*100% best **Generater.Systems** I have used. A test for hurricane prep here in Louisiana: three AC units, 5000, 5000 & 8000, 3 fridges, 2 device power setups, 4 flat screens....AND I had 40% of the power meter to spare.*
I powered my house (half the panel) for 2 years and 4 months while we were waiting for PG&E to get their engineering closer to us.… I owned a pool of three EU2000i generators at one point, with usually two working and one not. The unit would run on average 8-10 hours a day. HERE'S A TIP for those of you that are going to run this generator for extended periods of time. Take the original plug out(careful with this, you can lose the plug down the inner engine shrouds), take it to the auto parts store and have them sell you a plug that is one heat-range step HOTTER. Problem is that carbon will eventually build up heavily on the face of the piston, when it gets really really bad, a piece of carbon will chip off and foul the exhaust valve and then you have no compression, the only solution then is to overhaul the internals of the engine which is very expensive unless you do it yourself. (I've gotten so I can tear this engine down and have the piston completely out in about an hour.) After I WORE OUT the first one (dealer told me it was junk) I became a religious user of Castrol full-synthetic.
Hi Pa Bar i'm very curious about the Synthetic oil you are using as I believe the reason Honda use a cheap mineral product is because the motor is specked for sloppiness? Has the oil up grade made a big difference? cheers champ.
@@stronzer59 Honda uses/recommends cheap dino 10W30 for these generators because that's what they sell. I know a LOT about motor oil and I would highly recommend an ACEA A3 synthetic 10W30 oil. This a Euro spec that is much more durable oil than most American spec motor oils. Use 5W30 or 10W30 if you live in the northern half of the country. If you live in the south (FL, TX, GA, etc) then I highly recommend a synthetic 40 weight. I like Mobil 1 0W40 oil. Shell Rotella synthetic 15W40 is also an EXCELLENT oil. The Honda recommended 10W30 spec is not really a good recommendation for the south.
one tip, if you add a primer bulb remember they have a check valve in them (to help produce vacuum) and they need to be positioned up and down not sideways. good luck
Those fuel tank will expand and contract depending on temp. So if you are in a warm climate in summer the press built up in tank forces fuel out. If in a colder climate the tank contracts and stop flowing. Just a heads up.
I suggest buying fuel line disconnects for motorcycles and ATVs (Amazon has a variety) since seals not specifically designed for "ethanol enhanced" fuel are more likely to deteriorate over time. I use Gates fuel injection hose for all my fuel lines for the same reason. You have the clear inline filter as a sight glass eliminating any reason to use clear fuel hose.
You mentioned about adding a rubber primer pump. Not all rubber primer ball pumps are the same. I learned the hard way. It has one way valves, that some are made for siphon and some for just pumping and fuel will not flow continuously unless you pump. Some one way bulb will stop the air to pass back thru the aux tank causing the engine to stall.
@@jimfrancis Yup, I went of a cheaper route but I was able to make work arounds and made it work. A marine type primer bulb was designed for that purpose I guess.
you want the pump that is for priming, not one that is only for pumping (never heard of that myself), the priming one will have a valve that lets gas run after you stop pumping. Dont get a bicycle floor pump either, that is not made for this either it is made for air, and only moves air when you pump.
Thanks for the vide. When you take the pipe off, will there be any fuel in onboard tank? As there is a hole on the valve, will the left fuel escape to the air?
Hey Hai, Yes, because the generator has it's own fuel pump, it keeps the onboard tank full. When you disconnect the auxiliary tank, you still have 1 gallon on-board. The vent that is normally in the generator tank cap, is now moved to the aux tank cap.
Honestly I just didn't wait 'til I had a bulb connected to post the video, but the reason I didn't use an original black hose was so I could see fuel flow thru the hose. Thanks for viewing!
Hi, nice setup. Anyone having any issues or concerns on how many hours would the EU2000i run without burning or damaging anything? Some can say that the 8 to 9 hours default that you get from the built-in tank is by design so the generator has time to cool down.... I want to try this setup so I'm only asking to see if anyone is having issues long term.
Hi Dave , question depends on conditions. Dusty desert areas oil change every 50 hours of run time. Clean driveway conditions every 100 hours. You are only swapping out 300ml of oil so don't cheat engine life for squibbles of oil.
Why would you want an engine to "cool down"? You warm it up so it runs good. Once warm just let it run until you do not need it. Unlike a human, a generator will not get tired until it needs an oil change. The worst thing you can do is let it cool down then cold-crank it again. If you could change oil with it running then it is ideal to let it run non-stop until its life ends, it would last more hours this way, too bad we only need them randomly and not continuously. So, the answer is run it until it needs oil change, 50 hours for example, then drain oil and start back up before it gets cold.
@@jimfrancis i have a ipower Sau2300i generator with a gravity feed main tank no pump I have tried gravity feeding the second tank but I find that fumes push back to second tank and no fuel comes in and try it using a boat tank same problem no vacuum pull I'm guessing it can't be done with out have a pump on the generator not sure how that's help thanks
@@jimfrancis I already tried on 3 different gens. The hose end that goes to the tank has two valves, I think maybe that gives an issue, but in other videos I see people have same connector and no problem
The black bulbs are for priming the fuel flow, not extracting air. It establishes a siphon. My Honda model has it's own fuel pump inside, so it doesn't actually need a bulb. I've since added one just for assurance.
question: does it matter if the aux fuel tank vent is open or closed? question 2: so the fuel draws our of the aux only after the 2000 is empty? I use it only occasionally and thought it draws when 2000 is full. Thanks for any feedback anyone can provide!
Yes, open the vent. I'm not sure when it draws from aux, never checked it. I just fill the 2000 tank and let er go. As I mentioned earlier in an reply, I elevate the aux tank with the thought that a siphon will help the draw.
I believe they're 3/8? They're standard size air hose fittings which are available at any hardware or home supply store. The brass barb fitting is 3/8 to match the 3/8 hose.
Do you have the primer bulb? Although the unit has a fuel pump and "They say" it will prime itself, it helps. I even elevate the aux tank for easier draw. Open the aux tank vent so it doesn't pull against a vacuum.
On my tank, there is a small thumbscrew in the center of the cap, that's the vent. If you don't have that, loosen the cap and if it runs better, you'll know you need to add one. You can buy the yellow flip open vents on eBay.
Hi champ , very important you start this run with both tanks full. As the Honda tank drains it will create a vacuum that will automatically draw fuel from the reserve tank into the Honda. You don't need to elevate the tank. If the system between the two filler caps is not air tight it will fail. good luck.
I'm having trouble with air leaks with this.. I wonder if I can put a marine connection to the unit, BTW, HONDA still warranties anything they made. "T" connection choices is to where?.. After the pump would pump fuel back to my tank, After the tank would overfill the HONDA tank. I think.. perhaps I need to experiment.
I think the idea is to set it up for 24-hour operation so that it requires no attention (like refueling) for many days. Without this kind of rig the unit will require shutdown, refueling and restarting every 8-10 hours depending on the load. If you were operating anything mission critical like public emergency facilities(traffic signals, temporary cell sites) after a storm this would be spot on point. But just to run an RV, you're right. Sometimes complicated is a good thing, I'm retired so complicated means I get to spend extra time mucking around with whatever it is.
The onboard tank is only 1 gallon, which means I'm going to carry a spare gas can. If I'm carrying a spare can, why not carry one that I can connect and not worry about for an entire weekend?
Bea , when Party Mode Switch has been activated , filling generators late at night is epic. Remember Gen dies all power is lost. Keep it going. Keeps the camp safe.
@@MrPaulie1340if running this on an RV and running the a/c it will eat up your gas in 3.5 -5 hours easy, I dont want to be asleep in the dead of summer and have to go out and fill up at 4 am with a flashlight and mosquitoes. just saying...I can sleep all night with this extender attached to my generator.
*100% best **Generater.Systems** I have used. A test for hurricane prep here in Louisiana: three AC units, 5000, 5000 & 8000, 3 fridges, 2 device power setups, 4 flat screens....AND I had 40% of the power meter to spare.*
I powered my house (half the panel) for 2 years and 4 months while we were waiting for PG&E to get their engineering closer to us.… I owned a pool of three EU2000i generators at one point, with usually two working and one not. The unit would run on average 8-10 hours a day. HERE'S A TIP for those of you that are going to run this generator for extended periods of time. Take the original plug out(careful with this, you can lose the plug down the inner engine shrouds), take it to the auto parts store and have them sell you a plug that is one heat-range step HOTTER. Problem is that carbon will eventually build up heavily on the face of the piston, when it gets really really bad, a piece of carbon will chip off and foul the exhaust valve and then you have no compression, the only solution then is to overhaul the internals of the engine which is very expensive unless you do it yourself. (I've gotten so I can tear this engine down and have the piston completely out in about an hour.) After I WORE OUT the first one (dealer told me it was junk) I became a religious user of Castrol full-synthetic.
Good to know! Do you happen to know the make and model of plug your using now? Thanks
Hi Pa Bar i'm very curious about the Synthetic oil you are using as I believe the reason Honda use a cheap mineral product is because the motor is specked for sloppiness? Has the oil up grade made a big difference? cheers champ.
@@stronzer59 Honda uses/recommends cheap dino 10W30 for these generators because that's what they sell. I know a LOT about motor oil and I would highly recommend an ACEA A3 synthetic 10W30 oil. This a Euro spec that is much more durable oil than most American spec motor oils. Use 5W30 or 10W30 if you live in the northern half of the country. If you live in the south (FL, TX, GA, etc) then I highly recommend a synthetic 40 weight. I like Mobil 1 0W40 oil. Shell Rotella synthetic 15W40 is also an EXCELLENT oil. The Honda recommended 10W30 spec is not really a good recommendation for the south.
Nice idea. Appreciate the tips. Would be nice if items were listed in the video description. Yeh, I'm lazy. :-)
one tip, if you add a primer bulb remember they have a check valve in them (to help produce vacuum) and they need to be positioned up and down not sideways. good luck
Hi Dankbobby , you don't need a primer. read my above post.
Those fuel tank will expand and contract depending on temp. So if you are in a warm climate in summer the press built up in tank forces fuel out. If in a colder climate the tank contracts and stop flowing. Just a heads up.
Since the genny has a fuel pump, you need to open the vent. That will remove any fuel flow issues.
I have about 2000 hours on my EU 2200
I love it!
I suggest buying fuel line disconnects for motorcycles and ATVs (Amazon has a variety) since seals not specifically designed for "ethanol enhanced" fuel are more likely to deteriorate over time. I use Gates fuel injection hose for all my fuel lines for the same reason. You have the clear inline filter as a sight glass eliminating any reason to use clear fuel hose.
I'm so happy you've found what woks for you. Thanks for viewing.
Just the video I needed to see, Thanks.
You mentioned about adding a rubber primer pump. Not all rubber primer ball pumps are the same. I learned the hard way. It has one way valves, that some are made for siphon and some for just pumping and fuel will not flow continuously unless you pump. Some one way bulb will stop the air to pass back thru the aux tank causing the engine to stall.
A marine type squeeze bulb is required for proper flow.
@@jimfrancis Yup, I went of a cheaper route but I was able to make work arounds and made it work. A marine type primer bulb was designed for that purpose I guess.
you want the pump that is for priming, not one that is only for pumping (never heard of that myself), the priming one will have a valve that lets gas run after you stop pumping. Dont get a bicycle floor pump either, that is not made for this either it is made for air, and only moves air when you pump.
Thanks for the vide. When you take the pipe off, will there be any fuel in onboard tank? As there is a hole on the valve, will the left fuel escape to the air?
Hey Hai,
Yes, because the generator has it's own fuel pump, it keeps the onboard tank full. When you disconnect the auxiliary tank, you still have 1 gallon on-board.
The vent that is normally in the generator tank cap, is now moved to the aux tank cap.
nice video, it would be nice to have a complete parts list as well
search ebay. kits have been available for years.
Wonderfull
very cool. I love those honda genny's. Hope to get one some day. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to more vids
Hey good video, one question, why wouldn't you use the complete hose with primer bulb they use on small outboards
Honestly I just didn't wait 'til I had a bulb connected to post the video, but the reason I didn't use an original black hose was so I could see fuel flow thru the hose. Thanks for viewing!
Will the gen run off the aux tank if the aux tank is sitting on the ground...NOT elevated on the bucket? You said the gen has a fuel pump..... Thanks
Yep, it sure will. These have their own internal fuel pump. I just do it to make the syphon easier.
Nice you asked what i was wondering thanks
thanks
Hi, nice setup.
Anyone having any issues or concerns on how many hours would the EU2000i run without burning or damaging anything? Some can say that the 8 to 9 hours default that you get from the built-in tank is by design so the generator has time to cool down.... I want to try this setup so I'm only asking to see if anyone is having issues long term.
I've run mine 4 days straight with no issues. I run an entire camper, (heater and lights), and it never comes out of eco mode. Thanks for viewing.
Hi Dave , question depends on conditions. Dusty desert areas oil change every 50 hours of run time. Clean driveway conditions every 100 hours. You are only swapping out 300ml of oil so don't cheat engine life for squibbles of oil.
Why would you want an engine to "cool down"? You warm it up so it runs good. Once warm just let it run until you do not need it. Unlike a human, a generator will not get tired until it needs an oil change. The worst thing you can do is let it cool down then cold-crank it again. If you could change oil with it running then it is ideal to let it run non-stop until its life ends, it would last more hours this way, too bad we only need them randomly and not continuously. So, the answer is run it until it needs oil change, 50 hours for example, then drain oil and start back up before it gets cold.
Nice, does the extra tank need to be higher than the generator for it to work
No, not at all. The fuel pump does a fine job pulling fuel. Although, I have not tested its ability with the tank below the unit.
@@jimfrancis i have a ipower Sau2300i generator with a gravity feed main tank no pump I have tried gravity feeding the second tank but I find that fumes push back to second tank and no fuel comes in and try it using a boat tank same problem no vacuum pull I'm guessing it can't be done with out have a pump on the generator not sure how that's help thanks
@@christopherfoulk9931 It sounds like you may be having a vent problem? Are both tanks vented while connected?
Hey. My doesn’t suck. The gen builds pressure and it doesn’t let fuel to go to the tank. Elevated. Any idea how to make it work?
Is your aux tank vented? You may be creating a vacuum?
@@jimfrancis yes, vented.
@@baikerboy2010 If you have a primer bulb and it's working ok, you may need to check the fuel pump out.
@@jimfrancis I already tried on 3 different gens. The hose end that goes to the tank has two valves, I think maybe that gives an issue, but in other videos I see people have same connector and no problem
Thanks Gander, neat idea.
Generator auxiliary fuel tank drains completely through carburetor
do you know why some systems have like a pump to extract the air inside and some don't ...is it need it or not?
The black bulbs are for priming the fuel flow, not extracting air. It establishes a siphon. My Honda model has it's own fuel pump inside, so it doesn't actually need a bulb. I've since added one just for assurance.
Thanks.
question: does it matter if the aux fuel tank vent is open or closed? question 2: so the fuel draws our of the aux only after the 2000 is empty? I use it only occasionally and thought it draws when 2000 is full. Thanks for any feedback anyone can provide!
Yes, open the vent. I'm not sure when it draws from aux, never checked it. I just fill the 2000 tank and let er go. As I mentioned earlier in an reply, I elevate the aux tank with the thought that a siphon will help the draw.
Read my above posts.
What size brass fittings are you using?
I believe they're 3/8? They're standard size air hose fittings which are available at any hardware or home supply store. The brass barb fitting is 3/8 to match the 3/8 hose.
Can't seem to get mine to work. I have the marine quick connects and marine gas tank. Any tips ?
Do you have the primer bulb? Although the unit has a fuel pump and "They say" it will prime itself, it helps. I even elevate the aux tank for easier draw. Open the aux tank vent so it doesn't pull against a vacuum.
I have the bulb yes. And I'm prettty sure my tank doesn't have a vent that I can open it s a new marine one. Maybe I'll try to elevate it some
On my tank, there is a small thumbscrew in the center of the cap, that's the vent. If you don't have that, loosen the cap and if it runs better, you'll know you need to add one. You can buy the yellow flip open vents on eBay.
+Gander Prepper I just read the cap looks like I wasn't tightening it enough it supposed to click so maybe that will fix it thanks
Hi champ , very important you start this run with both tanks full. As the Honda tank drains it will create a vacuum that will automatically draw fuel from the reserve tank into the Honda. You don't need to elevate the tank. If the system between the two filler caps is not air tight it will fail. good luck.
>^..^< Nice job and thank you for making this vid and sharing with us........
Would this work with a Predator 2000?
I'm sure if your fuel cap would easily modify, it would. Does the Predator have an internal fuel pump?
I don't know.
How big is the aux tank?
MrSweeper It's actually considered a marine tank. It's 6 gallons.
20 ltrs or 5 US gallons. But any size will work.
I'm having trouble with air leaks with this.. I wonder if I can put a marine connection to the unit, BTW, HONDA still warranties anything they made. "T" connection choices is to where?.. After the pump would pump fuel back to my tank, After the tank would overfill the HONDA tank. I think.. perhaps I need to experiment.
Why don't you just fill it back up when it goes dry? Seems like a complicated way to go.
I think the idea is to set it up for 24-hour operation so that it requires no attention (like refueling) for many days. Without this kind of rig the unit will require shutdown, refueling and restarting every 8-10 hours depending on the load. If you were operating anything mission critical like public emergency facilities(traffic signals, temporary cell sites) after a storm this would be spot on point. But just to run an RV, you're right. Sometimes complicated is a good thing, I'm retired so complicated means I get to spend extra time mucking around with whatever it is.
The onboard tank is only 1 gallon, which means I'm going to carry a spare gas can. If I'm carrying a spare can, why not carry one that I can connect and not worry about for an entire weekend?
Miss Adventure, also, you can do a hot fill. You get to refill the tank while it's still running,.without fear of spilling on to a hot 2000 unit.
Bea , when Party Mode Switch has been activated , filling generators late at night is epic. Remember Gen dies all power is lost. Keep it going. Keeps the camp safe.
@@MrPaulie1340if running this on an RV and running the a/c it will eat up your gas in 3.5 -5 hours easy, I dont want to be asleep in the dead of summer and have to go out and fill up at 4 am with a flashlight and mosquitoes. just saying...I can sleep all night with this extender attached to my generator.
I expect you meant extended runtime...
I need to buy one of these for our home. Can anyone sell one?
ebay sells the whole kit. google Honda generater long range tanks
On the stock fuel cap, did you leave the original, TINY breather holes unobstructed? Or do you plug them?
I left any vent holes "as is", I drilled the center hole large enough to accept the fitting and continued.
breather hole must be closed or no vacuum will develope
Where did you get the spare gas cap?
I used a plastic 90 degree fuel shut valve. It's the fuel vent when hose is not in use.
Wonderfull