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BURPING
One of my least favorite jobs that requires patience is changing coolant on my Liberty installed generator(s). I just completed the coolant change and thought I would explain the procedure as I do it.
CHANGING COOLANT ON A LIBERTY GENERATOR
Over the last 33 years of Prevost and Liberty ownership I have changed the generator coolant a number of times. While it is not the easiest job it is not complicated or especially technical. This applies to any Liberty conversion that has the generator in a sound box in the water bay and the coolant radiator adjacent to the electrical bay, both on the driver’s side.
Draining the generator coolant is accomplished by means of removal of two caps on the piping running along the bus bottom from the radiator to the generator. Always drain the system completely and always measure how much was drained. Measuring is important because you need to refill the same amount.
Once drained, replace the drain caps, and remove the radiator caps from the generator engine and the top of the remote radiator. Remove and drain the plastic expansion tank. It should slide up and off the mounting bracket. I fill it and recap it.
My current coach has a 3 gallon generator cooling system capacity. I premix 3 gallons and slowly add some to the generator. It will take very little at that fill point so just get it to take what you can get in the generator and when it is full, recap the generator. The radiator cap opening is higher than the generator so using a funnel and a length of hose insert the hose into the radiator and slowly add coolant. I put a pan under the radiator to catch over flow. I do this because it is impossible to see when the radiator is full. At that point my 3 gallon system had about 2 gallons in it when coolant was at the level of both caps which should now be closed.
The problem likely is the generator thermostat is closed and there is likely a lot of air space in the cooling system. To get the thermostat to open and purge the air pocket I start the generator, get it to come up to temperature and shut it down. Then I go do something else until it cools. When it cools it draws coolant from the plastic expansion tank, which I refill. Repeat the start and warm up, Repeat the refill after cool down.
I have gone through 4 heat up/cool down cycles and my generator is almost completely full of coolant. It has enough to allow full use of the generator with a couple more expansion tank refills likely required.
If some one not familiar with replacing coolant in the generator fills both the engine and radiator and assumes the two are filled the system is likely only about 2/3 full so make certain the air trapped has been purged and the cooling system is indeed full.
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6 Replies
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Jon:
Not sure how much difference the generator arrangement on my Featherlite is, but when I drain and fill I leave the cap off, start the gen, as it warms up the thermostat opens and I add the additional coolant with the engine running. Once topped off I fill the expansion tank to the full line. Put the radiator cap back on, shut the engine down and let it cool. Expansion tank takes care of any remaining shortage of fluid in one cool down because I have fill the system with the engine running and cap off once the thermostat opens.
Chuck
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Jon, I replaced my Gen Radiator coolant before the January trip to Quartzsite and mine responded like Chucks. As long as the reservoir is maintained on the full level I am good to go. I double checked it once we got back from Quartzsite by removing the radiator cap and it was right at the top, overflow tank was also at the Full Line. Easy Peasy for me anyway.
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I was specific about my procedure being for a Liberty which has the radiator cap quite a bit higher than the generator coolant cap. Other conversions likely have the relative levels different than Liberty so what I have to do is likely not the same.
Clint & Tammy Summers
2000 XL 45 Country Coach (rivets)
1977 FC31 Bluebird Wanderlodge (more rivets)
Vonore TN -
Mine is like Jon’s. I use a little pressure to remove the air.
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Chuck, my Generator coolant setup works just like a 4 cylinder automobile.
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Don’s method sounds like a good one. It would not be much of a big deal to make minor changes to the plumbing between the radiator and the generator to add ball valves instead of the removable caps, and using a small pump push the coolant back through the valves under pressure to refill.
Since I have no gainful employment the 20 minutes or so I use to heat up the generator, shut it down, and let it cool so it sucks coolant from the small reservoir tank I’m OK with my procedure, but Don’s would be a real time saver.
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