[AT] Winco generator question

[David Rotigel]

Hi Howard,
	The problem is much worse that any of those who have responded to this point have indicated. Just as electric motors run on smoke, generators run on yellow. The "yellowish flash" that you saw was the yellow escaping from your generator. Without the yellow your generator will NEVER again generate! Once out, the yellow is very difficult to put back in a generator--GOOD LUCK!
	Dave

On Jan 22, 2014, at 5:24 PM, Howard Fleming <hfleming at moosebird.net> wrote:

> Hi Ken,
> 
> It does.  Thanks!
> 
> Guess I will be tearing it down as soon as the temps here get above 
> freezing (later this week I hope).
> 
> If that does not work, time to buy another one.
> 
> Howard
> 
> 
> On 01/22/2014 11:02 AM, Ken Knierim wrote:
>> Howard,
>>     Thanks for the link... lots of information in there. Still need to see
>> whether they have one for my exact model (a 13kw unit with a Wards label).
>> As far as a rectifier, mine came with 4 individual aluminum clad diodes
>> that were clamped down (kinda rickety but worked I guess) and I replaced
>> them with a single bridge rectifier. Since DC needs to go to the field from
>> the rectifier, it wasn't hard to take my old battery charger and make sure
>> the field had been flashed.
>> 
>> Hope this helps.
>> 
>> Ken in AZ
>> 
>> 
>> On Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 8:02 AM, Howard Fleming <hfleming at moosebird.net>wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Ken,
>>> 
>>> I am hoping it is the rectifier, I just have not been able to find where
>>> they put it (so far).  Looks like I am going to have to pull it apart
>>> for a better look.  May need to flash it also?  Still learning as I go.
>>> 
>>> If your generator was built by Winco, you might be able to find a manual
>>> for it (if you do not already have one) at:
>>> 
>>> http://www.wincogen.com/Winpower_Downloads/
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> Howard
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 01/20/2014 06:35 PM, Ken Knierim wrote:
>>>> I've got a Wards that I think was built by Winco. It's developed an
>>>> affinity for nuking the rectifier section... granted I'm probably not
>>> using
>>>> the right part but overreving will give them some extra zap. At any rate,
>>>> I've been using a 4 amp 600 volt bridge rectifier I cobbed out of a PC
>>>> power supply. I know its underpowered (probably voltage when it spikes)
>>> as
>>>> this is a 240 V output that it rectifies to feed into the field (which is
>>>> DC). When it goes out, the unit does nothing. No voltage or anything. If
>>>> you have voltage showing on the readout, the problem isn't the rectifier
>>>> but probably in the breakers or wiring. I'm still learning generators so
>>> my
>>>> knowledge kinda stops here though.
>>>> 
>>>> Ken in AZ
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On Mon, Jan 20, 2014 at 3:53 PM, Howard Fleming <hfleming at moosebird.net
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Since some of you on this list work on generators, I need some help with
>>>>> a Winco PTO generator that I have.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I was setting it up for use last week (power was out again).  The unit
>>>>> was turning, but not at 540 rpms, and was not hooked up to the transfer
>>>>> switch yet.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I got a yellowish flash out of the front of the unit, the tractor when
>>>>> under load briefly, and then no output.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I have checked the brushes (all appear good), and checked the field
>>>>> coils (~ 14 ohms with the coils in series (disconnected), and was not
>>>>> grounded to the case that I could tell.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Anything else I should look at, is it worth spending any money on the
>>>>> unit to have a local shop look at it, or should I just purchase a
>>>>> replacement unit?  The generator was built in 1962.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Pictures of the generator are at
>>>>> http://www.moosebird.net/generator/index.html
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thanks for any help or suggestions.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Howard