# Onan DEH 30



## turbo15479 (Jan 1, 2015)

I bought an Onan DEH 30 diesel generator from a municipality. It is an old unit built I think around 1974 but only had 113.5 hours on it when I purchased it a few weeks ago. It has the English Ford diesel engine. Anyway i changed the radiator hoses, oil, belt, and made sure the MiniMec injection pump had oil in it and fired it up. I started it in its original 3 phase configuration and it worked except for one sometimes problem. If I shut it down an restart it 6 times one time the volt meter will show zero volts but if I trip and reset the exciter breaker it immediately makes electric. I went ahead and changed the 12 leads around and converted it to single phase which will knock it down to 20 kw which is still enough to run my house. It now makes 240 volt single phase but the sometimes problem is still there. I should add this generator was out of service for 7 years before I bought it but was stored in a heated garage. It now has 114.7 hours on it. I should also add when it does make electric it is not a slow build up but immediate. I want to install this with an Asco 185 automatic transfer switch but if it would automatic start and not make electric that would not help. If anyone has any ideas or knows anything about these old units I would like to hear what you have to say. I thought about it too late but when i had it outside I should have shut it down and installed a temporary jumper between the terminals on the exciter breaker to see if it worked and cross out the breaker as a possible problem. I have it back in my basement and it is not easy to get it outside and back in again. My plan was to get all the wire, transfer switch, etc together and do the installation in the Spring as I will need to build and enclosure and pour a cement pad but if I cannot figure out this problem I am stuck.


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