Well. So after a year or 2 of deliberation I finally removed the original generator for replacement with a 1992 Onan Microlite 2800. The procedure is pretty straight forward (and greasy), and I discovered a couple things that everyone with a GTC/Generac really needs to know.

The first thing is a genuine safety hazard and needs to be remedied NOW if your gen. has 350 or more hours on the meter. The problem has to do with the metallic flex conduit carrying AC from the set to the front enclosure wall and is virtually impossible to see without pulling the set forward. What happened on mine, and most likely on yours too, is that the conduit rests on top of the generator housing at the back. Since there is vibration when the unit is running, the soft aluminum conduit is slowly sacrificed to the harder steel edge of the generator, thereby potentially exposing the the hot conductor within to short circuiting to the grounded housing. Mine had a hole in the conduit of about 1/4" in diameter worn through and a corresponding worn spot on the 90 degree top edge of the genny.

The big problem in pulling the machine forward is the exhaust system, which includes a tailpipe made of (formerly) galvanized water pipe and fittings - all of it nicely rusted together in a non-serviceable monolith. The tail pipe must be severed from the muffler assembly to move the generator at all, to do anything. Removing the set required the use of a small forklift - mine was a hand powered Genie Lift - and a lot of grunting and groaning and getting greasy, but would have been impossible without it.

Is there enough room in there to put some insulation around the conduit to stop the wear? I'm thinking some pipe insulation or a split piece of heater hose?

Did you end up cutting off the exhaust pipe? Does it unscrew from the generator outlet ok or is that rusted shut as well.

_________________
Nick Taylor - Green & White 1974 Hall GTC.
www.NicksGarage.com == www.HallGTC.com == www.NicksTeardrop.com

Maybe it could be covered with a section of heavy rubber garden hose with hose clamps at the ends. Yeah. I cut the pipe with a sawzall just after the last Generac piece in the exhaust system - a short nipple I believe. They really shoehorned those babies in there!