Portable generator???

[heyttown]

I have a coleman powermate 6250 generator, that runs off of a briggs and Stratton 10hp OHV motor.... The generator runs great, starts always on first pull..I found out this weekend the emergency oil shutoff works as either it got tampered with or vibrated the oil fill plug out and shot 1/2qt oil all over the place.. My only complaint is how loud it is...
We built a stand pipe to connect to the side exhaust to exhaust the fumes upwards away from campers and such.. That cut down on the noise a little bit but not enough for me I tried using some boards to box around the generator leaving 1' gap around the entire thing,I thought would be plenty of free air. Well that night we did that she ate the gas..went thru 5 gallons in 5 or 6 hrs.. as a comparison the next night we took the boards down and just dealt with the noise, and the generator ran for 13hrs running the a/c, fridge, and whatever else we needed to use in a 39ft trailer...so fuel consumption went back to normal without the boards to deflect the noise..

Im looking for a way to make this thing not so loud...I understand I wont be able to get it quite like the honda generators that run under 60db when running, but Im looking for some suggestions on making me and my neighbors camping happier. Any ideas, Ive tossed around the idea of some kind of car muffler or im willing to try anything I suppose, but I know I cant just build a box around the generator,with the big fuel hog she turned into.

How do Hondas, and I believe now yamaha makes generators that constantly run around the 60db range?

 

[rbh]

Re: Portable generator???

Your cheapest choice would be to dig a generator pit.
Just deep enough so you can not see the top + a foot, you will get your air flow if you slightly taper the end walls.
With the generator buried in the trench, the walls should absorb and or bounce the sound waves up towards the sky.

 

[Thad]

Re: Portable generator???

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you were at Michigan last weekend

It was me, I did it, leaving that loud thing run all night...what were you thinking.

I'm joking. It was the other guy.

But really, I have seen where people have taken small lawn tactor mufflers and attatched them to the exhaust and then run the pipe up. The pipe is not so much for noise control but more for fumes. All of those generators running and the fumes get pretty heavy.

And then there are the generators that no matter what you do they are loud as heck. My first one was, our first trip, there were two neighbors that ran xtension cords over to us and begged us not to turn it on again.:redface: When we got home I gave it away and bought a Honda.

 

[heyttown]

Re: Portable generator???

Yeah, we do the MIS trip every year..I think next season we will june and august races.. The generator pit isnt an option as the site isnt ours and its basically only for 5 days on that site.. I spoke to a few people that had the honda generators and I would need 2 of the 2000 series and plus a link kit to be able to run the AC...but those sure are nice. Im thinking I have one of those generators that are just LOUD as can be. The one guy a spoke to said he paid 700 a piece for his 2000 series honda gens, but looking online I cant find them anywhere near 700, closer to 1000, then add the link kit...big $$$

Im not ready to give up on this generator just yet....

 

[bassman284]

Re: Portable generator???

Yeah, those B & S units are brutal at a campsite. I think you could take the muffler completely off a Honda and it would still be quieter.

I doubt there is a whole lot you can do. They are just a loud engine.

 

[Thad]

Re: Portable generator???

Look at the Honda 4000. They are cheaper than buying two of the 2000's plus the connector. But still more expensive than trying the muffler deal. We used to go to MIS every August and then leave Monday for Bristol. We quit going three years ago. Don't miss it a bit. Well, I miss the PARTY! Not so much the race.

 

[gss036]

Re: Portable generator???

I have seen people run the exhaust into a bucket of water and that helps quieten it down. I am glad I put out the $$$$ and bought my HONDA.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Portable generator???

Anyone want to explain the fuel issue when he boxed it in?

 

[HopeSheFloats]

Re: Portable generator???

Anyone want to explain the fuel issue when he boxed it in?

Well, I have some tools and have spent the night at a Holiday Inn, but I'm far from what anyone would call a mechanic...But my seat of the pants guess would be the air/fuel mixture..not enough fresh air, and using the hot exhaust air, in my mind would answer that...but then again my mind is always running on hot air :redface:

 

[rbh]

Re: Portable generator???

Anyone want to explain the fuel issue when he boxed it in?

If I had to guess, it would be two things.
first, overheating,
the second exhaust gas making the engine stumble underload so the govener picks up the speed, thus running rich.
just a guess.

Kenny beat me to it UGGggg

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Portable generator???

I have a coleman powermate 6250 generator, that runs off of a briggs and Stratton 10hp OHV motor.... The generator runs great, starts always on first pull..I found out this weekend the emergency oil shutoff works as either it got tampered with or vibrated the oil fill plug out and shot 1/2qt oil all over the place.. My only complaint is how loud it is...
We built a stand pipe to connect to the side exhaust to exhaust the fumes upwards away from campers and such.. That cut down on the noise a little bit but not enough for me I tried using some boards to box around the generator leaving 1' gap around the entire thing,I thought would be plenty of free air. Well that night we did that she ate the gas..went thru 5 gallons in 5 or 6 hrs.. as a comparison the next night we took the boards down and just dealt with the noise, and the generator ran for 13hrs running the a/c, fridge, and whatever else we needed to use in a 39ft trailer...so fuel consumption went back to normal without the boards to deflect the noise..

Im looking for a way to make this thing not so loud...I understand I wont be able to get it quite like the honda generators that run under 60db when running, but Im looking for some suggestions on making me and my neighbors camping happier. Any ideas, Ive tossed around the idea of some kind of car muffler or im willing to try anything I suppose, but I know I cant just build a box around the generator,with the big fuel hog she turned into.

How do Hondas, and I believe now yamaha makes generators that constantly run around the 60db range?

They run at half the speed. My father's Onan genset runs at 1800 rpm, our Devilbiss 10hp generator runs at 3600. You can have a conversation while sitting on top the Onan, you can't yell loud enough around the Devilbiss.

 

[floatingwoody2006]

Re: Portable generator???

Ok..Block out a weekend, sit down and read this...

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/15131645/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Portable generator???

OP, Tried a coffee can full of coarse steel wool shoved over the exhaust?