# tri fuel



## bradcrerar (Jan 11, 2013)

I have a generac generator xp8000e I converted to tri fuel. They had to drill out the carb for clearance reasons. Right now I am running it on propane and to get it to run smooth, I have to adjust it to 4600 rpms. I understand the optimun rpm is 3600. when I tri to run it at 3600 it sputters and backfires. I am worried at 4600 the engine will be running too hot. I have never had a generator before but I noticed the exhaust got a little red after 5 minutes. I have a leaf blower that gets hot but that is normal for that. Is what I'm seeing normal? Am I running the risk of it burning up at 4600?


----------



## KRE (Nov 29, 2011)

At 4600 you run the risk of throwing the copper off the rotor. No the exhaust should not be red hot. You either have a lean mix or the timing is way off. Most 3600rpm units that are duel or tri fuel have a timing wire that has to be either plugged or UN-plugged depending fuel being supplied. 

Your voltage should be out of sight, unless you have already trashed it. 

Also with the freq that high do not run anything that has a motor or voltage/freq timing circuits.


----------



## bradcrerar (Jan 11, 2013)

How do I find the regulator wire? The manufacturer doesn't reccomend the conversion so they aren't,t about to help me now. The adjustment on the regulator adjusts the rich/lean but the carb sputters an backfires when I lean it in and hit the 3600rpm. She will run real smooth as o adjust it rich but the RPGs are too high


----------



## KRE (Nov 29, 2011)

Fuel mixture adjustment, has nothing to do with the governor adjustment. At this point I'd suggest you take it to someone who knows what they are doing, and has the correct tools to properly repair it. 
All 3600rpm units are designed and sold based on price point, and to meet that point, only. To meet that every item is designed to work hand in hand in a very narrow spectrum. You have changed everything by modifying the fuel system. Can it be made to work, yes it can, only if you completely understand how everything you change effects the rest of the system, and what you need to do to make it all work together. 

Plug and play does not extend to a new fuel system, on a 3600 rpm engine no matter who made it. To do it correctly you have to know all the system perimeters and what X modification/adjustment does to Y. 
Most of the time it's far cheaper to sell and replace with what you want, unless you have the technical ability.


----------



## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

bradcrerar said:


> The adjustment on the regulator adjusts the rich/lean but the carb sputters an backfires when I lean it in and hit the 3600rpm. She will run real smooth as o adjust it rich but the RPGs are too high


That sounds more like a problem with the governor.

You're leaning it out at the load block to slow it down. This is WRONG. The governor should be closing the throttle to slow it down.

Try this. Adjust the mixture so it runs good THEN move the throttle lever to slow the engine down to 3600 rpms. You'll have to find someplace on the linkage to do this and hold it yourself. How does it run then?

Ironically, there shouldn't have needed to be any adjustments made to the governor as gas or propane, the RPM's stay the same.


----------

