@@jcondon1 and by the way.....75 bucks for both of them was a great deal. If you can't get the other genny going.....it will continue to give to life to other gennies from the parts🙂
Hey James, I am a champion authorized service center. Always wanted to upload videos that’s what brings me here. Anyways on champions website. Is very helpful, they give you access to torque specs on everything. Also, ever come a time you need parts, champion has very affordable parts and will even sometimes send you the part for free. Customer service is outstanding I hear. As for warranty the standby there warranty as these units were probably in for warranty somewhere and someone didn’t know what they were doing and champion probably gave the customers brand new replacements. The biggest problems with champion generators, is there valves/cylinder heads. The frozen valve you experienced is 100% noticed by champion. And is an issue they’re aware of. I have 7 on my work table right now and 5out of 7 have this exact problem. Love the content brotha, very informative for the viewers. Outstanding
My neighbor when I was a kid (Bill Turner) use to pickup all kinds of two stroke engines from Ventura County land fill and put them back in working order. His class at local community college was always highly attended. Great memories of seeing him tinker like you do in his garage shop. WW2 machinist mate. RIP to a great generation
I was curious of how many generators people were selling in my area for cheap on marketplace and CL after watching many of your videos for the past few months , and i was surprised of just how many , my wife is alittle upset with me now our porch and garage is full of non working generators lol , you have inspired me to do the same , buy cheap , sell for a profit , but my biggest score was a generac 10000 exl generator for $75 bucks running , but needed a carb and battery , ( im keeping that one ) but thanks for you videos , many people plus me love them
Mr Condon, I absolutely love your videos, record them all for future use, as limited internet where I live. don't see how anyone could give a thumbs down.
You ain’t kiddin. My local recycling center definitely frowns on reusing something someone threw away. I’ve gotten yelled at more than I care to count. I tend to rummage through the electronics bin looking for ram and older cpus.
DAMMIT JAMES!!!! I made it almost to the end thinking “James haven’t used any tools I don’t have”. Then you broke out the Klein tools crimper. Now I got to go to Amazon!!! Nice save. That champion cleaned up like a champ.
I love that you rescue old generators and give them a new lease on life. And a good side income. If I’m in a need of a good used generator depending on shipping cost someday I know who to check on. I enjoy your videos and have a Blessed One Sir.
James is becoming a High-Roller! Taking bigger risks on mystery machines. Many of us "Fixers" take risks on unknown stuff...... sometimes victory is SWEET... .other times, hours of work leave us with what we started with.
I acquire almost unlimited numbers of tools and white goods from people who have discarded them coz they either don’t work or they seem to be tired of them. Fortunately I can fix most of them, but no one seems to want them anyway, they buy new! Recently two Hoovers with plastic pieces blocking the hose, fills up with backed up trash, no vacuum, only option, buy a new one. I clear the blockage, Hoover now perfect, anyone want a good used Hoover? No thanks! Collected bust wash m/c Monday, door broken off. Fixed Tuesday, 2 small bolts and 2 pop rivets. Cost maybe 40 cents. Phoned Wednesday, what time will I return the fixed wash m/c to you! She replied. You Needn’t bother, I bought a new one. Luckily I sold it a few weeks later for $50!
@@nickybritain4900 I think people just get sick of their appliances and want new ones. They are glad when they break because now they have a chance to "upgrade". Most appliances stay the same under the skin for decades - the only thing they ever really change is the styling of the case because that's what people see.
@@throwbo Yes, I’m inclined to agree with you. However from my point of view and energy conservation etc etc I think it takes minimal energy to repair something, but to construct a new one takes much much more. It seems that the world is convinced that we have an endless supply of natural resources. Am I foolish to be concerned about where we will be in say 500 years time? Should I be like the rest, and just use and abuse what we have here and now, and to hell with our great great great grandkids and their future?
Of all the times I've watched you lap valves and seen your difficulties with the suction cup popping off, I've just noticed the difference from when I was the valve lapper back in the 70's: you don't have a spring under the valve to pop it up to change lapping position. Always happy to see items salvaged and often for use.
James ive watched you from the beginning and you've come a long way. But I'm elated that your slow, sure and even style has remained the same. I feel your TH-cam future is bright. Thanks for all the hard work. You deserve all the great things coming your way.
I sure wish I had the skills and knowledge that you have about small engines/generators. You’re videos have definitely pointed me in the right direction and have helped me repair my personal generator. Thank you so much for doing these videos and I wish nothing but the best for you. Thank you sir.
Omg thank you!! I live off grid in a tiny house and have a generator bone yard accumulating. Today I opened up the valves on my 4000W Champion that has low hours but no compression. Low and behold the exhaust valve doesn’t close due to some type of buildup. Going to order a new carb etc and hopefully it works after a good cleaning.
@James Condon Thanks for being my morning entertainment while I get to enjoy my coffee and watch the world go by. Another great video, Sir. As I've stated before, I get the best of both worlds - enjoying watching you bring back the dead to life without my back and knees enduring the agony and pain. Thanks again, can't wait for the second video. PS, I love how PBlaster works but man does that stuff stink...and linger.
These generators work great and with minimal seasonal maintenance start up with no problems. Great to have one of these to keep your water pump, freezer and fridge running if ever at a loss of power!
I know more about generators thanks to your videos. Thank you for taking the time to film, edit and publish the videos, I learn and have fun watching them. Thank you very much. HAPPY FATHERS DAY !!! 🙂🙂🙂
I take great pleasure watching you use a torque wrench with such consistency, a real crimping tool, and your attention to detail. I wish I was more consistent.
Thanks. Had a few bad experiences breaking bolts. The torque wrench keeps me in check. That said, I broke a boot recently with the torque wrench. Must have been a bad bolt?
I am a generac installer electrical contractor I love your vids looking for working when I can’t do installs anymore. I went to harbor freight and bought a wire crimper for replacing golf cart wires and ordered crimp ends from amazon you can replace with any size wire as long as you have correct ends. I am looking at gen repair and golf cart repair as a hobby for retirement I am 55 now please keep up the educational vids thank you
Have the same generator, died the other day during major storm. Pretty sure exhaust valve stuck same as that one. I bought a new one because no time to work on it and power was out but I will get it going and sell it. I've had it 8 years and always ran great. Got around 200 hours on it. Good video, enjoyed
Hi James. I am not mechanically inclined but I do have one of these generators, and it runs. Nice to know that Honda parts fit if needed down the road. Good videos, Thank You!
Great video and great job. I love it when I see someone like yourself take an rescue something like that that was considered junk and you saved it. Society has become so wasteful in these modern times. It seems like nobody bothers to attempt to work on things anymore.
Nice find! That first generator didn’t have a scrap of rust on the exhaust bolts! Incredibly rare for any generator, let alone something that is thrown out
I've seen this before. Oil solidifies in the valve guide.. I see it most on pressure washers and generators. They don't get used as often.. It might be due to alcohol in fuel now. I use rope inserted in the compression chamber.. bring the piston up and it closes the valve. open and close the valve while spraying a lubricant on it. It will loosen up.
I have used the rope down the plug hole to remove really stuck cylinder heads on older multi cylinder motor cycles that have been stood for years. Often works, doesn't break the fins either !.
When you were installing the new carb you can see the frequency adjusting screw. It is painted yellow. I have one of these generators and I wondered why the frequency was high so I called Champion and that was the answer I got! Good luck love your channel!! Nice crimping pliers!!
Awesome find on the two generators! As usual, great video. I always take away a nugget of information I didn’t know previously. Thank you for creating these videos.
Man... Vids like this make me wanna get into small engine/generator repair for fun. So cool. Also - we need a video on how to score busted gens like all the ones you work on!
Scoring them is the hard part. You just have to get lucky. I watched Craigslist for months and people were asking $350 for ancient rusty flat head generators until one day I got lucky and scored one for $50 that was in great condition just had a dirty carb.
@@throwbo There are endless generators down where I live. Most just have carb issues. If I had a reasonable method for shipping. I could likely send you all you can handle- cheap enough for you to still make some cash. I'll have to think about it.
@@giggiddy Thanks for the offer but the cost of shipping makes this impractical. And NEVER send a generator UPS or other parcel carrier (other than something like a Tailgator) - they WILL toss it around and it will arrived damaged more often than not. Generators should go as palletized freight which is even more $.
@@throwbo Makes sense. Was just more thinking outloud. I believe there's a very lucrative business opportunity in these used/mostly new generators. For years, Puerto Rico and Haiti have been buying all the generators they can find. Tens of thousands of them. And every time a storm hits the States, they can't get enough. The only issue is shipping them. And the price of fuel is skyrocketing. Take care. Cheers!
For lapping valves an old mechanic (I am in my 60's) said to use some valve lapping compound, put it in the head, place the valve in a drill and pull the valve against the head while turning. Spinning it out of the head, doesn't fit it, it rounds it. also if you do not want to remove the heads but change the valve seals, turn it to the compression stroke TDC and hook an end with the same thread as the plug that is hollow, then hook a high pressure hose from your compressor up to the hollow plug. and you (IF CAREFUL ) can pull the old seal and replace it. a small pair of channel locks can be used in stages if you lose the air seal. If your car smokes at idle or when started the stops smoking and losing oil, it is those worn seals between the valve shaft and head!
I have learned a lot from just watching James ,I would not be afraid to tackle one of these myself now ,I do have a extensive electrical background ,I like the solution to the surging problem drill out the mail jet .
I love to see you using a torch wrench for.the bolts ! You hardly see it on other shows snapping a bolt is a nightmare! Usuly a wrench and pipe on the handle! Is the norm ! Great show !
I had a junked old 3500 Champion I got running. A storm knocked out power for a week and I loaned it to a family that dodnt have a generator. They ran it for a week straight and saved their food. can't ask for more than that out of an old machine!
Scrap price of $90/ton. Champion generator weighs about 200 pounds X 2= 400 pounds. Scrap value of $20 something bucks versus $150 they made when you bought them. Anyway, two good solid powerful generators for cheap.
I have the dual fuel 100155 that is new unused, never had gasoline put in it that works perfect but I do run it on propane every few months. I enjoyed watching this video as it provides more insight to my generator.
I also want to tell you, that you are very lucky, because here in Miami, you can't find used generators for less than $ 300. If I lived in a house with space I would dare to do what you do, but I live in an apartment and I have to settle for watching your videos, but I maintain 2 generators and recently bought a small Chapion 2,500.
my guess is either 1)they were at a repair shop and not picked up. the new parts were stripped back off and the units scrapped. if a shop does this consistently there is no chance of being accused of impropriety by reselling them. or 2) they were owned by a municipality or authority and could not be scrapped in runnable condition.
I found an older version in the trash of a mechanic shop around 2015. They said no compression so I instantly checked the valves and sure enough it was stuck open from sitting for a long time and the rocker was off. 5 minutes later I had a working generator I used through hurricane ian and Irma. I didn't have to take the head off though. Very quite compared to other brands.
You should get some .30 cal brass brushes (meant to clean firearms) and use those to clean the valve stem guides. They won't scratch the steel and work great to remove rust.
I wonder how many minutes use they had before being scrapped! - We had a major DIY outlet not far away, and I was appalled at the number of returned machines, including generators, mowers and garden vacs etc. etc. would be junked and carted away for scrap. You couldn't buy them, even the staff were denied that option. I suspect they'd be mostly machines with simple faults like these - All destined for the melting pot. I'd like to see the other one of these get its chance to shine. Even with damaged tinwork, it would be worth keeping as a backup machine, or transplant into a new frame.
Not sure where you live. But if you're talking about a lowes/home depot, there is likely nothing wrong with most of those machines. People exploit return policies and the stores embrace it. People buy generators for hurricane season and then return them saying its damaged after season. No questions asked. What a throw away douche-bag society weve become. All I can think of is the government must supplement them for that stuff in some way. Kind of like paying a farmer not to grow.
Was in Harbor Freight the other day and someone had just returned a new Predator 3500 inverter generator. Tried to buy it, but had no luck. Sad really. Recently bought a generator from someone who has an in as the scrap yard. Have managed to get a few from him. Its too bad that this stuff is so hard to get access to.
In England currently it's Mow the Lawn Season! Last years 4 stoke petrol ones have been left sitting and the carbs have laquered up, so buy a new one. New one works for about five minutes then blows up, Customer gets all frothy over it. First question: Did you put oil in the engine of youir brand new 'Out of the Box' mower before you started it? :-)
@@jclowe735 Make something foolproof , the Fools retaliate by improving . In UK we have 240volt as standard , and you can buy a mains operated chain saw, with a great long lead going back to a power socket , with leathal voltage. Scares the *&&* out of me! I did pick up a nice generator / arc welder set for pennies at a Boot sale a while back, like a garage sale in US, for a few pounds, spent twenty on it for a new switch panel. now I have to chain it down as everyone wants to borrow it for welding outside. :-)
Nothing wrong with thumbs down, YT loves people to interact, means good for algorithms. Not sure why people would do that, cause James video are great and useful. I would go as far as relaxing 😂⚠️
Great score for $75/ea! Love it when valves fix compression problems too! Thing was in stupid good shape as well. Way to save it and make some $ too. Excellent as always and appreciate the time and effort that you put into your channel. Keep em coming for us please!
thanks for the excellent videos. I'm sure your knees are still in fine shape but I think if you got yourself a elevating work table so you could work on the machines standing up you would find it a good investment.
Could not agree more. Years of kneeling etc whilst working on motor cycles, in yards, workshops. at race meetings and so on resulted in totally damaged knees and eventually very expensive and painfull titanium implants of both knee joints. Ok now but really hurt for a long time.
One of the things we see in retail is people stealing parts, like the oil drain plug or the fuel cap. We will sell them as is. Most clients cannot be bothered contacting the manufacture for the replacement parts. It starts a cascade of problems with the needed parts being being stolen off of other display models. Some stores will salvage new parts to cover warranty problems, like someone needing a new crank, or carburetor. The rest of the assembly gets destroyed so that it cannot be bought and someone trying to return it. Some places like Costco with their no questions asked warranty gets the shaft.
Hi James, I have followed you closely on TH-cam and have interacted with you on several occasions. I have a problem that I hope you can help with. I have the Champion 41532 7000 / 9000 the same machine as you repair in this video. The problem is as follows: The generator has been my power source in an off-grid property in Maine. It has run flawlessly since I bought it about 10 years ago. It has been well maintained and the oil changed every 30 - 40 hours. It has a remote start fob. On a trip to Maine this past weekend it started to act strangely. Generally, it starts on the first push on the start button of the fob. It will start and run about 15 seconds before power is supplied to the load. But this trip after the engine starts it would take upwards of a minute before power is supplied. I stood by the genny and started it. At about the 15 second interval it seems to try to supply power but it struggles for a few seconds and then evens out and then in another 15 seconds the same happens again until power finally comes on. At those 15 second intervals a strange noise is omitted which sounds like a snowblower when you engage the impeller clutch, sort of a squeak is my best description. Once the power is supplied the generator run fine although I noticed that it is only pushing 58.8 hz whereas before it pushed between 60-62hz. One thing that is weird is that on occasion when the machine starts power is supplied immediately without any noise and no delay. The unit has 1,800 hours. My initial thought was that perhaps it is related to the plastic governor gear inside the engine but that doesn't explain why sometimes there is no noise or delay. What causes the 15 second delay when it operates normally?? Is it electronic or mechanical?? Does any of this make any sense to you?? Thank you very much for any help or advice!! Regards, John
Awesome job Sir. I found your video very enlightening and educational. I really appreciated you going through your every step while working on the equipment. Thank you and look forward to seeing more of your videos.
good work young man you can hear the grinding paste dissapate as you rotate the valve also you can see a band around the seat face and its mate on the valve this indicates a matched pair of surfaces / means a gas tight seal
A lot of wealthy people just buy new at the first sign of an issue. They are the same people who used to buy a new car when the ashtray was full. James obviously lives close to a wealthy neighborhood to find all the new throwaways.
I had the same thing happen on my generator where the exhaust valve stuck. On mine I believe it was from running lean. Cleaned out the carb at the same time and it works fine now.
@@stevenherd9799 Not sure but the engine was running lean. The electricity was off so I had to use the generator anyway. Cleaned the carb later when the electricity came back on and haven't had that happen again. Exhaust valve stuck but was freed up and has worked fine since.
The first gen set looks horrible with the dents and stuff. The second one that you worked after taking the valves out I had no doubt so someone cannibalized them both but didn't really take the good stuff. Bravo I will look back in when you post the results of the dented one. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and instructions. Ed
I would like to suggest that you take a brass rifle barrel cleaning brush .17 cal or .22 cal or even a bore snake and clean the rust out of the valve guide too. The rust you left in there could not have been good for the valve stem. That being said, I like the way you troubleshoot and the way you do things in general. I have subscribed and liked this video. Thank you for making it. John
So, you have saved the enviromental cost of building a new genarator, and the also the cost of scrapping at least one of the old ones. Plus there are spares available from the other one. But people will scream and shout that an 'Old ' machine is not Enviromenatlly friendly. Beyond me.
These machines were not old. They even had an evaporative emission control system. Other than that, the small engines being sold today have not really advanced much - they are like cars from the 1960s and to be honest they pollute a lot. All the stuff that cars have nowadays - fuel injection, catalytic converters, etc., they mostly lack. The hot new thing is lithium battery "generators" (just big rechargeable battery banks with an inverter) but for now these don't run for very long. Good for charging you phone and running a couple of LED lights at a campsite but not for keeping your fridge going in a 3 day power outage.
@@throwbo Funnny, just been talking to my son about battery power tools. How Green is your battery? The don't call them Rare Earths for nothing, and Lithium is highly toxic and very persistant. Fifty years ago the Climate Worry was , When will the new Ice Age start.
I had to warranty a few of these same models, when built they used a cheap low quality grease and it would burn and stick the valve open. After about 8 of them, the company said to not fix them anymore and to just take them back to the store for a recall. I fixed and sold many of these lol
Great save from the landfill. It would be helpful to see a breakdown of total cost to repair including parts and material costs, and number of hours of your time.
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Hi James....you are more than welcome. So awesome to see the carb go to excellent use. Another job well done. 👍👍👍🙂🙂🙂
Thanks Paul
@@jcondon1 and by the way.....75 bucks for both of them was a great deal. If you can't get the other genny going.....it will continue to give to life to other gennies from the parts🙂
nice!
@@jcondon1 B
@@jcondon1 ii
Hey James, I am a champion authorized service center. Always wanted to upload videos that’s what brings me here. Anyways on champions website. Is very helpful, they give you access to torque specs on everything.
Also, ever come a time you need parts, champion has very affordable parts and will even sometimes send you the part for free. Customer service is outstanding I hear. As for warranty the standby there warranty as these units were probably in for warranty somewhere and someone didn’t know what they were doing and champion probably gave the customers brand new replacements.
The biggest problems with champion generators, is there valves/cylinder heads. The frozen valve you experienced is 100% noticed by champion. And is an issue they’re aware of. I have 7 on my work table right now and 5out of 7 have this exact problem.
Love the content brotha, very informative for the viewers. Outstanding
My neighbor when I was a kid (Bill Turner) use to pickup all kinds of two stroke engines from Ventura County land fill and put them back in working order. His class at local community college was always highly attended. Great memories of seeing him tinker like you do in his garage shop. WW2 machinist mate. RIP to a great generation
Bootstrap Bill Turner?
I was curious of how many generators people were selling in my area for cheap on marketplace and CL after watching many of your videos for the past few months , and i was surprised of just how many , my wife is alittle upset with me now our porch and garage is full of non working generators lol , you have inspired me to do the same , buy cheap , sell for a profit , but my biggest score was a generac 10000 exl generator for $75 bucks running , but needed a carb and battery , ( im keeping that one ) but thanks for you videos , many people plus me love them
Thanks for sharing.
Nice find….I’m doing the same haha
Ol Chris is over run with generators lol lol
Luv it! It's a cult!
I cannot find any in new jersey. too bad! .
I really like your attention to details and clarity of your camera work! Another great video!
Thanks
So much respect for someone who can reverse our disposable society. Really great stuff.
That’s why the trades are getting in hot water rn. No one is applying to the positions anymore
Mr Condon, I absolutely love your videos, record them all for future use, as limited internet where I live. don't see how anyone could give a thumbs down.
James, nice to see how you manage tools and parts! So calm and acurate movements, like a surgeon! Congrats from Brazil!
Thanks
Not enough time for loud cussing either!
Man you're so lucky. I can't even pick up a busted drill from our scrap bins let alone two almost new gennies.
Same here
Where I live taking something from the scrap yard is considered stealing. lol
@@Chris-yy7qc HE SAID he paid $75.00 each.
You ain’t kiddin. My local recycling center definitely frowns on reusing something someone threw away. I’ve gotten yelled at more than I care to count. I tend to rummage through the electronics bin looking for ram and older cpus.
Got lucky and met someone who has access to the scrap yard. I am not allowed in :(
DAMMIT JAMES!!!! I made it almost to the end thinking “James haven’t used any tools I don’t have”. Then you broke out the Klein tools crimper. Now I got to go to Amazon!!! Nice save. That champion cleaned up like a champ.
I love that you rescue old generators and give them a new lease on life. And a good side income.
If I’m in a need of a good used generator depending on shipping cost someday I know who to check on.
I enjoy your videos and have a Blessed One Sir.
James is becoming a High-Roller! Taking bigger risks on mystery machines. Many of us "Fixers" take risks on unknown stuff...... sometimes victory is SWEET... .other times, hours of work leave us with what we started with.
I acquire almost unlimited numbers of tools and white goods from people who have discarded them coz they either don’t work or they seem to be tired of them. Fortunately I can fix most of them, but no one seems to want them anyway, they buy new! Recently two Hoovers with plastic pieces blocking the hose, fills up with backed up trash, no vacuum, only option, buy a new one. I clear the blockage, Hoover now perfect, anyone want a good used Hoover? No thanks!
Collected bust wash m/c Monday, door broken off.
Fixed Tuesday, 2 small bolts and 2 pop rivets. Cost maybe 40 cents.
Phoned Wednesday, what time will I return the fixed wash m/c to you!
She replied. You Needn’t bother, I bought a new one.
Luckily I sold it a few weeks later for $50!
@@nickybritain4900 I think people just get sick of their appliances and want new ones. They are glad when they break because now they have a chance to "upgrade". Most appliances stay the same under the skin for decades - the only thing they ever really change is the styling of the case because that's what people see.
@@throwbo Yes, I’m inclined to agree with you. However from my point of view and energy conservation etc etc I think it takes minimal energy to repair something, but to construct a new one takes much much more. It seems that the world is convinced that we have an endless supply of natural resources. Am I foolish to be concerned about where we will be in say 500 years time? Should I be like the rest, and just use and abuse what we have here and now, and to hell with our great great great grandkids and their future?
@@nickybritain4900 500 years? Love your optimism.
Great job James, love to see equipment getting fix, crazy to think this equipment would’ve been crushed if not for you!!!
Of all the times I've watched you lap valves and seen your difficulties with the suction cup popping off, I've just noticed the difference from when I was the valve lapper back in the 70's: you don't have a spring under the valve to pop it up to change lapping position.
Always happy to see items salvaged and often for use.
10:38 You can also use a wood stick or dowel.
James ive watched you from the beginning and you've come a long way. But I'm elated that your slow, sure and even style has remained the same. I feel your TH-cam future is bright. Thanks for all the hard work. You deserve all the great things coming your way.
You are such a gentle mechanic. Very civilised.
I think the way you work and think things through is great, I always learn something
I sure wish I had the skills and knowledge that you have about small engines/generators. You’re videos have definitely pointed me in the right direction and have helped me repair my personal generator. Thank you so much for doing these videos and I wish nothing but the best for you. Thank you sir.
Mr. Condon, thanks to your videos my Generator is running beautifully!!! Hasn’t run for three years, I FIXED IT! Thank you jim
Hard to believe that machine was headed for scrap. Looks brand new and now works like it. Great job.
The zen of generator repair. Very calming to watch.
Omg thank you!! I live off grid in a tiny house and have a generator bone yard accumulating. Today I opened up the valves on my 4000W Champion that has low hours but no compression. Low and behold the exhaust valve doesn’t close due to some type of buildup. Going to order a new carb etc and hopefully it works after a good cleaning.
@James Condon Thanks for being my morning entertainment while I get to enjoy my coffee and watch the world go by. Another great video, Sir. As I've stated before, I get the best of both worlds - enjoying watching you bring back the dead to life without my back and knees enduring the agony and pain. Thanks again, can't wait for the second video. PS, I love how PBlaster works but man does that stuff stink...and linger.
These generators work great and with minimal seasonal maintenance start up with no problems. Great to have one of these to keep your water pump, freezer and fridge running if ever at a loss of power!
I know more about generators thanks to your videos.
Thank you for taking the time to film, edit and publish the videos, I learn and have fun watching them.
Thank you very much.
HAPPY FATHERS DAY !!! 🙂🙂🙂
I take great pleasure watching you use a torque wrench with such consistency, a real crimping tool, and your attention to detail. I wish I was more consistent.
Thanks. Had a few bad experiences breaking bolts. The torque wrench keeps me in check. That said, I broke a boot recently with the torque wrench. Must have been a bad bolt?
It's relaxing to watch you go through these engines.
Excellent score and an even better skill set! Thanks for taking us along, I appreciate the tutelage.👍🏼👍🏼
I am a generac installer electrical contractor I love your vids looking for working when I can’t do installs anymore. I went to harbor freight and bought a wire crimper for replacing golf cart wires and ordered crimp ends from amazon you can replace with any size wire as long as you have correct ends. I am looking at gen repair and golf cart repair as a hobby for retirement I am 55 now please keep up the educational vids thank you
And I also have those same crimpers lol
I've got one I've had for 5 years, great working unit and works flawlessly
Have the same generator, died the other day during major storm. Pretty sure exhaust valve stuck same as that one. I bought a new one because no time to work on it and power was out but I will get it going and sell it. I've had it 8 years and always ran great. Got around 200 hours on it. Good video, enjoyed
Hi James. I am not mechanically inclined but I do have one of these generators, and it runs. Nice to know that Honda parts fit if needed down the road. Good videos, Thank You!
Great video and great job. I love it when I see someone like yourself take an rescue something like that that was considered junk and you saved it. Society has become so wasteful in these modern times. It seems like nobody bothers to attempt to work on things anymore.
Nice work bringing that generator back to life, nice save from the scrapyard, great work!
The paintwork on both of them looked brand new. Good Job there James.
Besides the damage they were like new. I am sure the damage happened at the Junkyard.
@@jcondon1 I think you're right. Great find and great job you did.
Excellent and inspiring work sir! Thanks... was feeling $75 each was a lot for those. Boy was I wrong.
Nice find! That first generator didn’t have a scrap of rust on the exhaust bolts! Incredibly rare for any generator, let alone something that is thrown out
I've seen this before. Oil solidifies in the valve guide.. I see it most on pressure washers and generators. They don't get used as often.. It might be due to alcohol in fuel now. I use rope inserted in the compression chamber.. bring the piston up and it closes the valve. open and close the valve while spraying a lubricant on it. It will loosen up.
I have used the rope down the plug hole to remove really stuck cylinder heads on older multi cylinder motor cycles that have been stood for years. Often works, doesn't break the fins either !.
When you were installing the new carb you can see the frequency adjusting screw. It is painted yellow. I have one of these generators and I wondered why the frequency was high so I called Champion and that was the answer I got! Good luck love your channel!! Nice crimping pliers!!
Awesome find on the two generators! As usual, great video. I always take away a nugget of information I didn’t know previously. Thank you for creating these videos.
I bet those generators were from a dropped pallet . You’re winning this one !!!
Skilful fix and first-rate video. Wish I had small engine repair and engineering skills. You are gifted.
I love it when things are done exactly properly that's what I'm into and I see you cover that down to a science
Man... Vids like this make me wanna get into small engine/generator repair for fun. So cool. Also - we need a video on how to score busted gens like all the ones you work on!
Scoring them is the hard part. You just have to get lucky. I watched Craigslist for months and people were asking $350 for ancient rusty flat head generators until one day I got lucky and scored one for $50 that was in great condition just had a dirty carb.
@@throwbo There are endless generators down where I live. Most just have carb issues. If I had a reasonable method for shipping. I could likely send you all you can handle- cheap enough for you to still make some cash. I'll have to think about it.
@@giggiddy Thanks for the offer but the cost of shipping makes this impractical. And NEVER send a generator UPS or other parcel carrier (other than something like a Tailgator) - they WILL toss it around and it will arrived damaged more often than not. Generators should go as palletized freight which is even more $.
@@throwbo Makes sense. Was just more thinking outloud. I believe there's a very lucrative business opportunity in these used/mostly new generators. For years, Puerto Rico and Haiti have been buying all the generators they can find. Tens of thousands of them. And every time a storm hits the States, they can't get enough. The only issue is shipping them. And the price of fuel is skyrocketing. Take care. Cheers!
For lapping valves an old mechanic (I am in my 60's) said to use some valve lapping compound, put it in the head, place the valve in a drill and pull the valve against the head while turning. Spinning it out of the head, doesn't fit it, it rounds it. also if you do not want to remove the heads but change the valve seals, turn it to the compression stroke TDC and hook an end with the same thread as the plug that is hollow, then hook a high pressure hose from your compressor up to the hollow plug. and you (IF CAREFUL ) can pull the old seal and replace it. a small pair of channel locks can be used in stages if you lose the air seal. If your car smokes at idle or when started the stops smoking and losing oil, it is those worn seals between the valve shaft and head!
Great Job James, always good to see a generator live another life.
I have learned a lot from just watching James ,I would not be afraid to tackle one of these myself now ,I do have a extensive electrical background ,I like the solution to the surging problem drill out the mail jet .
As always, enjoyed the visit.
What a great find. I never seem to find deals like that. Thanks for saving another piece of machinery. Thanks for the video.
I love to see you using a torch wrench for.the bolts ! You hardly see it on other shows snapping a bolt is a nightmare! Usuly a wrench and pipe on the handle! Is the norm ! Great show !
Procedure well-explained, close to surgical! A pleasure to watch and experience.
It is a bit expensive for me, and I strongly suggest T-generators, with lower costs, and the same quality, or FFT generators, Exprot Gens.
I had a junked old 3500 Champion I got running. A storm knocked out power for a week and I loaned it to a family that dodnt have a generator. They ran it for a week straight and saved their food. can't ask for more than that out of an old machine!
Hello James. I found this year-old video. Good job and luck on this one. Thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!
Amazing job! Can't wait to see what the other one does with your magic.
The Bob Ross of generator repair. Happy little generators.
Fantastic detail. And, I like the pace of your videos... almost meditative...
thank you I never knew about that tip " try to rotate the valve after lapping" and I have been lapping valves for over 60 years
Great video! Loved hearing the wind chimes too!
Great save!!! Looking fwd to what you will do to the other one....Hope it is salvageable... Always enjoy your video's.... Thanks!!!
Scrap price of $90/ton. Champion generator weighs about 200 pounds X 2= 400 pounds. Scrap value of $20 something bucks versus $150 they made when you bought them. Anyway, two good solid powerful generators for cheap.
I have the dual fuel 100155 that is new unused, never had gasoline put in it that works perfect but I do run it on propane every few months. I enjoyed watching this video as it provides more insight to my generator.
Appreciate all the hard work you do in fixing and videography.
That one looks fairly new to have a stuck valve. But your videos are so good I can watch them all day.
I also want to tell you, that you are very lucky, because here in Miami, you can't find used generators for less than $ 300.
If I lived in a house with space I would dare to do what you do, but I live in an apartment and I have to settle for watching your videos, but I maintain 2 generators and recently bought a small Chapion 2,500.
my guess is either 1)they were at a repair shop and not picked up. the new parts were stripped back off and the units scrapped. if a shop does this consistently there is no chance of being accused of impropriety by reselling them. or 2) they were owned by a municipality or authority and could not be scrapped in runnable condition.
Runs very well even without the servo and electric choke very nice @32:14 @James Condon
I found an older version in the trash of a mechanic shop around 2015. They said no compression so I instantly checked the valves and sure enough it was stuck open from sitting for a long time and the rocker was off. 5 minutes later I had a working generator I used through hurricane ian and Irma. I didn't have to take the head off though. Very quite compared to other brands.
You should get some .30 cal brass brushes (meant to clean firearms) and use those to clean the valve stem guides. They won't scratch the steel and work great to remove rust.
Great work, I learn something new every time.
I wonder how many minutes use they had before being scrapped! - We had a major DIY outlet not far away, and I was appalled at the number of returned machines, including generators, mowers and garden vacs etc. etc. would be junked and carted away for scrap. You couldn't buy them, even the staff were denied that option. I suspect they'd be mostly machines with simple faults like these - All destined for the melting pot.
I'd like to see the other one of these get its chance to shine. Even with damaged tinwork, it would be worth keeping as a backup machine, or transplant into a new frame.
Not sure where you live. But if you're talking about a lowes/home depot, there is likely nothing wrong with most of those machines. People exploit return policies and the stores embrace it. People buy generators for hurricane season and then return them saying its damaged after season. No questions asked. What a throw away douche-bag society weve become. All I can think of is the government must supplement them for that stuff in some way. Kind of like paying a farmer not to grow.
Was in Harbor Freight the other day and someone had just returned a new Predator 3500 inverter generator. Tried to buy it, but had no luck. Sad really. Recently bought a generator from someone who has an in as the scrap yard. Have managed to get a few from him. Its too bad that this stuff is so hard to get access to.
In England currently it's Mow the Lawn Season! Last years 4 stoke petrol ones have been left sitting and the carbs have laquered up, so buy a new one. New one works for about five minutes then blows up, Customer gets all frothy over it. First question: Did you put oil in the engine of youir brand new 'Out of the Box' mower before you started it? :-)
@@51WCDodge idiot people shouldn't have lawn equipment or any other type of power tool because they're too stupid to READ the OWNER'S MANUAL.
@@jclowe735 Make something foolproof , the Fools retaliate by improving . In UK we have 240volt as standard , and you can buy a mains operated chain saw, with a great long lead going back to a power socket , with leathal voltage. Scares the *&&* out of me! I did pick up a nice generator / arc welder set for pennies at a Boot sale a while back, like a garage sale in US, for a few pounds, spent twenty on it for a new switch panel. now I have to chain it down as everyone wants to borrow it for welding outside. :-)
You're a good teacher and instructor. Thanks.
People who leave a thumbs down, should go back watching "the bachelorette".
Nothing wrong with thumbs down, YT loves people to interact, means good for algorithms. Not sure why people would do that, cause James video are great and useful. I would go as far as relaxing 😂⚠️
I think that even a thumbs down helps the channel.
@@frankhobsonKJ4CDM There are clowns that literally go to sites and push thumbs down on everything just for the drama. Ignore those fools.
Couldn't concur more!!!!
😅 I do Agree 👍
Great score for $75/ea! Love it when valves fix compression problems too! Thing was in stupid good shape as well. Way to save it and make some $ too. Excellent as always and appreciate the time and effort that you put into your channel. Keep em coming for us please!
Thanks Eric! Not many broken generators going up for sale recently. Thankfully I stocked up in the spring.
thanks for the excellent videos. I'm sure your knees are still in fine shape but I think if you got yourself a elevating work table so you could work on the machines standing up you would find it a good investment.
Could not agree more. Years of kneeling etc whilst working on motor cycles, in yards, workshops. at race meetings and so on resulted in totally damaged knees and eventually very expensive and painfull titanium implants of both knee joints. Ok now but really hurt for a long time.
One of the things we see in retail is people stealing parts, like the oil drain plug or the fuel cap. We will sell them as is. Most clients cannot be bothered contacting the manufacture for the replacement parts. It starts a cascade of problems with the needed parts being being stolen off of other display models. Some stores will salvage new parts to cover warranty problems, like someone needing a new crank, or carburetor. The rest of the assembly gets destroyed so that it cannot be bought and someone trying to return it. Some places like Costco with their no questions asked warranty gets the shaft.
Hi James, I have followed you closely on TH-cam and have interacted with you on several occasions. I have a problem that I hope you can help with. I have the Champion 41532 7000 / 9000 the same machine as you repair in this video. The problem is as follows: The generator has been my power source in an off-grid property in Maine. It has run flawlessly since I bought it about 10 years ago. It has been well maintained and the oil changed every 30 - 40 hours. It has a remote start fob. On a trip to Maine this past weekend it started to act strangely. Generally, it starts on the first push on the start button of the fob. It will start and run about 15 seconds before power is supplied to the load. But this trip after the engine starts it would take upwards of a minute before power is supplied. I stood by the genny and started it. At about the 15 second interval it seems to try to supply power but it struggles for a few seconds and then evens out and then in another 15 seconds the same happens again until power finally comes on. At those 15 second intervals a strange noise is omitted which sounds like a snowblower when you engage the impeller clutch, sort of a squeak is my best description. Once the power is supplied the generator run fine although I noticed that it is only pushing 58.8 hz whereas before it pushed between 60-62hz. One thing that is weird is that on occasion when the machine starts power is supplied immediately without any noise and no delay. The unit has 1,800 hours. My initial thought was that perhaps it is related to the plastic governor gear inside the engine but that doesn't explain why sometimes there is no noise or delay. What causes the 15 second delay when it operates normally?? Is it electronic or mechanical?? Does any of this make any sense to you?? Thank you very much for any help or advice!! Regards, John
Awesome job Sir. I found your video very enlightening and educational. I really appreciated you going through your every step while working on the equipment. Thank you and look forward to seeing more of your videos.
good work young man you can hear the grinding paste dissapate as you rotate the valve also you can see a band around the seat face and its mate on the valve this indicates a matched pair of surfaces / means a gas tight seal
A lot of wealthy people just buy new at the first sign of an issue. They are the same people who used to buy a new car when the ashtray was full. James obviously lives close to a wealthy neighborhood to find all the new throwaways.
2.12.......looks brand new,low hours. Great save.........super clean units ))
A simple repair! Great job as usual!
Not so simple to those that don't know.
great job James another good one this week
Great valve lesson Doc., that will be a nice generator for someone.
Great video! Truly bringing them back from the dead!
Nice find, great fix. Thanks for the video.
Wow! That was a great save. Very helpful. Thank you.
I had the same thing happen on my generator where the exhaust valve stuck. On mine I believe it was from running lean. Cleaned out the carb at the same time and it works fine now.
I'm not sure but I'm thinking alcohol in the fuel makes it run hotter on the exhaust side go non-alcohol fuel maybe
@@stevenherd9799 Not sure but the engine was running lean. The electricity was off so I had to use the generator anyway. Cleaned the carb later when the electricity came back on and haven't had that happen again. Exhaust valve stuck but was freed up and has worked fine since.
The first gen set looks horrible with the dents and stuff. The second one that you worked after taking the valves out I had no doubt so someone cannibalized them both but didn't really take the good stuff. Bravo I will look back in when you post the results of the dented one. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and instructions. Ed
Saved from the crusher! Nice work as usual, great work and editing👍
Great job man! I love doing that sort of thing, waaayyy too much stuff thrown out with very little wrong with it.
So much of learning from your videos James.
Thanks a lot for all those details.
I would like to suggest that you take a brass rifle barrel cleaning brush .17 cal or .22 cal or even a bore snake and clean the rust out of the valve guide too. The rust you left in there could not have been good for the valve stem. That being said, I like the way you troubleshoot and the way you do things in general. I have subscribed and liked this video. Thank you for making it. John
Thanks John. I agree.
Gutted for you both! But as others have said you made the right decision. Love to you both 👍😃
So, you have saved the enviromental cost of building a new genarator, and the also the cost of scrapping at least one of the old ones. Plus there are spares available from the other one. But people will scream and shout that an 'Old ' machine is not Enviromenatlly friendly. Beyond me.
These machines were not old. They even had an evaporative emission control system. Other than that, the small engines being sold today have not really advanced much - they are like cars from the 1960s and to be honest they pollute a lot. All the stuff that cars have nowadays - fuel injection, catalytic converters, etc., they mostly lack.
The hot new thing is lithium battery "generators" (just big rechargeable battery banks with an inverter) but for now these don't run for very long. Good for charging you phone and running a couple of LED lights at a campsite but not for keeping your fridge going in a 3 day power outage.
@@throwbo Funnny, just been talking to my son about battery power tools. How Green is your battery? The don't call them Rare Earths for nothing, and Lithium is highly toxic and very persistant. Fifty years ago the Climate Worry was , When will the new Ice Age start.
I had to warranty a few of these same models, when built they used a cheap low quality grease and it would burn and stick the valve open. After about 8 of them, the company said to not fix them anymore and to just take them back to the store for a recall. I fixed and sold many of these lol
Great save from the landfill. It would be helpful to see a breakdown of total cost to repair including parts and material costs, and number of hours of your time.
Good to see slightly faster editing on stuff like mundane bolting up. Find these fascinating.
Got to love the red recoil on the yellow engine! Highly technical comment, lol.