Good find! I would imagine most shops wouldn’t have load tested more than a small load and shipped it out the door. I have learned a lot from your videos! Thank you for taking the time to help others!
While that amount of oil contamination is extreme, it does show how important clean oil is for the longevity of these filterless small engines. Absolutely love your videos and appreciate your expert editing. Would love to see more repair videos on small non-Honda suitcase generators. Keep up the good work!
Your videos are so interesting, educational, and constructive with your clear and precise dialogue. I am so fortunate to have found your channel. Great job!!
James this is the reason why when I get ready to buy a generator I would rather buy one from you because someone that takes the time to do it right and takes pride in their work does not go unnoticed. I would dearly love to buy a generator from you sometime in the future only if you autograph it for me. Thank you and please keep up the good work I watch all your videos and try not to miss any.
What you NEVER want to hear when you open the oil drain! Great capture of that audio, but an unfortunate situation. James - your work, attention to detail, dedication to saving these machines, and soothing voice all come together in an awesome fashion. You inspire me to be more diligent in my reassembly of my machines and to not be so proud that I can get mine put together with less hardware than the factory ;)
I did notice during the video, that the engines side cover had an excess amount of orange RTV sealant on the gasket, leading me to believe the side cover has been off at some point recently. It does look like the engine has had water infiltration. Never a good sign when you hear tinkling noises when the oil hits the pan. Great video, I have learned some good knowledge about a generator. Thanks for doing these videos they are very well done.
@@evilredBorisThe power head is driven by the engine. If the engine is down on power it could stall under load. If the stator was not healthy it would either not power up at all or a leg would work and the other one won’t.
@9:30 A friend of mine had a Generac 5500 that stopped making power and it also had no continuity through the slip rings. I found the rotor winding was broken at the slip ring terminal likely due to combination of vibration and rotation fatiguing the wire (Like you describe @21:27). There was no epoxy / RTV or anything to prevent the wire from moving. Luckily, I was able to strip and solder the end of the winding back on the terminal. It's been working fine for about three years now. Bit of bad luck with the engine.
You always leave me amazed and at a loss for words with the work and care you put into these machines. I would have NO problem buying a generator that you have worked on.
My dad was an industrial mechanic for most of his days. Whenever we worked on engines together, he constantly talked about cleanliness and how any dirt would mix with oil to effectively make grinding compound. Looks like exactly what he was talking about 😊. My job was always scrubbing parts, so this was inspiration.
Wow! A whole hell of a lot work to find a double lemon. Thanks for showing all of it. It makes me think about analysis before dumping major parts in a project. A bore scope is on my shopping list. ............. This video does help me! ...........
Thanks for the very methodical and meticulous diagnosis and explanation! It bites that this generator need/needed a lot of work and parts; it goes to show that you never know what you’ll get until you try and work on it. 👏 P.S.- That oil change…. Oof..
Wow, your friend got punted a real lemon there.someone knew what they were getting rid of there. But that's the gamble you take when buying stuff like this.
Thanks James for all your great videos. I know the engine on this unit is done for, but I would love to see a full tear down, as well as the rebuild of the generator when a suitable engine becomes available. It would be interesting to know what caused the damage, and what the bits of junk in the oil are. BTW, the audio caught the sound of the 'bits' hitting the tray really well when you emptied the oil.
@@jcondon1 Hello James. I have a GP7500E with probably around 250 hours on it and it needs a stator/rotor assembly, but the engine runs great. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it yet but it sounds like my engine could be a possible candidate for replacing yours. If there is a way I can get in touch with you please let me know and I'll contact you to discuss it. Regards Richard
I love your current test bed, never a dull moment. A bore scope is a miraculous tool in this case wow. Someone got burnt on this deal. Sometimes another bad carb would be welcome, ouch. Excellent video JC!!
Happy Friday, James. FYI, could definitely hear the pebbles hitting the drain pan. Boroscope (sp.?) pictures stunningly clear! Surprised the engine didn't sound like a cat fight w or w/out loads.. Love your content. Surprised you don't have way-more viewers. Looking forward to the engine replace (rebuild,,,, I couldn't imagine the work!).
well done James - lets see you work your wonders on Jason's machine later on in the year - Jason will be a bit disappointed that he has been mislead by the previous seller. excellent video again James.
Spot on Jim . I would have probably gone down a whole different path and checked the breakers and wiring first. Then the brushes and AVR. Glad you found the problem so quickly. Just junk.
We have used the th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
As you noted, someone had already been inside the machine and had to know that it was under water. Selling this to your friend was IMO, ripping him off. 🤬 Nice video on how to check the power head.
That was an interesting one James. That thing was definitely "mistreated with extreme prejudice" at some point :) Thanks as always for the videos. Cheers, Sev
I just bought one at a local Menards, storms knocked out power here in Michigan, 7150watts run, 8000 watts surge, and as usual, utility was restored as we fired up the new unit and a 800 watt load..ha
Someone was in there before you. First sign, missing stator bolt, second, there was numbering on the terminal block. Never seen that before when you open up a generator. Third, broken brushes because the yanked the stator off without first removing the brushes. Forth, no broken fan bits inside.
Good stuff. I picked up a Guardian Generator 45822 which I think I remember is produced by Generac. It's a future project and the story was that the carb might just need cleaned. It didn't start after winter storage. A govdeals DPR purchase. Not sure if any of this video will apply directly but cool video nonetheless.
Like you said, can't win them all, it's unfortunate the inside of that engine is in such bad shape and the camshaft is shot but I'm sure you'll find a replacement engine to fix that generator. Nice work as always James!
Just goes to show that just because it sounds okay doesn't mean it is. Good thing your eagle eye picked up the valve opening issue. Most people would have said "There you go it's running and producing power".
Hi James: you do enough generators, it might be worth making a growler. Finding opens is relatively easy with an ohm meter but detecting shorts can be more difficult. As a kid, we used to use what is called a growler to test armatures from car generators to test for shorts. On a stater you need an inside device rather than an outside one. My thinking is you could use a rotor as the inside coil. Most seem to have about 24 volts. I'd think a Variac ( adjustable auto transformer ) or a fixed 24 volt transformer would likely work. Anyway, it would be worth experimenting with. Just my thoughts. The other way might be to use an AC current meter and use the rotor in the motor. One could use the auto transformer and bring the voltage up to some level of AC current.
Very interesting analysis! I’m surprised there’s no sign of mud / water contamination inside the power head in between the windings. I wonder if that had something to do with the fan blowing apart too.
I was only able to find the white/translucent zip ties with the bolt hole which I think do not have the photon/UV protection the black ones do. If you ever get a spare moment it would be great if you provided a link in your Amazon Store to the black ones. They are also used on boats for holding wiring harnesses along the length of the hull and such.
Did you see all the black soot on the top of the adapter plate? Looks like it was a light show In there, I'm guessing they took it apart and saw that and put it back together, seeing as the brushes were broken, I've forget to take them off the put the end cover back on and heard a crack, woups, great fix and great video
Its Chinese engineering that we all know is not of any good quality. I avoid these Generac units, (unlike the older US made, high quality industrial units) like the plague. Great processes you follow James, a well executed program that my Power Pro instructor back at Sheppard AFB, (back in 1982) would be excited to see. Keep up the outstanding work sir!
Hi James. Jason will be upset. He's invested quite a bit of money in this engine. Never mind, you may get it for 50 bucks. You also have invested quite a bit of time in it. Well, you can't win everyone. Thanks for sharing.
When buying used junk you probably get junk ! Probably someone's already looked at it & attempted repairs . If you're unlucky it's faulty bits from multiple units in one nice looking package .
I don't work on portables much but did have a Generac with major engine issues with very low hours.....Engine was self destructing......Very poor quality machines and trust me I just spent time trying to fix a Generac 6.5 RV unit and said never again!! Generacrap is a better name for them....
I forgot to mention I’ve seen the Made in China base Generac portable 5.5’s more than once with very few hours and burned up brushes. 50 hours or less.
James, your knowledge supercedes your ability to diagnose the main problem. And your garage/work shop is almost every man dream to have with the tools to diagnose the problem. Keep posting as your post help all DYIers that try and make it live longer. Michael
The lack of apparent damage to the inside of the fan housing is interesting to me. If the fan came apart while running, there would have been damage to that area. It's almost like someone put the bad rotor and stator on knowing they were bad.
Couldn't you make a puller that bolts on to the holes where the end-housing cover goes, and possibly extends to bolt into some of the other fixing/mounting points around the end of the power head, then allows you to use a screw to bear-down against the rotor bolt? Seems like that would spread the forces in a better way than your existing puller.
Great stuff. You are kind. The power head had all earmarks of botched reassembly after a repair attempt. Someone left something loose and it found its way into the fan. Could even have been a chunk of the brush that started a chain of destruction.
Jim, ~8 minutes in: "This should be an easy fix"... me, looking at the 56 minute video length, "Ummm...." 🤣😂😁
I did the samething😂😂😂😂😂
lol, get out of my head
Exact same thing!! 😂
Good find! I would imagine most shops wouldn’t have load tested more than a small load and shipped it out the door. I have learned a lot from your videos! Thank you for taking the time to help others!
Oh man I wish that generator could talk,,, it's obviously got one hell of a story to tell !!
While that amount of oil contamination is extreme, it does show how important clean oil is for the longevity of these filterless small engines. Absolutely love your videos and appreciate your expert editing. Would love to see more repair videos on small non-Honda suitcase generators. Keep up the good work!
Your videos are so interesting, educational, and constructive with your clear and precise dialogue. I am so fortunate to have found your channel. Great job!!
Thanks Jim
All that rust may indicate a flood damaged machine. Cleaned up nicely by the previous owner. Thanks man
James this is the reason why when I get ready to buy a generator I would rather buy one from you because someone that takes the time to do it right and takes pride in their work does not go unnoticed. I would dearly love to buy a generator from you sometime in the future only if you autograph it for me. Thank you and please keep up the good work I watch all your videos and try not to miss any.
I don't think there is a more reassuring and relaxing voice to listen to while watching repair videos.
The ghost of Bob Ross has entered the room…
What you NEVER want to hear when you open the oil drain! Great capture of that audio, but an unfortunate situation. James - your work, attention to detail, dedication to saving these machines, and soothing voice all come together in an awesome fashion. You inspire me to be more diligent in my reassembly of my machines and to not be so proud that I can get mine put together with less hardware than the factory ;)
I did notice during the video, that the engines side cover had an excess amount of orange RTV sealant on the gasket, leading me to believe the side cover has been off at some point recently. It does look like the engine has had water infiltration. Never a good sign when you hear tinkling noises when the oil hits the pan. Great video, I have learned some good knowledge about a generator. Thanks for doing these videos they are very well done.
same with heavy duty engines and rear,trans work not good to hear metal hit the pan when draining.
Note to self: when buying a used generator, bring a bunch of space heaters to test the health of the engine first.
Probably not the worst idea.
I think you mean the stator right?
@@evilredBorisThe power head is driven by the engine. If the engine is down on power it could stall under load. If the stator was not healthy it would either not power up at all or a leg would work and the other one won’t.
@9:30 A friend of mine had a Generac 5500 that stopped making power and it also had no continuity through the slip rings. I found the rotor winding was broken at the slip ring terminal likely due to combination of vibration and rotation fatiguing the wire (Like you describe @21:27). There was no epoxy / RTV or anything to prevent the wire from moving. Luckily, I was able to strip and solder the end of the winding back on the terminal. It's been working fine for about three years now.
Bit of bad luck with the engine.
You always leave me amazed and at a loss for words with the work and care you put into these machines. I would have NO problem buying a generator that you have worked on.
That was a very good and interesting final few minutes! You'd never imagine the internals could look that way.
My dad was an industrial mechanic for most of his days. Whenever we worked on engines together, he constantly talked about cleanliness and how any dirt would mix with oil to effectively make grinding compound. Looks like exactly what he was talking about 😊. My job was always scrubbing parts, so this was inspiration.
I have learned a lot about small engine repair watching your Videos
Yet another enginuity and correction of a faulty generator! Well done!
Wow! A whole hell of a lot work to find a double lemon. Thanks for showing all of it. It makes me think about analysis before dumping major parts in a project. A bore scope is on my shopping list. ............. This video does help me! ...........
Thanks for the very methodical and meticulous diagnosis and explanation! It bites that this generator need/needed a lot of work and parts; it goes to show that you never know what you’ll get until you try and work on it. 👏 P.S.- That oil change…. Oof..
Wow we are in for a treat
This vid was like a master class in generator repair; from the power head to the engine. Love the channel!
i have the same genset and original complaint. engine runs/no output. Thanks for the tour, know what to look for, awesome job.
Wow, your friend got punted a real lemon there.someone knew what they were getting rid of there. But that's the gamble you take when buying stuff like this.
Thanks James for all your great videos. I know the engine on this unit is done for, but I would love to see a full tear down, as well as the rebuild of the generator when a suitable engine becomes available. It would be interesting to know what caused the damage, and what the bits of junk in the oil are. BTW, the audio caught the sound of the 'bits' hitting the tray really well when you emptied the oil.
I plan to do a tear down once I locate a suitable replacement engine. For now, much easier to keep it all together.
@@jcondon1 Hello James. I have a GP7500E with probably around 250 hours on it and it needs a stator/rotor assembly, but the engine runs great. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it yet but it sounds like my engine could be a possible candidate for replacing yours. If there is a way I can get in touch with you please let me know and I'll contact you to discuss it. Regards Richard
I love your current test bed, never a dull moment. A bore scope is a miraculous tool in this case wow. Someone got burnt on this deal. Sometimes another bad carb would be welcome, ouch. Excellent video JC!!
Dziękujemy.
Thanks Aleksander
Hi, James. A disappointing surprise. Oh well. I was happy when you put away the razor and got out the snips! Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!
Happy Friday, James. FYI, could definitely hear the pebbles hitting the drain pan. Boroscope (sp.?) pictures stunningly clear! Surprised the engine didn't sound like a cat fight w or w/out loads..
Love your content. Surprised you don't have way-more viewers. Looking forward to the engine replace (rebuild,,,, I couldn't imagine the work!).
The engine sounded a little off without a load. Was thinking it has a clogged spark arrestor or maybe a bad bearing. Never imagined how bad it was.
well done James - lets see you work your wonders on Jason's machine later on in the year - Jason will be a bit disappointed that he has been mislead by the previous seller. excellent video again James.
I enjoy your videos. I like how you just calmly explain things with no drama like there is on other channels.
Oh dear what a bummer. That is typically what would happen to me. Great diagnosis. Thanks for the video.
Spot on Jim . I would have probably gone down a whole different path and checked the breakers and wiring first. Then the brushes and AVR. Glad you found the problem so quickly. Just junk.
We have used the th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
Just found your channel, its amazing. Im an amateur small
Engine mechanic myself. Truly enjoy your videos. Just subbed
Good catch on the camshaft. And measurement technique
That is an unusual one, suprised it ran as well as it did. Another great video, thanks James.
It ran pretty well without a load.
Wow you are fricking great at what you do. I have watched two of your videos and wow. Great work!
As you noted, someone had already been inside the machine and had to know that it was under water. Selling this to your friend was IMO, ripping him off. 🤬
Nice video on how to check the power head.
Another great analysis by JC.
That was an interesting one James. That thing was definitely "mistreated with extreme prejudice" at some point :) Thanks as always for the videos.
Cheers, Sev
Thank`s James!
Toenail clippers are the fastest tool to use for circumcising overzealous insulation tubing on electrical connectors.
Thank you- Nicely done! Be interesting to see what the compression is
Very good detective work Jim!
When you know your job the result is spectacular
I just bought one at a local Menards, storms knocked out power here in Michigan, 7150watts run, 8000 watts surge, and as usual, utility was restored as we fired up the new unit and a 800 watt load..ha
Great video. I learn something every video. Thanks for sharing.
That was a unexpected ending to a well done video...thanks 👍
Someone was in there before you. First sign, missing stator bolt, second, there was numbering on the terminal block. Never seen that before when you open up a generator. Third, broken brushes because the yanked the stator off without first removing the brushes. Forth, no broken fan bits inside.
I already love the story before listening to the whole thing
Good stuff.
I picked up a Guardian Generator 45822 which I think I remember is produced by Generac.
It's a future project and the story was that the carb might just need cleaned.
It didn't start after winter storage. A govdeals DPR purchase.
Not sure if any of this video will apply directly but cool video nonetheless.
Like you said, can't win them all, it's unfortunate the inside of that engine is in such bad shape and the camshaft is shot but I'm sure you'll find a replacement engine to fix that generator. Nice work as always James!
I will find an engine at some point.
I will find an engine at some point.
A U-boat captain was running this generator. Dive, dive, dive!
Another first for James Condon. At 4:45, the worlds first Gen-Cam.😁
Beautifully done James!
Interesting ending! What a lemon!
Awesome video for sure 👍
Just goes to show that just because it sounds okay doesn't mean it is. Good thing your eagle eye picked up the valve opening issue. Most people would have said "There you go it's running and producing power".
Hi James: you do enough generators, it might be worth making a growler. Finding opens is relatively easy with an ohm meter but detecting shorts can be more difficult. As a kid, we used to use what is called a growler to test armatures from car generators to test for shorts. On a stater you need an inside device rather than an outside one. My thinking is you could use a rotor as the inside coil. Most seem to have about 24 volts. I'd think a Variac ( adjustable auto transformer ) or a fixed 24 volt transformer would likely work. Anyway, it would be worth experimenting with. Just my thoughts.
The other way might be to use an AC current meter and use the rotor in the motor. One could use the auto transformer and bring the voltage up to some level of AC current.
Very interesting. Enjoyed that troubleshooting. Thanks for sharing
Hi James always love watching you work mate Great detection on your part thanks for sharing
Thanks Dean
Very nice diagnosis Jim. thanks for the video.
Very interesting analysis! I’m surprised there’s no sign of mud / water contamination inside the power head in between the windings. I wonder if that had something to do with the fan blowing apart too.
Many thanks for extra footage, excellent video as always 👍
Thanks! As usual great video, great troubleshooting, great information.
Thanks
I was only able to find the white/translucent zip ties with the bolt hole which I think do not have the photon/UV protection the black ones do. If you ever get a spare moment it would be great if you provided a link in your Amazon Store to the black ones. They are also used on boats for holding wiring harnesses along the length of the hull and such.
That genny definitely took a midnight swim😂😂
I guess it might be a good idea to inspect the oil from the get-go. If you had seen that from the start, it might have been a different story.
Super nice amp clamp/meter.
Super neat, anyway.
Did you see all the black soot on the top of the adapter plate? Looks like it was a light show In there, I'm guessing they took it apart and saw that and put it back together, seeing as the brushes were broken, I've forget to take them off the put the end cover back on and heard a crack, woups, great fix and great video
Great diagnosis!!! Thanks Jim!!!
Brilliant love your videos more please George in England Uk 🇬🇧🙏🇺🇸👍
I worked on some equipment from I think Germany that green wire was a hot leg with blue also hot rather black and white and red ! In our country !
Good video 👍 James
What a mess Good job as always
Excellent video. Thanks
Did you notice the new orange gasket maker on the head unit side of the block? Someone has been in the engine before.
Hi, as for the stator u can carry it to a motor repair shops and get it rewind.
That was a bummer, nice job James
I had a feeling at the beginning based on corrosion on some bolts that this gen set was out in the rain at least.
I’m sure you will get up and running again. I’ll be waiting for your next video
Its Chinese engineering that we all know is not of any good quality. I avoid these Generac units, (unlike the older US made, high quality industrial units) like the plague. Great processes you follow James, a well executed program that my Power Pro instructor back at Sheppard AFB, (back in 1982) would be excited to see. Keep up the outstanding work sir!
Hi James. Jason will be upset. He's invested quite a bit of money in this engine. Never mind, you may get it for 50 bucks. You also have invested quite a bit of time in it. Well, you can't win everyone. Thanks for sharing.
When buying used junk you probably get junk !
Probably someone's already looked at it & attempted repairs .
If you're unlucky it's faulty bits from multiple units in one nice looking package .
I don't work on portables much but did have a Generac with major engine issues with very low hours.....Engine was self destructing......Very poor quality machines and trust me I just spent time trying to fix a Generac 6.5 RV unit and said never again!! Generacrap is a better name for them....
I forgot to mention I’ve seen the Made in China base Generac portable 5.5’s more than once with very few hours and burned up brushes. 50 hours or less.
James, your knowledge supercedes your ability to diagnose the main problem.
And your garage/work shop is almost every man dream to have with the tools to diagnose the problem.
Keep posting as your post help all DYIers that try and make it live longer.
Michael
The lack of apparent damage to the inside of the fan housing is interesting to me. If the fan came apart while running, there would have been damage to that area. It's almost like someone put the bad rotor and stator on knowing they were bad.
I agree Dennis
Good catch
another great video with a twist
Bummer, James...!
thank you james
Very interesting thanks for the movie
Great explanation of how the connections are configured.
Great content as usual!
I wonder if the used the fan to break the motor free at some point. Got it running and the fan they cracked let go destroying the power head.
I saw a video on a Kawasaki belt driven generator on AJ restoration that was the first time I saw a belt driven generation power machine 👍👍
Bruce recently had a belt drive Honda on his channel.
Hey I like your videos do you repair generators for other people or just for TH-cam
I only repair generator for friends, family or subscribers that live local. Do not advertise. They just find me.
Wonder if the generator head fan damage was from running when the water hit it?
I really enjoy your videos. I was wondering what brand oil you recommend. I understand oil is oil but I’m curious
Couldn't you make a puller that bolts on to the holes where the end-housing cover goes, and possibly extends to bolt into some of the other fixing/mounting points around the end of the power head, then allows you to use a screw to bear-down against the rotor bolt? Seems like that would spread the forces in a better way than your existing puller.
Great stuff. You are kind. The power head had all earmarks of botched reassembly after a repair attempt. Someone left something loose and it found its way into the fan. Could even have been a chunk of the brush that started a chain of destruction.
somebody that did not know how to pull rotor used something trying to pry rotor off and broke fan?
You should be using lacing cord ,with heat the tie wrap could pop and back to square one.
After seeing the overall condition of the bottom, I'm surprised it ran as good as it did.
I'm wondering if that missing bolt causeed an imbalance that caused the internal damage???