3 days ago a storm blew through and we lost power. I have a Guardian (Generac) 8000 generator. After about 2 hours of runtime it quit. Thanks to your videos, James, I had the confidence to remove the carb and have a look inside. The main jet had somehow walked out and was lying in the bottom of the bowl. Reinstalled the jet and reassembled the generator. Started right up and ran another 3 hours before power was restored. Keep the great content coming. Yeah, your videos do "help someone". Thank you!
Isn't a somehow, the jet wasn't in tight, had that happen to me a couple times, generally because "I" didn't torque it down enough when putting it back
And yet ONE more reason for some reason I keep seeing ‘Generac’ generators on here. They truly seem to be the problem child of the generators that are out there….
If someone had told me 30 years ago that in 30 years I'd be sitting in my recliner watching a 19 year old kid (30 years later) repair generators, I would have asked them what had they been smoking........ and yet here I am with coffee in hand. 2 thumbs up, James. 👍👍
Came across your channel a few days ago and have watched a handful. In my opinion, this is the best small engine/generator channel, I place you slightly above Steve’s small engine saloon because of your in depth explanation about repairing the electrical part of the generator in a previous video. Thanks for all of the information, keep up the great work.
I have an older model of this generator. It is a Powermax XP4400. Which is the processor to Duromax. I bought it brand new in the box back in 2008. Two weeks after I had the transfer switch installed in the house. We had a blizzard come in and we lost the power for 5 days. I have used it without any problem many times over the years. It's extremely fuel efficient as I can get 18 hrs. on a tank full. It is one of the most care free engines I've ever had. I run it every 3 weeks for an hour. I change the oil twice a year. I've only had to change the battery once in all that time and had the same problem you had. I keep the battery on a float charger which probable helped with the longevity life span it has had.
there are desulfator circuits available on line for low cost,they really work at keeping a 12V SLA battery working. very simple to use,along with your float charger. I built mine from parts and the schematic,wired on a perfboard,the ones online come with a nice printed circuit board.
Good work James: I had a gas powered water pump that the oil was full of gas, rebuilt the carb, and it did it again, I pressure checked and vac checked the carb. Went to the guys house and found out he was running it on a steep hill and left the fuel valve on all the time. Got him to level the pump and no more issues. Thanks for a great video.
I find it very common here in the northeast where equipment sits for 6 to 8 months without shutting off the fuel valve OR customers leaving fuel in the fuel tank . Then again a lot of the snow blowers i work on do not come with a fuel shut off OR generators with out shut offs I add them to the fuel system .
I’m sure I’ve seen every one of your videos at least a dozen times! My 5 year old requests to only watch fixing generators . And he knows immediately before we click on any video which ones are yours! 😁 ❤ #1 fan here😊
Love your videos just thought I would share some tips I’ve learned over the years. The first is I made a carburetor stand that I can install a carburetor with the bowl pointing up. then I use a mityvac set for 5 to 7 psi to check the needle and seat for leakage, that way there’s no chance of wasting expensive fuel in case it leaks. Next is I use motorcycle foam air filter oil for any foam air filters, it’s a very tacky sticky oil with a carrier fluid that will evaporate leaving an oil that doesn’t run to the low side of an air filter. I used to use motor oil but found it drains out to the lower side of a filter, if you use motorcycle filter oil it doesn’t take much at all and it stays in place and filters excellent. Also I use cheep Amazon hair dryers for generator load testing. I have 5 of them and only paid about $10 each for them and they will place a very good and stable load for testing. Love your channel and your content keep up the excellent work.
this video makes me ENVIOUS; you got a 3500W generator for FREE,just a little work to clean it up,new oil, and cost of a new battery. Great video,it's a pleasure to watch your work.
You have to always remember people today have no kind of mechanical aptitude. In my generation our fathers and teachers taught us about engines, how they ran, what they needed and how to troubleshoot problems. Most parents, today, do not have a clue because they grew up in the disposable generation - just buy another on and hope for a different outcome. In my generation we fixed the problems before the occurred and knew what to do if problems occurred, as they always do. I grew up building model airplanes which has gas engines on them, which taught me a lot. I also had a grandfather that was a stickler on preventative maintenance. I knew how to grease a tractor before I could spell the phrase preventative maintenance. My grandfather was a retired railroad engineer, so he knew all about taking care of engines, which he more or less passed on to me.
I have an earlier model of this generator and it is a champ in producing consistent power on gasoline and with a natural gas converter. Under the same load tests, it powers my house during outages (stove, water heater, and dryer are gas). Thanks for the refresher on the speed adjustment and battery exchange!
Your Amazon store is really well set-up and a great resource. There are items for sale I didn’t even know existed that I can now add to my collection of underused tools. Thanks.
That unit is my generators big brother , I own a 'Detroit DFD3000H' the motor is labeled 'ducar' 196cc 5.5Hp , 240 volt , rated at 2.5Kw and 2.8Kw maximum output . But everthing is exactly the same appearance wise . Hi From Queensland Australia , learned a lot about the workings of the machines thanks to your very informative videos , Thankyou for sharing your knowledge .
Free generator needed a oil change to get fuel out a little carb cleaning and a new battery and speed adjustment not bad for a free generator and it runs amazing little governor fix nice find @James Condon
Thank you for this video! My generator (Champion, but similar setup) wasnt starting due to fuel being left in. Knew what the issue probably was but had never cleaned a carburetor before and this helped me get it working!
@@elcomandante9299 That's not what all those illegals are saying coming across the Texas boarder. Thank Sleepy Joe and the Dems and do nothing KH. At our taxpayer expense. These people are promoting criminal behavior and our congress does nothing ! what a Sh$t Show !
Hey James, I know this video is quite dated, but I think the battery that cross-references the 6DM7 is a YTX7A-BS. It is a 12v 7ah battery with the proper terminal type (p-terminal) and proper orientation. Hope this helps one day in the future.
The square terminals on small power sports batteries can be annoying, but a trick I was taught is to put a small section of hose under the nut to keep pressure on it until you can get the bolt in. Flooded power sports batteries often come with a section of vent tube you can use!
Nice score. That one may wind up being the best deal and ROI that you ever get. PERFECT example of why you should always check the oil on an engine that is new to you. This one must have been in your content library based on the weather and you wearing shorts. Top quality as always and thanks again for time and effort. It's clearly a labor of love for ya since it doesn't seem that you are monetizing. I never have as much time as I want to get and then work on equipment I find to fix and flip and that is WITHOUT any video work at all. 👍👍
I own 4 duromax generators. They are solid machines even though their model numbers are a bit misleading as to what their actual power rating is. I ran my XP4850EH for about a week after hurricane Ida, no issues whatsoever. People have to realize that you can’t let them sit with fuel in them. Fortunately I can also run this one on propane if I need it in a pinch.
@@meesau2112 the specific generator in my comment? I paid $310 brand new, delivered, from an ebay retailer 2000 miles away. Right now these generators are selling for more than double what I paid for each of mine. If your engine is blown, you can try to fix it, or you can wait for harbor freight to have a sale and buy an equivalent replacement predator engine. But before you go that route, make sure the alternator isn’t also bad. Hopefully your low compression is just a stuck valve. My generators are for backup power only, they spend most of their time doing nothing. For that purpose they are perfect. If I were using them every day on a job site, I’d have a better answer for you.
Those "maintenance free" batteries can often be saved by ... maintenance - they dry out. Crack open the top sealing to expose the rubber cell-cups, pop and leave them off during the procedure, add distilled water with a syringe *just until* you can see water surface down there, not more! Use charger with recondition-/desulfating mode, must often be done many, many times to get it going and back in top shape. Check water level underways and add A LITTLE at a time if low. Or at first, use an old school charger on max until the battery starts drawing amps (can take a long time, maybe a day or so) and then switch to recondition mode. Have done this many times, saved me a lot of money.
Well, for someone who knows about generators, I must say I was a little shocked when he didn't know that whatever it says on the generator sticker is surge/start up watts and not running watts. Manufactures have been doing that for a long time.
To start my deepest respect to you. I've been watching for a long time and throughly enjoy your videos. Thank you for the content. One thing I have to bring up, or it will drive me nutz. Ummmm wearing jewelery is a safety hazard and I would hate for anything to happen to you. Seen someone get hurt because of it, is the only reason for bringing it up. I know it's no big deal till it is. Thanks for reading this. I'm sorry but, had to get that out of my system. Thanks again ! Keep up the Great work.
Jimmy Fallon almost lost his left ring finger from a ring avulsion. Six hours of microsurgery including a vein transplant. Would have or maybe did ruin his guitar playing.
I have a Redstone brand generator here in Spain, electric start with an insain 13hp engine 5.5kw output so this video was interesting. Well done, nice video James.
I noticed you use a ziptie to help with the battery connection, if you place a small piece of plastic tubing in behind the nut in the battery terminal it makes it easier to put the bolt back in if you ever change it, the tubing expands when you take the bolt out keeping the nut close to the hole in the terminal. Love the vids :)
Thank you for the great series. You remind me of Mister Rogers calm demeanor. I just have a concern about using non-brushless tools around gasoline. Most of Ryobi tools are non-brushless which could ignite gasoline fumes. Always, safety first.
Safety Third. If Safety was actually first, then productivity would be something less than "first" since any action carries a safety risk. Total inactivity would mean that absolutely NOTHING would get done . Just a mindless saying from non cognitive people who don't work in the real world.
@@joesinakandid528 Think safety first does not mean think zero risk. Worst case accident in a real world work environment ends in death. So by your thinking that's acceptable because productivity is first. Thinking Safety first, that scenario would not be an option and would be altered with improved safety steps to an acceptable worst case outcome. Think first, speak second.
Lucky grab here . I snagged a Onan microlite 2800 gas rv unit and after looking over, found oil had been not changed for a long time and spark plug was fowled badly. Plan is to use as an emergency 120vac 28 amp one leg feed in my home when needed. *****What could make a stator or rotor wind fail ?**** Gas heat, few lights and fridge or stove top ignition for the burners. Timing a few loads off I can run one laundry machine at a time, gas dryer..not a huge load. Keep these videos coming ..maybe sell some of these spare fixes to seniors who could benefit in retirement? Until the next fix SE Michigan.
Rotors typically fail due to a broken wire. Spinning at 3600 rpm causes fatigue over time. Stators usually melt down when they go. Either insulation failure due to poor duality varnish coating. Heat is another factor. Also corrosion.
Love the show learn so much please keep them on the air good to see some smart people doing repairs instead of the dumpster where most equipment that has problems wind up in ! Just take a ride down the street and you’ll find e piece of equipment at the curb !
You simply can't beat an easy fix freebie! If all it costs is your time, it doesn't really cost all that much. Now, I thought it was a bit ambitious, trying to squeeze 4.4kW out of a 7hp engine. In fact, 3.5kW out of 7hp is ambition enough. Our own 3.5k set is powered by a B&S 9hp Vanguard, though if I recall, it has a 5kW surge capacity.
@@yuccaken The CE mark indicates that the manufacturer "swears" the product meets European standards. It does not mean the product is actually tested at anytime by anyone.
On an old note . Ever note that the older flathead style motors, the carb tube steps upward or on a hard right before entering head /intake port? That design would prevent fuel flowing right into cylinder or valve train area ..just flow back out the butterfly area onto filter or deck below ..
A bonus score, was thinking that fuel oil mix seeped up passed the rings watching you trying to stifle that flow on the oil fill point, was funny but you said it turned over. Winner winner chicken dinner
Thanks for another fix, I was getting edgy there. A friend of mine managed to secure a running 3kW (peak surge) genny for £50 last week but the damn thing is LOUD, I mean loud, but a bargain is a bargain. The generator cult is not established in the uk so opportunities don't come up very often. Thanks again.
We have a far too reliable grid to justify the vast majority of people getting gensets unfortunately :/ Still some good deals to be had here in the UK though.
Generators are loud, virtually by definition. They generally have rather ineffective mufflers, and you're looking at a device with a larger engine than a lawn mower, that has to run at 3600 RPM (perhaps 3000RPM for you guys) continuously often under high load. A few generators are rather quieter, but they're usually special purpose, lower power and a LOT more expensive. You usually don't get into quiet until you're looking at large stationary generators with decent mufflers.
To be honest, I am not sure. It has an aftermarket muffler from a motorcycle fitted, the vendor is a retired mechanical engineer. Much of the noise is mechanical, it is an open frame type and I can't remember now if it has forced air cooling. I can't recall tinware shrouding which would help suppress noise. The plan I think is to partially bury it and cover with appropriate ventilation.
Nice relaxing video. I wonder why i like to see people repair stuff so much. Btw: You can not measure the internal battery resistance this way. Best way is to measure voltage drop under load. A sealed or gel battery will slowly cook with 15V charge. Look up max healthy charging volts.
I agree, the charge voltage was high and checking the battery resistance the way I did would not work with a charged battery. Assumed it would with a dead battery, but maybe not based on the comments.
awesome as alway's we got hit with a high wind storm and my little shop ie me did 9 generaator's and 5 due in tomorrow keep up the great work till the next one
@@jcondon1 all worked perfect but the last on l was tired and missed a step l'll hit it in the morning thanks jame's the first of many storm's hitting here l'll be busy keep them coming l put you on auto play to keep the number coming in
I had that happen to my vey old Coleman powermate 5000 fuel cable was left on at the recommendation of someone that was/is a certified automobile mechanic/tech. Probably 2 years between being operated stored inside my garage, no heat, no NG or LPG gas appliances and no AC. Engine had appx 3 qts gas and oil in crankcase and needle and seat were working properly or at least acceptably for normal operation. I have never noticed the tank remaining pressurized but something caused it. After that I always closed tank vlv and ran both carb and fuel line empty of gas. Good thing too because I seemed to have inherited a rat with a fondness for the main fuel line. It’s eaten it 2-3 times and escaped my attempts to get rid of it. Another reason to close fuel tank valve to off.
How about a seasonal shift to snowblowers (if you use/need a snowblower). Love the content, there are a number of unique ‘subsystems’ that you could enlighten us about with snowblowers- if it fits with your “I repair neglected power equipment” objective! Thanks!
Jim, in the event that you couldn't turn that battery around, you could slit a piece of hose, and slide it on the side of the battery rail, and that would preclude shorting it out. A motorcycle battery could be used in place of an SLA battery.
@@jcondon1 I saw that Taryl had a lithium motorcycle battery in a bike there a few weeks back. I don't think that would be ideal for a generator. I have a Craftsman flashlight that has a sealed beam par 36 bulb in it (spotlight), and I put a battery in it at about 1/2 the amperage required, and it works ok, but I only need it for emergency use. I'm hoping to get the right one for it, but I prefer my led lights when needed.
Reminds me of a lawn mower I had given to me. It had a no start condition. had spark, fuel tank was empty, no fuel in the oil, so I put fresh fuel in the tank, turned the tap on, waited a minute, then tried to start it. I checked spark, it was there. Faulty plug was the issue. Fixed with a $3 part!!
I have to agree. The first thing people replace is that spark plug when trying to fix a no run condition. I have not come across a bad one yet, but have heard it does happen.
Hi James I have had some main jets stuck also . I use a heat gun and concentrate on main jet tube and they all came out easily . Just a trick to try Greg young
James, love your videos. Dying to ask: what do you use in your ultrasonic cleaner? And, do you ever do any repairs on other home power equipment (like mowers, lawn tractors, trimmers, etc.) Fascinating to watch you diagnose. Thank you.
This genset looked in great shape I am not sure why the key would be listed as missing??? For the parts and time a great outcome I liked the way the voltage was stable t any speed. Thanks for sharing your video with us. Ed
You cannot check the resistance of a voltage source (a battery) with an ohm meter. To measure resistance the meter puts out a known current and measures the voltage drop to calculate the resistance. If you connect it to another voltage source it isn’t going to work and you’ll get wildly different results depending on which way you connect the leads.
Hi if you warm up the aluminium main jet tube with your hot air gun so that the aluminium expands and the brass main jet stays relatively cold hold the carb with a leather glove you will have a better chance of removing the main jet. I have found if you get it between 80 and 100 c you get some limited success. You can't buy the test fuel tank in the UK.
I'm curious about the battery resistance measurement. Was the meter set to "ohms" and the probes placed across the terminals? If so, then the meter is not indicating battery resistance. That can be measured with the battery voltage drop under load with a battery tester or other resistance. Just my 2 cents. Nice score on the free generator, by the way. Cheers.
That would be a better way for sure. Since the battery was dead, thought I could get away just testing the ohms. If charged then voltage drop is the way to go.
@@jcondon1 That 0.8V that the battery was putting out would be enough to completely upset the meter reading - it could well be reading open circuit due to that. The meter measures resistance by passing a small, known current through the device under test, and measuring the resulting voltage drop. With these small sealed lead acid batteries, I think you're best off just seeing if it will accept a charge.
@@jcondon1 It in never safe to measure any battery using ohms on a meter. Any voltage in the battery can destroy a meter set to ohms. You should always use a DC voltage setting to check batteries.
In this case, the ohmmeter can be used as an indicator of the battery charge availability. If the resistance drops, then the battery takes current to charge. If not, the battery has an open circuit inside. And nothing else. Of course, the internal resistance cannot be measured in this way, and of course in this way it is possible to damage the ohmmeter.
@@jimsmith5148 I'm afraid this isn't correct - the 0.8V being put out by the battery will interact with the measurement current supplied by the meter in ways that make any reading completely invalid (see my comment above about how the resistance range works). You should not be able to damage a Cat-rated meter by putting it across any reasonable voltage source while in resistance mode, although you may damage an non-Cat-rated meter (the movement/electronics is essentially in a millivolt or microvolt range when measuring resistance).
I recently bought a tapered shaft adapter for my Yanmar diesel clone engine. I'm curious to see how it will work. It includes a 1/4" key for a pulley or centrifugal clutch. I plan to swap the engine on my "kinardly"(one can hardly tell what the parts are all from) tractor to use this. I'll need a jack shaft under the engine to keep the rotation in the right direction. I couldn't do this with my Honda tractor engine, as it has a pan, and the other end of the engine is the radiator and cooling fan.
From what I could see you should have been able to use the original positive wire if you just turned in on the starter post facing back to the battery. Also the new wire your adding isnt large enough to handle the amps that starter is pulling.....
He's the local " Generator Man " ! Everyone knows him. Gets all the inside deals and scoops or have heard called poop too ? . They also probably knows what he looks like ? But US YT viewers it will remain a mystery for some reason or another ?
3 days ago a storm blew through and we lost power. I have a Guardian (Generac) 8000 generator. After about 2 hours of runtime it quit. Thanks to your videos, James, I had the confidence to remove the carb and have a look inside. The main jet had somehow walked out and was lying in the bottom of the bowl. Reinstalled the jet and reassembled the generator. Started right up and ran another 3 hours before power was restored.
Keep the great content coming. Yeah, your videos do "help someone". Thank you!
Isn't a somehow, the jet wasn't in tight, had that happen to me a couple times, generally because "I" didn't torque it down enough when putting it back
@@jaykoerner It was a new carburetor I had installed last year.
And yet ONE more reason for some reason I keep seeing ‘Generac’ generators on here. They truly seem to be the problem child of the generators that are out there….
Nothing better than free. It makes my day when someone offers me "broken" equipment. Good video.
If someone had told me 30 years ago that in 30 years I'd be sitting in my recliner watching a 19 year old kid (30 years later) repair generators, I would have asked them what had they been smoking........ and yet here I am with coffee in hand. 2 thumbs up, James. 👍👍
so what are you smoking?
Wish I was 19. Not far away from 50!!
@@jcondon1 Me too,( like your vids), Far away from 50 - 21 years the wrong way!!!
Pass the gummies
Hey, James someone forgot to take the j-hook bolts off the battery hold down before you got that one. LOL
it always helps to see someone do the right thing to a machine which was misunderstood in a previous life
How does that help u? Plz explain.
Resurrection of a poorly maintained machine is always a good thing
Came across your channel a few days ago and have watched a handful. In my opinion, this is the best small engine/generator channel, I place you slightly above Steve’s small engine saloon because of your in depth explanation about repairing the electrical part of the generator in a previous video. Thanks for all of the information, keep up the great work.
Looks better than my 4400 that has its own shed. It’s on the bench now getting refreshed. Yes, your video helped. Thank you.
I have an older model of this generator. It is a Powermax XP4400. Which is the processor to Duromax. I bought it brand new in the box back in 2008. Two weeks after I had the transfer switch installed in the house. We had a blizzard come in and we lost the power for 5 days. I have used it without any problem many times over the years. It's extremely fuel efficient as I can get 18 hrs. on a tank full. It is one of the most care free engines I've ever had. I run it every 3 weeks for an hour. I change the oil twice a year. I've only had to change the battery once in all that time and had the same problem you had. I keep the battery on a float charger which probable helped with the longevity life span it has had.
there are desulfator circuits available on line for low cost,they really work at keeping a 12V SLA battery working. very simple to use,along with your float charger. I built mine from parts and the schematic,wired on a perfboard,the ones online come with a nice printed circuit board.
Good work James: I had a gas powered water pump that the oil was full of gas, rebuilt the carb, and it did it again, I pressure checked and vac checked the carb. Went to the guys house and found out he was running it on a steep hill and left the fuel valve on all the time. Got him to level the pump and no more issues. Thanks for a great video.
I find it very common here in the northeast where equipment sits for 6 to 8 months without shutting off the fuel valve OR customers leaving fuel in the fuel tank . Then again a lot of the snow blowers i work on do not come with a fuel shut off OR generators with out shut offs I add them to the fuel system .
I’m sure I’ve seen every one of your videos at least a dozen times! My 5 year old requests to only watch fixing generators . And he knows immediately before we click on any video which ones are yours! 😁 ❤ #1 fan here😊
I have watched over 100 of your videos in the last month
Love your videos just thought I would share some tips I’ve learned over the years. The first is I made a carburetor stand that I can install a carburetor with the bowl pointing up. then I use a mityvac set for 5 to 7 psi to check the needle and seat for leakage, that way there’s no chance of wasting expensive fuel in case it leaks. Next is I use motorcycle foam air filter oil for any foam air filters, it’s a very tacky sticky oil with a carrier fluid that will evaporate leaving an oil that doesn’t run to the low side of an air filter. I used to use motor oil but found it drains out to the lower side of a filter, if you use motorcycle filter oil it doesn’t take much at all and it stays in place and filters excellent. Also I use cheep Amazon hair dryers for generator load testing. I have 5 of them and only paid about $10 each for them and they will place a very good and stable load for testing. Love your channel and your content keep up the excellent work.
this video makes me ENVIOUS; you got a 3500W generator for FREE,just a little work to clean it up,new oil, and cost of a new battery. Great video,it's a pleasure to watch your work.
You have to always remember people today have no kind of mechanical aptitude. In my generation our fathers and teachers taught us about engines, how they ran, what they needed and how to troubleshoot problems. Most parents, today, do not have a clue because they grew up in the disposable generation - just buy another on and hope for a different outcome. In my generation we fixed the problems before the occurred and knew what to do if problems occurred, as they always do. I grew up building model airplanes which has gas engines on them, which taught me a lot. I also had a grandfather that was a stickler on preventative maintenance. I knew how to grease a tractor before I could spell the phrase preventative maintenance. My grandfather was a retired railroad engineer, so he knew all about taking care of engines, which he more or less passed on to me.
I agree it’s a shame that father has to work days and nights just to pay bills and taxes
I have an earlier model of this generator and it is a champ in producing consistent power on gasoline and with a natural gas converter. Under the same load tests, it powers my house during outages (stove, water heater, and dryer are gas). Thanks for the refresher on the speed adjustment and battery exchange!
Your Amazon store is really well set-up and a great resource. There are items for sale I didn’t even know existed that I can now add to my collection of underused tools. Thanks.
I want to thank you for the Tea Ball suggestion a while ago. I use them now too, really great for carburetor parts cleaning in my ultrasonic cleaner.
That unit is my generators big brother , I own a 'Detroit DFD3000H' the motor is labeled 'ducar' 196cc 5.5Hp , 240 volt , rated at 2.5Kw and 2.8Kw maximum output . But everthing is exactly the same appearance wise . Hi From Queensland Australia , learned a lot about the workings of the machines thanks to your very informative videos , Thankyou for sharing your knowledge .
Love using that tea brewing filter to hold small parts!
Free generator needed a oil change to get fuel out a little carb cleaning and a new battery and speed adjustment not bad for a free generator and it runs amazing little governor fix nice find @James Condon
Thank you for this video! My generator (Champion, but similar setup) wasnt starting due to fuel being left in. Knew what the issue probably was but had never cleaned a carburetor before and this helped me get it working!
James, for the cost of parts, if any at all. You made a perfect choice to pick up the unit for Zero cost.
Zero cost my a$$. Ain't nothing free in this world.
@@elcomandante9299 That's not what all those illegals are saying coming across the Texas boarder. Thank Sleepy Joe and the Dems and do nothing KH. At our taxpayer expense. These people are promoting criminal behavior and our congress does nothing ! what a Sh$t Show !
Hey James, I know this video is quite dated, but I think the battery that cross-references the 6DM7 is a YTX7A-BS. It is a 12v 7ah battery with the proper terminal type (p-terminal) and proper orientation. Hope this helps one day in the future.
The square terminals on small power sports batteries can be annoying, but a trick I was taught is to put a small section of hose under the nut to keep pressure on it until you can get the bolt in. Flooded power sports batteries often come with a section of vent tube you can use!
Man, you made out like a bandit! Free,..awesome. Excellent video
Nice score. That one may wind up being the best deal and ROI that you ever get. PERFECT example of why you should always check the oil on an engine that is new to you. This one must have been in your content library based on the weather and you wearing shorts. Top quality as always and thanks again for time and effort. It's clearly a labor of love for ya since it doesn't seem that you are monetizing. I never have as much time as I want to get and then work on equipment I find to fix and flip and that is WITHOUT any video work at all. 👍👍
I made a lot a videos this summer.
The price was right for the generator. You saved another one from being thrown away. Thank you for another great video. 😀❤🇨🇦
I own 4 duromax generators. They are solid machines even though their model numbers are a bit misleading as to what their actual power rating is. I ran my XP4850EH for about a week after hurricane Ida, no issues whatsoever. People have to realize that you can’t let them sit with fuel in them. Fortunately I can also run this one on propane if I need it in a pinch.
I just got a Duramax xp 4400 has low compression so is a project. in your opinion are they good generators to keep for the long term?
@@meesau2112 the specific generator in my comment? I paid $310 brand new, delivered, from an ebay retailer 2000 miles away. Right now these generators are selling for more than double what I paid for each of mine. If your engine is blown, you can try to fix it, or you can wait for harbor freight to have a sale and buy an equivalent replacement predator engine. But before you go that route, make sure the alternator isn’t also bad. Hopefully your low compression is just a stuck valve. My generators are for backup power only, they spend most of their time doing nothing. For that purpose they are perfect. If I were using them every day on a job site, I’d have a better answer for you.
you must be on Facebook marketplace all day to find these scores lol
Those are the kind of projects ,the old owners ask if they an buy back down yhe road sometimes,good video
Wow what a good looking generator for a great price. As usual you got it repaired with minimal effort. Great job as usual. Thanks for the video's.
Wish they were all this easy.
I have several of those generators on our ranch . They have been very reliable to run wells on a PSPS event. thanks for the carburetor tear down.
Those "maintenance free" batteries can often be saved by ... maintenance - they dry out. Crack open the top sealing to expose the rubber cell-cups, pop and leave them off during the procedure, add distilled water with a syringe *just until* you can see water surface down there, not more! Use charger with recondition-/desulfating mode, must often be done many, many times to get it going and back in top shape. Check water level underways and add A LITTLE at a time if low. Or at first, use an old school charger on max until the battery starts drawing amps (can take a long time, maybe a day or so) and then switch to recondition mode. Have done this many times, saved me a lot of money.
A nice score James. I always love it when an inexpensive plan comes together. Thanks for posting and take care!
Totally agree. These are the best finds. Jim has a knack for finding these kinds of deals. It cleaned up really well too.
Well, for someone who knows about generators, I must say I was a little shocked when he didn't know that whatever it says on the generator sticker is surge/start up watts and not running watts. Manufactures have been doing that for a long time.
@@trvman1 Give him a break ! He had a brain fart ? Or couple of strong whiffs of that oil/gas drained from the crankcase ?
Thanks for another great video....really enjoy your zen-like way of generator repair, James!
good find. very hard to find stuff like this in my area.
Really just your time, the battery and some shop supplies, nice job
To start my deepest respect to you. I've been watching for a long time and throughly enjoy your videos. Thank you for the content. One thing I have to bring up, or it will drive me nutz. Ummmm wearing jewelery is a safety hazard and I would hate for anything to happen to you. Seen someone get hurt because of it, is the only reason for bringing it up. I know it's no big deal till it is. Thanks for reading this. I'm sorry but, had to get that out of my system. Thanks again ! Keep up the Great work.
Jimmy Fallon almost lost his left ring finger from a ring avulsion. Six hours of microsurgery including a vein transplant. Would have or maybe did ruin his guitar playing.
Another great video, I always learn something on channel. Thanks for sharing!
I have a Redstone brand generator here in Spain, electric start with an insain 13hp engine 5.5kw output so this video was interesting. Well done, nice video James.
I noticed you use a ziptie to help with the battery connection, if you place a small piece of plastic tubing in behind the nut in the battery terminal it makes it easier to put the bolt back in if you ever change it, the tubing expands when you take the bolt out keeping the nut close to the hole in the terminal. Love the vids :)
Thank you for the great series. You remind me of Mister Rogers calm demeanor.
I just have a concern about using non-brushless tools around gasoline. Most of Ryobi tools are non-brushless which could ignite gasoline fumes. Always, safety first.
Safety Third. If Safety was actually first, then productivity would be something less than "first" since any action carries a safety risk. Total inactivity would mean that absolutely NOTHING would get done .
Just a mindless saying from non cognitive people who don't work in the real world.
@@joesinakandid528 Think safety first does not mean think zero risk. Worst case accident in a real world work environment ends in death. So by your thinking that's acceptable because productivity is first. Thinking Safety first, that scenario would not be an option and would be altered with improved safety steps to an acceptable worst case outcome. Think first, speak second.
Good motor. I have gen 1 since 2012 16hp running my generator.
Never cease to amaze me as always.
Having the right tools and knowledge goes a loooooooong way.
Great job/find
Or perhaps there was nothing wrong to begin with.
Impressed it started on second pull and sounds good and makes power nice and bright light @5:21 @James Condon
Lucky grab here . I snagged a Onan microlite 2800 gas rv unit and after looking over, found oil had been not changed for a long time and spark plug was fowled badly. Plan is to use as an emergency 120vac 28 amp one leg feed in my home when needed. *****What could make a stator or rotor wind fail ?****
Gas heat, few lights and fridge or stove top ignition for the burners. Timing a few loads off I can run one laundry machine at a time, gas dryer..not a huge load.
Keep these videos coming ..maybe sell some of these spare fixes to seniors who could benefit in retirement?
Until the next fix
SE Michigan.
Rotors typically fail due to a broken wire. Spinning at 3600 rpm causes fatigue over time. Stators usually melt down when they go. Either insulation failure due to poor duality varnish coating. Heat is another factor. Also corrosion.
We’ll done! I learned a lot watching your video.
Great video Jim . Have one just like that .I’ve had no problems but if I do I know what to do . Thanks
Love the show learn so much please keep them on the air good to see some smart people doing repairs instead of the dumpster where most equipment that has problems wind up in ! Just take a ride down the street and you’ll find e piece of equipment at the curb !
Very nice pick up.............from zero to hero.
Hero? Plz explain.
Hi James great little gene it looks like it has had a easy life with no rust bargain mate
Yes, this one was not used much.
👍👍👍👍 to you young man for the save of the free generator.
You simply can't beat an easy fix freebie! If all it costs is your time, it doesn't really cost all that much.
Now, I thought it was a bit ambitious, trying to squeeze 4.4kW out of a 7hp engine. In fact, 3.5kW out of 7hp is ambition enough. Our own 3.5k set is powered by a B&S 9hp Vanguard, though if I recall, it has a 5kW surge capacity.
Typical for Chinese generators, over promise and way under deliver. General rule is 2hp per 1000watts.
@@kennethclifford1863 Anything which almost everything with "CE" on it is questionable ?
@@yuccaken The CE mark indicates that the manufacturer "swears" the product meets European standards. It does not mean the product is actually tested at anytime by anyone.
@@kennethclifford1863 Okay I am most definitely wrong on this then. Thanks for clarifying
@@kennethclifford1863 I thought it stood for Chinese Export... :-)
What a great find! I wish all engines came with fuel shutoff valves, I never like to rely on that little tiny seat to stop all that fuel in the tank.
On an old note . Ever note that the older flathead style motors, the carb tube steps upward or on a hard right before entering head /intake port? That design would prevent fuel flowing right into cylinder or valve train area ..just flow back out the butterfly area onto filter or deck below ..
I used to add Lucas oil extender in my small engines. Mine FAR outlasted my brother's same engines in commercial use.
A bonus score, was thinking that fuel oil mix seeped up passed the rings watching you trying to stifle that flow on the oil fill point, was funny but you said it turned over. Winner winner chicken dinner
Thanks for another fix, I was getting edgy there. A friend of mine managed to secure a running 3kW (peak surge) genny for £50 last week but the damn thing is LOUD, I mean loud, but a bargain is a bargain. The generator cult is not established in the uk so opportunities don't come up very often. Thanks again.
We have a far too reliable grid to justify the vast majority of people getting gensets unfortunately :/ Still some good deals to be had here in the UK though.
Generators are loud, virtually by definition. They generally have rather ineffective mufflers, and you're looking at a device with a larger engine than a lawn mower, that has to run at 3600 RPM (perhaps 3000RPM for you guys) continuously often under high load.
A few generators are rather quieter, but they're usually special purpose, lower power and a LOT more expensive.
You usually don't get into quiet until you're looking at large stationary generators with decent mufflers.
Engines running at 50 hertz (3000 RPM) are usually much more quiet. Wonder why it is so loud?
@@jcondon1 Who knows, maybe it's missing its muflin. Er, muffler.😁
To be honest, I am not sure. It has an aftermarket muffler from a motorcycle fitted, the vendor is a retired mechanical engineer. Much of the noise is mechanical, it is an open frame type and I can't remember now if it has forced air cooling. I can't recall tinware shrouding which would help suppress noise. The plan I think is to partially bury it and cover with appropriate ventilation.
I just bought 3 I hope these work well
I love free stuff with a happy ending!
That was a lot of gas in that oil, nice work James, can't beat free!
Hi, James. That was another great leson. Thanks for showing how to prepare the battery connector. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!
Nice relaxing video. I wonder why i like to see people repair stuff so much.
Btw:
You can not measure the internal battery resistance this way. Best way is to measure voltage drop under load.
A sealed or gel battery will slowly cook with 15V charge. Look up max healthy charging volts.
I agree, the charge voltage was high and checking the battery resistance the way I did would not work with a charged battery. Assumed it would with a dead battery, but maybe not based on the comments.
You could try to lower the charging volts with a diode (20SQ050 20A 50V, $1 a dozen) in the charging wire. Each diode drops 0.7V. Shottky drop 0.3V.
awesome as alway's we got hit with a high wind storm and my little shop ie me did 9 generaator's and 5 due in tomorrow keep up the great work till the next one
That is a lot to turn around. Hopefully all carburetor work.
@@jcondon1 all worked perfect but the last on l was tired and missed a step l'll hit it in the morning thanks jame's the first of many storm's hitting here l'll be busy keep them coming l put you on auto play to keep the number coming in
@@jcondon1 all worked out bout one honda the stator fried out and no time for a replacement for tomorrow storm
Nice little generator. Great price. Thanks for making this video!
I had that happen to my vey old Coleman powermate 5000 fuel cable was left on at the recommendation of someone that was/is a certified automobile mechanic/tech. Probably 2 years between being operated stored inside my garage, no heat, no NG or LPG gas appliances and no AC. Engine had appx 3 qts gas and oil in crankcase and needle and seat were working properly or at least acceptably for normal operation. I have never noticed the tank remaining pressurized but something caused it. After that I always closed tank vlv and ran both carb and fuel line empty of gas. Good thing too because I seemed to have inherited a rat with a fondness for the main fuel line. It’s eaten it 2-3 times and escaped my attempts to get rid of it. Another reason to close fuel tank valve to off.
How about a seasonal shift to snowblowers (if you use/need a snowblower). Love the content, there are a number of unique ‘subsystems’ that you could enlighten us about with snowblowers- if it fits with your “I repair neglected power equipment” objective! Thanks!
I have only done two or three snow blower videos. We get snow, but not enough recently.
The price certainly can't be beat. Fortunately not an intensely frustrating project.
The cleanest engine ever.
Nicely done! Very little wrong with this one!
Jim, in the event that you couldn't turn that battery around, you could slit a piece of hose, and slide it on the side of the battery rail, and that would preclude shorting it out. A motorcycle battery could be used in place of an SLA battery.
Think it was a motorcycle battery I ended up going with.
@@jcondon1 I saw that Taryl had a lithium motorcycle battery in a bike there a few weeks back. I don't think that would be ideal for a generator. I have a Craftsman flashlight that has a sealed beam par 36 bulb in it (spotlight), and I put a battery in it at about 1/2 the amperage required, and it works ok, but I only need it for emergency use. I'm hoping to get the right one for it, but I prefer my led lights when needed.
You got pre-made two-stroke fuel right there.
Reminds me of a lawn mower I had given to me. It had a no start condition. had spark, fuel tank was empty, no fuel in the oil, so I put fresh fuel in the tank, turned the tap on, waited a minute, then tried to start it. I checked spark, it was there. Faulty plug was the issue. Fixed with a $3 part!!
I've been repairing small engines since Moby Dick was a sardine n never fixed one by replacing the sparkplug.
@@elcomandante9299 spark plugs can be faulty. I have seen this problem more times than I can remember. I used to work in the auto industry.
I have to agree. The first thing people replace is that spark plug when trying to fix a no run condition. I have not come across a bad one yet, but have heard it does happen.
@@jcondon1 It does, but it is rare. Except in older 2-strokes, it happens all the time.
Hi James I have had some main jets stuck also . I use a heat gun and concentrate on main jet tube and they all came out easily . Just a trick to try Greg young
Thanks, will have to remember that next time.
I’ve done it and it’s works most of the time if not I just let it soak in liquid wrench
James, love your videos. Dying to ask: what do you use in your ultrasonic cleaner? And, do you ever do any repairs on other home power equipment (like mowers, lawn tractors, trimmers, etc.) Fascinating to watch you diagnose. Thank you.
I repair all, but 90% generators. In the ultrasonic, I use Harbor Freight Super heavy Duty Degreaser
This genset looked in great shape I am not sure why the key would be listed as missing??? For the parts and time a great outcome I liked the way the voltage was stable t any speed. Thanks for sharing your video with us. Ed
Found the key after posting the ad maybe.
You’re going to get top dollar for this one! Profit margin is off the chart! Nice job!
You cannot check the resistance of a voltage source (a battery) with an ohm meter. To measure resistance the meter puts out a known current and measures the voltage drop to calculate the resistance. If you connect it to another voltage source it isn’t going to work and you’ll get wildly different results depending on which way you connect the leads.
James great work, Thanks its refreshing. I wonder if you will make up a work platform with a ramp so you can be more comfortable up off the deck.
Hi if you warm up the aluminium main jet tube with your hot air gun so that the aluminium expands and the brass main jet stays relatively cold hold the carb with a leather glove you will have a better chance of removing the main jet.
I have found if you get it between 80 and 100 c you get some limited success.
You can't buy the test fuel tank in the UK.
Thanks for all the info!
Great find! Making any headway on that inverter genny with the bad caps?
Unfortunately no, there is a video in the works, but not going as planned.
27:00 my old honda from the early 2000's has that feature.
Mine too. It's a Old Honda EM5000S. It lasted forever !
Most Honda's do.
Did you check Walmart for the battery, they have lawn tractor batteries with reverse polarity.
I would have put a filter between the tank and the carb, like the one you used in your test setup.
Very nice, as always!
Is the screw driver you were using to remove the main jet a special one made for working on carburetors?
Gunsmithing
I'm curious about the battery resistance measurement. Was the meter set to "ohms" and the probes placed across the terminals? If so, then the meter is not indicating battery resistance. That can be measured with the battery voltage drop under load with a battery tester or other resistance. Just my 2 cents. Nice score on the free generator, by the way. Cheers.
That would be a better way for sure. Since the battery was dead, thought I could get away just testing the ohms. If charged then voltage drop is the way to go.
@@jcondon1 That 0.8V that the battery was putting out would be enough to completely upset the meter reading - it could well be reading open circuit due to that. The meter measures resistance by passing a small, known current through the device under test, and measuring the resulting voltage drop. With these small sealed lead acid batteries, I think you're best off just seeing if it will accept a charge.
@@jcondon1 It in never safe to measure any battery using ohms on a meter. Any voltage in the battery can destroy a meter set to ohms. You should always use a DC voltage setting to check batteries.
In this case, the ohmmeter can be used as an indicator of the battery charge availability. If the resistance drops, then the battery takes current to charge. If not, the battery has an open circuit inside. And nothing else. Of course, the internal resistance cannot be measured in this way, and of course in this way it is possible to damage the ohmmeter.
@@jimsmith5148 I'm afraid this isn't correct - the 0.8V being put out by the battery will interact with the measurement current supplied by the meter in ways that make any reading completely invalid (see my comment above about how the resistance range works).
You should not be able to damage a Cat-rated meter by putting it across any reasonable voltage source while in resistance mode, although you may damage an non-Cat-rated meter (the movement/electronics is essentially in a millivolt or microvolt range when measuring resistance).
That was a quick easy and cheap $400.. Have you ever tried doing a battery reconditioning?? You can find battery reconditioning videos own UA-cam.
I have, but not much success.
Do these duromax generators really have all copper windings ?
Nice find.
I'd like to see what your opinion and procedure is for breaking in a brand new generator to help extend it's life.
I know this is late but that battery is on Amazon for $25.... YTXA7-BS 105 CCA...
Love your videos, helps me alot
Your the man James 👍👀
What cleaner did you add to the ultrasonic cleaner ? Thank you
that sure beats a poke in the eye. Well done!
Yup I got a free $500 pressure washer same thing, gas leaked into Crankcase... I was luck as you were and didn't make a total mess
I recently bought a tapered shaft adapter for my Yanmar diesel clone engine. I'm curious to see how it will work. It includes a 1/4" key for a pulley or centrifugal clutch. I plan to swap the engine on my "kinardly"(one can hardly tell what the parts are all from) tractor to use this. I'll need a jack shaft under the engine to keep the rotation in the right direction. I couldn't do this with my Honda tractor engine, as it has a pan, and the other end of the engine is the radiator and cooling fan.
Don’t understand how people can throw away things that are perfectly fine
we live in a disposable society, watch out you may be in the trash tomorrow...
Rich gov people
From what I could see you should have been able to use the original positive wire if you just turned in on the starter post facing back to the battery. Also the new wire your adding isnt large enough to handle the amps that starter is pulling.....
According to the DC wire gauge calculator I used, it should be fine. But agree, larger is always better.
was drawing under 30 Amps so 10 gauge would be fine (at least it looked to be 10ga).
How do you know?
Geez Oh Mighty at the luck of some people!! Lol Great find!!
He's the local " Generator Man " ! Everyone knows him. Gets all the inside deals and scoops or have heard called poop too ? . They also probably knows what he looks like ? But US YT viewers it will remain a mystery for some reason or another ?