Well, i moved into a new(ish) house, 2003 model. The owners have a diesel generator, its a Lombardini. I have no idea if it runs. It has no fuel tank, so i assume i need a drum of diesel or something and a small pump.

My question is, this thing has run before, but it looks like it hasnt run in 3 years. Is this going to be a problem?

What if i dont need the generator every year? I mean, i need to run it now and again to keep it up, and i need enough fuel to power the place for a coulple days, but then again, i dont want 50 gallons of diesel sitting there staling. How do you guys get around this?

 

I'm no expert, but I remember a few years ago talking to someone who was thinking of buying a generator, and wanted a diesel one because she could hook it up to her home heating oil tank, and not have to worry about fuel for it. If you have oil heat, that may be how it's set up, or if not, something for you to look into.

 

> My question is, this thing has run before, but it looks like it hasnt run in 3 years.
> Is this going to be a problem?

Yes, one thing to be very careful about is the batteries. If they have been allowed to freeze while dead they are junk and charging them is just asking for an internal short and explosion.

If it was my diesel, I would remove the injectors (assuming you do not have a single pump over a single piston), place PB Blaster or MMO in the cyls and crank it by hand to make sure the rings are okay. Then I would flush the entire fuel system before starting the engine (depending on your design).

If you put anti-algae additive in the diesel it will last a while. Just make sure you have a good water filter on the line. As someone mentioned, if you have home heating oil you can use that too.

 

Well, i called the place that sold it, and they recomended a service guy come out and check it out. I really swayed this way because i am a DIYer, but i have no manual, don't know about diesels, and really have no idea what i have on my hands. I sort of needed someone to come out and take a look and tell me what i have and what i need. Plus, they will be in charge of getting it up and running and stuff.

I dont know if this is the best idea, but it seemed ok to me. I can fix gas engines all day long, but honestly, i dont know about diesels, and it being a new house and us moving in, fixing it is just not on the top of my list.

 

I agree, better to spend the money then destroy the engine since it can cost $2000-$4000 for the replacement.

The thing with diesels is to remember the fuel has enough pressure to blind you or inject you is there is a leak bu accident. So, if you have to bleed the system to get it started you have to use a bit of caution and common sense or you can easily hurt yourself. Though unlike gas, it is hard to start a fire by accident which is a big plus for the diesel when you have to refill it or store the fuel near the house.

One thing is make sure the transfer switch is still properly installed when the tech comes out to be sure you do not kill a line worker by mistake if the power goes out.