Safety:
Be safe when doing this. Think about what could go wrong and plan accordingly. When working on the wiring be sure the battery power is OFF or DISCONNECTED. Good time to use your battery disconnect switch if so equipped. When working with the fuel lines be sure to have a fire extinguisher handy. When reconnecting power on the other side of the RV have a spotter in front of the generator looking for smoke. The job is easy but there are a lot of steps. Not paying attention will bite you and could bite hard.
Required Tools:
Camera (cell phone works fine)
Small ratchet (3/8th or 1/4)
Short extension (a second short “wobbler extension” will make the job easier)
Socket set open (a deep well 1/2” socket would be nice but not required)
Open end wrench set
T30 Torx driver that can be used on a ratchet
Vice grip, plug or some clamp to stop fuel flow in the fuel line
Plastic fuel tank (or what you own as long as it fits under the RV)
The second and third characters of Model No, KY in the picture and the last character in the model number, K in the picture, are used to determine what Onan pump, filters and spark plug are needed. Make a note in your manual what number you have.
Parts needed:
Onan Fuel Pump - Airtex E11007
Onan Fuel Filter
Onan Air Filter
24 inches of fuel line 1/4 inch inside diameter (ID)
Teflon plumbers tape
Fuel hose clamps,
Testing the Fuel Line
Some Lazy Daze RVs have had a fuel line issue. These seem to be from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. With this in mind, it is a good idea to conduct a simple test.
Start by getting the passenger side up in the air so you will have room below the coach-box to work. Six inches is good.
1. Go to the generator compartment and remove the cover for the generator. To determine which side the fuel line is most likely located look for the starter solenoid and air filter. In the picture, the air filter is labeled and the starter solenoid is the rusty item below and to the left of the air filter. The fuel line will be on the underside of the RV. It will run up against the exterior of the Onan generator housing outside of the area where these two items are located.
2. Where the fuel line meets the generator you will see the clamp holding the fuel line to a barbed connector.
Clamp the factory fuel line a few inches upstream of this point to stem the fuel flow. Note, unless the fuel filter has been replaced at some point, the hose clamp will not be the same as pictured. It will be a compression clamp common. That type of clamp cannot be reused. The shiny object the fuel line is connected to is the new Onan fuel filter. (Off topic: The fuel filter alone can be replaced or just tightened by removing the hose from this location.)
3. On this step MAKE SURE YOUR EYES are NOT UNDER the connection to the fuel filter. Some fuel is going to leak out and you do not want it on your face. Once the fuel line is securely clapped disconnect the fuel line fuel line. I had to cut the line off the old fuel filter. There was enough line to reconnect. But only just enough. Plug the fuel line and make sure the gas is not leaking from the line.
4. Attach the 1/4 inch fuel line you purchased to the fuel filter. Place the other end of the fuel line in the Gas can.
5. Prime and start the generator. Make sure there are no gas leaks at the new fuel line connection.
6. If the generator runs for a longer period of time than it does on the main fuel tank, the RVs fuel line between the generator and fuel tank is suspect.
If the generator stalls as before while running on the external fuel source there is an issue with the fuel pump, fuel filter or carburetor.
7. Secure the external fuel tank from testing.
Replacing the fuel filter:
1. Remove the negative cables from the 12-volt coch batteries. Or use the battery disconnect switch if so equipped. It is a good idea to take a picture before removing the cables to help with replacing them.
Gently lift on three tabs to pull the connector apart. If you have not encountered this type of connector there is one on each shoulder and one across the middle. Gently pull these away from the keeper then pull the male section from the female section.
4. Remove the starter solenoid. Be sure to take pictures of which wires are on which post, even better tag them.
Once the wires are off, replace the washers and nuts so they don't get lost.
5. I could not get a good picture of the inside post while at step 5. So the picture of the other post was taken after the solenoid was removed. The solenoid is held in place with one T30 Torx bolt (not shown) and a locating tab. Note that in the picture the solenoid is upside down so what was the far side post in step 5 is now facing the camera. I should have cleared the loose wire out of the picture. There is only one wire connected to this post. Not two.
6. Generator with harness and solenoid removed:
7. The fuel pump is below the “brain” box. The box is held in place by two T30 Torx bolts. These bolts are accessed from outside the generator housing but inside the Lazy Daze hatch. This is where the wobble head extension is very useful. Also, the bolts on this RV were slightly rusted. I needed a ratchet to break the bolt loose. Once the two T30s are removed the brain box is free. To remove it from the compartment I had to remove the air filter, then shimmy it out, Start by pulling the wires out of the way and then lifting the box on the left side There is a wiring harness on the bottom side of the brain box to be removed.
After removing the line from the pump I disconnected the other end from the carb and pulled it out. I will replace with a new line.
When you get the pump out you may wonder how only one bolt was holding it in place. If you look carefully, you will see a slot on the right/forward side that the right foot of the pump slips into. Remember this when the time for reassembly comes.
8. With the control box removed locate the ground on the front left wall of the generator box under the tangle of wires. [Right behind the Caution label] There are several wires led to the ground on the inside of the box, plus the cable on the outside of the box that leads to the chassis. The ground wire for the pump is in that rat's nest.
You will need a 7/16 socket on an extension and a 1/2 box or open wrench for the nuts on the exterior of the box. There are two nuts. One holds the chassis ground and the other allows a tight clamp on all the wires on the inside of the box. When putting it back together think of the ground problems that can come from not well tightening this ground.
With the ground bolt removed you can take off the black lead from the pump and trace the red one to its plug connector.
Outside the housing attached to the bolt is a lock washer and nut, then a ground wire back into the chassis and another lock washer and nut. Note that the ground wire is not double nutted in place. Each nut has a job. The first to secure ground inside the housing, the second to secure the ground wire to the chassis ground. DO NOT CHANGE this.
Check again for leaks. Then restart and run for twice as long as what the time was for the RV to shut down when it had a problem. For the first 10 minutes stay near the pump and connections looking for any sign of a gasoline leak.
1. Reassemble the ground.
2. Reinstall the brain box. Use a nail or drift once one hole is somewhat lined up to keep it in place then line up the second hole and loosely put in the first T30 then the second. Once both are threaded in place tighten.
3. Replace solenoid (pay attention to wires).
4. Replace air filter.
5. Plug harness back together.
6. Hook up fuel line.
7. Hook up battery.
8. Disconnect spark plug wire from the plug
9. Prime fuel pump.
10. Look for fuel leaks at fuel line and fuel pump. It will be hard to see the pump/filter but you should be sniff for the odor of gas.
11. If no fuel leaks reconnect spark plug and start generator the local (outside) switch.
12. Run just a few minutes checking for leaks. Stop generator and let sit for 15 minutes.
14. Go inside the RV. Stop the generator then restart to make sure the remote (internal) starter button works. While the generator is running place the generator under load by running the AC for a while. While everything is running go outside and, you guessed it, CHECK FOR Gas leaks.
25. Shut down. Check once more for gas leaks after everything has cooled. You should be good to go.
26. The author might have been a little paranoid about gas leaks so check the next few times you run the generator.
Other Stuff:
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| A flexible or wobble extension allows the socket to wobble on the nut, allowing the ratchet to be a few degrees off perpendicular. |
Contributor: John DaCrema
Updated: 5 November 2018