The ebay generator restoration thread
Discussion
The Mad Monk said:
For no good reason, I have just had a quick look online at a new Honda. It's £1060!!!!
Try looking for an Onan 305CCK... nothing wrong with the engine, just won't spin up to speed fast enough to fire due to horribly mangled starter slip rings...just 3.5kW but you can short it out totally and it slows down, grunts, then gets back up to speed - no overload breakers on it.
Runs at 1500rpm and sounds like an anti aircraft gun when you use it with no silencer, just an open exhaust manifold.
You can sometimes get them from a place in Scotland on eBay, 9hp engine and air cooled with a big fan you can use to heat your hunting cabin....
It'll do 10kW if you lean on the governor and run it up to 3000 rpm but you would need ear muffs!
Peanut Gallery said:
Welcome back!
After reading this thread I obtained a petrol cement mixer that was "hard to start"..
Carb was shot, coil was shot, points were shot, starting rope was shot, tank was shot. Then I took the head off, and a ring had broken, destroyed the bore, and dragged metalwork into the sump and taken out the piston.
I'm now slowly looking for a replacement 3.5 briggs horizontal engine.
Keep your updates coming please!
I have a spare Briggs Horizontal....came off a cylinder mower - you can have it for a donation to MacMillan https://www.macmillan.org.uk/.After reading this thread I obtained a petrol cement mixer that was "hard to start"..
Carb was shot, coil was shot, points were shot, starting rope was shot, tank was shot. Then I took the head off, and a ring had broken, destroyed the bore, and dragged metalwork into the sump and taken out the piston.
I'm now slowly looking for a replacement 3.5 briggs horizontal engine.
Keep your updates coming please!
Where are you based, I am in Surrey / Hampshire / Berkshire border?
independentLee said:
I have a spare Briggs Horizontal....came off a cylinder mower - you can have it for a donation to MacMillan https://www.macmillan.org.uk/.
Where are you based, I am in Surrey / Hampshire / Berkshire border?
Thank you!Where are you based, I am in Surrey / Hampshire / Berkshire border?
I'm way up in North Scotland, Aberdeen.
(ok, thats not NORTH Scotland, but for most it is!)
Pm sent, thank you!
That's a bit far to come and collect it...
It's not worth try to ship it to Aberdeen, the cost would be prohibitive. Any horizontal engine, Tecumseh, Briggs, Kawasaki, CHonda will do the job. There are usually loads of broken mowers on eBay / Gumtree. It's very rare that the engine is duff. I have got them running after sitting outside for decades after a good clean up (head and carb off), not one has never run again, yet!
It's not worth try to ship it to Aberdeen, the cost would be prohibitive. Any horizontal engine, Tecumseh, Briggs, Kawasaki, CHonda will do the job. There are usually loads of broken mowers on eBay / Gumtree. It's very rare that the engine is duff. I have got them running after sitting outside for decades after a good clean up (head and carb off), not one has never run again, yet!
Bit more progress, I managed to extract the nuts from the fan housing to release the pull start. I tried spraying penetrating oil on the back of the nuts and left them to soak overnight which didn’t work.
I ended up using a drill to spin the bolt so it used friction to generate heat and melt the plastic so it would come out.
Both stuck nuts removed.
Before I went any further, I wanted to make sure the generator actually worked, so I reattached the fan housing and rigged up a temporary fuel supply (funnel pushed into fuel line)
As I couldn’t use the pull start I tried using a drill, unfortunately my battery drill didn’t have enough grunt to overcome the compression so I dug out an old Bosch 110v drill which has loads of torque and spun the engine nicely.
It worked, sorry no picture unfortunately as I couldn’t operate a camera, the drill and prevent it from sliding off the “work bench” at the same time.
Back to the fan housing, I have glued the nuts back in, hopefully it will hold.
I have also been able to source a replacement pull start unit for a reasonable £22 so I’ll get that ordered next week and hopefully everything back together by the weekend.
I ended up using a drill to spin the bolt so it used friction to generate heat and melt the plastic so it would come out.
Both stuck nuts removed.
Before I went any further, I wanted to make sure the generator actually worked, so I reattached the fan housing and rigged up a temporary fuel supply (funnel pushed into fuel line)
As I couldn’t use the pull start I tried using a drill, unfortunately my battery drill didn’t have enough grunt to overcome the compression so I dug out an old Bosch 110v drill which has loads of torque and spun the engine nicely.
It worked, sorry no picture unfortunately as I couldn’t operate a camera, the drill and prevent it from sliding off the “work bench” at the same time.
Back to the fan housing, I have glued the nuts back in, hopefully it will hold.
I have also been able to source a replacement pull start unit for a reasonable £22 so I’ll get that ordered next week and hopefully everything back together by the weekend.
Finally got the latest project back together, new pull start fitted.
On the first test run there was a horrible metallic sound coming from the top of the engine so I popped the rocker cover off and found there was massive gaps between the valves and the rocker arms.
Exhaust
Intake
The clearances should be 0.1mm for both intake and exhaust. When I measured them the exhaust was at 0.4mm and the intake was 0.3mm.
Valves correctly adjusted
No more big gaps
The engine sounded so much quieter with the valves set correctly. I suspect the original pull start failed due the out of spec clearances.
On small engines there is a sprung loaded extra lobe on the cam that slightly decompresses the engine to help with starting.
My guess is due to the big gap between the rocker and the valve the engine wasn’t been decompressed which put extra strain on the pull start.
On the first test run there was a horrible metallic sound coming from the top of the engine so I popped the rocker cover off and found there was massive gaps between the valves and the rocker arms.
Exhaust
Intake
The clearances should be 0.1mm for both intake and exhaust. When I measured them the exhaust was at 0.4mm and the intake was 0.3mm.
Valves correctly adjusted
No more big gaps
The engine sounded so much quieter with the valves set correctly. I suspect the original pull start failed due the out of spec clearances.
On small engines there is a sprung loaded extra lobe on the cam that slightly decompresses the engine to help with starting.
My guess is due to the big gap between the rocker and the valve the engine wasn’t been decompressed which put extra strain on the pull start.
I have a 2.2kw Honda Gx140 powered (old model, the 5hp,not 5.5hp) generator which I can't easily start any more. Scored a whole electric start setup for it for buttons - and even the Honda Man didn't know the parts were available. Well chuffed.
Also a Kubota 0C60 on the way, diesel, electric start, which I will find a suitable alternator for and make into a genny, should pull 3kw and a bit OK, and still nice and compact. I have an old Briggs & Scrappem manual transfer switch waiting for it.
3600rpm job I think, so will be a bit of a screamer - happily my garage is detached from the house!
Also a Kubota 0C60 on the way, diesel, electric start, which I will find a suitable alternator for and make into a genny, should pull 3kw and a bit OK, and still nice and compact. I have an old Briggs & Scrappem manual transfer switch waiting for it.
3600rpm job I think, so will be a bit of a screamer - happily my garage is detached from the house!
Blue32 said:
Finally got the latest project back together, new pull start fitted.....
My guess is due to the big gap between the rocker and the valve the engine wasn’t been decompressed which put extra strain on the pull start.
Makes sense, plus pull starts likely had a hard lift too. Good work. My guess is due to the big gap between the rocker and the valve the engine wasn’t been decompressed which put extra strain on the pull start.
I love this thread!
You do have a lot to answer for though.
I’ve recently bought a snapper ride on mower with a knackered engine. It is genuinely the cleanest one I’ve ever seen, bar the snapped rod obviously.
Do I need a ride on mower? No. Do I have enough time to mess about with it? No, not really. Does any of that matter of course not! I’ll be able to cut my grass in about 5 mins with this bad boy so I’m thinking of it as a time saving device.
Keep up the good work!
Oh, you don’t happen to know where I can get a Briggs 8hp vertical shaft engine do you or know if any other engines have the same mountings and shaft size?
You do have a lot to answer for though.
I’ve recently bought a snapper ride on mower with a knackered engine. It is genuinely the cleanest one I’ve ever seen, bar the snapped rod obviously.
Do I need a ride on mower? No. Do I have enough time to mess about with it? No, not really. Does any of that matter of course not!
I’ll be able to cut my grass in about 5 mins with this bad boy so I’m thinking of it as a time saving device.Keep up the good work!
Oh, you don’t happen to know where I can get a Briggs 8hp vertical shaft engine do you or know if any other engines have the same mountings and shaft size?
I usually wade through ebay trying to find parts, if no luck and depending on how much you want to spend, this place is a good source of parts (US based though
) https://www.jackssmallengines.com/manufacturer/bri...
I used them a couple of times and the parts turned up relatively quickly.
) https://www.jackssmallengines.com/manufacturer/bri...I used them a couple of times and the parts turned up relatively quickly.
Blue32 said:
I usually wade through ebay trying to find parts, if no luck and depending on how much you want to spend, this place is a good source of parts (US based though) https://www.jackssmallengines.com/manufacturer/bri...
I used them a couple of times and the parts turned up relatively quickly.
I've used him a few times, he really knows his stuff and isn't hard to pay.) https://www.jackssmallengines.com/manufacturer/bri...I used them a couple of times and the parts turned up relatively quickly.
This fella also has loads of genny stuff that isn't listed - https://www.ebay.com/usr/mikes_garage_sale?ul_noap...
Just message him and ask. "Dozerdude" on Ebay is also good for parts, again half his stuff isn't listed, so you need to ask...
Joint project with Blue 32 (OP)
From our favorite auction site , Listing said , sat idle for 8 years , now will not start , spares/ repair
5.5 kva electric start
Quick look and sniff in tank Ahah stale fuel , but also this
And this
So I tipped a small amount of fuel directly into the carb and the engine kicked over
So the next job was to clean tank , Son AKA Blue 32 did some research and found this tip .
A short length of heavy chain in the tank with some solvent to break down the deposits ,and a good shake
Some of the rubbish that was cleaned out of the tank
Having seen to the tank we moved onto the in tank filter and tap
The filter was blocked as was the tap
Carb cleaner and brake cleaner was used and the tap etc cleaned up , before only , forgot to do after
Next was the carb
Not too bad , which left us curious
Having cleaned it up it was reassembled
Put back on engine , and tried to start , nothing , checked spark etc all fine ,
so opened drain on carb and no fuel was getting through ,
After a lot of tinkering we found the float valve was not letting fuel through
,
so we borrowed a float assy from a 5kva Kippor we had in stock awaiting a new inverter
and
Back to ebay again for a new carb and instead of a normal carb , found this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carburetor-Dual-Fuel-Ge...
Which is now fitted , and the generator runs on gas as well as petrol , and should be worth at least 4 times what we paid for it
Back to ebay for next project
Did a Mountfield mower a few weeks ago , again not started for a year , carb totally gummed up .£11 copy carb from ebay , runs fine ,now in shed waiting to sell next spring ,Easy money !!
From our favorite auction site , Listing said , sat idle for 8 years , now will not start , spares/ repair
5.5 kva electric start
Quick look and sniff in tank Ahah stale fuel , but also this
And this
So I tipped a small amount of fuel directly into the carb and the engine kicked over
So the next job was to clean tank , Son AKA Blue 32 did some research and found this tip .
A short length of heavy chain in the tank with some solvent to break down the deposits ,and a good shake
Some of the rubbish that was cleaned out of the tank
Having seen to the tank we moved onto the in tank filter and tap
The filter was blocked as was the tap
Carb cleaner and brake cleaner was used and the tap etc cleaned up , before only , forgot to do after
Next was the carb
Not too bad , which left us curious
Having cleaned it up it was reassembled
Put back on engine , and tried to start , nothing , checked spark etc all fine ,
so opened drain on carb and no fuel was getting through ,
After a lot of tinkering we found the float valve was not letting fuel through
,so we borrowed a float assy from a 5kva Kippor we had in stock awaiting a new inverter
and
Back to ebay again for a new carb and instead of a normal carb , found this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carburetor-Dual-Fuel-Ge...
Which is now fitted , and the generator runs on gas as well as petrol , and should be worth at least 4 times what we paid for it
Back to ebay for next project
Did a Mountfield mower a few weeks ago , again not started for a year , carb totally gummed up .£11 copy carb from ebay , runs fine ,now in shed waiting to sell next spring ,Easy money !!
Edited by MXRod on Tuesday 12th November 14:06
I have followed this interesting thread since the start and now I have to ask for advice.
Honda eg3000x generator, starts and runs perfectly but the stator is shorted out. A rewind is north of £300 and spares are £600+ and unavailable anyway.
Do I just scrap it or is there anything I can do?
Honda eg3000x generator, starts and runs perfectly but the stator is shorted out. A rewind is north of £300 and spares are £600+ and unavailable anyway.
Do I just scrap it or is there anything I can do?
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