# Oil "IV"



## Dave Jones (Aug 11, 2017)

Envision an intravenous bag. It hangs above the patient's body and gravity feeds fluids into them.

It is in this spirit that--and this may be really stupid--I ask you to envision the "IV" bag in this case being a sealed container that holds engine oil consistent with that my generator engine uses, elevated above my air cooled portable generator. The container is filled mostly to the top with oil, the top of the container has an air hole, while at the bottom lies a sealed tube that leads into the generator's oil inlet via some sealed device that accepts the other end of my tubing, and screws into the generator's oil plug--say a 2nd oil cap I acquire from the manufacturer (Yamaha) that a drill a hole through the center of and seal up.

My theory here is that as the air (i.e. oil) cooled generator burns off oil during long runs, its oil level is tipped off automatically via the aforementioned engine oil source.

I thought of this because I've been told of the importance of checking the oil level as frequently as each time the generator is used.

FWIW my generator DOES have a low oil light and will ground the magneto, stopping the generator, upon said low oil occurrence.

This generator sits in an outside vented structure to my home, and is rigged to autostart/stop, to energize some of my homes basics, when utility power goes out.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

IMHO it will overfill the engine with oil without a float switch to open and close to maintain a particular level. I'm not aware that there are float switches/valves to maintain oil level in gensets. That issue is addressed with low oil cut off switches which monitor oil level and shut off the engine when oil level recedes. I could continue, but essentially, you're trying to fix a non problem. Check the oil periodically, change when recommended, and if it shuts down, check and top off oil.


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## RonJ (Aug 5, 2015)

The practicality in medicine is well established; I foresee a flood somewhere, if not now, downstream.Ron


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## Dave Jones (Aug 11, 2017)

I'm sorry RonJ. I think you may have made a metaphor, and if you did, it went "over my head."

Thanks though for your input, as well as the prior member's as well.


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## Handyhiker (Sep 29, 2016)

This has been done on standby generators. It is not as simple as you have it. It does take a float switch and requires some piping. I believe there is also an electric shut off valve used so it can't add oil when the generator is not running. From what I have read, they are a great idea but just don't work that well.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Going back to the 50-60's era, something similar was done on large propane driven farm tractors that were used to dry grain. Not only did they top off the oil, they changed it while running. These machines had to run non stop for weeks. Not a particularly good idea, but all they had at the time I guess.


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