Abandoned Campbell Hausfeld Generators (Part 2) - No Power Output, Obsolete Carburetor Damaged

A subscriber was cleaning out a warehouse and came across four Campbell Hausfeld generators which were slated for the trash. He decided to save the generators and bring them home with the intention of repairing them. He got one running just to realize there was no power output. Are they parts machines or can they be saved? Last week we got two of the working. Hopefully we can save all four.
Part 1: • Abandoned Campbell Hau...
Part 2: (this video)
Campbell Hausfeld Generator Model (Brushless): GN503100AC
Campbell Hausfeld Generator Model (Brushed): GN503102AC
Briggs Vanguard Engine Number: 185432-0242-E1
Clone Carburetor 715670 Compatible with Briggs and Stratton 185432-0271-E1 Engine, Replace 185432, 715671, 715668: amzn.to/3SFAK3T
OEM Carburetor 715671: www.partstree.com/parts/brigg...
OEM Pilot Jet 710321: www.partstree.com/parts/brigg...
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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 some carburetors.
9hp, Abandoned, Alternator, Bogging, Briggs and Stratton, Briggs, Brushless, Campbell Hausfeld, Capacitor, Carburetor, Clogged Carburetor, Clone Carburetor, Fixed, Generator, Hertz, How To, How-To, Leaking Fuel, Leaking Gasoline, Load Test, Low THD, Low Voltage, Microfarad, Mikuni, Neglected, No Output, No Power, Repair, Rich, Running Rich, Small Engine, THD, Total Harmonic Distortion, Troubleshooting, Vanguard, Will No Run, Won't Start,
#GeneratorRepair #SmallEngineRepair #SmallEngine #DIY #Fixed #Troubleshooting #howto #briggsandstratton #generator

[@jeffvickers9390]

Finally gonna say it, can’t hold back anymore. The contrast is hilarious, a certified tool for fastening the bolts (torque wrench) but an empty ginger ale bottle to drain a flammable liquid. 😂 Much respect, just sayin.

[@jcondon1]

My Dad used to have a few bottles like this in the garage to hold his two stroke fuel mix. Not the best idea especially with kids around. The bottle I use is so you can see it what comes out. Otherwise would just go straight in a gas can.

[@ericwalstrand3512]

I like how he gets things fixed and running in the first 15 minutes and spends the next hour cleaning it up, making little fixes to make it look nice and all.

[@Nature72116]

You didn't steal the capacitor.You borrowed it permanently 😊

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

Kind of like the neighbor who borrows your tools

[@Nature72116]

@@MrTonyPiscatelle So true.

[@billhenry7833]

You have come a long ways since your early videos, even though you aren’t a trained mechanic. You mentioned you are 50, and judging by the lack of sun spots on your hands shows you have never been outdoors; you are at least getting outside during testing. lol

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

James commented elsewhere that this is a relaxing hobby...using his logic skills in another way..... He is the Project lead for large IT projects over many sites as his day job!

[@keeperofthegood]

You know, the biggest take-away I have gotten watching your videos (not just this one) is that, if you seriously want to have one of these for any length of time past a season or two, it is well in your interest to purchase along with the unit, at least 3 carb rebuild kits and at least 1 new in the box carb. Along with 1 spare piston+rod and two sets of rings. I bet you'd have a near 99% chance to have a machine that could see service for most of your working life time and possibly into retirement.

[@robertsimpson7113]

You should put a little daub of grease on your tap before you start threading! It will collect all of the fines that come from the procedure and keep any possible strays out of the windings.

[@CASEYDODSON]

You can use a soldering iron and solder the jet closed and re drill the key to right size again. Solder sticks to brass and copper very well

[@paulboomer7109]

The last generator with the rain guard there was a lot of air moving over the top. Possibly to keep the outlets dry!

[@user-zv8bp9lf7i]

You can melt a small peice of solder into the jet and then Redrill it to the proper size

[@a-k-jun-1]

3am in Alaska and a new JC video hits, yeah not going back to sleep yet. 😂

[@Bigguy_33]

What a beautiful side hustle you got. Fixing, Reselling & KZbin revenue, wow! Very nice job.

[@benkanobe7500]

4/4, Fantastic! Your carbon foot print gets smaller every week!

[@Zorix83]

It would be interesting to see if those carbs could be TIG welded or brazed. Seems like it wouldn't be that difficult, and given the availability, it may be worth the effort.

[@gutsngorrrr]

As those damaged Mikuni carbs are so hard to find, I'd find a friend that can weld aluminium and see if they could build up the damaged part then re drill it and see if it works

[@vettepicking]

I use " aluminum brightener" from Napa to clean the engine blocks from the corrosion powder.

[@morc258]

James I've had good luck with soldering the hole up on oversized jets and drilling it to the size needed. Worth a shot trying, just use fine gauge solder so you don't fill too much of the jet orifice!

[@brucepaull7791]

Back in my car days we used to solder jets and re-drill them and it worked just fine.

[@cndream1]

I wonder if you sprayed some Mag Wheel cleaner on the aluminum if that would help

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

We used to drill out jets for Holley carburetors. If we needed one with a smaller bore we would fill one with solder and drill it to the desired size.

[@Wheel_Horse]

I'm amazed at the low THD on those gennys. Ya know what would be cool James? If you did a review of all the gensets you've worked on showing the THD of the different ones.

[@chrisdevitto4340]

Try putting a bit of solder in the jet then drill it out.

[@venenareligioest410]

James, put protective glasses on when using Dremel wire brushes, the bits are bloody dangerous. I had the bits in my clothes even after two washes 🤬

[@geoffmolyneux9173]

On taps and drill bits put some heavy grease on the cutting edges, it will help keep the filings out of the windings.

[@dennisbrantley6925]

Hey James, perhaps it's not only the jetting in the carbs. That spark arrestor in that muffler did look a little stopped up. Could be an airflow restriction as well. Just a thought. Good work!

[@victoriasarver6292]

Hi James are you able to put a starter on one of those 9 hp vanguard engines?

[@redneckbryon]

34:00, I find that some tank bushings are definitely questionable, on their quality, I installed one in a plastic tank on a lawn tractor, and it failed within a week. Older plastic tanks would have a bung on them for the fuel line to connect to, yes it had its weaknesses, but it was still better than a bushing. Really all these generators were in fairly decent used condition, all with similar issues. Again, with the aftermarket with no support. But being a Briggs & Stratton, I’m surprised the Carburetor wasn’t still available for a decent price.

[@tarstarkusz]

When you were drilling out the jet I was like "why is he drilling out that jet before testing?" But really, you can solder and then re-drill the jet. Solder "wets" with brass quite well.

[@barrygrant2907]

Wow! All four up and running without mag/spark plugs or valve adjustments. It looks like I think it was #3 may have some case seal seepage.

[@user-zk4sm9vt8t]

I’ve had good luck soldering jets and re-drilling them.

[@hpdepasse5997]

It's not only the diameter of the jets that counts for too rich/poor, there's the tank level, regulated by the float tab.

[@williambikash6645]

A trick to lean out an oversize jet is to put a thin copper wire securely in the orifice. The wire has to be tight to the edge of the jet because it will have a different effect on fuel flow if it is centered or tight to the side or worse if it moves randomly

[@DrewskisBrews]

I've heard of people soldering up the hole and re-drilling it. You get as many tries as you have patience for that way.

[@Bass.Player]

You should probably have a selection of jets for these carbs. These clone carbs are designed to fit a group of applications and they will all most likely to need re-jetting which is no fault of the carb.

[@generessler6282]

Nice! A 4-fer! I was yelling at the screen that I didn't remember you changing the main jet last week, but you didn't hear me 😀. Hey on that same machine the pattern of discoloration around the rotor bearing housing might possibly mean the bearing seal has been leaking. Just a thought. Otoh the ventilation holes could have let something in. The thing had clearly done some tough duty.

[@mrobi5797]

Great job on those 4 Generators James. That was a good find instead of taking the direction of the dump. I really enjoys your videos. So much to learn.

[@leonardomigot4040]

Blessed are you who have snow because it never snows in my place

[@BladeScraper]

It's like watching bob ross. You know these things inside and out and get sh*t done. another great vid as always James.

[@deadsmooth419]

Got her looking purty

[@Rorschach1024]

James, on the final unit I think I would have replaced that electrolytic cap, if only because caps from that era had a problem swelling and blowing out.

[@johncourtneidge]

What, please, is an electrolytic cap?

[@ickipoo]

@@johncourtneidge a capacitor that uses a liquid electrolyte. Capacitors work by having two conductive plates separated by a dielectric (insulator). The closer you get the plates together, the higher the capacity (but lower voltage rating). Electrolytic caps pull a clever trick, using aluminium foil as the plate, and forming a very thin layer of aluminium oxide as the dielectric. The liquid electrolyte (typically urea - aka "cat piss") conducts, effectively bringing one plate closer to the other by negating the surface roughness, as well as aiding in the formation of the oxide layer. They fail if the electrolyte leaks or dries out, or if the oxide layer breaks down.

[@pierremartel3552]

I once had a jet that was plugged, the jet got a bit enlarged when i cleaned it, just enough to make the motor run too rich. Could not have another jets. Since this was on a lawn mower it was not good as it would stall all the time the lawn was to long. So I JB weld the jet plug and slowly drilled back the JB weld from the hole and the jet was running perfect after. the tricky part was filling the hole. I used a small bit and pushed the JB weld till it came out. at the other end.

[@bmcc12]

As always, when you tighten some inconsequential bolts without the torque wrench, I add the click. Well done young fella!

[@craigread179]

You can solder the jet hole & redial to OEM size

[@robertpeters9438]

Love the wind chime.

[@Kiltylake]

As a mechanic myself it never gets old to get an engine up and running again. The first three all put out very clean and relatively stable power output. Sometimes older stuff is better built. Good job James!

[@v-g-z3689]

You probably already know James, but the problem with rich running 4 Stroke engines is the following: as the oil is not in the fuel, the high amount of gas in the rich mixture literally washes off the oil from the cylindre walls and other lubricated top end parts, causing excessive wear in a very short amount of time. That´s why I always try to run my fourstroke engines a little bit on the lean side.

[@Zaszh]

Hi James. When removing the float axis, it is a good idea to support the mounting with something. Then the chance of breaking the fastening is minimal. The movie is excellent as usual.

[@DennisBall]

I like to polish the float pins with some 3000 grit when working on mikuni carbs. You should try the simple green Super HD Purple in your ultra sonic

[@t.w.3]

Better than any tv show the last 15 years.. Thanks for the upload. Always nice to see some older gensets get a new life.

[@FarmCraft101]

Great saves Jim. Here's a little challenge for you in the future. My brother had some jets that were over sized and he was able to resize them with basic tools that you have. He took some solid brass (from bolts I believe) and using a drill and a bench grinder, ground them down until they would fit into the existing jet. He then soldered them into place essentially making a blank jet. Then he center punched and redrilled them to the size he needed. Worked perfectly. His were pretty large jets, so on a smaller jet you might be able to skip the brass and just solder it closed and then re-drill it. I would have been using my lathe, but you don't have one of those and cool that he was able to do it with basic tools. Maybe give that a try if you ever need to. Would make good content! Cheers.

[@CARLOSTREUIL]

Another great. Video. BTW where are your gloves? I am surprised you didn't need to install glow plugs to get the generator to start. You never cease to amaze with your engine skills. Why is it that you never seem to tear gaskets on carb disassembly? Mine fall apart by looking at them.

[@jcondon1]

Hitting the carb on the side will usually save the gasket, unless it’s it a Subaru. They always rip. Neither engine started first pull out in the cold.

[@brianwood5220]

WoW all 4 up and running, you must be so pleased. Thanks for sharing this 2 part journey with us.

[@CASEYDODSON]

I did that trick a lot racing motorcycle. Never had any problems

[@arthurbiringer5676]

Another award winning job! Let’s multiply it by four!

[@user-gy9qv4ml5y]

If you are NOT wearing an OSHA approved full face shield or OSHA approved safety glasses under a non-ISHA approved safety shield I suggest doing so whenever using a wire brush on a power tool. The small dremel style tools can rotate at high speeds and sling wire bristles from even well made wire brush cups or disc shaped wire wheels. You could end up with a wire bristle permanently damaging an eye or have a sore come up on your face, neck, arms, hands or other area that actually end up being part of a piece from a wire brush bristle.

[@Ministry_Of_Silly_Walks]

Your like the Bob Ross of small engine repair

[@oldsranch]

campbell 'Hozzfeld'... YOU have one of the most informative channels on YT. Thanks again!

[@QuintonDolan]

Can’t stop watching these videos. It’s the methodical trouble shooting and clear description technique not the subject matter that I find so appealing. You could be repairing washing machines or coffee makers and I would still watch it.

[@MrJmattr3]

Agree 100%

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

Thanks Jim!!!

[@philliphall5198]

Take a file to the butterfly plate and you’ll never have any problems with it from now on 😊

[@RossReedstrom]

I agree on the file, but not the target: file the opening in the adapter plate a bit.

[@Jim-ie6uf]

@@RossReedstromexactly ☝️

[@davidcottee2808]

Or maybe swap the plate from the old carb?

[@HuntleyBill]

You can solder the jet closed and re-drill it out to the correct size. I have done this many times on vintage car and boat motor carbs with great success,

[@krz8888888]

amazing THD on these, no worries running anything

[@peterouellette3874]

Nice going, James

[@timmore1]

I've used a punch and hammer to make a jet small it will close the jet size then just use your little drill bit to get the size you need

[@stazeII]

Think that first (third) one, might have broken your rule and brought out a pressure washer with some degreaser and then air gun/leaf blower to dry it off afterward. Looks like it was either in use, or they stored it in the loading bay. Woof. :)

[@larrykelly2838]

Wow, great save Doc.

[@iandennis7836]

My Thursday is complete....a halfway decent day at work, dinner out of the way, a cup of tea, a fag (cigarette to you guys) and an hour + long Jim video. I am living the life here.....😁. Cheers buddy.

[@michaeltarasenkoop2389]

Reason so many people throw out a decent looking machine with a small problem is the cost to fix the problem ! Just had my car oil changed and it cost me 145 $ every thing is so sky high in price !

[@jeffj126]

You're analytical and problem-solving ability is astounding. Are you a mechanical or an electrical engineer by trade?

[@duanek9892]

Your warning about checking for a stuck governor is a good one - I heeded that warning from one of your past videos, and not only was mine stuck, it was really stuck. It took lube and a pair pliers to get it moving.

[@wallyhandyman]

must be a rare to get 4 gens that are almost same good video as always.

[@watermanone7567]

What a great find James. Excellent work. Have you ever taken the plastic jet limiter off of the idle adjustment screw to make the machines work better, I have had pretty good luck doing it, however you can break the head off of the jet if not really careful, which I have done before. Thanks for a great video.

[@jcondon1]

I have broken the head off several times :(

[@tonygriffiths2485]

Can't help wondering if the rings might need replacement in the brushless motor, but the THD was fantastic, to me anyway. So four good machines waiting for customers to purchase them. We don't get to hear the sales price, but then again its noe of my beeswax. Really interesting and enjoyable as usual. I am surprised at how much differenc the jets make to performance. Always something to learn with you, thanks :)

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Which is why carburetors are now regarded by some as "leaky toilets" sitting on top of the inlet manifold.. always needing adjustment when there are variations in air temperature, humidity or altitude. when precise fuel injection takes all that into account many times per second and adjusts fuel "on the fly" The Indian Govt has mandated fuel injection for motors of 150cc or more.... Stihl has fuel injection on the MS500 (i)..chainsaw (and that is 79.2 cc.) so it can be done for generators too...

[@tonygriffiths2485]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq Leaky toilres ? PMSL thanks :)

[@timmoore8036]

Great video as always James! The way you clean your machines shows you take great pride in your work. What I'd like to know what brand of lift do you have? I'm 73 and that looks like something I would quickly come to enjoy! Your videos are greatly appreciated! Thanks for all you do!

[@DanKoning777]

I can never give your videos enough 👍👍👍 Great job James as always. God bless.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@wendellvoisin7090]

James do you think you can maybe solder up the hole in the jet and drill it back out with a smaller bit to reduce the size of the jet? Also I wonder if some of those soft aluminum soldering rods would let you build up the float bowl hinge post so you can redrill that to repair the original carburators.

[@robertmailhos8159]

It would be nice to get those generation machines put on some wheels to make them easier to move around great that you have a furniture dolly to move them to the lift table james

[@andrewgrace4410]

Great find James, 4 generators 😊

[@844metalman]

You might take that jet that was drilled oversized, add a bit of solder and redrill to a smaller size in an effort to try and salvage it......

[@amruahmd3528]

Hi bro but you did forgot to teach how you connect the oscilloscope onto the circuit .. but your amazing is very satisfactory.. god bless you

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

This was a great mini series James and a great outcome, almost as good as a 5/4 socket..lol . Was wondering when you were in the jet Delima could you have applied some solder to the ID of the jet and drill it out to the proper orifice size ?

[@jcondon1]

I lot of people said that would have worked. Never tried it.

[@johncourtneidge]

Well done! As always!

[@dublindave5795]

I'm surprised that you didn't check the valves on these potentially high hour machines. Also when the choke was hitting the mounting plate I would have used the dremel tool and ground it out a bit. Due to heat and vibration parts might move enough to impact the operation.

[@psilver063]

I wonder if you removed the O ring you added to the pilot jet would it help lean it out a little. Remember the stock carb doesn’t have the o ring on the pilot jet

[@dennissmith8199]

Great video James, but the only thing I would have done in addition, would have been to check the valve lash adjustment, just a a precaution. Like your videos.

[@YukonHawk1]

I really enjoyed watching the doctor bringing this gennys back from the dead. Nice to know they will provide power one of these days when a storm hits and keeps a family safe.

[@markae0]

Great video! But you forget the wattage of your light bulb on top of your 5000 watt max test. Is it LED or incandescent?

[@TopCat2021]

Congratulations 4 for 4 the year is off to a good start. Thanks for sharing with all of us.

[@stephenhaslam680]

Good 2 part mini series and 4 for 4 serviceable machines, excellent work James.

[@robsteinhaur221]

What a great save from landfill. Thanks for sharing.

[@Tech-Dave]

Great video on these four generators I would guess. Probably the ones that are not running as well as the others can indicate maybe just need to do a simple valve adjustment as this will help them. Breathe a little bit.

[@jcondon1]

Now that you mention it I did check the valves on these two. Must have lost the footage, but they were perfect.

[@doug74]

I looked up about checking the oil with a screw in dipstick, per Briggs & Stratton website "To ensure an accurate reading, reinsert the dipstick completely. If the dipstick cap is a screw-in type, ensure an accurate reading by screwing in all the way before removing it to check the level."

[@RandomGreymane]

Nice! I love to see things not thrown out when possible! That said, some of us are high end computer users and have a lot of sensitive electronics but live in “questionable” power areas. Could you please do a video about protecting sensitive electronics when using generators? Thanks regardless for your content!

[@melkiorwiseman5234]

The simplest answer is to use an inverter generator rated for use with "sensitive electronic equipment" such as computers, since it will usually have a sufficiently sine-like wave to allow the reliable operation of the electronics. As a rule of thumb, if you run your generator into a UPS and then to a computer and the UPS does not keep on clicking over to battery, the generator is probably okay to use. If it does keep on changing over, the generator should only be used for power tools and similar equipment. A more complicated method is to have a large battery or bank of batteries and charge them via the 12V output of the generator, then take power from the batteries to run an inverter to keep the computer(s) running. But that's expensive and requires some math to ensure you're neither over-charging the batteries nor draining them. You may be able to get away with using a 12V solar power controller to charge the batteries with the generator 12V taking the place of the solar panels, but then you need to ensure the controller can handle the current supplied by the generator. The output current you get from your typical 12V solar array will usually be well below the output current you can get from a generator.

[@user-gy9qv4ml5y]

Your checking and showing how to check oil on small engines with screw in oil fill plug with dipstick finally answered a question that’s been on my mind for a long time because I’ve actually seen people that were supposedly small engine mechanics check it both ways. Screwing it in and out and just pushing it until the threads on the filler cap/dipstick threads met the engine housing threads.

[@RiverratGoRVing]

James, Great save on all 4. Your posts really do help those of us that still DYI our equipment. Tks Michael

[@derekadams729]

Nice job James. 4 out of 4 is a great result. 👍

[@richardphelan8414]

4 for 4 ,100% knocked out of the park for Jim awesome Job every one of these Videos I learn a little more about these Carburetors and their Quirks and How the Clones run in comparison to the originals utilizing the original carbs is the best way to go if at all possible thanks again Jim for a educational and interesting Video

[@gregb76]

Great job James more good finds.

[@rodh2168]

Very nice save. I'm surprised the person ahead of you broke one then another then a third carb without being more careful each time. I was impressed with your unboxing review a while ago of the Maxpeedingrod unit so ordered the 2300 from Wally World. I'm very pleased with it. Nice unit.

[@davidschipsi1316]

While your Capacitors are good they tend to go bad with time. Maybe all new capacitors. Knowing me if they are still good they’re still good and would keep them for personal use.

[@jp-um2fr]

UK. I know a little about electronics, but I wonder why they would use brushed generators when there is no reason to ? Your video more or less substantiates this. A magnet passing a coil should produce a good waveform. If you know about the basic theory of generators, it would make a good video, especially on a cold day. In the South of the UK, snow is welcome, we get very little these days. Maybe I just opened my big mouth too soon in early Feb. Regards.

[@timd1833]

As always, excellent videos & repairs! Amazing that the dolly fit those generators perfectly.

[@4Truth4All]

Nice work Jim! Great to see these brought back into service. They will provide good reliable power when needed. Good stuff.