Shibaura parts for Lugger (and other) engines

[keithw88]

I have spent some hours looking for information on which Shibaura (or other) engines are used in the Northern Lights M673 generators. In searching this Forum I have found out quite a bit about Perkins, Volvos etc etc (and been waylaid by all sorts of other interesting topics), but I have not found what I am looking for. (I am beginning to be convinced that NL generators are so reliable and long-lived that no-one else has wanted to find the information I am looking for!)

I would like to know if I can find an engine rebuild kit for my NL M6573 generator which is priced at an agricultural rather than a marine price. So I am firstly trying to find out which Shibaura engine is used as the "Lugger" engine in this generator. (Although, as an aside, I also haven't found a source to explain the differences among all the variants of "M673" generators, and indeed whether or not these things have significantly changed over the years).

As time goes on, there must be other owners of NL generators who will have an interest in similar data related to other NL generators.

Can anyone help on this?

My interest comes from a problem I have encountered this last (northern hemisphere) summer. My generator has a gas/water separator, and recently I have seen an oily film around where the "water" is passed out to the sea. This film seems to be a mixture of oil and soot. I have consistently run the generator with a heavy load, sometimes to the point of it slowing markedly and obviously labouring, when it has either recovered in three or four seconds or if not I have dropped off one of the loads (I have two 18000 BThu aircons, one more rated at 12000 Bthu, a 24v 100 amp charger and a hot-water tank, plus dish-washer, washing machine etc, so I do have a lot of different things I can load on - though never all at once!). There are about 2000 hours on the generator and it is fifteen or more years old (I have a record of a compression test organised by the PO which showed all OK in 2009). The sump oil gets very black very quickly (far more quickly than the oil in my Perkins 4-236s). There is no obvious white smoke when starting or running, and the gas exhaust is fairly clear. I do intend to get a compression test done, and will be delighted if the result is good, but I expect at the least to need the injectors et al to be renovated.

My M673 runs at 1500 rpm for 50 Hz output.

All advice would be welcome!

Keith

[KeelMe]

Get the tractor parts microfiche and compare major parts to the marine parts. Once you found a match you've found your comparable motor.

[Delfin]

I would contact NL in Seattle. I've found their tech support to be excellent.

[coopec43]

I suppose you came across these links in your research? (There seems to be a fair sort of dealer network.)

https://www.google.com.au/search?ei=....0.2JqlptpMXiM


Northern Lights / Lugger Rebuild Kits & Parts - Heavy Duty Kits
https://www.heavydutykits.com/Lugger-Northern-Lights
Engine Rebuild Kits for Northern Lights / Lugger Engines ... ADE worked with Japan's Ishikawajima-Shibaura Machinery Company, and developed an entire line ..

https://www.google.com.au/search?ei=....0.I1j7pAy5zgs

[tanglewood]

It's extremely unlikely that you need an engine rebuild, or even injectors at 2000 hrs. That's barely broken in. I would consider 10,000 hrs an absolute minimum lifespan for an NL generator, and know lots of people with hrs like that and they are still running just fine.


Pull the exhaust hose and carefully check the exhaust elbow for soot accumulation, and for any signs of leakage. If there is any sign of rust on the outside, replace it. Those are essentially a wear item.

[keithw88]

Thanks for the comments so far.
The microfiche search might be feasible for some, but not for me
H D diesels don't list any relevant kit, and anyway they and other official suppliers stock NL items, which are re-badged and re-priced Shibaura components, many of which can be bought from non-marine sources at lower prices.
I do not begrudge manufacturers or suppliers adding on a mark-up for the convenience they offer us, but I am prepared to do some work to save myself some money where it seems sensible. I would be happy to pay NL /Lugger prices for the bits they design and make.
I have now found out that Shibaura list a number of engine variants around the main number of "673", and a quick check of a couple of parts numbers indicates this engine series looks to be the base for the engine used in the NL generator M673. Good on them for being reasonably transparent about this connection!
For others who might be interested in this thread, I will report back after further research.
Keith

[keithw88]

Hi Tanglewood,
The engine has lots of years on it, so the hours run are, as you know, just part of the story.
The exhaust system was re-jigged early 2017 (to include a gas/water separator), so it is unlikely to be just an accumulation of soot, but I will check. The muck coming out is oily as well as sooty. I dont know how to definitively distinguish between diesel and engine oil in this situation, but the crankcase oil isnt being used up too fast and the muck seems dark and more viscous than pure diesel, so I do suspect poor combustion.
I will check the compressions first, and see if I can fit an oil pressure guage even if just temporarily for testing.
I will also check all the exhaust system components and the way they are installed (max, min lengths, heights etc), in line with your suggestions. After that its the fuel system and the valves, I guess.
Thanks, Keith

[skipperpete]

Hi OP
I have 2 x NL643 gen sets of different ages but both have perkins/shibaura engines. Try "parts4engines.com" in U.K. My engines are both 67 mm bore which corresponds to a perkins 103-7 ....but my service manual indicates 64 mm bore according to the NL model description (64mm bore... 3 cylinders) which would indicate a 103-6 but clearly not the case because mine have never been bored out.
The same engines in various hp sizes are used in Toro lawn mowers , volvo penta engines, and Caterpillar skid steer loaders so if you're in the U.S there should be a lot of suppliers for the industrial range. The automotive governor may differ from the constant speed generator governor so if you buy a replacement engine that's a consideration.
Good luck with the troubleshooting, maybe start with the valve clearances.