Clipper, Power Tech SW, PTS CD7000

[masseyfarm]

The Clipper was equipped with a PTS CD7000 diesel generator. This is a Kuboto 3 CYL diesel engine of the "05" family.


This generator is not specifically listed on the Power Techs site today, but parts for it are listed if you search for CD7000 parts.
PowerTech Generators

There is some question about which model engine may be installed in the Clippers, as the 905 is generally found on the 6 or 6.5 KW models

I have not been close enough to mine to determine for a fact it is a 1105 model, but the Clipper Generator are rated at 7000KW and may well be the larger model. (I will update this when I can confirm but today I just want to detail some information for those with this unit.)

On the Clipper, these generators were OEM installed with no guages, but had fail-safe sensors to shut the engine down for overheating or low oil pressure.

The generator is rated at 7KW, 120V/58A and 240V 29A, and also produces 6A of 12V for battery charging. This is not a lot of 12V charging power, so if you are in need of battery charge, try to combine it with other use (microwave/air conditioning) for efficiency.

For some technical information on the Kuboto you can go to this site.
http://kubota.com.au/products/detail.asp?ca_id=8&pd_id=10&mo_id=D905

On my Clipper, I have installed a good supply of solar power generation, and as long as the sun shines, very little diesel generation is necessary.

I also carry, and use when the sun doesn't shine, an exhaust extension to lift the exhaust gas and sound above the sitting area outdoors.

This system has worked flawlessly for me so far, and with proper maintenance should last for many more years.

Dave

[masseyfarm]

One of the problems with this site, is you can not edit your posts after a very short time.

After a good nights sleep, I see I have misspelled the engine brand name KUBOTA .

Here is also a good resource for general electrical information. Page 167 and 168 deal with various generators including the PTS CD7000.

Rv Electrical Systems: A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting, Repair, and Improvement - Bill Moeller, Jan Moeller - Google Books

One of the things that everyone will tell you is to actually use your generator on a regular basis. I use mine in combination with the two Penquin Air Conditioners to give the genset a good workout and to keep the AC and the ac system in good working order. A 4-5 minute workout will be sufficient. (your body requires a bit longer )

Some sample pictures of the PTS CD7000 below.




The new ones are like this.


Dave

[masseyfarm]

The operators manual is available on the Power Tech site under the CD 7-8 column. It contains all the trouble shooting information you might need.
I have now printed that document for my records as it was not included with my original documentation with the Clipper.

http://powertech-gen.com/wp-content/...ORS-MANUAL.pdf

Dave

[masseyfarm]

The PowerTech CD7000 unit on the Clipper is pre electronic and should give many years of dependable service.

One drawback is,-- if you are trying to start the unit on a below freezing cold morning, the fuel prime and preheat is only available from the main control located in the generator bay. Hold the rocker switch for about 5 sec., release, and hold again for 5 seconds before trying to start the unit. If the Kubota does not start right away, repeat the above.

The OEM Clipper is set up to draw from the chassis batteries for starting power and the genset recharges the chassis batteries with 6 AMP output right from the genset while the house batteries are charged from the HEART inverter/charger.

Don't forget to exercise you genset at least every couple months. I did mine today.




http://powertech-gen.com/wp-content/...ORS-MANUAL.pdf

http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Dis...ner_manual.pdf

Dave

[masseyfarm]

Previously posted, I ran the PTS CD7000 for the most part of an hour to clear out the cobwebs.

Once the unit was warmed up I noticed a rattle in the forward area that seemed to get worse the longer it ran.(this would probably not be noticed with the bay door closed)

I spent some time determining that it was from the fan area rather than the water pump that I first suspected.

Weather was good today, so I got my tools out and started taking things apart.

The fan on these units are a cage style and rather difficult to access.

By loosening the rad from the fan cage, I was not really able to see any problem.

I fired the genset and when I pulled the rad back into position the fan contacted the metal shroud.

On re-assembly I found the simple solution was to tighten the rad/fan cage housing while holding the rad as far forward as the adjustment would allow.

This small adjustment is located on the top of the side mounted brace.

You can see the old paint mark on that bolt mount in the picture.

The other pictures show some of the additional storage within that bay.

Dave

[AdamB]

Airstream used the same diesel generator (as an option) on my 1996 Cutter Pusher. It only had 170 hours on it when I bought the Cutter almost 2 years ago. This means that the previous owner only used it for an average of 10 minutes per month! There was a lot of crud in the fuel lines and I went through 3 fuel filters before it would stay on without stalling. I also changed the air filter, oil filter and the oil and I carry a spare fan belt and a few extra fuel filters. Now it starts right up, runs smoothly and has really saved us by providing lots of A/C as we travel extensively on I-5 throughout California in the hot summers. I've put over sixty hours on it since I've owned it. Be sure to keep more than 1/4 tank of diesel as the generator will not run. On the '32 Cutter pusher, the generator is located street-side, right behind the front wheel. In the picture here, you can see how the diesel generator motor cover rubs against the compartment door. I took this picture at my local radiator shop last summer. Apparently, the overflow hose fitting on the filler neck was also rubbing against this door and it fell off. The radiator repair man put on a new filler neck and relocated the overflow hose fitting so it no longer rubs.

[JourneytoRet]

Here's a newbie observation/question: it sounds like the coach a/c units will not run if the gen is off - is that right?

[masseyfarm]

That is correct. You have dash air that is chassis powered and should work good on the highway.

The configuration, gen set, etc, is different after the 1996 models.

Dave

[

[masseyfarm]

I finally have found it necessary to dig deeper into my genset compartment and I can confirm that the Kubota engine on the PTS CD7000 unit supplied for the CLIPPER is a 905-E series.

The later/current CD8000 series uses the 1105 Kubota and the larger rad.

We are pushing the limits of the boondocking lifestyle at the moment as we are on the road and have had to pull the CD7000 out for repairs. (details to follow on a successful reinstall)

The CD7000 weighs over 400# so removal is not a one man operation but with help can be removed to gain access for parts repair.

For future reference I will link this page as it contains some useful information you need to troubleshoot your problems.

Finding the Correct Replacement Parts for Your CD Model Generator | Power Technology Southeast Inc


Thanks to Jimmy Spears @ PTS in Florida for help in sourcing replacement parts in Canada and other useful tips.

Contact | Power Technology Southeast Inc

More to come.

Dave

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

The Clipper was equipped with a PTS CD7000 diesel generator. This is a Kuboto 3 CYL diesel engine of the "05" family.


PowerTech Generators

There is some question about which model engine may be installed in the Clippers, as the 905 is generally found on the 6 or 6.5 KW models

I have not been close enough to mine to determine for a fact it is a 1105 model, but the Clipper Generator are rated at 7000KW and may well be the larger model. (I will update this when I can confirm but today I just want to detail some information for those with this unit.)







Dave

[masseyfarm]

If we try hard enough it is sometimes possible to turn a negative experience into a more positive feeling.

Removal of the PTS CD7000 has given me the opportunuty to powerclean and refresh the generator bay on the CLIPPER.

I hope to have everything back to operating status by Thursday evening and I will post a summary of events after we are up and running.

The sun is co-operating and we have full solar production again today so we are only having to drink instant coffee early in the morning.

Dave

[masseyfarm]

Had everything back together and running by coffee time this AM.

The closest source of parts and support was thru a local Kubota dealer here in the Ottawa Valley. (Hartington Equipment) Mark and his crew offer, what we call, real SERVICE.

The 905-E now has a new water pump and coolant, hoses and belt, fuel filter and fresh oil and filter and new exhaust outlet.

For those who may have similar problems, this PTS genset on the CLIPPER needs to be removed to do the water pump, or other backside repairs. The Airstream box is not deep enough (PowerGear Jack is between it and frame) to gain access to the rear side of the unit.

The PTS just needs to be unbolted on the 4 corners and the wire and fuel lines removed, and the exhaust removed, for the unit to slide out onto a jack and lowered to the shop floor.

Airstream could have made this a bit easier by constructing the compartment base to allow the unit to be pulled with the exhaust pipe in place. The framing looks like they had that in mind but they put the slot in the front of the frame instead of the center area where the exhaust pipe is located.


We are happy to again have the backup power system in service as the days are getting shorter and we expect some cool fall weather before we make it back to home base in November.

Dave

[masseyfarm]

We are so happy to have the PTS genset back on line. Yesterday we did not see anything but rain (at times heavy) and this morning here in the Ottawa Valley we have a chilly NW wind with heavy low cloud. We had our first frost on the 17th and the beautiful fall colours are on their way.

We are now 38 nights on the road, and having boondocked 37 of those, we are dependent on all systems working to make our CLIPPER as comfortable as home.

As we get later into the travel season, we will begin to see more of the RV services available to us closed, so being independent is always a priority.

A couple of ARC shots of this area.

Dave

[AdamB]

Awesome job on documenting this repair Dave! I can see myself doing this repair sooner or later so it's nice to see that it can be pulled off all by myself. We continue to be finding ourselves staying in places with no hookups and relying more & more on our generator. We've now put more hours on ours in 2 years that the original owner did in 15 years. How many hours do you have on your genset?

[masseyfarm]

Just a note on the air filter on this PTS CD7000 genset. This unit does not use a standard Kubota 905-E engine series air filter because of the condensed packaging of the genset.

The filter can be sourced direct from PTS in Florida, and is on their website. (PT# 04FA45001) They also stock the foam prefilter available from PTS. (PT# 04FAFM)

http://powertech.myshopify.com/blogs...odel-generator


The OEM air filter is a Duralite 546332 that crosses to a WIX 46332, or a NAPA 6332. This is not a common stock item at NAPA stores but, is warehoused and, can usually be shipped for next day delivery.

What you get from NAPA does not include the foam prefilter and I have not found another source for that other than PTS.

Dave

[masseyfarm]

This page makes your parts search easy!

Thanks to Jimmy Spears @ PTS.

Here are some helpful tips when it comes to replacement parts on your CD7000 and CD8000 generators.


Radiators: Power Tech has two sizes when it comes to the CD radiators. From top to bottom, the measurement will be 13 inches (Click Here for this Radiator) or the measurement will be 16 1/2 inches (Click Here for this Radiator).
Radiator hoses: Power Tech has two configurations when it comes to the upper and lower radiator hoses. If the upper and lower hoses are on the same side of the engine, it will require two of the lower hoses. The top hose is cut to fit, but has the same bend as the lower hose. If the upper and lower hoses are on opposite sides from each other on the engine, it will require one lower hose and one upper hose.
There is also an upper bypass hose and a lower bypass hose on the CD models. Note that the lower bypass hose is part of the lower radiator hose system. You will have the lower radiator hose coming off of the radiator, then it is connected to a metal hose. From there, it goes to the lower bypass hose and back to the water pump.
Thermostats: Kubota has two different size thermostats on the 05 series Kubota engines. The best way to tell the difference between the two is to measure the thermostat housing mounting bolts center to center. The measurement on the thermostat housing bolts will measure 2" on center (Click Here for the thermostat) or it will be 2 3/8" on center (Click Here for the thermostat).
Generator Ends: The CD Models had both Exciter type and Brush type generator ends. The best way to tell what style generator end is on your unit is to look for a 3 inch panel above the end bearing on the generator end. If it has that panel, it has brushes. If it does not have that panel, it is an exciter (brushless) type generator end. If you are replacing your generator end, the only replacement is the exciter type generator end. If your generator is a brush type unit, it will be converted to an exciter type generator. Click Here to view this generator end.
Note: We do not have replacement stators or rotors for the brush type generators.
Regulators: With the information listed above about generator end types, picking the correct regulator should be easy. If your unit is a Brush type generator, you will need the VR 2.1 regulator. If your unit is an Exciter type generator, you will need the VR 2.4 regulator.
End Bearings: The same information for the generator ends are used for picking the correct end bearing. If your unit is a Brush type generator, you will need the 02BRG6304 bearing. If your unit is an Exciter type generator, you will need the 02BRG6206 bearing.
Brushes: If you have a brush type generator, there are three possibilities for the brush assembly. If the original brushes are on the unit. Look at the color of the brush housing. It should be brown, black, or white. If the brushes are brown or black, check the springs. The springs will be internal or external (looks like a coiled clock spring).
Brown or black with external springs: Click Here
Brown or black with internal springs: Click Here
White brushes: Click Here
Note: Please keep a record of the original brushes that were on the unit. That information will be helpful for future brush orders.
Senders and Switches: We only have one temperature switch for the CD model. Click here to view the temperature switch. The oil switch could be one of two switches. Check to see if you have a single post or a two post switch. Click Here to view the single post switch. Click Here to view the two post switch.
Solenoids: There are two possibilities for the fuel shut off solenoid. There's a two wire and a three wire solenoid. Click Here to view the two wire solenoid. Click Here to view the three wire solenoid.
Filters:
Click Here for the Oil filter
Click Here for the Fuel filter
There are three possibilities for the Air filter.
Click Here if your Air filter housing is metal
Click Here if your Air filter housing is plastic
Click Here if your Air filter is plastic and disposable. (Note: On this filter there is a Foam pre-filter Click Here)
Belts:
Click Here for the correct belt.
Fans:
Click Here for the correct blower fan.


Posted by Jimmy Spears on August 02, 2013 in News.
Tags

• CD7000,
• CD8000,
• CD8000ICT,
• CD8000S

[masseyfarm]

The CLIPPER PTS CD7000 GenSet has been acting up as the weather got cooler. Would not excite when temperatures dropped below 55*. But would work great later in the day when things warmed up?

Frustrating or what! Those early morning decisions to run the battery bank down to make coffee or resort to the LPG and brew it the old way?

So while attending the largest fair in the "Valley" (CARP FAIR), and relating my problems to an old friend while relaxing in his PREVOST enjoying a cool one, he pointed me too a qualified technician that he had reason to use a couple years earlier. When I contacted him on Monday, he spotted and solved the problem instantly.

Pulled the unit out and freed up the brushes. (These are accessible only after unit is removed as they are on the end of the end of power head.)
Some other minor maintenance done and the PTS unit is back doing what it is supposed to do again.

Anyone in the Ottawa Valley area needing help, try Richard Pratt Diesel in Carp. Well equipped small shop, and you get to talk to the guy who does the work.

The CLIPPER is once again comfortable as we are nearing the end of our boondocking extended stay in the Ottawa Valley on this 2016 tour.

Expect to be back at home base on the west coast sometime close to Halloween.

Dave

[superoma]

Great Post Masseyfarm. We've had our 1995 65th edition for about 1 year now and have put about 1500 to 2000 hours into remodeling and upgrading it. Your previous posts have been lifesavers. Everything you have posted, that I have read, indicates the equipment is identical in all respects. Ours is an early 1995 edition but at the beginning of the magic 25 built. We are located in Columbus Ohio but have vacationed in BC in the past.

I have a few minor issues and would love to have a private email discussion. It is just a few minor things that could be improved.

Now for the entertaining brushes story::::::

As for brushes, I am really impressed your technician/you were able to get the exhaust removed without breaking the exhaust manifold. Ours is a bit rusty and several techs (plus myself) felt it was way too risky as the cast iron pipes going into manifold look like they couldn't easily be removed without undo risk of breaking the exhaust manifold. So, with about 1000 hours on the genset, I still wanted to be sure the brushes were as good as possible. I resorted to more drastic measures like using a cutter/grinder to cut through a square of the support metal right where the generator brushes "door" is located. It took about 4 hours to carefully cut through with spark protection everywhere and to not heat up the hydraulic tank for the leveling jacks. You really can't line the hole up perfectly but can get close.

With a lot of effort, I was able to remove the door and with more effort at odd angles was able to remove the old brushes and find out they were the external spring version. I put the old ones back in and ordered the new ones. When they arrived, I thought I could get them installed in about 15 minutes as it was so easy for me to do now. Wrong.

I removed the old ones and then started to install the new ones. It was very tight and very hard to do as the new brushes were made different and you had to figure out precisely which wires to connect to the brushes so as to be exactly correct. I called PTS and they intricately described how to hold them and apply pressure so as to not break the carbon contacts. All was going well, until....... the dropped from my hands because it was so awkward and tight.

They fell under the armature and down to the bottom. I had to cut the square in the support metal lower and use screwdrivers to carefully walk the brushes back to the top. I thought I had completely bricked the thing and rendered it worthless. It took about 6 hours and 2 failed attempts before successfully "walking" and maneuvering the new brushes back up to the door hole so I could get them out.

Bottom line, make all tab bends (two are required) and connect the wires and maybe a big log chain (not really) to the new brushes before installing them. It will save a lot of sweat, worry, and pain and agony.

I then installed them exactly as described by PTS so as to not strain or pressure the carbon on the brushes and reassembled it. I then fired it up and it all worked perfectly. I've run it about 30 hours since with no issues.

As for the generator itself, when we first took over the RV unit, we did have one of the safety switches (a relay switch) that was bad. PTS claimed they never used that relay and that was a problem. It took about 25 hours of tech time and my help to diagnose and rerewire a different brand relay to make the unit work properly. At $139/hour that was a very expensive fix ($3500) by an authorized PTS dealer for which PTS wasn't very helpful - however, in general I've had subsequent experiences that were very good.

The genset has subsequently been very reliable and has run for 10 to 15 hours at a time when boondocking or when driving in 90+ degree weather and needing to run the rooftop ACs to have any chance of keeping the inside cool.

Great post Masseyfarm!!!!

[masseyfarm]

I just want to correct post #4 in this thread.

The PowerTech CD7000 has the pre-heat option instructions on the external rocker switch in the generator bay. And this option does also works on the cockpit control.

I need to point out that this option also works from the rocker switch located in the cockpit. Just hold down the off side of the switch and the pre-heat will be activated. Hold for 5 second intervals, 3 or 4 times, for -5*Fahrenheit or longer if it is colder than that.

I found this out when I tried to open the genset compartment door today and it was frozen shut with the recent snow and sleet. I thought I would try the switch inside to see if it worked the same and (surprise) it did.

Another example of the quality that was built into Airstreams first big Class A Diesel Pusher motorhome.

Dave

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

The PowerTech CD7000 unit on the Clipper is pre electronic and should give many years of dependable service.

One drawback is,-- if you are trying to start the unit on a below freezing cold morning, the fuel prime and preheat is only available from the main control located in the generator bay. Hold the rocker switch for about 5 sec., release, and hold again for 5 seconds before trying to start the unit. If the Kubota does not start right away, repeat the above.

The OEM Clipper is set up to draw from the chassis batteries for starting power and the genset recharges the chassis batteries with 6 AMP output right from the genset while the house batteries are charged from the HEART inverter/charger.

Don't forget to exercise you genset at least every couple months. I did mine today.

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

http://powertech-gen.com/wp-content/...ORS-MANUAL.pdf

http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Dis...ner_manual.pdf

Dave