Troubleshooting a Porter Cable Generator That Will Not Start
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Picked up this Porter Cable generator recently. It has compression, but showing no signs of life.
Generator Model: BSI525-W
Engine Model: 205412-0194-E1
Built April 25th 2003
OEM Wheel Kit Number: GA200
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Found rubber leg tips at Home Depot tonight. www.homedepot.com/p/203661030
Yeah.
That looks like a good vintage.
I don't care if that is "corrosion" or not.
What ever it is, it's SCARY.
Looks like the inside of a spittoon.
James...I would consider You to be one of the Top Five best small engine mechanics on TH-cam. As always...great video.
Thanks 👍
@Chuck Lind +1 Agreed
Same
BigBitch thanks
I’ve only got three or maybe four in the small engine category, besides mustie1 who am I missing? James you’re great but I need more than two hours of small engine repairs in my life each week.
Worked like a charm,mainjet was blocked ,thank you for posting this✝️✝️✝️
The generator whisperer :) keep it up sir
Will do!
Is sabotage (of the tank) a good guess. Or some child experimenting with places chocolate can go?
This is exactly the type of stuff I like to do. Nice video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hello Peter, Yup, me too. between restoring a BS cast iron 23 engine and getting her to put out. I mean the gener8or. yup it is a fine hobby.
You are one of, if not the best small engine channels on the tube sir.
Hey James, Pat here from Toronto. I just came across your video and Bingo, just what I need. I just acquired a Champion 9000 that’s been sitting under cover, in a garage and not started for at least 8 yrs. So far all I’ve done is check the oil (full & clean) found it has about 2” of gas in the tank and wiped the dust & droppings off of it. I’m almost scared to look in the carb.bowl, if it’s as bad as yours, I’ll likely try to get a new one. The fun starts tomorrow (Sat.). Thanks for bein’ there for guys like me, that have the ‘want to’ but lack ‘the know how’.
enjoy. time well spent seeing how things work
Another great video James. I've never seen a carb so dirty in my life. Great job on those wheels.
Believe it or not, I have seen worse.
Really?...I've seen some bad ones when someone chucked sugar in the companies gas tanks but that looked more like saw dust in that carb.
Nice wheel addition, that’s what I call Value Added!!
Yes and pretty easy to do. I generally do not buy generators without a wheel kit. They are a lot harder to sell.
That Mcculloch I’m working on gas none, I may add one if the customer wants to pay. Cheap fix, big results!
@@KensSmallEngineRepair any luck with that one and the power issue?
Waiting for the customer to drop back off. I’d like to put wheels on it!
Doc., you did it again. Great job on the axle brks and handles . I've never seen a bowl that bad, wow.
Surprised though that the carb was not corroded.
Great video. I like how you mixed it up and showed us how to make brackets and handles. I suggest you find some sort of rubber feet for the bottom of the handles. That should keep the open ends at the bottom from filling up with grass and dirt. Keep it up James!
I just suggested the same thing before seeing your comment.
I agree, been looking for something to put on there.
@@jcondon1 try fitting some rubber replacement feet for outdoor chairs/furniture. They have all different sizes. Maybe a marine store
@@jackmahogovv Me too...👌🇦🇺
@@jcondon1 How about a couple of split tennis balls like elderly put on walkers.
If you wanted to put rubber feet on the legs you can use cane or walker feet. Great video thank you
You can get bicycle handlebar caps from Amazon/Aliexpress cheap.
Looked like someone tried to make coffee with that carburetor.
Yes, it look like coffee grounds.
I bought a wheel kit for my generator at harbor freight. It is similar to that one. My generator is a little bigger than that one. I didn't like the wheel kit because the generator was heavy enough that it was difficult to lift so I went to back to Harbor freight and bought 4 of the heaviest castors that had the right bolt spacing to fit on the generator and used the handle from the original wheel kit. Moves easily now.
I hope you watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html this is a very important thing to know about operating portable generators. This is not a joke. Everyone really needs to know this one. Please watch this video to be aware with generator safety. Some people don’t listen to warnings. I just care about people who had portable generators.
Always awesome when another one of your videos come out!
Thanks
I had usually pull gas tank off after draining it and blasted with dawn dish soap and water and blowed it out and let it sit out in the sun a couple of hours to ensure a great gas tank system . But it takes longer , but you got it running . Thanks for the video , you've taught me some things watching you .
That would have worked.
You are a renaissance man. Bringing new life to unloved machines. Hard to resist watching the whole job right up to the end.
That was a really good video, love wheel kit you put together...
Thanks 👍
Was expecting to see James add a couple of rubber feet/caps to the bottom of handle tubes for the finishing touch👌🇦🇺
Another successful mission completed man. I had no doubts you will get it running again.
james is the best... he is like a top notch doctor with excellent patient care and excellent bedside manner. Another awesome video from james MD ( Machine Doctor) Thank you sir james...
Thanks Rey.
Another great Video. Im learning a lot from you James. I now have 7 restored to running / working condition.
Great to hear!
I’m not saying I know better, but I would recommend using a plastic scraper for non corroded aluminum, that way you don’t invite future corrosion with scratches
I hope you watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html this isn’t a joke. Everyone really needs to know this. A lot of people died from carbon monoxide. Please be aware with it. I just hope people that use portable generators are aware with the safety. Thanks. And please leave a comment on this video.
I like working on briggs and stratton motors they clean up pretty easy and there carbs are way easier to get cleaned out
I agree. Briggs are a pleasure to work on. I even like the Nikki carbs.
@@jcondon1 yeah the Nikki carbs are great to work on
I just picked one of these up for free! Besides cleaning the standard varnish in the carburetor, here's my journey to get it to run:
The previous owner let it be know at original pick-up, that it leaked fuel from the carburetor. "No, worries," I thought, "Most likely, the float valve is stuck open with crud."
The first thing I do is attempt to pull the carburetor... However, someone had chewed up the male-headed Torx mounting studs... Nice! FYI, those studs are unobtainium. However, they can be easily removed by using the two air box mounting nuts back-to-back.
I cleaned the carb spotless and reassembled. During testing I was treated to a pee puddle of fuel from the carburetor... In we go again! IMPORTANT! Examine the fuel inlet port inside the float bowl n the die-cast body of the carb (between the metal and plastic float/jet carrier). On mine, there's a small O-ring separate from the molded whole float bowl O-ring. The little O-ring was roached, requiring replacement (B&S part number 698781). It's easy to overlook this extremely important sealing O-ring. And, it was this bad part which was allowing a constant flow of fuel from the tank to the float bowl when the petcock was open.
Once the fuel pee puddle problem was rectified, I tuned the throttle stop screw and governor spring tension for a perfectly functioning 3k watt load. It will be a nice unit! Synchronized with my other 5k watt example, it will run the whole house even in the Summer with the HVAC system in the mix.
That little o ring is often overlooked. Double nutting the studs works or a torx E2 socket if I remember right. Of coarse once chewed up all bets are off.
Another great video haven't seen a porter cable generator in forever brushless power head nice
You are truly a man if many talents. Hack- I learned that applying hairspray or spray paint to the inside of grips make them easy to apply and stick them in place once dry. But looks like you did just fine! Thanks for sharing
Hey for future reference from working on a ton of dirt bikes. There is a very easy way of getting rubber grips on bars. Take a blow gun with your air compressor. An shoot air in the back side of the grip wile you push it on . They go one like butter.
I love these types of videos. Just a walkthrough on it. So simple and enjoyable to watch. Keep it up!
Thanks, will do!
That’s a nice job on the handle & wheels, I’ve never seen a float bowl full of black stuff like that especially with a plastic gas tank. I enjoy your videos, keep em coming! 😎
Thanks
Nice job, once again. (Plastic end caps on the bottom of the new handles/stands would've made me happy)
Yes, made a trip to Home Depot and found just that.
Ever since fall weather started I can't find any more generators in my area. Good to see you are still finding them.
They are getting harder to find and even harder to sell.
I was watching you run it after you cleaned the carb and was thinking to myself that this looks like a hernia generator with no wheels on it. Not a minute later you're building a wheel kit for it! Nice work.
Thanks
Nice, efficient diagnosis. No waste of time. Good repair vid.
Thanks
Like you, I don't think I have ever seen a carb bulb filled with so much gunk. Can't imagine what in the world this could be, especially since there was a fuel filter.
I hope you watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html nobody should ignore this.
that Briggs sounds really good after the carb overhaul
GREAT repair and fab job. You always use a gentle touch like that of a surgeon or dentist. I can not help but notice nearly all your tools look new which tells me you may also be new to saving generators but your extensive knowledge is VERY impressive.
Please do not be offended by a few suggestions.
To install that tiny jet, poke your cleaning wire through from the other side of where it goes and use it as a guide to keep the jet orientated as you seat it.
If you place a solvent dampened shop towel in the tank and blow compressed air in the tank, the towel will do an energetic dance in every corner while picking up debris and soaking up old fuel. More than one session may be needed depending on the amount of contamination and old fuel.
Cut-off wheels can explode, especially the cheap ones from Horrible Freight so leather gloves are strongly recommended when using all cut-off wheels and grinding disks.
When the ignition for an engine running at full speed is turned off and the engine slows down, the governor opens the throttle wide open. This causes the engine to suck in a rich fuel/air mixture, thus washing down the cylinder walls. It is always my habit to force the throttle to the idle position, allowing a hot engine to cool down and then I kill the ignition but to each his own.
Please watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html this is really what people really needs to know about operating portable generators. It’s not a joke. Please watch this video to be aware with generator safety. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Thank you.
Nicely done as usual. Good job working outside you comfort zone bending the conduit and making the brackets.
Thanks
Fabrication with metal is fun, a press, bender, milling machine, Lathe, welder, the possibilities are endless, also a plastic 3D printer you could save hundreds of dollars making your own parts.
They even have metal 3 D printers as well, you can make anything !!!!! They are even 3 D printing houses now.
Smitty
Someday would love to get that stuff. Need a bigger space.
Sometimes when adapting one engine to fit another unit little things don't add up but through perseverance you seem to get most going. I hope you get the value you are adding because people should have no fear when buying one of your fixed units. A lot of times you do the professional thing and go the extra step for proper function. Sometimes I think they may run better than new, but other times they fade under rated load for unknown reasons. You could always tell the guy what it does and use it accordingly.
Nice work making brackets to hold the wheels 👌
My humble advice... if you need to put wheels on a generator, use hard plastic wheels. I swapped pneumatic wheels for hard plastic on mine. One less thing to maintain. Pneumatic wheels slowly lose air over time.
Two black crutch tips from HD you're done ! Nice work .🔧
Excellent score and nice metal working. I have done similar jobs with fewer tools. It isn't the amount of equipment, it is the innate ability of the user. You have the ability.
Thanks
I had the same problem with a generator like this. The tank was clean but the steel shutoff and bung had rusted and filled the plastic tank with junk. I had to hose out the tank to get it clean!
Yeah this is a Devilbiss head unit. Stanley bought them out and they also have the Dewalt Gen sets that are the same units.
after watching about 10 of your videos, I have a hard time understanding why ANYONE. would do a thumbs down???.. Your videos are wicked awesome. I am wishing you would do a HONEYWELL Generator.. i have a 7500e Honeywell.. and would love to watch you do a repair or clean of one.. Cheers!!
Nice looking handles
3.15.21 Nice job James way to go.
Northern Tool has a table top bender for about 120.00 . I have one and it works really good 👍
Nice job, nice genarator. I repaired two of those Nikki carburetors last week, one was totally junk, used it for parts, the other was o.k. after I ran it thur my ultra sonic cleaner. Someone told me that there is a carb that will replace the Nikki but I can not remember who makes it or the model number of it. Thanks for the great video.
Walbro. Sometimes the engine diagram will list both the Nikki and the Walbro part numbers.
It's amazing what you can do with a few tools. I run a minimal shop, and have done a lot with it! Nice work, and thanks for the great vids.
Enjoyed this one. That carb was nasty but cleaned up well. I appreciated that you cleaned up what you could before the ultrasonic cleaning. Not everybody does that, and some of their ultrasound units are downright filthy. Glad to see that you wired every passage. You did quite OK with your metal work.
Thanks
For the main jet turning when you drop it down that channel: put your thin wire up through the hole and drop the jet down over the wire and it won’t flip over.
Hz and voltage is great at 3000 watts nice she is a keeper
Great job James , Love the wheel kit and handles ! ENJOYED
Thanks 👍
A set of electric guitar strings cut down to short lengths make good jet cleaners and come in a lot of sizes.
Good timing. I have this generator and it is not running. Thanks I will have a go at it.
Good luck!
That was some great work fabricating up the brackets for the wheels and the handles, excellent work James!
Thanks
Top notch work, really like the “handle kit” idea too. Good to see another brushless, didn’t know they made them bigger than 6.5HP 3500 watt units.
Going to try to get mine running with your video assistance. Thanks for posting your work!!
Nice job with the wheels and handles. Make it way better and increases the value.
Nice job on the wheels and handles.
I have had multiple versions of the generator and in every case the petcock has failed. In the off position fuel still trickles into the carburetor. Beaware!!! Nice video Thanks
I enjoy your videos even though I have never even owned a generator. 😄
Great job on the wheel kit.
Thanks. And if you ever do, you will know how to take care of it and fix it.
This reminds me a lot of a Mustie1 video, great job!
Now THAT is a compliment!!
Wow, thanks! That one is hard to live up to.
You got chips to go with that dip? Lol. Great video. Thank you.
That gunk in the carburetor bowl is a common sign that the fuel had STABIL in it and it broke down, I have seen that many times as a small engine mechanic, Try using Startron, it works much much better and it has never failed me.
Or don't leave any fuel in the gas tank for extended periods of time. That's what I do (drain the fuel out and use it up) and it's a must with today's poor quality gas infused with ethanol. The ethanol absorbs water which causes corrosion on any and all metal parts.
@@1575murray True, but you truly never can get the gas it of it entirely, thats another reason i use a stabilizer thats proven to work. I run my generator every other month and have been using startron for over 12 years, always starts right up with a full tank that gets cycled out every 6 months to a year.
I put a set of those Harbor Freight pneumatic tires and wheels on my 5500 General SE. Unfortunately, they seep air and go flat. :(. On an emergency back up generator, unless you’re into topping
off the air at least weekly, I don’t find them to be a good choice. I replaced them with solid rubber tires and wheels.
Good to know.
nice handle rebuild too
Where do you live I enjoy your programs so much. sure woke me up as to how to store my gern. I live in Canada province of Saskatchewan. My city is Saskatoon and the lake I have my cabin at is Dore Lake, I would love to take you up for a fishing trip. I guess that you are the most program that I watch. I should be able do a carb job one my own but I am a chicken when it comes to things like that,, I just turned 79 and I don't feel as quick with things as I used to. I just marvel at your skills, Roger
Fishing sounds nice, but it is a 38 hour drive from NY :(
Put rubber tips on bottom of handles, like you see on crutches, Prevents scratch marks on floor.
Those handles look good you really can’t tell they are home maid. Great job! only 1 suggestion for today. As you know from working on these carbs they have super tiny ports and the carbs fuss over the smallest stuff. If you have any left over debris, water, or old fuel in the tank it will definitely find it’s way into the carb sooner than later. Good news is all you have to do with the tank usually is clean out with a good degreaser and pressure wash then let it completely dry over a few days in the sun. Don’t wana rush that part, even with a fuel filter, it will all make it’s way into the bowl eventually. Sounds crazy but you almost have to be surgical clean with the carbs and tanks to get them perfect and reliable now days and the ports are only getting smaller my friend 🙃 great video as always!
Please note the gas line filter type and installed orientation (vertically). I saw a like in other video installed horizontal which caused flow problem, when trap air inside gets hot. The remedy to horizontal mount should be to prime it after each empty tank event.
I have learned so much from watching your videos. I found one of these, the guy wants $450.00 thinking about it.
great video .....keep them coming....you can use the rubber tips used on walking canes on the bottom of the handles.....
Funny you mention that. Was going to steal those from Nana's walker, but then thought better. Will find something to cap those legs.
Good video. I really like the custom wheel kit. One suggestion I have is for your handles. You may want to put some sort of flared end cap of some sort on the handles where they sit on the ground. If it is wet at all the vibration is going to make those dig into the ground in no time.
I agree. Would like to add something there.
@@jcondon1 Get some folding chair feet from the hardware store.
2 AM will make a trip to the hardware store and pickup something.
Again, Bravo on this restoration.
Thanks
It looked like spent coffee grounds in the carb bowl. 🤣🤣 Another awesome job. Loved the homemade brackets ,axle and handle s. Well done.👍👍P.S......as you pointed out from 2007 forward Briggs omitted the oil sensor switch to save a few pennies. Really dumb cost savings move. Just another small example of why they crashed and burned.
Yes, that was something they should not have cut. Just picked up another Briggs 10 horse engine yesterday that ran out of oil. Also worked on a Briggs Elite generator recently which has a Chinese engine on it..... Not looking good for Briggs.
@@jcondon1 Totally agree. I know Ducar makes a lot of engine for Pulsar and Powerhorse gensets. The Loncin Motor company bmakes engines for Harbor Freights line of Predator gensets.
I pulled tge same pie her cable out if the metal pile and this was tge carb. I cleaned it up and it started hard ti believe.
Excellent work!
You've "generated" quite a following!
I enjoy all your videos, thank you! 👌👌
You can cap off the ends of that conduit with plastic caps available at Ace Hardware. I mean on the bottom so the ends don’t collect dirt plugs. Or, conduit plugs that stub out an end in typical applications, available at the same isle likely that you purchased the pipe. Or, even PVC caps will work. Cheers.
Good job on the handles
Thanks
A couple of rubber cane tips and that looks factory!
Good video, I have the same generator and just want to share a problem I had. I was shutting off the fuel valve to run the bowl dry when the whole valve pulled out of the bottom of the gas tank. Luckily I was able to turn off the engine and flip the generator on its side. Turns out the grommet that the fuel petcock pushes into had rotted, most likely because of ethanol. I bought a new grommet on Amazon and replaced it. So you may want to check the grommet for any cracks and replace it. I bought mine on Amazon, Devilbiss N103455 Generator Fuel Shut-Off Valve Grommet, $12.15 and free shipping.
Yes, that is a common problem with the plastic tanks. This bushing looked ok, but it does not take much to pull them out. The Husky HU5000 actually puts the fuel valve on the outlet. Does not take much effort to pull the hole thing out of the tank when turning the fuel valve off. Plastic tanks are good because they do not rust, but that bushing seems like a design flaw.
People really needs to know about operating generator safely th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html I hope some people will see this video on this link. This is what people really needs to know about and it’s not a joke. I’m just being helpful. Thank you
Watching you work has taught me alot about generators. You sure know how to trouble shoot problems. I would like to know what chemicals you are using in your ultrasonic carburetor cleaning machine?
Harbor Freight Super Heavy Duty Degreaser
Harbor freight also sells two different wheel kits.
I watch at 2x speed, and 9:05 sounds like the intro of Land Down Under.
-People: "But Mr. James, the missing parts are no longer avalaible"
-Mr. James: "Hold my Beer"
Nice
Please watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html this is not a joke. Everyone really needs to know about this generator safety video on this link. Nobody should ignore it. I just want to make sure you’re not ignoring warnings about generator hazards. I’m just being kind and nice video. Thanks. Be sure to leave a comment on this video.
Couldn’t get the choke assembly loose on my porter cable generator. Did spray it down with carb cleaner. Replaced a very carbon scorched spark plug but it still wouldn’t start. Then on a whim I checked the oil. Low oil, so it shut down automatically l changed the oil and it’s purring like a kitten.
Absolutely great video. Job well done on the wheels and the handles. Made this thing look almost brand new even the way it ran sounded as if it was a new machine.
My only one thing I would say is you could have done better was taking the entire fuel tank off and washing it out to clean all that nasty stuff out as opposed to just using a towel.
But it did do the job so I won't complain too much... lol... Good job!
I agree on the tank. Ended up draining it later and cleaning is again.
Good job. Only thing I would have done differently, is take off the fuel tank, and fill it full of hot soapy water, and flush it out.
Put old tennis balls on the bottom of the black brackets you made. Like they do with walkers in retirement homes.
That should keep those pipes from sinking into soft dirt.
Nice repair. Wish I could find something like that.
I wouldn't have put handles on it though. For one thing they take up room. I would have put a 2x4 or similar underneath as a foot to keep it level, and just grabbed it by the frame when I needed to move it. Or I might put a couple casters underneath instead of the 2x4.
I wouldn't use any pneumatic tires because they can be troublesome. Solid rubber or molded plastic like you have will be better.
You scared me when you stuck that drill in the jet. I'd have sooner replaced the jet. Also surprised that you reused the fuel filter after you found that massive crud in the bowl.
Bro that thing sure doesn't look 17 years old, looks like it just came out of the box. Might be an idea to put some small feet on the bottom of the legs, the open holes could punch holes in soft ground or leave scratches on floors.
Nice work... great job on the handles!
Hola amigo exelente video muy instructivo. Gracias.
TH-cam channel Marty T has a review of a Ulefone Armor 9 smartphone from banggood that includes infrared with the phone as well as an attachment that has a borescope that you can use to record video. It would be great if you could do a video of some of your tools like that grabber you used to clean out the gas tanks. A separate video for each engine manufacturer going over the major problems and issues you've encountered and how you deal with each would be pretty useful also. Ditto for the generators themselves. Keep up the great work!
The infrared can be used to detect heat problems with engines as well as any wiring or electrical components. Mustie1 found an electrical component on his forklift that was causing the run problems with it after 15 minutes. He found it the old-fashioned way with his hand, but anything that showing excess heat in an electrical system obviously has some resistance that needs to be looked at.
Awesome James👍..Bahaha🤪......that carb bowl is absolutely THE WORST I'VE EVER SEEN...Looked like someone scraped their BBQ and couldn't think of where to hide the sludge..'oh here we go, we'll put it in this carburetor bowl for safe keeping'...
5:46..The bowl leaps off the carby all by itself?...it says 'F. this, I'm outa here.' It was feeling a little dirty just being there!!...lol🤣👍🇦🇺
Never had a carburetor bowl eject itself from a carburetor. Usually I have to hit it a few times to break it free. This one definitely could not wait to be cleaned.
@@jcondon1 Yeh, that was another first for me too. After thinking about it a little, I can only assume it was so well blocked up that it couldn't vent, and after it sat a few seconds with the screws removed, perhaps the warmth from your hands or camera/shop lights combined with fuel vapours etc was enough for some pressure to build up inside and....pop!....no camera trickery or editing required🤣👍🇦🇺
Nice for such a old unit to have brushless power don't see that now days they went back to brushed power heads and the solid rubber tires are better then the pneumatic tires from hf for items like this well for me they are I have 1000s of stickers in my yard so pneumatic tires go flat fast
pneumatic are nice when they are full of air. But they are always flat and off the bead when you need them.
@@jcondon1 yep exactly 💯