Rare Vintage 1950s Homelite Generator - Will It Run and Make Power Again?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- A local subscriber (Stanley) found this Vintage 1950s Homelite generator at the dump. It looks to be complete and despite its age in pretty good condition. It is powered by a Homelite made 2-stroke model 24A engine developed during World War II. Someone took very good care of this machine. I have worked on many generators, but nothing like this. I am not able to find a service manual or owners manual. Parts are also not available. Will it run and make power again?
Generator Model: Homelite 24A115
1950s Homelite advertisement that includes this model: drive.google.c...
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@Mustie1 Homelite Video 1 • antique small engines ... Video 2: • 1945 homelite 2 stroke... Video 3: • antique 2 stroke engin...
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Here are some other Vintage Homelite Generator video links that you might like:
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@SmallEngineMechanic Homelite Video 1 th-cam.com/video/ptsPUUegvTQ/w-d-xo.html Video 2 th-cam.com/video/HyD7ue4XlEI/w-d-xo.html
Mustie1 is the man!
not sure if u knew or know.. but lil hint on soldering.... heat the object up. then remove flame and touch with solder. dont heat the solder as it turn into a cold solder joint. you had flame on solder and tube same time. no no no.. just tossin it out there.
The Eastern Bloc of Germany as in the East German Army was very big on 2 stroke engines
powering their generators, brands like Sachs back in the 40's and 50's. But now I wonder
whether the U.S. Army may have had any contracts with Homelite back in those times. I
do know that the U.S. Army perhaps may have made purchases of Homelite chainsaws
from time to time on some local purchases, back when I served. Perhaps there may have
been some military applications with the use of small generator types for non-critical use
cases but I surely don't know for sure! That may further help finding a manual for that little
heavy bugger!
The Fuel Filler Cap is supposed to be utilized to measure the amount of oil to be mixed
with the gas and the ratio mix is really oddball compared to today's standard so James,
you will need to confirm the proper ratio mix in order to protect the engine! It may be about
16:1 or 10:1 using just a standard 30 weight old non-detergent oil but HELL, I do not know
nor can I tell you for sure!!!! I just don't know, so WARNING!!!
I've been watching Mustie for many years. As YukonHawk1 said, He's the man! Thanks for the reference to him.
My wife always asks why I watch this type of video and I always say "to learn something". Mr. James you are truly a genius!
Also, for the record, I love the long video. Don't listen to those people telling you to break up your videos.
You, sir, are a very patient man… and likely an awesome dad.
You are so meticulous with the details, thats why your videos are such a joy to watch. Clear dialogue and superb photography just make it complete. 👍👍👍
This one is definitely one to hold on to. It has to be the rarest machine you have repaired on the channel. It is beyond cool.
Yes!
Agreed!
And I fourth that,😀 without doubt the generator is worth every dollar and hour you spend on it . How anybody could be so daft as to take this to the tip is beyond my comprehension, they could only be short space.this should be in a museum .kind regards from England .
not to mention they don't build them like they used to, just the other day i fired up my old PIII-500 and with not even a fight it just went into windows xp.
I’m retired and fast approaching the end of life. Just watching videos like this one echo the saying “old but not obsolete”. Thanks, James, for making me feel young again!
God bless you sir.
Hi brother, hope you are thinking about eternity. If you have not I would repent and make peace with your Lord. Ask for forgiveness for all you have done.
Hope to see you on the other side.
Like that one Slipknot song from 2018 says "old does not mean dead, new does not mean best"
I admire your perseverance with the fuel tank! Its oddly satisfying to see the goop come out, and see the tank get clean inside.
Kudos to Stanley for providing you (and us) such a cool project.
As a helpful hint for how to bend soft metal tubes like the copper or brass tubes, fill them will fine sand, pack it in, tape the ends to hold it in and then do your bends. Once bent, remove tape and dump out sand. Has worked for me in the past.
Oh, that's brilliant! I will remember this if I ever need to do something along those lines
Excellent tip
ya beat me to it! ive also seen a technique where a spring just larger than the o.d. of tube can prevent the expansion required for a kink to occur. much less likely to be on hand when needed than some sand though 👍
Another trick is to put the tubing gently in a vice and bend the tube parallel to the jaws (not perpendicular). This prevents the tubing flattening (rather like the notch on a tube bender) around the curve but it's very tricky to pull off.
@@azza-in_this_day_and_ageplumbers used to use those springs back in the day my dad had a couple...3/4" and 1/2" ones....they went inside the pipe though not on the o.d
The excitation winding on this generator makes DC power for the field windings through a commutator. You can see in the close-ups of the brush assemblies that there are a set of brushes on a commutator that are independent of the slip rings, this is the DC power take-off that is then sent to the field windings, which in this generator, are in the stator. One of the things that happens in all generators is something called armature reaction -- this is a distortion of the field flux that increases as the current (load) on the generator goes up. In modern generators, this field flux distortion compounds through the excitation winding, field winding, and eventually the armature (load) windings which contributes to the increase in THD as the load goes up. In this older generator, since the excitation winding power output is rectified through the commutator instead of through diodes, the field winding receives power that is not nearly as distorted as the load goes up, resulting in far lower THD under load. The disadvantages of this approach are: 1) Heavier and bulkier generator because there are essentially two generators on the rotor -- the main generator and separate DC generator for the excitation, 2) five brushes to wear out instead of two, 3) three of the brushes carry the full load current, thus they must be much larger than brushes in modern generators, 4) Rotor has the full load windings on it, resulting in a much heavier rotor, that needs better bearings and a more powerful engine to react to load changes.
Fascinated by the simplicity of the carburetor.
I love the fact that it took two guys to lift this bulletproof old generator. For those of us who grew up with machines made this well, it is gratifying to see someone appreciate their value and bring them back to life, particularly in light of all of the dubius junk that is currently being schlepped over from China.
Yes, China produces a lot of junk, because that's what the market wants. The Chinese are perfectly capable of manufacturing quality goods but Walmart shoppers wouldn't be willing to pay the prices. I recently serviced a Chinese-made $300 Champion 3.0 kW generator for a friend and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. It was better than I had expected. However, there are no parts available so it's basically a throw-away. My friend has used it quite a bit for the last ten years. Not bad, and the price was unbeatable. These days everyone can afford their own back-up generator.
A two stroke generator what a gem!
Really enjoyed it. Old school stuff was made to last.
Jim, maybe someone has mentioned this already but in the case it has not been mentioned here we go. That grommet that you used for the outside of the fuel filter is not fuel proof and will turn to mush in a very short period of time. I totally enjoyed the entire process of bringing this guy back to life and I am addicted to the channel. Thanks for all you do, as I have learned a ton from these videos you produce.
👏👏👏 Nothing more satisfying than resurrecting something that was written off. Well done!
Astonishingly clean power output! I would never have expected that. In fact, probably the cleanest sine wave of any machine you've featured so far! What a sweet old unit. One to be proud of, that's for sure!
I was about to say the same thing. They don't make anything today that can stand-up to the output sinewave on this unit. Excellent. I bet if you reached out to Homelite, they might pay a nice price for a generator this old, and in perfect working order, or you could surely take a decent tax write-off if you donate it.
@papa: agreed. I was really impressed with that sine wave.
@@motorjock0478 2.2% THD is fine for all purposes but not outstandingly good. In a recent video, James fixed a Honda inverter model that came out at 0.2% THD.
From when things were built to last.
Not only that, from when things were built to be repaired simply and cheaply.
Just look at that sine wave output, as smooth as utility power. How amazing is that 😮
@@juanferreira5931 and worked better! Eg THD.
@@juanferreira5931So service and repair friendly indeed.
Survivor bias, plenty of things made really s***** back then and they didn't last. The only things that lasted are what you're saying. Now you can still buy good quality stuff that will last 50 years. You just have to pay for it just like you did back then, this was probably equivalent of a $10k piece of kit
I am so freaking impressed with your work. Not only do you bring a huge understanding about engines, but your creativity in solving problems surely puts you in the league of being an artist! What an amazing piece of work and I’m not even at the end of the video. What patience! Thank you.
Your commitments paid off you got that old machine running a lot better good job
This generator is built to be handled extremely bad and abused, plus with no moving parts to break or fall apart 😊
Love the carb type system ❤
Less parts, lower the costs, higher the reliability. That was the buyer's mindset back in the '50's thru '70's.... Fancy started in the '80's .....
@@additudeobx Very well said!
Though the spinning starter pully open to everything looked decidedly dangerous!
@@johncourtneidge Especially with the shut-off hidden away behind it.
@@johncourtneidge - Well John, as you know, that's how spooky life was back in those days. We had to learn to be careful of ourselves.
Never did I think that the tank would clean up, great job 👍
Thanks for the reminder to go do something after sitting here watching you for 2 hours! it's just so captivating that I loose track of time.
Unbelievably hilarious 2 hours couldn't tear my self away . And James plays it straight . Give the man an Oscar.
This one's a beauty! looks like it is in real nice condition under the crud
Wow, what a journey with an outcome that none of us would have even hoped for at the outset. Well done.
Yes!
There once was a Homelite old,
Whose engine sputtered and strolled.
With fuel problems and grime,
It ran out of its prime,
Till a repairman's skill took hold.
With tools and a careful hand,
He tackled the problems so grand.
He cleaned out the tank,
Fixed each worn-out rank,
Now it hums like it's back on the strand!
So cheers to the man with the knack,
Who brought life to the old engine's track.
From dirt and fuel strife,
To a renewed lease on life,
He revived the Homelite, no lack!
Fantastic. I love seeing vintage stuff brought back to life.
This is next level stuff right here. Someone has to explain how this antique has such clean power unmatched by it's modern non-inverter brethren. I doubt many will ever run into a tank mess like that but it's nice to know there are solutions. What an example of how things were made to last way back in the day. It's a museum piece. As always, great job James!
Perhaps because of the much higher RPM. There are more changes in sampling the polarity, as it were, so the wave is better defined. I'm pretty sure the RPM was much higher than 3600. Perhaps double?
The two stroke would have smoother torque under load with it firing every stroke instead of every other. I imagine that probably helps a lot.
@@videodistro It is possible to have a slower RPM - you could wind a 2-pole generator and run it at 1800 RPM - but you can't have it running faster. 3600 RPM is 60 per second, and you can't make a generator create half a cycle per revolution!
But the fact that it is a two stroke, and has one power stroke per revolution (instead of one power stroke per two revolutions with a four-stroke engine would be helping. They could even have done tricks like making the poles asymmetrical to counteract the speed variations.
@@videodistro At 1:02:10 in the video the nameplate says 3600 RPM ... robertbackhaus8911 has it right too! Cheers.
Besides being a two stroke, i think the rotor is larger and heavier than modern day cheap crap. The greater rotating mass smooth out deviations in angular speed of the engine between strokes.
Nice work. Let me add: It takes quite a bit of arcing to form that carbon film on slip rings (or commutator segments) NEVER sand it off. Carbon from brushes is a heat resistant lubricant that impregnates the copper rings. If the carbon isn't there, the brushes will arc more to restore it. That also wears the brushes sooner.
The only time we dress rings or segments is when they cup, taper, or become egg-shaped. Those faults come from brushes that are too short or if the brush hangs up in the holder (which is why spring pressure pushes them down). - Dave
Always learn something new, even at 67. Thanks, Dave.
You're welcome. I'm an Industrial Electrician from Ford Motor (Dearborn) where we make steel. The motors are 250VDC and we re-brush every Monday. We replace nearly half the brushes but no more on any motor. 'Bedding in' is crucial for brushes and commutator longevity. We do hundreds of brushes every week with teams of electricians. These motors cannot be down for long.
@@simplyconnected Why DC brushed Motors instead of Brushless AC/DC? Is it simply a matter of replacement costing too much or are the brushed motors more efficient or some other reason?
Your work on this generator is very very impressive. I would never have bet that the gas tank would clean up that well. Impressive. Great little gadget to bend those brass tubes as well.
I just got a water pump with this same motor/power head. I'm excited to take it apart and get it all cleaned up and running. The design was meant to last and this proves it. If you think a generator purchased new today will still be running or able to be repaired to run again 70 years from now, you're on some good drugs!
Gotta love this old equipment. Thanks for sharing.
I wouldn’t have given you a plug nickel for that fuel tank. Great job. Interesting machine.
I think you mean a "plugged" nickel, as in, a nickel which has had a hole shot through it. 😆
Anyway, you and me, both. But it came back nicely.
@@melkiorwiseman5234 No I meant plug nickel.
@@williampugh6699@melkiorwiseman5234 He's correct, Melkior. News to me too, but both are acceptable usage.
My Dad gave me his early 1950 Sears power plant (generator). We used it when we would go to the Padre Island to fish. He'd power it up and plug in his lights (4 train lights which were in a rectangular wooden frame) and aim the lights at the water about 30-60 feet from shore. The light would attract a lot of fish. When he gave it to me, he hadn't used it in over 30 years. I finally got it started but it would not get power to the 2 outlets it had. I finally tore it apart and found that all it needed was just a good cleaning. The outlets (and everything else inside) were so dirty and dusty that it prevented electricity from getting to the outlets. After cleaning it, changing the oil and using some lead-free gas, I fired it up and it worked. I use it (for fun) occasionally to power some outdoor equipment or other things that need electricity. This thing was made to last. BTW, showed it to my Dad after fixing it and his face just lit up - he was so happy it still worked. Good memories
The fact that it only took 2 weeks to accomplish seems pretty good. 👍 I'm looking forward to seeing it drive again.
Nice, I love seeing old engines braught back to life, as in my oppinion they are some of the best made machines you can get.
What a great save from the scraper. It makes cleaner power than a brand new one, with a THD below 5%. That's a nice little generator you have now. Good work.
You are one of the best electrical & mechanical generator engineers going…..I’m totally blown away!
Amazing job and testament to the original manufacture of the generator, they certainly built it to last even the paint work was like new. The care you gave the old machine was lovely to see.
This is the pinnacle of this channel for me. Such an awesome restoration and process to watch. Thank you James!
Yes!
I agree. I so admire James’ patience and ingenuity. Great job!
To James Condon. I have been watching your videos for years now, and all are great. However, this one goes right to my #1. That is not just a generator, it's a work of true American workmanship.
One can clearly tell how much time and effort you put into keeping reliable old tech in good working shape. A very dedicated refurbisher though you have a lot of skills to share. :3
James, another brilliant video - the carb analysis and rebuild was excellent. I was truly amazed by the low THD and the beautifully smooth power curve - fascinating to compare to the other more modern machines - reminds me that modern generator designers stand on the shoulders of giants. The build quality of the machine also looked extremely high - as my dad used to say, (and as I now say..), sadly, they don't build them like that anymore!
Anyway - great job yet again - it has been the most enjoyable two hours of my week!
Amazing. AND, it just looks so much cooler than modern generators. VERY WELL DONE, lad.
Enjoying every bit of that! Watching a multigenius at work, proves that the effort it takes to save old stuff is worth it!
Awesome!!! You did an excellent job prosecuting and addressing all of the anomalies discovered this glorious old machine. I remember 1956 and my uncle had one.
WOW! Watching this video took me back to my childhood at our fishing camp on Grand Bayou!! You couldn't stay outside at night because the mosquitos would eat you alive. In the evening my dad and uncle would crank up the Homelite generator and run an attic fan, a radio and a light or two. We always said that the smoke from the generator killed the mosquitos. My dad and uncle had rigged up a jerry can to the generator to extend the run time. Great post!
To get a bend in the copper tubing, first fill the tube with water, then freeze it. You should be able to put a 180-degree bend in it without crushing it.
I would check on that bushing after it's been exposed to fuel for a week or 2 and make sure it's fuel compatible. Some rubbers are going to break down with prolonged hydrocarbon exposure. Impressive THD on that thing! Why is it so much better than a modern machine? Nice color on that old beast too. Reminds me of working on my Johnson... ;-)
The bushing looked like it was starting to fail after only a few days in fuel. Will have to come up with a better solution. The THD was surprising, but not completely unexpected. Multi cylinder engine typically have lower THD due to more power strokes (less cavitation). A single cylinder two stoke runs smoother then a 4 stroke because every stoke is a power stroke. Loved seeing your Johnson spring to life! Enjoying your dam construction series. A lot of hard work.
I'm disappointed that you didn't mention how clean those NUTS must of been . You know , the one,s from the gas tank.
Great safety message about CO and having a fire extinguisher on hand James. Thanks for the reminder.
You and my dad would have gotten along great. He loved repairing gas engines and had a good working knowledge of electric motors.
James, we had several of these Homelite generators and smoke ejectors in the Fire Dept I joined back in the 70s. They were old then but you couldn't kill them. We had one larger unit that was truck mounted and had a larger engine and larger generator on it. I believe that one was a 4kw. We ran large incandescent flood lights and / or electric smoke ejector fans with it. Thanks for the trip down memory lane with this post!
Hired in 75
We had the same unit and matching pump. Never failed to start
70 plus years old and still puts out power. The things they make today will never make it that long. i was shocked at the wave form and harmonic distortion, I don't think they could come close to that on generators they make now.
I was just as shocked. Very clean output.
Why is this 70 year old machine better then new ones? Some anceint forgotten technology? Perhaps a little investigation and comparison video would be cool. @@jcondon1
@@petercolquhoun2086 Because in those days, they were truly interested in building the best, and they took pride in knowing they made something of that quality. And the competition was intent on making their product even better. Today, they build crap that is good enough. They build to a price point not a point of quality or performance. And as long as people are ok buying good enough, quality will never return.
One thing that i know for a fact: this generator will outlive many of us with the proper care.
Very impressed with that machine the two stroke engine ran pretty smoothly under load once again you show your skills in repairing that carburettor. The quality of the iron in the stator and rotor the generator probably runs in a flatter area of the Bh curve and maybe having a stationary field and a rotating power winding all make for a very low distortion output. It may have been designed for supplying valve era electronic devices requiring low harmonic distortion.
I am EXTREMELY happy that you did not skip all the steps, mess and problems with showing how the tank was cleaned. Frustration, thought process and various approaches at cleaning it are important to show - this is how we learn. Thank you.
What an amazing feat to restore a gem from times past! I knew that gas tank was way past recovery. Just proves how crucial your patience and ingenuity pays huge dividends!!!!! Kudos to you James!! Jimbo from Southeast Texas
Forget getting the generator going again, your commitment alone in getting that gas tank rust sorted deserves a gold medal!!
What a little star of a machine! That sine wave was immaculate! And the way the tank came back from the state it was in - nothing short of miraculous!
I do so love to watch Mr. Condon's uploads; thoughtful, engrossing & educational - and also very soothing after a hard day's work. Thank you for your time & expertise, sir!
That generator belongs in a museum. I'm so glad you saved it. I'm so amazed at how low the THD was and how clean the sine wave was. I wonder what makes that so clean on such an old machine. Awesome video!
An amazing vintage bit of kit - lovely to see it come back to life. And that output - so much cleaner than most modern equipment! Well done for your tenacity on that tank.
A few thoughts/suggestions:
1. You might want to try heavier shrapnel for cleaning tanks - keep a collection of 3/4" nuts perhaps?
2. I think I saw a line of muck in the back of the tank at the bottom? Right along the bottom corner/seam where the sidewall meets the floor?
3. When soldering pieces like that pipe with a torch, it is better to heat the workpiece, and then remove the torch and use the heat of the part to melt the solder. That way the torch doesn't blow off the solder.
All of these.
1. Yes, heavier and less liquid to tha slows down their motion. You really need little to no liquid.
2. Yep. The corners really hung on to the gunk. And use gas to dissolve and clean it. The others are also flammable, so just use caution.
3. Right on. Don't flame the solder. That does not make a bond. Heat the pipes and let the solder and flux flow!
I think you nailed the additional points of an otherwise great video by Janes.
Best one yet. Being 1 year younger than me. Always hard to find spare parts at this age for all types of machinery. Really a great job. Thanks !!!
Never had any doubt, she’s a runner. You took the long way around the block but you got there. She probably doesn’t have any time on her. Watching from Panama City Florida, USA. 🇺🇸🦅
Dang! That was fun! I can't believe it starts on the first pull. I remember using a lawn mower that used a rope pull like that when I was a kid. It wouldn't get past the bubble-wrapped people nowadays. Thanks!
Another great video, thank you for the hard work and commitment you put into making a high quality informative video. I look forward every week to see what you are going to work on next.
One tip. Try finding a 16" 5/16 fuel hose. Find a piece of plastic covered cable.Insert the cable in the fuel hose. At the one end, attach a small piece of chain to the cable. The other end attaches to your drill. By using the flexible fuel hose as a sheath, run the drill with the chain spinning in the tank. Makes a lot of noise but will knock the heavy chunks loose. I've been doing that for decades on neglected tanks. It works.
What a classic! I could hear the groans from the neighbors at the campground back in the day when that thing started up. Awesome effort and perseverance!
It’s amazing that the crank seals held up after that many years.
You just had to challenge yourself. What a time piece, to say they don't make them that way anymore is an understatement. Awesome episode and great work overcoming a serious parts availability problem.
This by far is the most challenging generator you've come across and 70 yrs behind your expertise. Great video and KUDOS Jim.
They don't make things the way they use to. Thank you for patience with bringing a classic back to life.
This is an amazing video. Bringing something like this back to life is just astonishing. The gas tank was horrible yet was able to be saved. Nothing like this exists today as that tank would have been completely trash.
One of coolest machines you've worked on !
That was an awesome restoration. I think it should go in the James Condon Museum of antique power generators or maybe Homelite might like to have it. That sine wave and HD was amazing.
It puts most newer generators to shame.
@@jcondon1 yes!
It puts newer machines to shame in many respects. Good engineering and stylish design....rare qualities in this day and age.@@jcondon1
@@jcondon1Absolutely,it’s a wonderful find, anyone who would dispose of this must have no conscience,or as thick as two short planks,one or the other. All it takes is someone like yourself (or Marty T )to get a grip of it. Just want to further add I must not forget the guy with the Aberdeen Angus cows who fixed his telescopic man lifter and built the new porch, I just forget his handle but he is good as well . All the best from England.
Back in the mid 70s I got my hands on an older John deere garden tractor. The gas tank was terrible but didn't have any holes. I put a couple handfuls of rough gravel, some diesel fuel and a little soap in it. Wrapped it in a couple pillows and stuck it in an old dryer I had out back, no heat. Ran it for a couple hours and it was clean as a whistle. After a good rinse, well several, I put another cup if diesel in it to coat the walls and it worked great.
Im so glad you figured out how it works. the era of the generator, the engineer was a genius.
that was a great video. James, your perseverance with this old model is to be commended.
Beautiful generator, quality of the parts is great, this 70 year old machine was build to last!
I would definetly use modern 2 stroke oil @ 25:1 to be on the safe side, the sae 30 oil won't mix very well with the gas and will carbon up the engine.
back when things were made to last!. gotta love vintage machinery.
What a great old machine, way better quality than modern machines & outstanding distortion figures too!
Reminds me of the British seagull outboard motors, very well built, simple & very reliable, I have got many of these running after decades of sitting & still own 6 of them 😁
Nice
Hi James , well I guess everyone is astonished by the repair on the generator. I am so pleased that you managed to get a hold of it rather than just anybody. It definitely needs to be in a museum of technology. You really appreciate how well things were designed and built way back then.... thanks for the great video. Take care.
Excellent restoration of the carb and tank. When you strap a tank to a wheel for cleaning, put a small block of wood under one side so the tank oscillates as it turns which will help the nuts and bolts reach all parts of the interior. The varnish in the tank appeared to have protected the metal. GREAT job as usual.
I am Impressed with the conscientious way you work ,good job done!
An old technique for making tight bends in tubing is to seal one end, fill with water, stand vertically in a freezer. The open top end, while freezing, lets the ice expand upwards. Makes it easier to bend without kinking.
Great work getting that old classic running!
I know plumbers used to fill copper pipes with sand, or used a spring thing to put inside pipes when they bend them, but I realised that the diameter of the pipes James was using was too small for that, but it did occur to me that you could fill it with water and freeze.
Very clean power, & it runs really well. Great effort.
What a sweet old lady! I love how she sounds. That bubble lift style pumping system is quite common in aquarium filtration systems, especially older and cheaper ones. BTW, the round lid you were lifting to prime the bowl has an important safety function: In case of a backfire it opens to keep the flame from reaching the fuel tank. Great job, thanks for sharing.
Surprisingly clean power...I would be proud to have that generator keep my going during an electrical outage!
I have used a very fine sand inside a small copper pipe that I wanted to bend to keep it from crimping...works pretty well...might be an option for you in the future.
What a cool generator. At first I thought it would of been a lot louder but that muffler is doing its job. Old fashion quality design and I really like that old paint color. Reminds me of industrial machines.
This was awesome! Love the older machines! Built to last!
I don't know how you do it, James. But you pull a rabbit out of the hat every time. Congratulations. This has got to be the oldest Machine you've ever worked on and you've got it to perfect running order. Wow. Thanks for sharing.
I just finished watching this video. I didn't think i would finish the 2 plus hours. But the machine is such a jewel. The unique fuel delivery system, the quality of the build. Then the performance of the this, particularly the THD. A very interesting video, start to finish
I found that exact engine/generator in a junk pile. I got it running and decided to weld up a mount to put the engine on my go-kart. I removed the flywheel and it started beautifully! Half-way around the go-kart track I saw "something" roll past me and out into the field. The engine had so much torque that it sheared off the crankshaft! Good job restoring that old, noisy engine.
Thanks for bringing us along on this journey. Great idea with the paint stripper to clean the tank. Very impressed with the great sine wave and low H.D. on a 70+ year old design. Oh...and the carb repair was outstanding. Well done sir....well done.
i would have messed up the factory paint for sure with the paint stripper going in and out, James clearly takes pride in his work and is forward thinking.
Amazing repair James your patience is second to none ,to start on the first pull is fantastic. 0:31
Amazing video. Shows how things were meant to last longer than todays stuff. Thanks for taking us step by step through the proses.
I think the connector at about 1:15:00 is correct for modern usage. The neutral is bigger and longer, the hot terminals are shorter and smaller. That means the neutral engages first, and it should be very difficult to get the neutral to go into a hot slot by mistake if things are going wrong inserting the plug, like if one or more of the prongs are broken off
What an elegantly engineered vintage machine. Your repairs were ingenious......I think you would one day regret a decision to let this one go. I have many such regrets, One rarely gets a second chance once its gone.
I enjoyed watching overcoming all the problems you had with this one and the solutions you came up with to fix and your patients with this homelite I'm sure no one else would be bothered with great video. 😁👍
Thanks for the shout out on Darren’s and Mikes channels. I’ve following them for years and they are definitely both your equals.
This video is totally amazing!!!! This generator was obviously built before digital technology. When you checked the resistance while turning the engine, basically all you can see are a bunch of numbers bouncing around that refresh themselves every second or so, which to me really doesn't tell me a whole lot. If you were to connect an analog meter, you would be able to see the fluctuations by just watching the meter's needle as it moves in real time. Slight variations in resistance and voltage are much more easily seen on an analog meter than on a digital one. Applications in electrical design change as time goes on, but the physics of electricity remains the same!
Thanks for posting a really great video!