Does Onan still make small engines?

[onanparts.com 182]

The superior Onan engines were designed, engineered and manufactured to an industrial level. Made to be repairable. They were also designed to be rebuildable. Onan engines built in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's are still on the job. Why? Because Onan never made any cheap disposable throw away engines. When an Onan is repaired or rebuilt correctly it's a long term investment. Key word: "Correctly". Crappy repairs or rebuilds = crappy results. 

 

Here is a picture comparing an "old" outdated Onan and a "Modern" Kohler OHV V-Twin. Onan oil pump is made of steel and cast iron. Kohler oil pump made from aluminum and plastic/nylon. Onan engines have replacable cam and main bearings. The "modern" Kohler? Where are the bearings? Oh! The aluminum engine block is the bearings for both cam and mains. If worn beyond tolerances or damaged what do you do with that "Modern" Kohler engine? Scrap it out, that's what! Disposable! Toss it in the dumpster.

 

Bust off or damage the Kohler oil filter mount? Replace the complete timing cover! Do that to an Onan? 2 bolts and just replace the adapter. 

 

If you want to be happy for a day: Drink. If you want to be happy for a year or less: Repower. If you want to be happy forever: Repair/Rebuild your Onan.

 

 

[HorseFixer 2,013]

On 3/21/2017 at 5:05 PM, onanparts.com said:

The superior Onan engines were designed, engineered and manufactured to an industrial level. Made to be repairable. They were also designed to be rebuildable. Onan engines built in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's are still on the job. Why? Because Onan never made any cheap disposable throw away engines. When an Onan is repaired or rebuilt correctly it's a long term investment. Key word: "Correctly". Crappy repairs or rebuilds = crappy results. 

 

Here is a picture comparing an "old" outdated Onan and a "Modern" Kohler OHV V-Twin. Onan oil pump is made of steel and cast iron. Kohler oil pump made from aluminum and plastic/nylon. Onan engines have replacable cam and main bearings. The "modern" Kohler? Where are the bearings? Oh! The aluminum engine block is the bearings for both cam and mains. If worn beyond tolerances or damaged what do you do with that "Modern" Kohler engine? Scrap it out, that's what! Disposable! Toss it in the dumpster.

 

Bust off or damage the Kohler oil filter mount? Replace the complete timing cover! Do that to an Onan? 2 bolts and just replace the adapter. 

 

If you want to be happy for a day: Drink. If you want to be happy for a year or less: Repower. If you want to be happy forever: Repair/Rebuild your Onan.

 

 

 

 

Sing it Brother SING IT!  I like my Kohler's but I love my ONAN. I made the investment Nov 2011 and completely rebuilded mine and have not been dissapointed not one bit!  

Thanks T.J. for the help you provide! Will always buy my parts from you.

~Duke

 

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So now its summer of 2019 I'm wondering what's the deal with the Wheel Horse Onan parts now?

  Their parts still being made today or mainly whats on the shelves pretty much it?

I ask because an older mower mechanic I met the other day said Onan parts are really drying up now & most people are choosing to sell them even with low hours.

 I have noticed there sure are a lot selling on Craigs & Ebay with more than usual getting parted out too it seems. Is he right?

[adsm08 2,525]

I have no idea. A quick search suggests that they are still in business, mostly making generators these days. It may well be that the don't make parts for their bigger engines anymore.

[Warning:Unsupervised 82]

Ya' I think your right on that thought adsm08, sometimes obsolete really means just that. I'm sorry for not mentioning it but I also hit on the cummings Onan website just before posting that but all I saw was Gen parts too? Nothing pertaining to the tractor engines that I could find but' not owning an Onan engine myself I have no idea where to look elsewhere?  But' If I could find new info for him to pass on to his customers I thought I would ask here.  He just may be right and it's truly time to sell before the next major issue hits, man collectors are happy to get them surely.

If parts are sold somewhere anyone who owns an Onan has learned where they are anyway, rather they want to pay the big asking prices, now that may be another thing though? Thanks for trying

[adsm08 2,525]

30 minutes ago, 123GO said:

Ya' I think your right on that thought adsm08, sometimes obsolete really means just that. I'm sorry for not mentioning it but I also hit on the cummings Onan website just before posting that but all I saw was Gen parts too? Nothing pertaining to the tractor engines that I could find but' not owning an Onan engine myself I have no idea where to look elsewhere?  But' If I could find new info for him to pass on to his customers I thought I would ask here.  He just may be right and it's truly time to sell before the next major issue hits, man collectors are happy to get them surely.

If parts are sold somewhere anyone who owns an Onan has learned where they are anyway, rather they want to pay the big asking prices, now that may be another thing though? Thanks for trying

 

It sure is a conundrum. The newest of my vehicles is 22 years old, and the parts search is always a struggle. Either things are out of production, or over-priced, or both.

 

Fortunately with my trucks the same basic design was used for about 15 years, and there are a lot of newer parts I can interchange.

[Warning:Unsupervised 82]

  22 yrs old?..lol.. I know that feeling.  Sorry I'm going waay off Onan/Tractor topic but older thread & obsolete stands so here goes noth'n?

   From mid 70's till 2012 I intentionally drove nothing but old 1960's iron daily except for (3) vehicles. One being a 1955 Belair 2dr hardtop Sport Coupe, a 1979 400/4spd T/A 10th Anniversary Ed, my other a 72 Chevy Custom Deluxe truck.

 The vehicles I drove daily were antiques,collectors & the muscle cars but most being big blocks parts were always more expensive but yep' I found them & paid up too. Some were very obsolete most likely how we suspect Onan tractor parts are today or soon will be?  My old 1965 Buick Riviera with dual quad/465 Super WildCat engine comes to mind. Just couldn't find parts for that car at all so I sold it to my then boss for triple what I paid who only promised us raises.  That was long before Craigs/Ebay so he was really in deep doo with it..lol. Very nice car when parts weren't needed. 

Still I always drove the old stuff not only because they were fast/fun but' much like these old Tractors just more reliable than cars built then and always held great resale value, again like Wheel Horse. You couldn't get much of this with normal daily drivers as they depreciated very quickly, especially in 80's when most cars were being built to literally fall apart on a schedule.

 Sorry folks' ol' memories took over (hope yours did too), I now return you to the original Obsolete, Antique, Wheel Horse, Collector, Onan, Big Block subject... Humm' was I really so far of topic after all?

[608KEB 796]

Try onanparts.com

[Warning:Unsupervised 82]

4 hours ago, 608KEB said:

Try onanparts.com

Fantastic!!

Thank you that's the news I was hoping to tell him.  He's a nice guy, helps our local farmers around here on the cheap with farm equipment.

 He said he turned down some jobs over Onan parts so he will be thrilled to know they are available.

Thanks again 608KEB

[onanparts.com 182]

On 6/22/2019 at 6:11 PM, 123GO said:

Fantastic!!

Thank you that's the news I was hoping to tell him.  He's a nice guy, helps our local farmers around here on the cheap with farm equipment.

 He said he turned down some jobs over Onan parts so he will be thrilled to know they are available.

Thanks again 608KEB

Please show him this pic....:) Kind of shoots down the whole "Onan parts are no longer being made argument". True, some parts are drying up, the slow moving not often replaced ones. Catch 22, make it last and demand is low...

 

[Warning:Unsupervised 82]

Thanks Will do!!