purchase Here are a few things that helped me out.

Run the genny under load every few months. Your idea of using electric heaters is great. I tried to start my genny before a major winter storm hit. No start. I was able to get it running but had to drive out for a sparkplug. Better to discover that before the power is out. Also, avoid my mistake and keep a spare plug

Ethanol is evil. Use ethanol free gas if possible, or a good dose of stabilizer if not.

Run the carb dry after every use and store it with a dry carb. Mine has a drain in the float bowl to get all gas out. You may have to install a fuel shutoff valve.

Any Synthetic 5w 30 should be fine. Change it according to the manual. I would think a 5w 30 would give easier starts at low temperature than a 10w 30.

Lastly, remember that free internet advice is sometimes worth what you paid for it

Good Luck

 

[FastLane]

I'm not going to run the generator with a welder and heater. One at a time. I just want a smaller welder to hobby with. I only have 120 15 amp in the garage.

 

[JimPghPA]

If you are not going to use the generator for a couple of months, when you are done using it turn off the gas and run the carb dry. Then spray the carb with WD-40. Be sure to get some in the small holes.

 

[FastLane]

The carb bowl was nasty. Full of grit and rust. I cleaned it all out now. The fuel shut off valve doesn't work. In the off position it still lets fuel through. I'll have to pick up a new one.

I haven't been able to find a owners manual for the generator online yet. Homelite doesn't list it.

 

[FastLane]

I'll test run the generator for a bit on the new 10W30 oil. I'll change it out to Mobil 1 5W30.

 

[JimPghPA]

As far as oil for generators goes, I keep GC (German Castrol) 0W-30 in both of my generators because I never know what the ambient temperature will be the next time one of them is required. The 0W provides easy pull starting in cold weather, and the 30 provides good protection when the weather is warm.

I also keep a couple of quarts of Mobil 15W-50 for use in my generators if the ambient is >90 Fahrenheit.

Since you live in Canada where the weather can be quite cold, if I were you I would be looking at (Castrol, or Mobil) 0W-30 or 0W-40, and I would keep a quart or two of Mobil 15W-50 for use when the ambient is >90 Fahrenheit.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

5w30 is ok for general use but my 5hp Briggs Colman 2500 started sounding like it had a rod knock after a week of regular use. I was running M1 5w30. I switcd to M1 TDT 5w-40 and it quieted down and it sounds much better. Something to consider.

 

[tig1]

I use M1 10-30 in my 5KW Coleman PowerMate, and my other OPE. It performs very well.