James, as a gearhead and retired mechanic I just keep getting drawn back into your videos, video after video! The first one I watched was your repair of the Honda 2000i two of which I owned for 17 years. After seeing and learning that they do not have removable heads it made me thankful they are so reliable (with proper maintenance) and won't need teardowns for years. I now own two of the 2200i models that I converted to run on propane which is easier to store long-term. I am transfixed by all your videos on genset repairs as I am keenly interested in gensets of all kinds. It's worth mentioning your video quality is superb and your detailed narration is tops. Thank you for your willingness to share your expertise and experience.
Beautifully engineered oil plug and engine mounts. I could never spell "engineer," now I are one! Must have been a former DOT engineer designed that one.
Engineers may design something right. But the accountants get the final say in the matter. Those motormounts were probably cheaper than the mount specified.
If I'd touched that wire, it would have kicked me across the drive! You kill me with the simplicity you show it to be, and it's just amazing me. Enjoying the video.
I want to share that someone brought your channel to my attention from another very knowledgeable channel. Mustie1 and you are my ‘go to’ small engine sources now. I’m so glad someone made a comment about you and I am happy to say that my most trusted source has been multiplied by 2. You are both so through and informative it is a absolute pleasure every time. Thanks ❤😊
Since I a posted this comment I bought an hertz meter and did a overhaul on a EB2200 Honda Generator that sat for more than 20 years. Now it starts on the first or second pull and I have power source for my fridge. I start it on the first of every month.
I want to thank you so much man. I had a genny failure today and managed to swap out the exhaust and muffler on to an otherwise working generator with a broken muffler. Might seem like a small thing to you 'handy' guys but I am an accountant by trade. Huge sense of accomplishment when that little guy started up! Now I must go and have at least 3 showers. I have oil in places I didnt know I had places!
When I am in a rush I don't bother with the lower plug. Just remove the filler-dipstick and tilt the whole generator over an oil pan. It drains in ten seconds and removes all the crud in the engine.
Just came in the house after doing some season-end maintenance on a few of my yard toys. After watching this vid, now I find out I have to wait a week for part 2. Because of you, James, now I'm having to sit through a a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel with my wife. AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH ...... thanks, James
After watching a dozen or so of your videos on generators I have come to the conclusion that people who buy and own generators either dont know how to service/repair then and either cannot find someone to work on them or fixing them is cost prohibitive. Amazed how many you fix with so little parts just test, clean, adjust, bang another Genny back in action. Keep up the good work.
I'm not very good at electric stuff. I have also never gave OHMs much credit. But watching this.....? Tests done by resistance. I never realized how important it really is. But it gives us the answers we seek. And we are not out just guessing and buying parts we think are bad. This tells us. I have already repaired several generators by using what I have learned at this site. Great stuff.
I been learning to fix my own 4 lawn mowers since retiring some years back, and I always wanted to learn about working on generators since I have one sitting in my garage (new ), if I need it for any future power blackouts This video has helped me get a better understanding of the ins and outs of Gasoline Generators. Anxiously waiting for Part II. Thanks.
A big thank-you. Your explanation about the oil module just confirmed my suspicion on my genny. Even after my local small engine shop swapped out the carb, the motor would stall out after about 5 or 10 minutes. While working on it myself, I accidentally left the oil module dangling (not knowing what it is) and the genny ran perfectly for many hours during a two-day power outage. I couldn't figure out what that was, but desperation meant I had to leave it off. Now that I know what I need to buy, I can finally fix it correctly.
When the pressure washer was close to your shoes, I was literally cringing, those pressure washers can be dangerous. But you make great videos and bringing back to life all these generators which were perfectly good, it saves people money buying new gensets and save all these waste, because although the materials might be recycled but the energy required to recycle these will be additional energy which can be saved by repairing and use these gensets.
Into the panel! Now we get to the fun stuff instead of just changing gas & oil and cleaning the carb. Looks like a real problem instead of just a lack of maintenance.
Awwww...the old Mustie part 2 trick on this one, eh!? You get a pass since it's rare that you do it! 😉 Really great dump find and intricate troubleshooting on this one. Much of which would likely have gotten past me. Kudos to you for committing to getting it right, as usual, so when the new owner takes receipt it won't be coming back because of something you missed or took a shortcut on. Speaks volumes for your character and dedication, Jim. Thanks again for the ongoing education and fantastic video quality and editing!
@@jcondon1 And we appreciate that too! Even if it results in the occasional 2nd video for part 2. We trust you as you are clearly doing something right!
Excellent video James: Please check the valve adjustment. I get in lots of Honda's that the valves are way out of adjustment. Thanks for a great video.
I have been watching your videos for awhile and enjoy watching your troubleshooting techniques. This one had more than the norm. I appreciate your time and diligence in the videos.
A contractor needs a generator that works so that he can get his job done. If you took this to a small engine repair shop and asked them to do all the work that James is doing, the cost would be more than the value of the generator. A lot of times people will bring their generators to a shop and abandon them there when they get the estimate and then the shop takes them to the scrapyard when their junkpile gets too big. This doesn't look like one that went thru a shop because the shops will often cannibalize valuable parts before scrapping.
I enjoy watching you videos , I live in the northeast coast of the USA in the countryside where generators are a must have, mine is 16 hp Vanguard twin full pressure lubrication oil filter contractor model that has its own gen shack to keept it outr of the elements. Proper mantainance is key to keeping the portable working properly , of course even with the best of care they can fail. In my area it would be nearly impossible to find a generator in a dump or for sale cheap working or not , I would pick one up in a heartbeat to keep as a spare . I am well versed in small engine repair , through your videos I am learning more and more about the generator head side. I look forward to finding a gen set like your finds that needs a little tlc to rehab. Excellent videos, thanks
Note that rectifiers, even if arranged in a bridge, have a forward voltage drop of about .6 to 1.2v depending on load. It's just the way silicon diodes work. Which means that troubleshooting with a single cell battery of random state of charge is somewhat problemmatic. If your voltmeter has a diode test mode, use that. That said, the diodes should all be matched, and if you get different voltages, it probably means the unit is shot.
I'm hoping my big-battery "generator" and a couple of PV panels will take care of our needs in an outage, but these stories are inspirational in terms of finding affordable power.
I have two Craftsman 6500 generators and both went under water, the gas and oil looked like yours. I pulled the motors and the first thing I di was put a degreaser on it and pressure washed them. The carbs had to be put in a vat and rebuilt. removed cowls and cleaned all the rust and reset the gap and put all back together, new oil and fuel and It started on first pull.
What a terrible design to have the engine mount right in front of the oil drain nut. Great job on bringing it back from the dead. Awesome job on tracing down the electrical gremlins.👍👍. Imagine throwing something away that with a little patience you now have a working genny. Looking forward to part two next week......just a quick observation, NGK is also a brand name for great spark plugs.
Most generators only have one engine mount on each side of the engine. I am tempted to remove the extra set of mounts due to the drain plug issue. NGK is a great spark plug. This generator has 3 different names on it NAC, NGK and MMD. Not sure what to call it.
@@jcondon1 I did a little digging and found that MMD is a heavy machine mining company in India. I just couldn't make the connection to the generator manufacturing arm of the company.
I guess this is an intermission We'll have to go get pop corn and come back. You really do a great job with your videos. I don't even own a generator but if I ever get one and it gives me any trouble, I'm ready for it!
Very nice diagnostic evaluation on this generator. We have come across this spark plug boot issue of too much resistance on two Honda engines to date. Really that is not bad considering Jake has been working on small engine equipment for 9 years now and Honda or clones with similar spark plug boots are approximately 35% of the business. Looking forward to part 2 and the sticker is in the mail, the OLD MAN from EP over and out!
I have had similar problems with honda engines. the boot has a brass screw in the plug end of the boot that holds the resistor in place. Mine had vibrated loose and was allowing intermittent contact with the resistor forcing the spark to jump sooner and exterior of the engine, making it run rough. All i had to do was pull the screw, make sure the resistor was not damaged and reinstall the assembly. Problem solved. Great Vid. keep up the great work.
Thanks for sharing a lot of knowledge on how to diagnose issues. Construction equipment always has a hard life and often does not get the required maintenance. Looking forward to part 2. Dave.
I think you should review how to check the bridge rectifier. In theory you would not get anything through with a 1.5v cell as the diodes forward voltage drop would eat that up. You may have gotten the 1.5 volts through because it's bad. You can check a bridge using the diode checker of your meter, or use a 9v battery. Your videos are awesome BTW.
Your Multimeter might have a diode test mode. It shows the voltage drop on a diode. It should show about 0.5 to 0.7 Volt in "pass" direction and nothing in the "block" direction. Test all four diods in bridge rectifier and you could be sure it is good. (just checked the video: Your multimeter has a diode test mode)
@@jcondon1 For future reference, the forward voltage drop of a single silicon diode is generally 0.6 volts, so the voltage drop of a bridge rectifier (through two diodes) would be 1.2V. A very fresh 1.5V cell might put out something like 1.7V meaning that you'd expect to get no more than 0.5V out of the bridge rectifier and usually less than that.
These things have gotten crazy complicated. Like auto technicians getting out of the field, I see these going throwaway. I just worked on an old Craftsman roto tiller. A flat head Briggs and everything designed to be serviced. That tiller will be digging dirt, long after I'm planted.
Very thorough troubleshooting and diagnosis, can’t wait for part II. I’m surprised they let you take things from the dump, around here they’ll call the police on you and press charges if you try to remove anything from the dump site.
@@jcondon1 oh, I gotcha. I know a couple of scrapper guys who sometimes sell broken mowers at bargain prices like that and it’s great for us folks who like to repair / rescue stuff. Where my sister lives up in MA they have a “swap” section at the town dump for people to take items that may still be useable which makes a lot of sense. NJ is the opposite of course!
I was at my local transfer station to drop off my recycle and saw a pressure washer there with a Honda GX200. Grabbed it and discovered the pump must not have been drained and had frozen and cracked but the motor was perfect. Replaced the pump and have a nice pressure washer for 1/4 the cost of new.
Are you a power generation equipment technician? I was a sonar technician in the Navy (advanced electronics) and a prime power production technician (52E) in the Army. Was hired by Detroit Diesel with six months before retiring and worked in field service for several years, as well as the test cell and finally as a pricing analyst/production scheduler. I miss troubleshooting generator/electrical issues, switch gear and paralleling problems. Engine work is the easiest to diagnose but, electrical/electronics are maddening. Great video btw 😎🤘🤘🤘
@@jcondon1 great job! Rewiring stators/rotors and repairing circuit cards of voltage regulators…rectifiers, getting to a main seal in the freezing cold on the north slope, losing a gasket in the mud of fuel/water separator…man, you ‘must’ be having fun 😎 keep making the videos, and do you work on larger diesel or turbine gen sets? Friends and people I have talked to suggest I open a business repairing all of the tiny (20k and below) generators on all of the RV’s around here…avoid stress and enjoy life takes precedence atm. 🙂
JUST WOW… I don’t even know where to start nor end. Amazing free Honda Genset with key start and it works. Diagnostics on a bad coil boot amazing! On my Custom Ariens I upgraded the OEM coil to genset coils $100 value) Call me pre Madonna…I would have cleaned it before working on it 😂. Curious why you didn’t paint the black head cover when you took it off 🤣 Ever think to buy a 12v pump for the oil? I use it on mowers and mounted it on a pressure washer frame for a mobile oil changes
Hi James great class to day mate Knowledge is a wonderful thing built up over time A terrible frame design for the oil drain nut As for Honda engines keep the oil clean and they go on for ever looking forward to part 2 James
Just a thought - on the oil drain close-up I could see oil deposits above the fill plug toward the rear main seal. Could be worth watching since you cleaned it, now you can see if the seal may be leaking. Look forward to the next vid! Those Honda 13's are brutes! That one looks to be rode hard and put up wet.
I was concerned about the same. Will keep an eye on it. The breather was also missing so I am sure some oil came from that, but it is on the other side of the engine so would think the oil seal is more likely. Think this engine has a lot of hours on it.
Honda made millions of these engines but China has made TENS of millions so there must be 10 clones babies out there or more for every real Honda daddy engine.
Good morning James. That is a brand name of a generator, I've never heard of before. ???? Perfect video to be able to trouble shoot new different problems. Now we are left in suspense for the episode/conclusion of the repair of the unit. Looking forward to your next video.
This is an older "Made in Japan" generator - I think the whole thing was made in Japan, not just the genuine Honda motor. The generators we see today from China are essentially copies of these generators. The motors are part for part copies, to the point that Honda parts will fit on them and vice versa. We don't see these generators anymore because, given Japanese vs. Chinese labor costs the same generator made in Japan costs double or more. The Japanese ones are undoubtedly higher quality but not twice as good and in the end the longevity of the unit has as much to do with how it is abused later in life as the initial build quality.
Many people would feel better if they put in a "carb kit" or at least say they did but James knows better. :-) Difficult removal of drain plugs discourages changing oil.
I didn't know that those spark plug boots were attached that way. Thanks much - I learned something! :) Another excellent video. Looking forward to more as usual!!!
I'm not sure if anyone else caught this but the "oil module" that you unplugged and plugged back in was connected to a different wire when you disconnected it, I'm not sure if it was wrong when it came to you but I backed up the video to make sure and it was connected to the other wire, NOT the yellow wire. perhaps that might be what is wrong with it. Thanks for the videos... GOD Bless you...
Great Job James, again you got it going... Was thinking at worst you had a new carburettor but you’d think they’d change the fuel and fuel hose. Looked like 2-stroke fuel I couldn’t imagine the smell.
Originally from NEO myself. It seems Jim has a connection to the dump that lets him know when they have such things. I think other creators have dump connections too.
Yes, I know someone who knows someone. Have a could others with stuck engines that came from the dump. Will get to those next. Not as promising as this one. Would say 50% of the ones trashes at the dump are because of a major issue.
In the beginning of this video you showed us the Honda GX 309 ( basically the gold standard of horizontal small engines ) and I thought all is well, why they made changing the oil next to impossible is beyond me
GX390. The position of the motor mount was determined by the generator mfr, not Honda. Show you though that even Japanese mfrs. are not beyond making bad design decisions.
Right away I could see the left GFCI is only a 15 Amp outlet. That and the color clearly indicate it was replaced. So, the factory GGCI outlets must have eventually given up the ghost.
Hi I wish you was in the UK you are fantastic you have helped me out so much with my generators I just have one now that I am struggling with I have rebuilt it 3 times and still can't get it to run properly
32:25 I would just add some solder to the abraded end of the wire, to build it up more and prevent it from further fraying; that way you could add the connector to the very end of the wire (i.e., without trimming it shorter) and still get adequate current-transfer to the connector.
Great video! Excellent troubleshooting, explanation of steps, breakdown of processes and overall knowledge shared. Very worthwhile and valuable video. Thank you!
Unlikely. It doesn't have any signs of being underwater. Like 2 or 3 videos ago, he had a generator that looked like it was underwater because it was covered in silt from top to bottom. There is not a drop of silt on this generator.
I agree, the rectifier looks bad, but not because of the 0.28V reading but because the 1,38V. In a typical bridge rectifier you loos about 0.6V per diode. If you test with a 1.5V batterie 0.2-0.3V is exactly what I would expect. If you not get a voltage drop of about 1.2V (like in your second try) than there is something wrong. A more precise way to test the bridge rectifier would be to use the diode tester in your meter and measure from AC input to DC output. You should have flow if you have black on the DC+ output and red on AC and with red on DC- and black on AC.
I have the exact same shoes. Lol. Found them in my exact size, at Goodwill for 5$... Especially since it's a good brand... great condition, didnt look like anyone ever wore them.
James, as a gearhead and retired mechanic I just keep getting drawn back into your videos, video after video! The first one I watched was your repair of the Honda 2000i two of which I owned for 17 years. After seeing and learning that they do not have removable heads it made me thankful they are so reliable (with proper maintenance) and won't need teardowns for years. I now own two of the 2200i models that I converted to run on propane which is easier to store long-term. I am transfixed by all your videos on genset repairs as I am keenly interested in gensets of all kinds. It's worth mentioning your video quality is superb and your detailed narration is tops. Thank you for your willingness to share your expertise and experience.
Thanks! Thankfully Honda's are reliable. The EU2000 and EU2200's are usually pretty bulletproof even when neglected.
Beautifully engineered oil plug and engine mounts. I could never spell "engineer," now I are one! Must have been a former DOT engineer designed that one.
That's why they put a Honda on it.
What idiot desined that frame?
Engineers may design something right.
But the accountants get the final say in the matter.
Those motormounts were probably cheaper than the mount specified.
James always leaves the audience wanting more. Good showmanship. Good for repeat viewers.
If I'd touched that wire, it would have kicked me across the drive! You kill me with the simplicity you show it to be, and it's just amazing me. Enjoying the video.
I want to share that someone brought your channel to my attention from another very knowledgeable channel. Mustie1 and you are my ‘go to’ small engine sources now. I’m so glad someone made a comment about you and I am happy to say that my most trusted source has been multiplied by 2. You are both so through and informative it is a absolute pleasure every time. Thanks ❤😊
Since I a posted this comment I bought an hertz meter and did a overhaul on a EB2200 Honda Generator that sat for more than 20 years. Now it starts on the first or second pull and I have power source for my fridge. I start it on the first of every month.
I want to thank you so much man. I had a genny failure today and managed to swap out the exhaust and muffler on to an otherwise working generator with a broken muffler. Might seem like a small thing to you 'handy' guys but I am an accountant by trade. Huge sense of accomplishment when that little guy started up! Now I must go and have at least 3 showers. I have oil in places I didnt know I had places!
I'm guessing this isn't your first fix
@@robertyearian227 it was actually!
@@bensmith1689 keep up good work bud
When I am in a rush I don't bother with the lower plug. Just remove the filler-dipstick and tilt the whole generator over an oil pan. It drains in ten seconds and removes all the crud in the engine.
I do like that this unit has more issues than normal. Great learning opportunity.
Just came in the house after doing some season-end maintenance on a few of my yard toys. After watching this vid, now I find out I have to wait a week for part 2. Because of you, James, now I'm having to sit through a a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel with my wife. AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH ...... thanks, James
Nice job tracing circuits, knowing the resistance of each is necessary ! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
After watching a dozen or so of your videos on generators I have come to the conclusion that people who buy and own generators either dont know how to service/repair then and either cannot find someone to work on them or fixing them is cost prohibitive. Amazed how many you fix with so little parts just test, clean, adjust, bang another Genny back in action. Keep up the good work.
Man, what a great trouble shooting video ! I’ve learned so much about the different components that make a generator run properly. Way to go James.
I'm not very good at electric stuff. I have also never gave OHMs much credit. But watching this.....? Tests done by resistance. I never realized how important it really is. But it gives us the answers we seek. And we are not out just guessing and buying parts we think are bad. This tells us. I have already repaired several generators by using what I have learned at this site. Great stuff.
@@josephgiustiniani2834 hurrah!
I been learning to fix my own 4 lawn mowers since retiring some years back, and I always wanted to learn about working on generators since I have one sitting in my garage (new ), if I need it for any future power blackouts This video has helped me get a better understanding of the ins and outs of Gasoline Generators. Anxiously waiting for Part II. Thanks.
Saving Old Yeller ! Good Junkyard Dog ! Good Video as Always Thanks ! Cheers !
A big thank-you. Your explanation about the oil module just confirmed my suspicion on my genny. Even after my local small engine shop swapped out the carb, the motor would stall out after about 5 or 10 minutes. While working on it myself, I accidentally left the oil module dangling (not knowing what it is) and the genny ran perfectly for many hours during a two-day power outage. I couldn't figure out what that was, but desperation meant I had to leave it off. Now that I know what I need to buy, I can finally fix it correctly.
I didn't know the spark plug boot had a resistor in it. Learned something new today. Great stuff. Thanks!
boot engineered to give a hotter spark and also to cut radio interference Generator had a tough life those outlets looked beat to crap on the 120 gfci
When the pressure washer was close to your shoes, I was literally cringing, those pressure washers can be dangerous. But you make great videos and bringing back to life all these generators which were perfectly good, it saves people money buying new gensets and save all these waste, because although the materials might be recycled but the energy required to recycle these will be additional energy which can be saved by repairing and use these gensets.
Into the panel! Now we get to the fun stuff instead of just changing gas & oil and cleaning the carb. Looks like a real problem instead of just a lack of maintenance.
I was very impressed by that repair manual glad u found it
Great troubleshooting. Thanks for walking through what you were looking at and why.
I have learned so much from you, I was able to fix my coleman 2500w generator. Thank you for making these video's.
Awwww...the old Mustie part 2 trick on this one, eh!? You get a pass since it's rare that you do it! 😉 Really great dump find and intricate troubleshooting on this one. Much of which would likely have gotten past me. Kudos to you for committing to getting it right, as usual, so when the new owner takes receipt it won't be coming back because of something you missed or took a shortcut on. Speaks volumes for your character and dedication, Jim. Thanks again for the ongoing education and fantastic video quality and editing!
Yes, this one would be a 2 hour videos. I try not to let them go much past an hour.
@@jcondon1 And we appreciate that too! Even if it results in the occasional 2nd video for part 2. We trust you as you are clearly doing something right!
Master class as usual, as an electrician I approve of your troubleshooting techniques.
Thanks
Excellent video James: Please check the valve adjustment. I get in lots of Honda's that the valves are way out of adjustment. Thanks for a great video.
1
I have been watching your videos for awhile and enjoy watching your troubleshooting techniques. This one had more than the norm. I appreciate your time and diligence in the videos.
Pretty crazy someone threw away a generator that runs and makes power although it does have issues, nice work James, looking forward to part 2!
A contractor needs a generator that works so that he can get his job done. If you took this to a small engine repair shop and asked them to do all the work that James is doing, the cost would be more than the value of the generator. A lot of times people will bring their generators to a shop and abandon them there when they get the estimate and then the shop takes them to the scrapyard when their junkpile gets too big. This doesn't look like one that went thru a shop because the shops will often cannibalize valuable parts before scrapping.
I enjoy watching you videos , I live in the northeast coast of the USA in the countryside where generators are a must have, mine is 16 hp Vanguard twin full pressure lubrication oil filter contractor model that has its own gen shack to keept it outr of the elements. Proper mantainance is key to keeping the portable working properly , of course even with the best of care they can fail. In my area it would be nearly impossible to find a generator in a dump or for sale cheap working or not , I would pick one up in a heartbeat to keep as a spare . I am well versed in small engine repair , through your videos I am learning more and more about the generator head side. I look forward to finding a gen set like your finds that needs a little tlc to rehab. Excellent videos, thanks
You can never have to many generators. I have four running generators and am rewinding my 15Kw diesel generator.
Note that rectifiers, even if arranged in a bridge, have a forward voltage drop of about .6 to 1.2v depending on load. It's just the way silicon diodes work. Which means that troubleshooting with a single cell battery of random state of charge is somewhat problemmatic. If your voltmeter has a diode test mode, use that.
That said, the diodes should all be matched, and if you get different voltages, it probably means the unit is shot.
Yes, used the diode check mode in the video which will air next Thursday.
You have the patience of Job. Respect!
Great to watch a wizard of small engines at work. Most excellent, thanks for posting.
Look forward to part 2 great work as always @James Condon
Thanks James this is an excellent video. There was a lot of testing. Can't wait for the second video.😀👍🇨🇦
I'm hoping my big-battery "generator" and a couple of PV panels will take care of our needs in an outage, but these stories are inspirational in terms of finding affordable power.
This was fascinating. I really enjoyed it. I appreciate you being so thorough when inspecting this machine.
James, I'm learning so much from watching your videos. Great job, very helpful.
Doc., this one is providing a lot of training for people like me. This one is tough.
It has a lot of issues for sure.
I have two Craftsman 6500 generators and both went under water, the gas and oil looked like yours. I pulled the motors and the first thing I di was put a degreaser on it and pressure washed them. The carbs had to be put in a vat and rebuilt. removed cowls and cleaned all the rust and reset the gap and put all back together, new oil and fuel and It started on first pull.
Got us in suspense!!! Looking forward to part 2....thanks for all that you do for us!!!
What a terrible design to have the engine mount right in front of the oil drain nut. Great job on bringing it back from the dead. Awesome job on tracing down the electrical gremlins.👍👍. Imagine throwing something away that with a little patience you now have a working genny. Looking forward to part two next week......just a quick observation, NGK is also a brand name for great spark plugs.
Most generators only have one engine mount on each side of the engine. I am tempted to remove the extra set of mounts due to the drain plug issue. NGK is a great spark plug. This generator has 3 different names on it NAC, NGK and MMD. Not sure what to call it.
@@jcondon1 I did a little digging and found that MMD is a heavy machine mining company in India. I just couldn't make the connection to the generator manufacturing arm of the company.
I guess this is an intermission We'll have to go get pop corn and come back. You really do a great job with your videos. I don't even own a generator but if I ever get one and it gives me any trouble, I'm ready for it!
Very nice diagnostic evaluation on this generator. We have come across this spark plug boot issue of too much resistance on two Honda engines to date. Really that is not bad considering Jake has been working on small engine equipment for 9 years now and Honda or clones with similar spark plug boots are approximately 35% of the business. Looking forward to part 2 and the sticker is in the mail, the OLD MAN from EP over and out!
Thanks Wayne. The next day the boot went open circuit. Potentially someone replaced the OEM coil and boot with a clone. Thanks for the sticker!
I have had similar problems with honda engines. the boot has a brass screw in the plug end of the boot that holds the resistor in place. Mine had vibrated loose and was allowing intermittent contact with the resistor forcing the spark to jump sooner and exterior of the engine, making it run rough. All i had to do was pull the screw, make sure the resistor was not damaged and reinstall the assembly. Problem solved. Great Vid. keep up the great work.
Was thinking the same thing. I think the screw in the cap came out some and stopped making contact.
Can't wait for #2 I could watch these videos all day.
Good to see you @James Condon
Thanks for sharing a lot of knowledge on how to diagnose issues. Construction equipment always has a hard life and often does not get the required maintenance.
Looking forward to part 2.
Dave.
Someone got their moneys worth on this generator.
Great job as always, can’t wait for part 2. I have faith in you! You’re going to get it running properly, like new!
I think you should review how to check the bridge rectifier. In theory you would not get anything through with a 1.5v cell as the diodes forward voltage drop would eat that up. You may have gotten the 1.5 volts through because it's bad. You can check a bridge using the diode checker of your meter, or use a 9v battery.
Your videos are awesome BTW.
9v would be better. Had assumed the forward voltage drop would be less then a volt. Will dig into the bridge rectifier more next week.
@@jcondon1 there are two diodes in the circuit, so it's less than 1 volt each, but then times 2.
Thx
Your Multimeter might have a diode test mode. It shows the voltage drop on a diode. It should show about 0.5 to 0.7 Volt in "pass" direction and nothing in the "block" direction. Test all four diods in bridge rectifier and you could be sure it is good. (just checked the video: Your multimeter has a diode test mode)
@@jcondon1 For future reference, the forward voltage drop of a single silicon diode is generally 0.6 volts, so the voltage drop of a bridge rectifier (through two diodes) would be 1.2V. A very fresh 1.5V cell might put out something like 1.7V meaning that you'd expect to get no more than 0.5V out of the bridge rectifier and usually less than that.
These things have gotten crazy complicated. Like auto technicians getting out of the field, I see these going throwaway. I just worked on an old Craftsman roto tiller. A flat head Briggs and everything designed to be serviced. That tiller will be digging dirt, long after I'm planted.
Very thorough troubleshooting and diagnosis, can’t wait for part II. I’m surprised they let you take things from the dump, around here they’ll call the police on you and press charges if you try to remove anything from the dump site.
Technically I do not take them. The guy I buy from has a connection. And even the ones from the dump are not free. I pay the hopelessly broken price.
@@jcondon1 oh, I gotcha. I know a couple of scrapper guys who sometimes sell broken mowers at bargain prices like that and it’s great for us folks who like to repair / rescue stuff. Where my sister lives up in MA they have a “swap” section at the town dump for people to take items that may still be useable which makes a lot of sense. NJ is the opposite of course!
great share James , Going to watch Part 2 now ! ENJOYED .. Always good stuff on your channel
This video is one of the top 10 with regard to troubleshooting.. I look forward to the followup video.
Thanks Carl
I need to hang out at the local landfill more and find deals like this.
I was at my local transfer station to drop off my recycle and saw a pressure washer there with a Honda GX200. Grabbed it and discovered the pump must not have been drained and had frozen and cracked but the motor was perfect. Replaced the pump and have a nice pressure washer for 1/4 the cost of new.
I need un generator
it is legit amassing the Generators you fined..
that oil drain kills me if it was mine I would put a valve and a pipe lol
Are you a power generation equipment technician? I was a sonar technician in the Navy (advanced electronics) and a prime power production technician (52E) in the Army. Was hired by Detroit Diesel with six months before retiring and worked in field service for several years, as well as the test cell and finally as a pricing analyst/production scheduler. I miss troubleshooting generator/electrical issues, switch gear and paralleling problems. Engine work is the easiest to diagnose but, electrical/electronics are maddening. Great video btw 😎🤘🤘🤘
Thanks for the comment. I am not a trained generator technician, self taught.
@@jcondon1 great job! Rewiring stators/rotors and repairing circuit cards of voltage regulators…rectifiers, getting to a main seal in the freezing cold on the north slope, losing a gasket in the mud of fuel/water separator…man, you ‘must’ be having fun 😎 keep making the videos, and do you work on larger diesel or turbine gen sets? Friends and people I have talked to suggest I open a business repairing all of the tiny (20k and below) generators on all of the RV’s around here…avoid stress and enjoy life takes precedence atm. 🙂
JUST WOW…
I don’t even know where to start nor end. Amazing free Honda Genset with key start and it works. Diagnostics on a bad coil boot amazing! On my Custom Ariens I upgraded the OEM coil to genset coils $100 value)
Call me pre Madonna…I would have cleaned it before working on it 😂.
Curious why you didn’t paint the black head cover when you took it off 🤣
Ever think to buy a 12v pump for the oil? I use it on mowers and mounted it on a pressure washer frame for a mobile oil changes
Hi James great class to day mate Knowledge is a wonderful thing built up over time A terrible frame design for the oil drain nut As for Honda engines keep the oil clean and they go on for ever looking forward to part 2 James
Thanks Dean. Changing the oil should not be this difficult.
Just a thought - on the oil drain close-up I could see oil deposits above the fill plug toward the rear main seal. Could be worth watching since you cleaned it, now you can see if the seal may be leaking. Look forward to the next vid! Those Honda 13's are brutes! That one looks to be rode hard and put up wet.
I was concerned about the same. Will keep an eye on it. The breather was also missing so I am sure some oil came from that, but it is on the other side of the engine so would think the oil seal is more likely. Think this engine has a lot of hours on it.
Interesting. I recall seeing many a Chinese engine referred to as a "Honda Clone".........and now seeing the Honda, that makes perfect sense.
Honda made millions of these engines but China has made TENS of millions so there must be 10 clones babies out there or more for every real Honda daddy engine.
Good morning James. That is a brand name of a generator, I've never heard of before. ???? Perfect video to be able to trouble shoot new different problems. Now we are left in suspense for the episode/conclusion of the repair of the unit. Looking forward to your next video.
This is an older "Made in Japan" generator - I think the whole thing was made in Japan, not just the genuine Honda motor. The generators we see today from China are essentially copies of these generators. The motors are part for part copies, to the point that Honda parts will fit on them and vice versa. We don't see these generators anymore because, given Japanese vs. Chinese labor costs the same generator made in Japan costs double or more. The Japanese ones are undoubtedly higher quality but not twice as good and in the end the longevity of the unit has as much to do with how it is abused later in life as the initial build quality.
Very good Video James, everything you do or say is well thought-out & is so easy to follow.
Never seen that brand , awesome
Many people would feel better if they put in a "carb kit" or at least say they did but James knows better. :-) Difficult removal of drain plugs discourages changing oil.
Looking forward to next week.
I didn't know that those spark plug boots were attached that way. Thanks much - I learned something! :) Another excellent video. Looking forward to more as usual!!!
I'm chomping at the bit waiting for part two!
I'm not sure if anyone else caught this but the "oil module" that you unplugged and plugged back in was connected to a different wire when you disconnected it, I'm not sure if it was wrong when it came to you but I backed up the video to make sure and it was connected to the other wire, NOT the yellow wire. perhaps that might be what is wrong with it.
Thanks for the videos...
GOD Bless you...
That is a great video and it shows how tuff these Honda engines are keep them come James
Great video sir! Had me all wrapped up from start to finish! Can’t wait for the follow up video.
Great Job James, again you got it going...
Was thinking at worst you had a new carburettor but you’d think they’d change the fuel and fuel hose.
Looked like 2-stroke fuel I couldn’t imagine the smell.
The nice thing about fixin genz is that u fix half a dozen and its almost like fixing 600 machines so many are put together the same way.
nOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! The suspense!!! can't wait til the sequel !!
James you could solder the ends of the wire for longer lasting results. Just a thought 🤔
Suprised "the dump "let you have it,ive tried to get troy bilt tillers,or small pressure washers,they say no,great video,that machine sounds good
He paid $100, which is more than they would have gotten from the metal recycler. Did you try offering them $?
Yes, even trash has a cost.
Inspired and quick thinking test for the bridge rectifier.
I have learned a few things from you. Thank you for the posts.
Awesome find..I wish there was a dump that had goodies like that around northeast ohio.....
Originally from NEO myself. It seems Jim has a connection to the dump that lets him know when they have such things. I think other creators have dump connections too.
Yes, I know someone who knows someone. Have a could others with stuck engines that came from the dump. Will get to those next. Not as promising as this one. Would say 50% of the ones trashes at the dump are because of a major issue.
I am looking forward to part two I learned a lot. Thanks James. Ed
In the beginning of this video you showed us the Honda GX 309 ( basically the gold standard of horizontal small engines ) and I thought all is well, why they made changing the oil next to impossible is beyond me
Honda gold standard? On which planet?
Would think the drain plug would have been located a little further away from an engine mount location.
GX390. The position of the motor mount was determined by the generator mfr, not Honda. Show you though that even Japanese mfrs. are not beyond making bad design decisions.
Right away I could see the left GFCI is only a 15 Amp outlet. That and the color clearly indicate it was replaced. So, the factory GGCI outlets must have eventually given up the ghost.
Look forward to video 2 great find James 👍
Arcing seen around the oil switch at 24:13 ? Or a blade of grass.
Hi I wish you was in the UK you are fantastic you have helped me out so much with my generators I just have one now that I am struggling with I have rebuilt it 3 times and still can't get it to run properly
I know the feeling. They can be a challenge.
32:25 I would just add some solder to the abraded end of the wire, to build it up more and prevent it from further fraying; that way you could add the connector to the very end of the wire (i.e., without trimming it shorter) and still get adequate current-transfer to the connector.
Diagnostic skills on point as usual,, thanks for another great video..
Hay James at 23:04 did you notice the sparking happening between the what looks to be the module wires or the spark plug wire?
Great video! Excellent troubleshooting, explanation of steps, breakdown of processes and overall knowledge shared. Very worthwhile and valuable video. Thank you!
It's amazing to watch you do these repairs since you know what you you are doing. For me, I understand why it was in the junk yard.
It had a lot of issue.
That was a tuffy! But well worth your efforts. The Japanese built good stuff and you have the engine and the power head by those people.
Only the engine is Japanese. Not sure where the power head was built.
Hi, James. I wonder if that generator had a flooding event. It looks like a good find though. Good luck! Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!
Unlikely. It doesn't have any signs of being underwater. Like 2 or 3 videos ago, he had a generator that looked like it was underwater because it was covered in silt from top to bottom. There is not a drop of silt on this generator.
Nice video... I can't wait to see part 2👍
I agree, the rectifier looks bad, but not because of the 0.28V reading but because the 1,38V. In a typical bridge rectifier you loos about 0.6V per diode. If you test with a 1.5V batterie 0.2-0.3V is exactly what I would expect. If you not get a voltage drop of about 1.2V (like in your second try) than there is something wrong. A more precise way to test the bridge rectifier would be to use the diode tester in your meter and measure from AC input to DC output. You should have flow if you have black on the DC+ output and red on AC and with red on DC- and black on AC.
Did something like that in the video being released next week.
I have the exact same shoes. Lol.
Found them in my exact size, at Goodwill for 5$... Especially since it's a good brand... great condition, didnt look like anyone ever wore them.
Looking forward to the next instalment.
Nice work James...sweet find
Good work.. Wish you were closer.. I'm getting too old & decreped to pull a rope.
Gonna have to go to an electric start...LOL
Electric start and a battery tender is the way to go. But make sure it still has the pull start option in case the battery fails.
@@jcondon1 THANKS!
Another great video James! Love this stuff!
Great video! I'm glad you didn't have an initial investment in this one, but I do like following your deduction on system malfunctions.
Even the ones that come from the dump cost money.
I didn't know that, I would be appreciative of not having it in a landfill.
@@rbassettjr Scrap metal has (some) value so normally metals get recycled and don't end up in a landfill.
..and from the dump, still had oil and fuel inside..even greater catch James. 👍🏼👍🏼
yup to be continued is something i always dreaded see especially when I was a kid lol
Great video. waiting for the next one.
Another amazing video! Was that really in the trash, or was that just for the wife? So she didn’t know you bought another one?😂 cheers
Interesting quality content! Greetings from Finland. :)