Lowering Onan BGE Series Emerald Plus Generators in your B/F

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whemme
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Lowering Onan BGE Series Emerald Plus Generators in your B/F

Post by whemme »

For those that want to replace the air filter and/or spark plugs in their Onan Emerald Plus generators, you will need to drop down (lower) the generator to provide the proper access to do those replacements. A floor jack will be necessary to do this. A bottle jack will not permit lowering the generator enough. Refer to Floor Jack Photo below for a typical example of a floor jack.

The front spark plug can be replaced without lowering the generator but not the rear spark plug. Also, it is possible (but difficult) to replace the air filter without lowering the generator but generally you will need to lower the generator so that you can reconnect the warm air supply hose to the rear of the air filter box that will become disconnected when you remove that box to replace the air filter element.

The generator sits in a cradle that is hinged in the rear. The generator can be lowered by tilting it downward after the removal of two 1/2" bolts from a front support bracket.

Follow these steps in order to lower the generator:

1) Place a floor jack under the bottom and front edge of the generator cradle as shown in Photo #2. Pump the jack up to the bottom of the generator cradle just enough to support the weight of the generator and no more. Do not lift the generator any above its present position.
2) Then remove the two 1/2 bolts and washers shown in Photo #1
3) Then lift the generator with the jack just enough to unhook the hook on the bottom of the generator support bracket as shown in Photo #3. You may have to pull the bottom of the bracket towards yourself somewhat to keep the hook on the bracket out of the slot in the cradle when you lower the jack.
4) Then very slowly lower the jack so that the front of the generator will tilt downward. Be careful here not to let the generator down far enough to put strain on the electrical cable shown in Photo #4. If you let it down too far and break this cable, you will then have a really big problem!
5) With the generator lowered just enough make this electrical cable just slightly taut, you should now be able to easily remove the 7/16" bolt holding the air filter box onto the generator as shown in Photo #5 and Photo #6.
6) With the new air filter installed and the air filter box re-attached to the generator, you should be able to reach in back of the generator to properly re-attach the warm air supply hose to the round hole on the back side of the plastic air filter box as shown in Photo #7.
7) If for some reason you are unable to lower the generator enough to access this warm air supply hose, then it may be necessary to disconnect the electrical cable at the electric cable connector junction shown in the lower part of Photo #4. Disconnecting this cable at this interface will allow you to lower the generator further.
8] When finished, re-assemble the system in reverse order.
9) Lowering the generator in this manner will allow working room to replace the air filter element and the replacement of the back side spark plug.

On my generator's filter, there was an additional 1/8" thick yellow foam filter element stretched over the filter itself. Remove that element from the old filter, wash it in water with detergent, then rinse it in clean water, and then re-install it on the new filter.
Attachments
Example of a typical floor jack
Example of a typical floor jack
Floor Jack Photo.jpg (9.51 KiB) Viewed 8864 times
Shows the warm air supply hose connected to the round hole on the rear of the plastic air filter box.
Shows the warm air supply hose connected to the round hole on the rear of the plastic air filter box.
Photo #7.jpg (31.29 KiB) Viewed 8898 times
View showing 7/16" hex bolt that must be removed to replace air filter. This is a view of the air filter box after removal from generator itself.
View showing 7/16" hex bolt that must be removed to replace air filter. This is a view of the air filter box after removal from generator itself.
Photo #6.jpg (29.39 KiB) Viewed 8898 times
View of air filter box mounted to the upper right side of Onan generator.
View of air filter box mounted to the upper right side of Onan generator.
Photo #5.jpg (36.2 KiB) Viewed 8898 times
Shows the electrical cable that must not be damaged by lowering the generator too far.
Shows the electrical cable that must not be damaged by lowering the generator too far.
Photo #4.jpg (29.99 KiB) Viewed 8898 times
Shows the hook on the bottom of the generator support bracket that must be unhooked by jacking the generator somewhat higher after the removal of the two 1/2" bolts.
Shows the hook on the bottom of the generator support bracket that must be unhooked by jacking the generator somewhat higher after the removal of the two 1/2" bolts.
Photo #3.jpg (33.01 KiB) Viewed 8898 times
Shows were to place a floor jack under the front edge of the bottom cradle for the generator.
Shows were to place a floor jack under the front edge of the bottom cradle for the generator.
Photo #2.jpg (33.94 KiB) Viewed 8898 times
Shows the two 1/2" bolts and washers that must be removed to lower the generator. However be sure to have floor jack under generator supporting its weight before removing these bolts.
Shows the two 1/2" bolts and washers that must be removed to lower the generator. However be sure to have floor jack under generator supporting its weight before removing these bolts.
Photo #1.jpg (37.15 KiB) Viewed 8898 times
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad

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