Will a Cheap $40 Carburetor Breathe New Life Into This Machine? Generac LP5500 Generator
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- Опубліковано 17 січ 2024
- This Generac LP5500 Propane generator was dropped off to Gary's by a customer after it failed to start. Gary properly diagnosed it as a bad propane regulator. Water got into the regulator and caused a lot of damage. Although Gary got the generator to run, the regulator really needs a rebuild. Unfortunately Generac does not supply a rebuild kit. Instead Generac offers a new regulator for $300! The owner did not want to pay for the EOM part. Gary offered the option of a new brand Garretson KN regulator for less money. The still did not want to repair the generator and told Gary to keep it...
Gary passed it on to me for parts or repair. Will a cheap $40 Amazon tri-fuel caruretor breathe new life into this machine? I have my doubts.
Generac LP5500 / LP3250: Regulator Repair: • Generac LP5500 / LP325...
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Generator Model: 0060010
Generac OEM Regulator(0G8442F124): www.jackssmallengines.com/jac...
Hipa GX390 188F Tri-Fuel Carburetor: amzn.to/3HnIVLI
Dual Stage Regulator 160,000 BTU: amzn.to/47A5NlD
Propane Hose: amzn.to/3vDDh5l
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I no longer use Harbor Freight Super Heavy Duty Degreaser in my ultrasonic cleaner. Harbor Freight changed the recipe. The bottle previously stated "NON-CORROSIVE". Now it says "CORROSIVE", "do not user on Aluminum". It now damages most carburetors.
#Generac #GeneratorRepair #SmallEngineRepair #SmallEngine #DIY #Fixed #Troubleshooting #HowTo #Propane
0060010, 0G8442F124, Alternator, Bad Regulator, Diaphragm, Fixed, GEN-0G8442F124, Garretson KN, Garretson Regulator, Garretson, Generac, Generator, Governor Spring, Hertz, Hipa, How To, How-To, Ignition Switch, LP3250, LP5500, Load Bank, Load Test, Propane Carburetor, Propane Conversion, Propane Engine, Propane Regulator, Propane, Regulator Rebuild, Regulator, Repair,
Rustoleum Rustic Orange, SIMPLEX, Set Engine Speed, Small Engine, THD, Total Harmonic Distortion, Tri-Fuel Conversion, Troubleshooting, Won't Start - Навчання та стиль
That has to have a heat shield. Between the hose and the exhaust. Its not optional. Major code issue. You also have violated code by having a two stage regulator that vents in the open near the electrical panel, and within 3 ft of the exhaust A two stage reg vents propane to atmosphere under certain conditions. You have ignition sources way too close.
That machine is an explosion waiting to happen.
The old automotive style regulator was isolated from speak and ignition by metal shielding.
This one is not. It has vents.
Don’t even think about selling it.
Serious advice from someone who knows. Unless your insurance covers burning down customer houses, etc.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
I agree a heat shield should be added. I would have thought/hoped Generac would have done that if code. Either way I will add one. The two stage regulator is a couple feet further away then the original. Under what condition would it vent propane aside from a failure in a diaphragm?
@@jcondon1 You are right. That regulator will not vent unless it fails internally. OTOH, the original regulator was mounted on that plate, which probably qualifies as a heat shield. Also, the exhaust faces forward to get it away from the mounted tank. That said, I would add a heat shield, but point out that this modified unit is no longer UL approved as it sits. BTW, the rules are different for portable units versus stationary gen sets because it's just not possible to isolate the fuel supply and its systems so many feet away from the engine.
@@jcondon1 the biggest issue with most propane powered engines and devices is regulator failure. Diaphragm failure is caused by poor quality, by water in propane causing corrosion, by propane additives, and by liquid propane reaching the diaphragm. I have seen that last condition many times when a tank is tipped over. Liquid propane reaches the diaphragm through the lines. Poof, venting.
That said, outdoor portable appliances don’t have the same code as larger scale items, so it varies by jurisdiction. 18inches seems to be the going number for the regulator distance so you are fine. I was wrong on 3 ft.
There are a couple of other code issues, such as feed tube routing, clamping, using bendable wire ties, etc. but reality is and common sense says this stuff is ok.
I would go back and visit the propane fitting on the bottom of the carb. It is likely sealed in with a urethane hardening gas line dope. Apply a small measured amount of heat (not MAP) to the barbed fitting (not the carb body) to melt it and then turn it out. Install a 90 degree male fitting down (use gas rated pipe dope please) , and use compression fittings on the line and use a crimped clamp. Not a clamp that can be tampered with. Crimped, it’s the same as a store bought hose in the eyes of the code. It’s permanent.
Then bend the exhaust back. And put in a small plate extended down From the grey side plate (use two bolts to protect the carb, but still have access. Your idea about going under with the hose was a good one.
So you need a male to
Male 90 degree fitting that goes threaded male into the carb (probably 3/8 but might be 1/4) and 3/8 male NPT on the down side . Then buy a female NPT barbed fitting for the hose side and use a crimped clamp. If you do these things it will be pretty much to code and more importantly safe.
No type of screw on hose clamp is ok. Not high pressure, not low pressure. Crimped. (Screws vibrate loose)
Hope this helps. And of course, it’s all your call. We all learn together. You are a smart guy. You already saw the 90 as the solution. But you gave up too fast on the barbed fitting removal. It comes out
Thanks for all the information. I did give up too fast on removing the fitting. Was concerned about heat and damaging the diaphragms. Will swap out the fitting and add some heat shielding.
I cant think of a single gas BBQ that meets those codes
I have that same model Generac. It was always hard to start. I spoke with a guy a few years ago, turns out he works for a company that makes kits to convert pretty much anything from gas to propane. I explained to him the issue I had with starting and that the prime/purge was done for 5 seconds. He advised me that 2 seconds should be more than adequate. I tried it and did find it started much easier. Another thing he told me was to not open the valve for the propane quickly, open it as slow as possible. He said the quick way can cause a surge of pressure that shuts the diaphragm down and it's better to open the valve as slowly as possible.
That procedure is advised for all propane fixtures.
Ho! Knowledge is gold. Thank you for that gold.
It's very easy to trigger excess flow shutoffs, and that is likely what he was talking about.
I appreciate the extra safety when it is unobtrusive, but I have disabled excess flow devices on my own equipment when they require extreme care to avoid triggering. If I need to open the propane valve extremely slowly a half dozen times before a grill works, there is no way that feature is acceptable for a casual user.
I used to get aftermarket propane conversion kits to make gas run on propane back in 2005, 2006 still have a couple kits with regulators, but quit doing them , liability
Hi James, don't underestimate the grill adapter. The vacuum of the engine allow the regulator to output lots more propane than it would normally do for a grill :)
I have to say I'm blown away by that carburetor 40 bucks and it's worth every penny once again amazing video.
Nothing beats finding a good and affordable solution for a problem you've encountered before, and may encounter again.
I'm so glad generators break... just so we, the public around the world, have the pleasure of watching your weekly informative and quality videos, Jim. You really are an authority on small engines, and your attention to detail is commendable. That tri fuel carb is so affordable, yet it suits this application perfectly. Im seriously impressed with American spray paint cans and the distance of spray coverage compared to my British options. Thanks again from Austin and your UK audience 👏 👏 👏 👏
You cannot beat Rustoleum. I am always surprised when I see a UK can of spray paint. Does not look very good when going on, but surprisingly dries real well.
i was hoping you would leave the hose long so that a 100lb propane cylinder could be used. Great job on the Generator
A good trick for removing glue and old paint is to use easy off oven cleaner. It is a trick I learned from an old hand sign painter
Hey Jim. Thank you for another excellent video. As an electrician who has done control panels, we would mark the cutout with masking tape which also would protect the paint. Then drill the corner's with a bit slightly bigger than a metal use, jig saw blade. Then jig saw the cut out. Always hold the jig saw firmly to the work before turning it off.
That genny had a tough life. It appears to have been stored outside. It's so faded. Great video Jim. Thank you.
Another great video. Thanks. I find that the best way to cut out a square opening like you did in the video is to use a metal cutting fine tooth jigsaw blade. First drill 4 small holes at each corner for clean corners and squareness, then make an opening with a dremel in the center of the square just to fit the jigsaw blade.
Hurrah! Thanks to you, Jason, the original owner and Amazon!
I'd say that Propane is the preferred fuel for these stand-by items: no long-term gummed up gasoline.
If your property has a Natural gas line, that would be cheaper to run. The difficult bit
would be making a long flexable pipe with fittings that would meet code
Love that carburetor been making those conversions for years. Glad to see you play with one on your show.
Very nice bit of information! You did a very nice job with the "rattle can rebuild" on the once labeled parts. Love your attention to the details.
As always, great video! For future reference, There are two load-block adjustment screws on that $40 tri-fuel carb. It's on the LP-NG selection knob itself. One screw is the load block for LP, the other for NG. I had to find this out the hard way. To tell which screw is which, turn the knob to your fuel of choice and whichever screw lines up with the center axis of the outlet tube, is the currently selected load-block.
your videos are like therapy, informative, and relaxing.
Great find on a trifuel carb. Glad it worked so well.
Love your projects. Always learn something useful...
I did not know a tri fuel carb like this was even available and for such little money!! THANK YOU for this and another GREAT SAVE as always!
Thank you for posting links to the items.
James
An excellent as always informative videos.
Enjoy watching your videos and learning from them.
Many thanks
John
As usual No disappointments here Jim knocked this one out of the park that carb is a thing of beauty big thanks for this video and doing the experimenting for us .
Amazing job James, I really didn't think that the tri-fuel carb would work. Thanks for sharing.
Great video as always Jim
I put one of those on a generator but didn't hook up the LP side and it worked well. Nice job! Thanks Jim!!
Great video, that was great thinking on the cheap dual fuel carb, very nice work James!
Well done, sir! This is the kind of stuff that separates you from others.
Well done James! Inguinity at its finest!
This was so much fun to watch, thank you.
Very nice conversion and job Jim. 👍
Another job well dine. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!
Nice one. Runs well. Good conversion.
Jim - perfect timing! I’m dealing with a replacement propane regulator need on a patio heater. Unfortunately, the replacement regulator will only attach to the existing line with a barb fitting. Been struggling finding a threaded fitting. Will give these Clark clamps a try!
Hi James, great video as usual. Hope you're not affected by this terrible winterstorm in the US.
Great problem solving and work around skills.
Brilliant. From a write off to an over performer. Well done and thanks for sharing.
I’ve just learned a new method for removing recalcitrant adhesive using your torch/wire brush method. Thanks!
I usually use my hot air gun first to remove stickers as you do (for which I have multiple tips of different sizes and configurations). For leftover adhesive I’ve been using 3M adhesive remover for many years and in most cases it has worked very well, but it’s always good to have alternate methods.
Your installing of a stop switch reminded me of replacing the start stop switch on my table saw. I ended up going with an Amazon slap switch that worked really well. And it looked pretty professional.
James, Thank you for testing this carb! I am as surprised as you are that a $42 carb would work so well! As I told you before, I am considering converting my (older) Predator 8750 gasoline generator to propane or NG and I am very happy that this cheap carb works this well. Again, thank you for your time and effort!
It does work well and will bolt right on to a Predator and many others.
Isn't the predator 8750 the 670cc 2 cylinder engine James? Do you think that carb/ regulator would be enough volume to run a 670 predator? I'm asking because I looking to do the same as OP. I was under the impression I would have to buy the conversion kit with the carb tube like you did on the one with the bad tank.
Never mind: it's a 420cc 1 cyl 🤦♂️
@@laymanengineer7502 Hi, you already answered your own question... But... The Predator 8750 has two versions, one is an older model that was replaced by the 9000 (virtually identical to the older 8750), and the other (newer) 8750 is an inverter model. I have the older one. Both have a 420 cc 1-cyl engine, that is basically a Honda GX390 clone. I'm not sure that Predator makes a 2-cyl generator of any size, I don't think they do. Even the biggest one they make (the 9500 inverter) is a 459 cc engine, which I believe is also a 1-cyl (but I could be wrong).
I have a HIPA carb on my mini bike and it runs the engine better than the original carb ever did! These HIPA carbs impress me more than any other 3rd party clone brands. Again thanks for the awesome video James, loved the process and details as always. Love that you take as much time as you need in the video i really love long videos from you. And you made that generac look incredible! If i could I’d buy it from you but i have enough generators as it is lol
Enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing
Great video James and glad you were able to get it to a sellable condition! Thank you for the shout out and channel mentions! 😊
Thanks for the machine. It cleaned up well. Just looking back at your video when you first got it. It was a really mess with pine needles, leaves, dirt. Definitely neglected and left outside.
@@jcondon1 For sure! You also did a lot of work to get it to sellable condition again. You may have put $75 in parts in, but your labor cost, the original customer would have never paid that.
Great job getting that back running on LP gas. There are a lot of benefits running these on LP vs gasoline. Its is nice to have the option to use either fuel.
always great videos , very helpful
When seeing the super faded cover on that unit, I knew it would have regulator issues from sitting/living outside for extended periods, or possibly most of it's life. Those small propane regulators often fail/get stuck when exposed to the elements for long periods of time. I enjoyed your conversion and repairs with new parts! If I recall, this unit was really the first of it's kind as an OEM off-the-shelf generator designed to run on propane, and came out around 2010 or so. Look at how the small inverter gen market as exploded with dual fuel units in the last few years now!
I did a similar conversation, but on my all power 3500 propane generator. I bought a propane carb with an adjustable load mixture screw. The old regulator had a venting diaphragm problem. The vent hole was totally glued shut, so it would not adjust regulator pressure to the 1000 feet above sea level, where i am. Like you my generator started on 1 first pull on propane. I used my old camper high pressure regulator to connect to the propane. I also had a natural gas 3/8 quick connection which i tested connected to the low pressure regulator. I am happy now. Connect generator either to propane or natural gas, press the prime button for about 3 seconda. 1 pull and away I go. 🙂🙂🙂👍👍
Great video. As added data points, it would be interesting to run it inside the garage to see what the carbon monoxide readings ended up being at different loads.
I’ve got the same carb and regulator on my 6500 watt Generac. It’s come in handy when I couldn’t get gas after we had a tornado come through last year. We’ve put about 60 hrs on it and really impressed with it.
Nice video, James...
Took care of several issues!
Excellent. One of your most interesting ones. Thank you so much and kind regards.
WOW!! James that was fantastic and has prompted me to alter several of my generators so that I can use them on both gasoline and propane. I have a factory WEN 9000 that is factory dual fuel but I would like to convert 3 or 4 of the others with this idea because I travel between Texas and NM and NM is much cheaper on propane than Texas, plus it burns cleaner on the engine than gasoline does. I will forward this to many of my friends. FANTASTIC!!!
JJ
What a spectacular video! Going through the research to see what actually works vs. hearsay, and testing the results is wonderful. The economical solutions you found and referenced are gold for some of us. I like gasoline powered gensets, but when we lose power we lose access to gasoline and propane refills - my NG continues to flow. Knowing that there are inexpensive NG options is really helpful.
Very informative, nice job👍👍👍
Cutting rubber hoses is much easier when you bend a loop in them 360 degrees with a sharp blade of course. Another impressive fix Mr. Condon, Kudos to you.
Nice job Jim. Went to Gary's channel and watched it. Thank you for exploring that cheapie tri-fuel carb from amazon. I've always wanted to try one of those out.
Almost 50yrs ago *(about 1975) I went w/ my Dad to an Onan dealer who had a motorhome 120v 2cyl generator that they had rebuilt for sale. It was 4,000 watts and they wanted $750. The mechanic told us the piston rings were probably too tight and the customer returned it because it wouldn't start. The mechanic connected a huge 18 wheeler battery to it and it started right up. So we bought it and took it home. On a regular car battery it wouldn't roll over compression, so it wouldn't start. I pulled both spark plugs out and got it cranking over, then installed one sparkplug while it was cranking and hooked up the wire and it was instantly running on one. I sheepishly got the other spark plug in and the wire hooked up and it was running like normal. We let it run nonstop for about 24hrs to loosen it up. It's always wanted a real good battery, and sometimes if we didn't have one, we pulled the sparkplugs out and went thru the same thing, and it has always started. Dad used it a lot for 25yrs befor he gave it to me. It's my standby generator for those days when the power is out. It's a great unit in that it has always started and runs so smoothly at 1,800rpm, and not real noisy with the original "Nelson" muffler but it's only 120volt. I just ran it nonstop from Friday evening until Saturday evening during the "big snow storm" of January 12th & 13th here in Michigan. It burned about 14 gallons of gas running my whole house except the well. For some reason when my house was built they drilled the well out in the middle of my front yard and put a 240 volt water pump down 50 feet into the pipe, so I had no water, but I really like that old Onan 2 cylinder generator. My only wish is for it to be 240 volt, but it always starts and runs so smoothly, it's music to my ears. Thank you for your channel Jim, you make it possible to experience a lot of different things. ben/ michigan *best I can remember.
Great video! Thank you!!
I worked with a lot of LP powered engines. Mostly water cooled. We did use some small LP engines on smaller equipment such as high speed burnishers and small sweepers. Good video James.
Nice to be pleasantly surprised.
Your load testing box is cool.
In general to remove adhesive the automotive decal remover eraser wheels work great. I've been very impressed w/ them.
Lovely job James. I think a small heat shield would give extra heat protection. Easy enough to install there.
Wow, haven t seen one of those, Thumbs up, great video, the last couple propane powered generators i mess with were Yamaha back 2005, 2006 era
A Great Show! Thanks!
Great video! Makes me consider getting one of those carbs for my gas generator so that I could run it on propane i a long term power outage.
James, along with donyboy, Darren/mustie and John/Farmcraft provide education and entertainment to guys like me, who never had a real understanding of small engines and such. Thanks !
Good job James, I have one of those gas carbs but haven't tried it yet, now I will. FYI, a little Tarnx on a Q-Tip will clean those switch terminals really nicely. When I repaired VCRs back in the 90s I used it to clean the mode switches on the mechanical mechanism. It worked great, just clean off the residue with water then dry it.
My early video editing was on SVHS. Things are so much easier now.
Awesome video i have learned so much from you.
James Condon you make excellent videos and would be an excellent instructor to teach people of all ages as you explain before and as you are doing and take the extra time to explain why to get people to thinking and to show in your videos as you are actually doing the work.
Your curiosity paid off here.The fact it started right up is impressive in itself but the fact you have multiple fuel options is even better.Many people have natural gas already and would just need to properly apply a convenient line and location where it’s safe.I’d be curious how much carbon monoxide natural gas would generate.Either way an outdoor location is the best way to go.You would just need to build a weather shelter for it and have it as a viable standby.
NG is a good option. I’ve watched a couple of vids where the conversion is explained. Their biggest issues have been supply. There are simple calcs to determine if the NG line can support the NG demand. You have to take into consideration every gas appliance running at once PLUS the gen set running.
Like the propane / cart setup
I loved this. Years ago I converted a few generators to tri-fuel primarly to use natural gas. I had US Carb convert one, then I did the rest myself. simply boring a hole for a copper inlet sealed with JB Weld. Propane is easier to start but the benefit of unlimited fuel kept me going 3-5 days last hurricane. Anywho the "snorker" options looked cokamamie to me by comparison, though sometimes they fit and mostly work. I was going to say drill out your carb until I saw the one you got and holy cow, talk about a deal. I added all the regulation and so on myself but that package looks perfect and better thought out than well anything I ever saw on the market. You're a genius. Well done.
Another award winning job!
@james: Good job on the vid. I’m really impressed with the replacement carb. Started on the first pull multiple times. Most YT vids showing propane operation struggle to get the engine started.
That is the norm with propane. This one was the exception.
I love those cheap parts that work good. This worked out great...
I am so excited to see this. I have this same exact carb but have only run it on gas. Can't wait to see how it works with propane
Just finished watching the whole thing. Would really like to see a follow up or a different video on this carb where you run it on NG as well
Wish I could but no NG available for me.
nice work and video 👍
James, you keep going and you will have some good items to sell.
Glad to see that you don't have snow there.
THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO
Nice job, great color 👍
Love your content keep up the good work 😁😁👍👍
Sooooo interesting! Fantastic video/science project!!!
I'm inspired to convert an old Wisconsin Robin to propane. Thanks Boss 🫡
I just knew there would be some cleaning !
Well done 👍
I put one of those cheap 40 dollars carbs on a Wen 3500 gen to run on natural gas. It worked Great. I eventually sold it and bought a bigger B&S 5500 gen. I tried adding the Garrison kit to run on natural gas but gas supply didn't provide enough natural gas to run it so I switched it back to gasoline. I sure miss running on natural gas. It made everything so easy. Oh well! Thanks for the Great Vids Jim.
A different fuel source for you James nice job. It amazes me how cheap these clone carbs are. Looks like you have a winner there.
I appreciate the safety aspect on everything you do James. However, aesthetically I think the generator with gas line hidden would have given it a more professional look. Also, I guess real test for carb will be how long it lasts. Cheaper ones tend to break down faster.
I am surprised he did not feel the gas line over by the exhaust with his hand after shutoff to make sure it remained cool. I also be concerned about catching the gas line on something as it stuck out a ways from the frame on both sides..
So am I, had meant to use the thermal camera on it.
@@jcondon1 Do they make some type of tube insulation that could go over the gas tubing?
Another great video! I think you could reuse the original switch on the top instead installing an on-off switch on the side.
Great video and info ,, now you have me thinking this might let me switch over my generator to propane from gas . Thanks
Hi james, enjoy watching your videos, for removing the glue when you take stickers off of something, try Locker thinners that the auto body shops use
I got my Multifuel carburetor in and first pull it was purring. I took out old regulator and left dial turn switch for my kill switch . My only concern is my carb came with 2 wire off the bottom. not sure I need them. Also it starts right up without air filter but it took a bit with it in. Rubs great though and oh what a savings . Thanks again for this video.
Great Video ! im as surprised as you with that carb works surprisingly well
I fully expected it to fail and instead install a Garretson KN regulator and use the OEM carburetor.
@@jcondon1 I'll definitely be trying one in the future
Great Video
Impressive! And now tri fueled!
Nice job. Nice generator.
Thanks Larry
I would rather buy a used generator from you than buy a new one. I’m in Nebraska so logistically that ain’t gonna happen:(
Keep up the good work! My daughter and I look forward to Thursday mornings watching your videos she yells hooray when you get it started.
lol
Wow, this generator surprisingly works and sounds great with that chinese lpg kit! Thanks for video from Ukraine!
Your videos are plesureable to watch. You "perform" like an artist, carefully evaluating the repair options, gently handling components, keeping safety as number one. Where did you get all this knoiwledge: college, trade school, apprentachip, on the job...?
It's been my experience that you need to prime propane equipment for much longer than the instructions say. For me, it's usually minutes instead of seconds.
Very true
I usually struggle getting propane generators started. This one started with little effort.