Generator Backfiring and Won't Start - Fixed
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- I picked up this Coleman Powermate generator recently as payment for some work I did. I am told it is backfiring through the intake and will not start. The previous owner picked this up as a project some time ago for $40 and never got it running correctly. Lets see if we can figure out the problem and get this generator up and running again.
Generator Model Husky: PM0435001
Engine Model Subaru EX30: EX300D520117176
One of my favorite older videos. Only other generator I have seen with a broken key: • Ridgid Generator / Sei...
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#GeneratorRepair #SmallEngineRepair #SmallEngine #DIY #Fixed #Troubleshooting #HowTo
Air Filter Crumbling, Alternator, Backfire, Backfiring, Carburetor, Check Spark Timing, Fixed, Flywheel Key, Generator, Hertz, How To, How-To, Hunting, Idle Jet, Ignition, Lean, Load Test, Mikuni, Pilot Jet, Popping Out the Intake, Repair, Ripping Cord Out of Hand, Sheared Flywheel Key, Small Engine, Stuck Key, Surging No Load, Surging at Idle, Surging, THD, Timing, Total Harmonic Distortion, Troubleshooting, Ultrasonic Cleaner, Valves, Will Not Run, Will Not Start
I love how your specimens need to “earn” their oil changes.
Yeah I laughed at that.
It's the right way, why waste fresh oil on an engine which is junk. You first find out what's wrong and what's not. Then you start spending money.
They all have to. There is nothing worse than putting $20 worth of oil in a blown up engine, lol.
Iv always made things that have been sitting around or brought back earn an oil change. Can't waste good oil
I noticed you gave the oil-fill cap a tweak with the pliers. Back in 2004 when hurricanes were slamming Florida, many residents used portable generators to fill in until power came back. A house up the street burned to the ground, the cause being traced to a loose oil cap that backed out and sprayed oil out and starting the generator on fire, and the house. The oil cap is something that needs to be checked for tightness!
I would ask why was the generator close enough to the house to catch it on fire? Ppl keep gens at least 20 ft away for proper exhaust ventilation.
I have the exact same unit. It was the first generator I ever bought. I got it new from Home Depot about 20 years ago the day before we were to have a major ice storm. We used it as the primary back up power supply for our home until installing a LP Generac but kept it as a back up to the back up. It still performs flawlessly. It has the normal Subaru puff of smoke on start up after sitting for a couple of months and after watching one of your other videos about the weakness of this model with the high failure rate of the stater windings due to heat from the exhaust I added a heat shield between the muffler and the power head. I just took a piece of sheet steel and put a 90 degree bend in the top of it, pop riveted it to the existing heat shield under the tank and it hangs between the power head and muffler. Thanks for another great video!
All Subaru's have that puff of smoke, but they run well. Good point on the heat shield. Powermate' s of this vintage have poor heat shielding if any at all.
Another great episode Jim. A good reminder to establish and run through a checklist when diagnosing an engine that you are not familiar with. You never know what may have been done prior to your seeing it.
On a woodruff key just tap on one end of the key and it will rotate out. Avoids damaging the key. Another great vid Jim!
Good tip! Thanks Ken.
I had one stuck on the drive shaft on my boat for the impeller. Sprayed penetrating oil and kept working both ends back and forth until I was able to drive it out.
I'll add use brass rod or similar to not nick the crank when you hit it. ( yeah I said when, because you always will.) 🤣
Little tech tip. Not sure if you read comments but those spring loaded center punches you just push them, no hammer needed, they work great for removing the pin that holds the float in. Seen so many ppl ruin a carb using a punch and hammer. Bust off those ears. Plus it's hard to hold and tap it out. The pin is pretty hard. It usually doesn't leave a mark even.
Helo and thankyou for another great one . Love your content Sir James. On this specific case i will specifically ask you and other viewers that run gensets of this kind to take a moment to do a simple exercise in observing the body and specialy their arms and wrists during the rope pull movement,doo that in slow motion and you will see something very dangerous at the end of the pull. Your left wrist is bent out at max wille trying to help the write fist which is holding the rope end piece. On this particular problem with ignition timing being way of the engine can VERY POWERFULY KICK BACK and hurt your left wrist witch is locked in that moment. That happened to me and broke my wrist (15 hp honda tiller). Since then i got in the habit of never using both hands , especially when using starting fluid. For my if i canot start it one handed then there is a problem that needs adresing . If you understan what i say maybe you can include that in one of your video for folks that are unaware. I have the same hoby in Europe but not with your elegance in explaining things. Looking forward for the next one!!!
I just want to comment that I wish that other small engine repair techs were as thorough
I am liking this channel more and more. the calm methods of James, and learning lots.
James put the The sander in a vice use rags around it to clamp it softly and you will send off a lot more material quicker on the key. If you leave it the way it is the key is vibrating with the sander and takes very little material off. That’s why it took 3 to 4 minutes.
Another mystery solved. Great content James. I find myself diagnosing these machine problems with you. I love it when class is in. The flywheel being improperly installed and the other little hints that this machine was previously worked on are great diagnostic tips. I'm soaking this stuff in!
Well done! at 10:28 you can see the flywheel key notch at about the 9 o'clock position on the shaft. And then we later see the key at about the 1 o'clock position! I've never seen a key so worn down but not sheered off. I've seen plenty of sheered keys on push lawn mowers (from hitting a hard object with the blade) and even a power washer, but never on a generator. I think your synopsis a the end is correct - the flywheel was removed and installed by someone who didn't line it up. Good deal for you - easy fix!!! Another great video!
...another great DIY video James.....I was on edge every time you pulled that rope...hoping a kickback would not occur... 🙂.... audio and video quality is first class....very
enjoyable to watch....keep 'em coming!.... 🙂
Every once in a while they bite th-cam.com/video/rLGHQ6Ka6F0/w-d-xo.html
Brilliant video James and very clean generator. I was surprised how shallow the crankshaft key was
I work Sunday - Wednesday. Nothing like a video like this instead of Saturday morning cartoons. Great video good sir.
I think James needs to use Mustie's, (Darrin's) method of enriching the circuit by drilling the main jet one size larger. Of course ya'll need a full set of jet size drills which may cost more than a carburetor. Mustung 1 seems to find stuff at yard sales but that is really hit or miss.
Watching you diagnose and repair generators is my morning coffee routine. I learned a lot. Although, my current favorite is your recent chain saw video. I have a homelite that runs poorly, so now I have a good idea on what to check. It's been sitting 2 years, although empty.... but it acts like it's running lean and will NOT adjust. My next project before I give up and buy a STHIL!
You do get what you pay for....
BTW, thanks to you, I broke in my brand new Honda lawnmower with 2 stroke fuel for it's very first start. ONE pull and it ran. Yep... it's a HONDA!! 🤣
I hope to keep it a very long time.
Genius! As always!
It is astonishing, these days, how many tiny, tiny things have to line up for things to work!
Morning coffee with James and another successful repair. What better way to start the day!
Be wary If James offers you a coffee in an off-white mug 😜
@@davyarthurs Always smell first🤣
@@coaterdave 😝
I've had a few flywheel keys shear on my mowers in the past. Never knew why, but they were old engines, however after replacing them, I never had that problem again. I also never liked hitting the top of the crank to pop the flywheel either for fear of damaging the crank bearings. I've done it, but I don't like it!
Thanks for the lesson. Great acquisition there!
Let it earn it's oil change.......Brings back great memories of me and my dad and brother working on something , and that is the EXACT same thing my dad would say.
Fantastic diagnosis and repairs. If you ever get tired of doing these repairs you should become a detective on a police force somewhere. Thanks for the videos.
Very good save James, your post always helps those of us that DYI as much as possible.
Dear James, you are absolutely brilliant at what you do no doubt about it , giving the head of engine two stroke to put more oil into piston and walls and then changing oil underneath and thus checking fuel system best wishes from Galway Ireland cheers Declan 👍
Great video as always. I noticed also when you took the flywheel off that the key was not lined up with the slot on the flywheel. Well done!
James. Your videos are a treasure trove to DIYers everywhere.
I’m dealing with two “surging Subaru’s” and getting overly proficient at Mikuni (or cheap knockoffs) carbs…😢
I understand not wanting to wait for parts. I have had customers that tell me, you should have those in stock. Whatever it might be. Ignition coil, or carburetor. I tell them I apologize for not having the correct parts in stock. Perhaps you would rather have someone else work on it? They usually say. No, I'll wait. Interestingly enough, they dont want to pay for overnight freight.
Great video, as usual sir 😊
Great video as allways.I had Honda generator last year running too lean I cut the anti tamper nub off and after full service it ran spot on.All the best to you
Wow, great job! That was kind of disheartening when it started surging after reducing the load. Agree with the flywheel theory although why someone would not line up the keyway is puzzeling.
When you pulled the flywheel, the key slot in the flywheel was at about 9 o'clock and the key on the crankshaft was at about 12 o'clock which was roughly 90º off.
Thanks bro! I have the same generator , got it from a friend and I have to clean the carb out and got it running. I let it sit for about 2 years and clean the carb again and got it running. I'm a mechanic but I never worked on a generator before. Your video was very helpful and I learned a lot from you. And now I feel more capable on working on my generator. Thanks again bro !
Very simple fix with this one, just ignition timing, very nice work James!
always enjoy your videos good sir. i like the way you work and attention to detail. after a day of being anxious, i find it relaxing to watch and listen. i love working on anything with an engine and have so since i was 8yrs old. im not very good with crowds,noise and would rather spend all day in the garage. dont think the other half would like that lol.
Epic testing and repair. Just bought a Firman T07573 and wouldn't run out of the box. Going to clean carburetor, fun fun fun!
Great show, a few years ago after watching your videos I bought a generator, for $100.00, put a new carb on and it’s good. So I just bought one that looks like this one except it’s got a GFCI OUTLET, it’s starts but no power. Thanks James for the great videos you make.
James, I would love to see dedicate a video to rating the different brands of Generators based your experience on fixing them and what are the most common problems with each brand. That would be great. Needless to say I really enjoy your channel.
Percival, this generator was an older one so it had an American made generator head and a Japanese Subaru engine but nowadays, except for Honda, all generators come from China. There is more than one manufacturer in China but they are all very similar to each other and they all have the same problems. The brands that we get in the US (Champion, Westinghouse, etc.) are just marketing brands and are not the actual manufacturers. They just contract with the Chinese factories to make the gens for them. Often the only difference between brands is the paint scheme.
@@throwbo I don't thing you realize how this works. Company's all over the world send thier products to be made in China.
But the Chinese factories must follow the specs set forth by each company. Some company specs produce a higher end product, some lower. Now when it's a Chinese company making the product they control the specs and that is when you end up with a cheaper quality product.
This idea that all products made in China come out the same is completely false.
@@throwbo😊
Interesting video about the key. I just by passed auto spark advance module on a Kohler cv 16s. Took a while to figure that one out. I used the stock flywheel and a non auto spark adv coil. Running for now. The kohler manual helped a lot. In the process I I turned the gov shaft the wrong way and dumped the gov gear into the bottom of the pan so I had to split the case. Not a lot of fun but it runs. Kohler sells a new kind of adv unit but at $180 I'll try he work around first. The plug wire was too short on the other coil and had a 90 where the old one was straight. It kept popping off while I was cutting the lawn. Out of frustration I cut the old coil wire off for the extra length. I joined the two with a 3/8 inch length piece of paper clip with the coating rubbed off pushed down the center of the plug wire. I held the two together with what else a wrap of duct tape. Went on to cut an acre of grass.
A long time ago my brother was working on an old 50 HP Evinrude outboard motor. He had just put it back together and wanted to see if the motor would run, before torquing down the flywheel. Every time he started it, as soon as it fired for the first time the key would shear and it would lose timing and stop. Turned out that flywheel needs to be torqued properly, even when testing!
Such a great walk through and trouble shooting. Thank you for taking your time. Such a great video.
James, nice diagnosis! The flywheel had me scratching my head!
I simply despise these carbs on the EX30 Subaru. They are DEFINITELY the weak point to an overall good running engine.
I have a miniature 900w 230v gennie that I use twice a day for 2 hours. Watching this I'm convinced the pilot jet up top must be somwhat clogged. Perhaps I can find a metal hair somewhere! Thanks for sharing!
A wire from a wire brush or a small guitar string.
Thanks again James for another awesome video. It's always great watching your next project being diagnosed and come to life. Thanks for taking the time to video each step along the way, always really helpful.
ok i have watched over 5 hours of your videos and I have learned so much. still trying to repair mine but learning more and more... it will get there
Another one solved James ,way to get it done love your trouble shooting skills
Thank you brother for your help and information I can easily understand. I'm a Newby to all this generator stuff as we've been made homeless and so I had to buy a trailer and so needed a generator. So thank you
Great diagnostic procedure, ye have a good generator Doc.
Thanks
The original generator whisperer ! Nice job james
I love your storage unit. I has a yard machines lawn mower that i put oil in just to have it leak out the bottom. Also, that engine had rod knock.
Very strange James dont think i have ever come across a key way fail on bikes clutch and staters ? good job mate ! Little john from the UK
I had a cheap 2stroke pressure washer with a timing issue.
It got slowly more difficult to stat over time and down on power. Found that the key was actually cast into the alloy flywheel. Sheered and the timing had slowly drifted. Reasonable degree of smugness to find and fix it.
I really enjoyed the tour of your storage unit! Keep em coming.
I had a similar problem in an outboard boat engine. It would run but randomly lose a little power and eventually die. The plugs would foul out and not restart. The problem turned out to be a worn key which would cause the flywheel to spin on the shaft slightly causing the timing to go out of adjustment and foul out. Replacing the key fixed the issue.
A most informative video. I have to say, I find your videos quite addictive Thank you. 🙂
That machine is 20 years old?!? It has been really well cared for. I thought it was much newer than that.
James I kind of sorta remember you found different brand off smeared a hundred or so to one side great job in all cases Peace
Another well done video, very instructional, as well as informative. Great Job!!
Thank you for another great video James, takes me back to my time working on small engines. Must admit i have never seen anyone get a flywheel on without lining up the key, takes all sorts to make the world go around i guess 🙂
Neat trick for a tight O ring
I love it when a generator earns its oil change.
On that oil sensor module: You are correct. It is not "original" to that engine. That was a "heavy duty" module (and bracket) that was sent out by the service department of Subaru Industrial. A few of the owners of this generator had complaints where the original module shut down the engine while the engine oil level was actually up. This replacement part seemed to eliminate this problem.
Also, I seem to recall that the emulsion tube is, indeed, removable on those Mikuni carbs. I believe they are slotted at the bottom and unscrew.
Subaru - 1 star out of 5 stars. Hence the Subaru logo!
I'm a fan. 3 years now. Thank you
That was a strange case. It obviously ran for some time to get the oil dirty and to show some wear on the spark plug. Someone must have removed the flywheel or possibly the nut came loose so the pull start slipped and they just tightened the nut without removing the pull start adapter and checking the alignment of the key. Tightening the nut without the keyways lined up would force the key deeper in the keyway making it difficult to remove.
Because of you I have started repairing generators.I have not sold one of them I find people in need mainly single mothers and give them to these moms. They come in handy after a hurricane = no electricity for days if not weeks. It’s all your fault.🤣🤣🤷♂️🤷♂️ thanks for the motivation and the videos.
I've got 3 college degrees - - you've beaten hands down all of my old professors for
amount learned per time invested!
Thanks we tried changing the carburetor putting new gas hoses on it just will not start with gas
Nice! Only a few hoops to jump through on this one. If only they all were that easy. 😺
It’s nice to get an easy one once in a while.
Had a patient totally dislocate their wrist due to timing being off on a lawnmower pull starting it. Apparently they had hit something and it partially sheared the key, knocking off the timing. Luckily it was a easy fix for both.
How nice does that engine run once the timing was sorted. Excellent diagnosis.
I love your videos, they are absolutely useless to me since i am in Europe but i watch them anyway, who knows, might be handy someday
James, do you think the flywheel was forced on with the groove not aligned with the key? What else could it be? EDIT: You confirmed my belief at the very end!
I don't have a gen, I don't need a gen, the grid here is uberstable, I don't care about generators.. Oooh a new video from James Condon!! Must watch!!
I think Sabaru cut the woodruff key too deep. What happens is even if the owner puts the key in correctly and does not miss the keyway into the flywheel slot like the person did in this case, flattening the key into the slot as this one was, the key does not protrude as necessary to make non-alignment not correct. It also has a larger surface to be cut in two and will probably break the crank instead. This would mostly occur in a lawnmower blade strike which has a softer metal key to shear to keep engine damage lower. Subaru needs chastised for incorrect machining. Briggs engines seem better.
Use an auto center punch for removing and installing the float pins, works like a charm. Just be careful, it can go flying.
9:51 note the gap between the flywheel and the shaft. 16:58 Note the gap is gone and the key and shaft shoulder can be seen.
My guess would be that someone had the flywheel off and just put it back on any old way and tightened it down.
I agree, good eye
Fantastic, James! Another victory!
I saw a lot of problems with what you did but Cary on it’s your story.
I've got one just like this . Runs great, however it start hard. You can pull till your blue in the face,but a little shot of either it will start first pull. I reverse my handle. Makes it easier to move around.
Good morning thanks for the video n knowledge!!!!
Nice EZ one for you James, you were due for that👍
Boy, that was a weird one! I cringe whenever I have to work on something that someone else has tried to fix, you just never know where they’ve been or what you’ll find. Nice generator (now)!
Wood drift keys normally do not run parallel with a taper and a tapered shaft. Raising the key a bit and the forward facing end will sure is a better bite.
Another epic video, thanks I really just enjoy watching these like it's a movie.
Great video was. Waiting
Thanks 😊
You are a great mechanic. Keep the great work.
Buy a set of small drills and drill out the jet. Pretty standard on a Mikuni on a Robyn engine.
Noted the key slot on flywheel was at 3 o clock yet key slot on shaft was at 12 o clock, wonder how it jumped, the key looked almost flush with the shaft? A nice easy fix really.
Honey get the tv dinners James has uploaded a new generator repair episode
Shout out from Va
This generator looks like someone cleaned it up to look newer than it really is. The flywheel and the shaft look old while the covers look new including the valve cover.
Had to go back and look at when you took the flywheel off so I could see that the key was not in the keyway if the flywheel but I don't recall you pointing that out which is why I had to go back and look at the part you pulled the flywheel off. You spent a LOT of time videoing the measuring and sanding a new key and driving to your storage locker and looking through a box of parts that was a wast of video time
Still a very useful video that reminded me that I need that strap wrench to put my Honda 5hp pressure washer motor back together (it broke a valve stem but did no damage otherwise)
Why work in imperial when obviously Subaru is METRIC?
Surely you could have used rope over piston crown to lock engine when replacing Flywheel?
I am always suspicious when finding machinery previously been got at!
You fixed it well done.
Did the key sit as far into the crank as it looked to me? I was thinking that's why the first one allowed the f-wheel to slip. Thanks for the unusual repair video.
It was sitting very low
That's one reason why i save some used oil. If work on a generator that needs an oil change but don't know if it runs and it's low on oil i put use oil in it and if it starts and runs good i'll change. How often do you recommend cleaning and reoiling foam air filters ?
Thanks for the journey.
Great video James
incredible find ... 👍
Every time one of your videos starts......"place your bet" hits my mind... can I GUESS based on the symptom. Today was a good guess day. It's indeed unusual for a generator to shear a key, as a stop that abrupt would be rare.
Thanks for your great video. I have the same unit.
go kart racers used to use no flywheel key so that they could set timing as they pleased . just get flywheel where they wanted , and super tighten (probably using an air wrench) . might come in handy in a pinch , or for testing sometime . 24:11 you can pinch the plastic restrictor off with cutting pliers , then adjust with needle nose pliers .
Was going to do just that. A generator really only needs the key for alignment. Once tight the flywheel should not move with or without the key.
That's one hell of an ignition advance