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Old 10-19-2017, 07:44 PM   #1
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Onan 5500 Generator brushes melting housing...

I have an Onan 5500 gold on my toy hauler and i replaced the brushes and now they’re melting the housing.. how do i fix this.... what’s wrong???

Can someone out there help me with this issue?
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Old 10-20-2017, 09:05 AM   #2
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Was the genset working before you changed the brushes.

We really need pics to see what you did wrong. Bummer
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Old 10-20-2017, 09:08 AM   #3
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Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Sorry but I don't know anything about generators. Keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!
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Old 10-20-2017, 09:11 AM   #4
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Sounds like the brushes are not "seating" correctly. This causes the brushes to overheat. To seat them, you have to use a special compound stick. It is slightly abrasive and shapes the brushes.
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Old 10-20-2017, 01:37 PM   #5
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When you replaced the brushes, 1. did you remove the copper jumper from the brush block?
2. Did you clean the stator with something like scotch brite pad? If not they’re could be buildup on the stator and arcing caused by the bad connection.
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Old 10-20-2017, 03:27 PM   #6
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Yes it was, and it runs great until you put a load on it like the ac.
I know that theyre not seating properly. It’s the lower brush that over heats or arcs/melts to the housing. I found a post on this site where he had the same issue but never found the fix so im trying to reach out to him.
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Old 10-20-2017, 03:28 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by hivoltage98 View Post
When you replaced the brushes, 1. did you remove the copper jumper from the brush block?
2. Did you clean the stator with something like scotch brite pad? If not they’re could be buildup on the stator and arcing caused by the bad connection.
Yes i cleaned the slip rings and brush blocks
I thought it would be an easy swap out but its causing me a lot of trouble now.��
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Old 10-20-2017, 03:38 PM   #8
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Yes i cleaned the slip rings and brush blocks
I thought it would be an easy swap out but its causing me a lot of trouble now.��


Where did you get brushes from?
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Old 10-20-2017, 03:52 PM   #9
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Worked on many onans and never seen that problem . You could try slipping some fine emery cloth between the armature and brush , then moving it back an forth to get the brush to follow the curvature of the armature. Run the generator under a light load at first to get the brush to seat.
Did you replace the springs with the brushes ? Could be just a weak spring especially if its the bottom brush.
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Old 10-20-2017, 04:03 PM   #10
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Where did you get brushes from?
Onan OEM replacement
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Old 10-20-2017, 04:27 PM   #11
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Worked on many onans and never seen that problem . You could try slipping some fine emery cloth between the armature and brush , then moving it back an forth to get the brush to follow the curvature of the armature. Run the generator under a light load at first to get the brush to seat.
Did you replace the springs with the brushes ? Could be just a weak spring especially if its the bottom brush.
Could there be a problem with the rotor? Once i install the brushes how do i make sure that the brushes are making good contact with the slip rings. Installing the brushes should just be an easy swap/replace pretty fool proof right?
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Old 10-20-2017, 05:07 PM   #12
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Couple of questions that I don’t think anyone has asked yet:

1). How old is the generator?
2). Approximately how much run time on the generator? Do you use it all the time every time out and it runs 24 hrs/day?
3). Why did you change them in the first place?
4). Is this the first time brush replacement for this generator? Or is the 3rd or 4th change or more for example?

Rob
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Old 10-20-2017, 05:44 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Dutchmen2011 View Post
Couple of questions that I don’t think anyone has asked yet:

1). How old is the generator?
2). Approximately how much run time on the generator? Do you use it all the time every time out and it runs 24 hrs/day?
3). Why did you change them in the first place?
4). Is this the first time brush replacement for this generator? Or is the 3rd or 4th change or more for example?

Rob
The generator is around 10-11 yrs old it gets occasional use on trips and try to run it monthly for maintainance. It has 713. HRs on it
I did all the maintance when i had bought the trailer (used) the generator was running great no problems. Changed the oil, and filter, Air cleaner, and decided to change the brushes while i was doing maintance. And after the brushes i had the issue
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Old 10-20-2017, 06:02 PM   #14
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Could there be a problem with the rotor? Once i install the brushes how do i make sure that the brushes are making good contact with the slip rings. Installing the brushes should just be an easy swap/replace pretty fool proof right?
A brush swap should be quick and easy . The only other thing is the brush holder is not aligned properly , or you got the wrong brushes. Check to see if the brushes are running in the center of the slip rings. There may have been a plastic shim between the holder and end cap that fell out if you had the holder out. Could possibly be a short in the armature.
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