Portable Generator User Manual

TP-6335 9/04 Fuel System 9
Section 5 Fuel System
Explosive fuel vapors.
Can cause severe injury or death.
Use extreme care when handling,
storing, and using fuels.
WARNING
The fuel system. Explosive fuel vapors can cause severe
injury or death. Vaporized fuels are highly explosive. Use
extreme care when handling and storing fuels. Store fuels in a
well-ventilated area away from spark-producing equipment
and out of the reach of children. Never add fuel to the tank
while the engine is running because spilled fuel may ignite on
contact with hot parts or from sparks. Do not smoke or permit
flames or sparks to occur near sources of spilled fuel or fuel
vapors. Keep the fuel lines and connections tight and in good
condition. Do not replace flexible fuel lines with rigid lines. Use
flexible sections to avoid fuel line breakage caused by
vibration. Do not operate the generator set in the presence of
fuel leaks, fuel accumulation, or sparks. Repair fuel systems
before resuming generator set operation.
Draining the fuel system. Explosive fuel vapors can
cause severe injury or death. Spilled fuel can cause an
explosion. Use a container to catch fuel when draining the fuel
system. Wipe up spilled fuel after draining the system.
5.1 Gasoline
Fuel system design. Design the generator set
gasoline fuel system to operate independently of the
vehicle engine fuel system if the operator may operate
both engines simultaneously. Kohler Co. recommends
using separate fuel tanks, if possible; however, using
separate fuel tanks is usually impractical because of
space restrictions. In most installations, both engines
operate off a common tank with a separate dip-tube
arrangement as shown in Figure 5-1. The dip-tube
arrangement prevents the larger engine from starving
the smaller engine of fuel. The generator set dip tube is
generally shorter than the vehicle dip tube to stop the
generator set before the vehicle engine runs out of fuel.
With the dip-tube arrangement, the generator may not
get fuel during a low fuel-supply situation.
Tee arrangement. Do not use the tee arrangement. Do
not tee into the fuel-supply or -return line of fuel-injected
systems.
1
2
5605613
1. Fuel line to the generator set
2. Fuel line to the vehicle engine
Figure 5-1 Two Dip Tubes in Fuel Tank
Note: Supply the fuel using a two dip-tube arrangement
if the generator shares the vehicle engine fuel
tank. Consult an authorized Kohler service
distributor/dealer for further fuel system
installation information.