Isata 5 Generator Access Panel Install Suggestion

[The Former Taxman]

After a little common sense and searching on this forum I discovered the access panel for the oil fill for the generator. I was ready for my 50 hour new use change! I put out the dinette slide (thanks to the new module sent to me earlier this week!) and crawled underneath with my phillips head screw driver. Suckers wouldn't budge. Not one of the 4. And Ive got a good grip and was leaning into it with my shoulder. I carefully used my drill press and was able to get them started without stripping them. Interestingly, the screws holding in the trim nearby moved easily. I suspect an enthusiastic employee put them in with a drill press after drilling the holes and never took them out. Suggestion, since these screws are meant to be removed multiple times - have the crew take them out after install and then put them in by hand. No way are those Elkhart, Indiana boys able to hand screw as tight as these were.

[bclemens]

You used a "drill Press"? Like a full on stand up drill press? to take out screws?

I'm not sure we ever take that off??/ Maybe, otherwise it would be a suggestion for Onan.

[joet19711]

Originally Posted by bclemens

You used a "drill Press"? Like a full on stand up drill press? to take out screws?

I'm not sure we ever take that off??/ Maybe, otherwise it would be a suggestion for Onan.

If he answers, you'r gonna learn something here.

[The Former Taxman]

Ok, hand held impact Drill, not drill press. The point isn't what power tool I was using as much as I needed to use a power tool and risk stripping the screw head to get out 4 metal screws that will need to be removed after the first 50 hours of generator operation and then every 150 hours thereafter. The 4 screws aren't meant to be in there permanently. The access panel is on the RV, under the slide to get access to the oil fill on the Onan generator. It has nothing to do with how Onan makes the generator. It has to do with where the generator is placed in the RV and the need to get access to the oil fill on the upper left side of the generator. The access panel is a metal panel less than a foot long and is simply a cut out of the longer metal panel that is just above the generator and storage bays under the dinette slide. The boys at the factory drilled the 4 screws in way too tight with their power tools after they cut out the access panel and installed the 4 screws, which is what caused the difficulty in removing them to be able refill the oil on the generator. I am assuming they used a power drill after putting in the screws to put the access panel in place. I'm assuming that they never removed the 4 screws - the generator is filled with oil before putting it in the RV (or the generator comes from Onan with the oil already filled). And my suggestion is that they actually take the 4 screws out once and then spend 1 minute hand screwing them back in so new owners don't have to go to a power drill (and risk stripping those screws) after 50 hours of generator time to remove them and change the oil. I am confident that few if any owners ever reinstall those screws with a power drill going forward. Not a huge deal or big complaint, just a small suggestion to make owner's life a little easier. Stripped screws after never fun and you risk scratching up that area getting them out.

[bclemens]

Ah, gotcha. That makes more sense.

We use air impacts with clutches. Personally I use power tools on just about everything...If I can, even light switch covers. Just makes things go faster.

[The Former Taxman]

Understood re time savings, particularly for production work. Just a suggestion for one area to slow down literally one minute.

[Photo Lab]

Air Impacts with clutches

These are high dollar production tools, with which I am very familiar. These special design tools can be adjusted to install a fastener at a preset torque and no more. Some are of a type that shut off the air when the torque is reached, and some that work more like an impact wrench, but will only tighten to the preset torque. These are known in the trade as "pulse tools".

There are many different configurations made, and the price point starts at over $300. These are strictly heavy duty industrial tools, made to last for literally millions of uses.