How To Fix Low Compression on Briggs Vanguard Engine
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ค. 2020
- Bought this non running Powermate Contractor series generator with a Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine for $50. According to the seller the piston was burned up and severely pitted with no compression. Can it be fixed?
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Wouldn’t it be great if everyone in the repair business was like this guy ,of course it would. There’s nothing not narry a thing wrong with being particular in your work ethic,personally I’m glad to see it. I used to work on electrical/mechanical equipment and some folks said I was too picky too fussy I always believed in doing a job right the first time so there won’t be a second time, sort of a calling card effect .I’m proud to see a youngin in this day and age show total pride in workmanship . I hope you make a lifetime of videos on here!
Thanks. Although I am not sure 48 is young.
@@jcondon1 it is to me. Keep doin these viddias ,the American public needs to see this . You, believe it or not are one of the few that makes TH-cam a useful learning tool .
@@jcondon1 I have a couple of decades and then some on you...
OCD to the MAX. This guy doesn’t give up til it’s right. Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
Love watching a video without the constant request to subscribe or like. Good content.
Thanks.
Same here
Started and runs like a new machine, great job
Thanks!
Oky
I admire your patience and professionalism. Always interesting to watch and helped me understand engine/carburettor issues a lot better. Thanks for providing such helpful videos.
Really good tutorial! I must have done that carb strip down a thousand times in my lifetime but, you showed the correct way to approach it.
gave me a lot of excellent tips . I started fixing myself this small engines as a hobby without any knowledge ; this an awesome video .
I like the thumb-powered spring compressor for releasing and installing the keepers! No fluff for this mechanic!!
Small engine valve spring compressor is the only way to go. Especially after a valve goes shooting out with the keepers, never to be found. Leak down test and compression test are incredibly helpful in low compression engine situations.
Another quality video. Watching james working on the motor , diagnosing and fixing it is just so cool . He is just so calm , look very therapeutic..Thanks james
Thanks 👍
LOVE THIS CHANNEL , LEARNED SO MUCH. NOW I WANT TO BECOME A GENERATOR TECH!
Very nice work, it looks and runs great! I like that you take the time to do things like cleaning and painting the muffler. You make this old generator look almost new again.
Thank you very much!
You have an incredible gift. You have tremendous knowledge and your ability to calmly articulate this knowledge is impressive. Subscribed and have been binge watching. Much thanks for taking the time to produce these.
Thanks!
I have to give you a lot of credit James, you sure know your way around engines, great job! 👍👍 you must get a great deal of satisfaction fixing up these machines that were abandoned and seeing them run again.
Thanks
On a 3 horsepower air-cooled engine what's the most you can raise the compression on pump gas and stay very dependable? I know it's harder to raise compression on a small engine versus a big engine.
James, love your videos! Another good generator saved from our landfills.
Landfills?Isnt metal collected in your country?Which century you live in?
claes mansson I live in the 21st century. How about you?
just needed some love and care and its good as new again! :D
Beautiful video and repair. And no funky music! Great job.
Thanks
Love your methodical diagnosis
Thanks
Why I watch. Great 👍 explanation. Why do I want to buy used generators now. Because I learned so much.
Excellent how to troubleshoot and repair what some may consider junk or just to part it out. Straight forward with no fluff learning :) subscribed!
I knew you wouldn't let me down on the muffler paint from the first time I saw it .also the reason I'm behind is I just started I love watching Thanks Animal
Love your video, easy to follow for beginners, I need more to tools. You make it look easy.
Nice generator. I like the frame design and the engine looks to me to be higher quality than what you see now days. great job!
The vanguard series is still made today (and pretty much just as well), you just don't see them on your everyday equipment.
They are a commercial series made in the US and are a lot more expensive, but have good things like a forged crank riding on ball bearings at both ends, squeeze cast conrod, etc.
Edit: only the 2 cylinder vanguards are made in the US, not sure where the small ones like this are made. Either way, you still get all the better components.
Hey James got a pro tip for you. For those plastic gas tanks, use a small amount of tire shine. Makes the plastic look better than new with a beautiful luster. And it smells good! You do good work, you can feel good about selling your products. Customer will get a great serviced machine. God bless .
Your great at what you do and you have a great channel, keep it going
Never knew anything about generators, do a little now though. Always interesting with great presentation. Enjoyable, thanks :)
Nicely done, I'm a new subscriber and having a great time going through and watching all your videos, thank you for your content!
Welcome aboard!
Good video my friend !!! I enjoy watching your videos. Excellent work ... waiting for the next video !!!
Thanks!
The lighting is great and the pictures are outstanding.it’s like we’re there with You on every video
Some times I even reach to hand you something
Crazy hun
man, you make some really helpful videos. just saying THANKS!
jey Lee thanks! Hope you solve your Briggs issue.
Very nice James, great troubleshooting 😊
excellent video...your actions were very well explained and the techniques were clear and easy to understand.
I love how editor-you keeps correcting past-you during the video.
Yes, James thank you a great video I learn a lot you make it look easy.
stumbled on this video last night and i have to say its great ASMR, it put me into a dead sleep haha
I am finally getting down to the older videos. I have seen that buildup that in my case was done by a vandalism attack from a neighbour. he put sugar in my gas.
Great video
Clear instructions.
Thankyou
Glad you liked it
Many times people never sets the valves after ran new. Storing with stabil or seafoam help and even used during running. Have to love the gas in carbs
Adjust muxture first, to stop hunting, then make speed with throttle... adjust mix to stop cycling...older engines had mix adjust on both high speed and idle circuit. ...Those were the days before the "plastic invasion".....Good job, as always.....
Berryman's carb and fuel system cleaner. Has worked well for me also, to clean up jets..
I have drilled the main jet out .001"-.002" to richen the mixture up a tad and it cures the no load hunting......This is very common on many machines.....A good small drill set and a set of pin gauges is a good thing to have working on these machines.....
I have used a 13mm wrench to help installing valves on my gy6 scooter. Its bit easier than with bare thumbs.
Just a quick follow up to my poor running b & S. I feel kind of foolish (not the first time, or the last) but maybe this will help someone down the road. Someone had put several small rocks in the gas tank. The would intermittently reduce the flow of gas to the carb. Rocks dumped out, problem solved! Thanks again for your great videos.
When servis must done like a pro!Nice work.
Excellent video, thank you.
I’m mechanic of these engines in iran
great job!
These larger diameter gen heads really do put out great power. And yes these are keepers. I got a 13 hp 6.5 KW $100 and yes they are surprisingly quiet. No AVR but I don't need it.
The ones without an AVR tend to be built much better and last longer.
My theory on what went wrong with this machine is that it was run on 2-stroke fuel possibly 16:1 causing detonation to the piston, lots of carbon in the intake side and combustion chamber causing the oily blob on the valve and the residue the carby. Maybe it was even a mix of engine oil and fuel.
Really obvious too is the build quality of the engine from 2006 - I don't think they're that well built now. All the plastics, metal bolt-ons, etc are strong not flimsy.
I’m going to say it again, brake parts cleaner will knock off that carbon. I use for cleaning carbon fouled rifles and it does great. No residue left behind and dries quickly. It will be your new best friend
Will carb spray work or just brake parts cleaner?
Nice engine. The valve clearance is tight because this briggs is a japan engine made by Daihatsu for briggs. At least the v-twins were. And a mikuni carb. Nice
Top Notch diag and repair. You are a pro.
Thanks
hi james another one saved mate, nice gene you did a great job on the engine nice to have some luck ,when it could have be piston also you know
Hey James, just a suggestion, if you pull the idle air jet and spray Honda carb cleaner in and let it sit, it usually eats that green tarnish off of copper, then blast of air you should be good to go. Has to be Honda carb cleaner. The idle air will almost always be the culprit for surging small engines. I am surprised that ultrasonic cleaner didn’t clean out that passage, might’ve been plugged solid. Great video btw!
The leak down test can tell more in 60 seconds than all other modes of diagnostics, it was the best 100$ I ever spent.
I agree. Jobs are a lot easy Orr with the correct tool.
Yep I agree 100%
It’s the best and for sure fastest way to start off
darn good job bud!
Two things, idle mixture is adjusted at idle. Which means either hold governor or disable it then adjust. the governor spring which is as old as the unit itself might need to be replaced.
Thanks again
Hi James. I notice that you've got a pillar drill and you can use that to remove and fit the valve collets easier than any valve spring compressor. Get some round bar (like you use for removing gen rotors) and bend suitable sized bar into a U shape to fit over the valve retainer top, leaving enough room to remove the collets. Then open the chuck on the pillar drill just enough for a straight piece of bar to go into and bottom out in the chuck.
Weld the U bent rod to the straight rod and cut to length, allowing enough up and down movement of the pillar drill to get the head in and for the valve spring to be compressed and for removal and fitment of the collets. Hopefully it should look something like an upside down Y but take the V off the Y and weld your U onto it. I've used this method on commercial trucks, car, go-kart and motor cycle engines and it's saved me so much time over the years James.
I hope this helps James and saves you some money.
p.s. any questions please don't hesitate to ask James at martinrawly@msn.com
Regards
Martin
Why not make a video like James and show us.
@@shatnersufolanded7785 I would with the greatest of pleasure, but unfortunately I've got Motor Neurone, retired and in a wheelchair 🙂👍
That was a great video thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video and you go 100%+ if needed, no bandages used here. 😉😉
Thanks
Put some Seafoam in the fuel and let it run for a half hour or so. Then turn it off over night and run it again for an additional half hour. You still have some blockage in the main jets circuit. It's not the pilot jet. The pilot jet handles the idle fuel flow. The main jet handles the fuel flow at operating speed.
Seafoam does work well. In this case it was because I missed cleaning the emulsion tube. And it was a Mikuni carburetor.
Merci pour votre vidéo bonne journée
Good job , good video
Thanks
Trick for checking valve leaks after grinding.
Reassemble head including spark plug. Fill combustion chamber with diesel. Leave for half an hour. Level shouldn't drop.
Nice job.
Old school trick that is 100%!
@@gregorypiercesr.794 Yes. I learnt it from my late uncle when I was doing a head job on my motorbike. He used to do it on his bikes.
I think you are right, Jim. The carbon build-up can be avoided by throwing in a dose if fuel system cleaner in the gas, every once in a while. Berryman's fuel and carb cleaner #12 works for me......
Good Job....
Carbon build-up on an intake? As indicted in the video, there *was* a problem with the intake valve, it leaked! (Down on the stem even!)
B12 is the best I think and I let it run a hour after using it
Great find. My only suggest would be to apply a new head gasket; go the full route.....Nice machine, though, Vanguard = the best...!!!
the plastic float can be adjusted with the heat from cigerete and tiny pressure on the float to get the float to travel better if its still starveing..my motor needed this adjustment with heat so the carb had enough fuel in it :)
Did something similar with a heat gun. It worked, but will not get many chances before the float is a damaged.
good vids thanks!
That's is cavitation sir. Water in the fuel will cavitae in the chamber
I enjoy watching your stuff and how you speak so clearly
Carbon is killing a lot of engines now
In 57 years of full time mechanic work I’ve never seen it like this before. Thinking is crap gas
Good diagnosis. I'll bet the previous owner ran it with choke on a little causing it to run rich and that carboned piston & valves.
It's a little bit better, looking brand new.
Nice!!
Another great one! Next time you lap the valves any chance you could focus more on it, taking apart the valve assembly, tools, process and reassembly? This is one of the last parts of the generator I am not as confident with. Still a great video.
I am still a newbie myself on valves, only done 4 or 5 valve jobs at this point. Will focus more on that next time.
Yep you are persistent for sure ! But you know all the equipment I've purchased new doesn't run near as well as your repaired engines. I guess they just throw them together ,fire them up make a couple adjustments and ship it. Its all about the sales and money. With you I think its a sense of pride and a job well done.
When you use a nipper to cut off a pull ties it leaves a sharp edge that can get you when working around it. a razor leaves it smooth.
I have that same ultrasonic cleaner. How long do you you usually clean a carb for and what kind of cleaner do you use? I usually have to clean pretty much all my carbs in the spring because I am pretty bad at remembering to drain the gas in the fall. Never mind on the solution. I just saw you answered the same question in another post. Thanks any way. Love the videos.
I had the same issue with my 3KVA Generator ... the sound of missing spark Or else is because of .. Valve Guide .. if the valve is loose in the valve guide.. it causes missing stroke :)
Mr. Condon, I have watched every video and enjoy them very much. They are great learning tools. A couple of items that may help. Have you thought of using a type of lift table? It may or may not help with the camera angles, but it probably help your knees. Also I saw a gentleman on another video use an ultrasonic cleaner. On the smaller parts he fills the unit with water and puts several smaller parts in mason jars filled with cleaning fluid. The sound waves go through the glass and it cleaned the parts. It may save a little money. I hope at sometime you will be able to do sine wave tests when you get an oscilloscope. Best wishes.
Thanks for the feedback. No knee issues yet, but a lift table is in my future. I have heard the same about using jars. The cleaner I use is not that expensive so have not tried that yet. An oscilloscope would be a great add to the channel. Hope to get one someday.
@@jcondon1 I have watched every video and always wait for the next. I have watched other channels, but to me this is the best by far. Since you have been putting more details in your explanations especially the diagnostics using the multimeter your videos are more interesting.
I wrote you before and asked you where you learned your skills, I am very impressed that you are an autodidact, that is amazing.
The oscilloscope idea may not be a good idea, as these non-inverter type generators are most likely going to give a dirty sine wave and it may hurt your ability to sell them.
My last request is could you please expound on the business side without giving any private trade secrets.
I imagine bad weather spurs sales and I noticed you go the extra step in repairing these machines such as buying cosmetic parts when others would not invest that much. Do you advertise?
I learn a lot from you so keep up the excellent work. Your knees will go bad later in life from the wear and tear. You are farily young, but I hope you take my advice about the table. Best wishes.
@@jcondon1 To save your knees...as a cheap experiment, buy Dickies 100% cotton painters pants with knee pad pockets. Buy the thinner black knee pads. Its a very comfortable game changer. After a few washes they will soften up. The pads soften with wear as well , for me they move right into position on my knees, you won't feel them when standing. The extra pockets are handy. Oxy-clean or spray and wash, remove pads when washing them. The experiment is well worth the money. Regular knee pads are impossible to use comfortably.
Only downside is they are white and women of all ages will ask you for painting advice at Casa Depot. :)
Nice work. I profit by to congratulate you on it,because you deserve that.
I want to know the name of the whole materials and liquids that you've use during the procedure of repairing please.
Thank you in advance!
You need to drill out / open up the main Jet. Very common in early model air cooled engines.
I should have watched this one 1st (my bad) before posting my question. You explain well here that 60psi is good. I guess I'm old school, I was looking for something higher. I forgot about the air pressure test, I've done that before. I pulled the head, everything looks great. Carb problems? I've tried 2, both clones.
Nice 👍
Thanks ✌
👍👍 Curious to why you didn't wire brush the rusty linkage
grab a hold of the govonar and pull it back to idle, then adjust idle mix. dose not work at high speed.. throttle valve is in the wrong spot to draw fuel out of idle and transition ports..
I've got so many engines that hunt around... I think I need to buy an ultrasonic cleaner and go over all those carbs again.
Also, there's an odd effect at about 44:20, the frame rate and engine vibration make it look like the engine is oscillating gently. Funny.
OMGawd I have that same set of tiny drills. Only about a third are broken. It was on my desk and with a light bump, started to slide. I grabbed it and 6 went into my palm. 3 broke in half but I got them all out. I keep them further from the edge since then 😃. BTW at age 68, the only guy I know with your attention to detail was trained by the US Army. ? Cheers.
No Army training. I am not good with following orders. Have gotten in trouble in the past for taking the initiative to change things for the better when all I was asked to do was follow the instructions..
My observations as a fellow small engine mechanic. I would have adjusted the output to 60 hertz and/or the voltage to under 120 to be closer to what most appliances are designed to run on as well as use less fuel thus extending the run time slightly. I use a sonic cleaning tank as well but I use plastic containers like peanut butter jars with my solvent of choice (usually old gas) inside so as not to contaminate the entire tank with dirt. With exceptionally dirty carburetors I usually clean them sonically first and then transfer to the chemdip tank for a period of time and then one final trip through the sonic tank to remove the chemdip. I use torch tip cleaners to help clear out any of the small holes in the carburetor. I've managed to save some pretty bogus looking carburetors this way. Stuff that was varnished solid and with what looked like charcoal in the fuel bowl. For testing engines that are more easily tested with the fuel tanks not attached, I find a portable hanging fuel tank like one off an old snowblower, to be useful, just put a shut-off valve in the delivery line. Just a suggestion. Overall, good work fixing the generator 👍
Thanks for the feedback!. I used a snowblower tank years ago and gave it away. That was a mistake. Just purchased a shop tank. It has been working out really well. This generator did not have an AVR, so have to make up for that a little with engine speed. The non-AVR models will run at 127-130 volts with no load and drop to 110-113 under load. Electrically speaking, ideally you want to stay at 120 volts/60 hertz, but have read that 5% plus or minus is safe. So between 58-62 hertz and 113-127 volts is ok. I test with that in mind. But of coarse the engine may suffer some.
I find setting them at 60 Hertz unloaded will result in hertz at or below 57 when loaded. A lot of generator manuals say to set unloaded hertz at 61.5, even seen 62.5. Don't like going that fast. It depends a lot on the engine condition and governor sensitivity. Have worked on some that barley drop at all under load and others that drop 4-5 hertz.
Sounds like a good approach would be to start with a preliminary no-load setting, introduce a load with a small heater and then check it again to fine tune it. I'll have to try that. Thanks for the idea.
James can talk to the engine and engine talking back to him of what engine needs😁
lol
Thanks for the video James, one question, is it detergent you add to the ultrasonic cleaner?
It is a heavy duty degreaser from Harbor Freight. th-cam.com/users/postUgybGXqT5ugMPg8eN7l4AaABCQ
Today’s small engines run too lean to meet air pollution standards. Too lean can melt pistons, cause the engine to surge which is annoying and probably not good for electronics. Oh for the days when we had H and L carb screw adjustments. I think most people would adjust them responsibly. That air screw doesn’t do much. If they just gave us a real idle screw I think that would do it.
Seems like almost every carb I clean, is running a touch lean unless it is 100% spotless. Would be much easier to have an usable adjustment screw on both jets. Especially generators. You want the RPM to be steady
James Condon seems generators are prone to this which doesn’t make sense since they’re just the same repurposed engines. Maybe it because we want generators to run as steady as possible.
If someone has at some point screwed the pilot jet adjustment needle in hard against the needle’s orifice seat area inside the carb, most likely the needle seat face and orifice diameter in the carb which is most likely just the aluminum alloy of the carb body that area and orifice is damaged and will have little to no effect. The needle being screwed down hard into its seat in the carb probably significantly damaged the seat area orifice diameter. The same thing happens to the idle mixture ckt on full size carbureted engine carburetors. Had a 69 Chevelle, high performance high output 350 V8 that according to GM’s air cleaner housing produced 345hp to memory came equipped with a Rochester 4 brl which the low speed/idle mixture seat in the carb had been damaged so I replace it with a large Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth Thermoquad 4 brl carb I bought for $20 from the neighbor across the street from me who was putting an 850 or 1050 Holley double pumper 4 barrel in his 340 Cuda then beat him badly through the quarter mile in my Chevelle, 4 spd Muncie, 4:11 posits rear diff. He could outrun me top end as the Chevelle topped out appx 130mph and his Cuda just a bit faster. Back then after removing the failed smog pump and re-enforcing the alternator bracket to deal with a longer free span of V belt so the belt would no cause alternator and belt oscillation above 3,500 RPM and retuning the timing a bit the 350 in the Chevelle had only the water pump and the alternator as an external engine load. It sorely needed vacuum assist power disc brakes, power steering would have been nice all the time and so would AC. Radio and heat. Glad it was a standard or my brakes would have always been inadequate and the 4 sets of brake shoes worn out faster than they did.
Nice 🙌👍👌😊🍀
Great video, as always.
What are you using in the ultrasonic cleaner?
Harbor Freight Super Heavy Duty Degreaser.
Hey James. I always look forward to your videos. Keep up the great work. I want to gift you the valve spring compressor tool if you don’t mind.
Thanks
I email you already
Julio Torres just sent you an email, but got an error. Let me know if you got it.
Nice job, it’s not the space shuttle. You couldn’t go wrong for the money.
Maybe drill out the main jet, just a fuzz.
Awesome video as always question do you have any Generac videos with the rotating control thanks again
Not on that model yet.
What solution do you use in your ultrasonic cleaner? Where do you find your torque specs?
I just checked and adjusted the valve lash on my 30 year old or so powermate 5,000. Couldn’t find reference for any difference between nomenclature nap trmp if 65-70 so set them both to 0.003. Seems awfully tight but that what the difference ex sheet stat d for my model engine 0.002 to 0.004. Adjusting the intake was a major pain with the gas tank on and I had to hunt my wrench inventory for one thin enough to let me get in the adjusting nut and a wrench on the jam but. Since I didn’t have the torque specs I used the light Ugga dugga method with two short wrenches. Sometimes you just gotta go with what method and snugness you feel appropriate. Carb was acting up so I started removal only to find the unused idle control solenoid bracket and tank also have to be removed. 11PM and 37 degrees outside, but we are forecasted to have sleet and freezing rain Thursday morning which means a 98.999999885% chance of losing power here in west central Mississippi. Fun times. The valve cover gasket sold me by the local small engine shop us the wrong one so back to them for that and a carb and intake gasket set and both air filters. The paper one is ok but a bug/critter has been eating in the Liam one.
Also, rust can be removed with a dilute solution of muriatic acid, sold in home depot type stores, generaly used for rust removal on concrete. Gallon jugs, and cheap...
Good to know. I have a gallon of it.
Always check the cup before use.