Lazy Daze Owners' Group

Onan muffler

February 11, 2008, 04:58:20 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 89344

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Well after reading reports on broken mufflers and being in denial (that would never happen to me) it broke off the tailpipe right at the muffler. I called Onan and they gave me a name of an authorized repair shop in Simi Valley (where I live). They are the same shop that is an authorized Volvo repair shop that my wife uses. After a couple of hours there it they finally found the right muffler but of course it's not in stock. So it is on order and I will be waiting.
 While there I asked about various generator maintenance and the owner asked if I ever 'drained' the muffler. What? Well there is a plug on the bottom of the muffler (looks like an oil drain plug) and it should be removed at the end of a trip to drain moisture out. Did anyone else know this? This plug is also used to clean out the spark arrestor which should be done every 50 hours or so, Anyone else know about this?

I will give a full report once the work is completed if done to my satisfaction and enter the shop name in the database.

Jerry
2000 30IB

Re: Cracked Onan muffler

Reply #2 – February 12, 2008, 03:59:10 am

Yahoo Message Number: 89367

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Hi Jerry,

My 2001 26RB with an Onan Emerarld Plus Genset developed a fatigue crack around the bottom half of the tailpipe port on the muffler and was was leaking exhaust gas through it.  I got a new Onan replacement muffler through an authorized Onan dealer (Metro RV in Burbank, CA) and the cost was about $170 and it was shipped overnight for another $70.  They did not give me any options on the shipping and I certainly did not need it overnight air express.  I think the total came to $243 including tax.  I replaced it myself and it was fairly simple except to get the tailpipe separated from the muffler port stub.
 The Emerald Plus is a bad design as if the tailpile comes out on the forward side of the muffler and if it gets hit, it bends and tweaks the tailpipe connection.  The original muffler appeared to have no reinforcement around the port while the replacement muffler was beefed up around the port.
 My muffler was cracked around the bottom half of the port indicating that the failure was caused by up and down flexing rather than by side to side flexing caused by an impact on the tail pipe.  My genset had only 50 hours on it when I replaced it.  Almost all of the run time was for the monthly maintenance.

I observe that the Genset moves around on its flexible mountings while running and especially when the genset is started or stopped.
The tailpipe is restrained by a bracket that is rather stiffly attached to the coach body and this constant flexing leads to the fatigue failure crack on the muffler.  I removed the bolt holding the two halves of the bracket, put a couple of folds of a piece of bicycle rubber innertube between the two metal pieces, and reattached them with a loop of 12 gauge solid copper wire.  Now the Genset and tailpipe can move back and forth as a unit without the end of the tailpipe being fixed.  I frequently check the tailpipe to be sure that it is tight and is not in contact with the fiberglass fender as the hot tailpipe could damage the fiberglass or be a fire hazard if they were in contact.

In 2002, I think, Lazy Daze switched to the Onan MicroQuiet GenSet which is a better design.  The tailpipe exits the muffler on the bottom so if the tailpipe gets hit, it simply rotates the tailpipe on the port stub rather than tweaking the muffler.  I believe on the MicroQuiet that the tailpipe is attached to the GenSet "Sled" rather than to the coach body so the GenSet and the tailpipe move as a unit.

Once I got the muffler replaced, then I could not get the GenSet to run until I replaced the fuel line from the main fuel tank to the Generator.  The two problems are not related.  The fuel line replacement is detailed in the article "GeneratorFuelLine.pdf" in the Files section on the "Techsnoz" website.  You can get to "Techsnoz" through the "Links" on this site.  I replaced the fuel line without dropping the fuel tank and the cost of materials was only about $50.

Happy trails,

Terry Tanner

Your fav places in Anza-Borrego

Reply #4 – February 12, 2008, 10:32:32 am

Yahoo Message Number: 89372

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We thought we might like to spend 2/3 days in Anza-Borrego before getting to San Diego. The few pictures we have seen looked good for Jeep touring.
 Our maps show the boundaries of Anza-Borrego, but with no designated camping areas. Is this a park where you please place? Is it all state or is some of it BLM?

We are interested in dry camping, just the horizon.
 You can reply direct to  if you like.

Thanks

Home is where you roam Don & Dorothy, new to the cult Koko & Pelli