Abandoned Generac GP3250 - Will It Run and Make Power?

This Generac GP3250 generator was left on a subscribers rental property after the tenent moved out. Stanley (the subscriber) reached out and donated it to the channel. This is one of the most neglected generators I have ever seen. I assume it is a parts machine. It cannot possibly run and make power. Lets not judge a book by its cover. Will it run an make power again?
Generator Model: GP3250 0059821
I no longer use Harbor Freight Super Heavy Duty Degreaser in my ultrasonic cleaner. Harbor Freight changed the recipe. The bottle previously stated "NON-CORROSIVE". Now it says "CORROSIVE", "do not user on Aluminum". It now damages most carburetors.
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#Generac #WillItRun #GeneratorRepair #Generator #SmallEngineRepair #SmallEngine #DIY #Fixed #Troubleshooting #howto
0059821, Abandoned, Alternator, Carburetor Clean, Carburetor, Fixed, GP3250, Generac, Generator, Governor Calibration, Governor Reset, Governor Spring, Hertz, Honda Clone, How To, How-To, Load Test, Neglected Generator, Repair, Restoration, Rust Gas Tank, Small Engine, Stuck Engine, Surging, Troubleshooting, Valve Adjustment, Valve Clearance, Will Not Run, Will Not Start

[@mjpbase1]

Nice to see your little girl taking an interest and wanting to spend time with you. Healthy, wholesome goodness there.

[@Masterheavens]

Learning by Doing nice Little Girl :)

[@RS-yj3gn]

Yes, I wish my boy (25)and my girl (21) would show any interest in garage things like car maintenance, but they don't, just drive....

[@bobcarry4820]

Your daughter asked to help and you let her with guidance. She had that "I did that" pride in her voice. That is the feeling of accomplishment and success. I compare those feelings to a drug, the greatest drug in the world. And the reason it is so great is that you want more, more successes to actually feel proud of yourself. My friend just got an inverter generator motor running after many, many hours. He said the feeling in his soul, heart was fantastic so I gave him a leaf blower that wouldn't keep running. Thanks for the video.

[@ejdut]

I've mentioned this previously, but I want to emphasize again that while the investment of time and resources into repairing an item for resale might not seem financially practical, the value your videos bring to us as viewers-in terms of both enjoyment and education-is immense. Hopefully, the revenue generated from your content helps to mitigate these expenses. It's worth considering that we, as your audience, might also contribute to your channel through donations to support your work.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks. The content does help with repairs like this.

[@johncourtneidge]

Yes!

[@duffr07]

Plus, it is just a good thing for the environment!

[@sunflowermahea225]

Finally, a machine that looks like stuff i work on

[@CorwinBos]

I feel this, lol

[@jeffvickers9390]

Yep, same here.

[@oldguysoldbikes]

"Rode hard and put away wet" as my Grandfather used to say.

[@KuntalGhosh]

This quote is definitely not about generetors

[@donvin999]

Your poor grandmother….

[@benrobles752]

@@donvin999ROFL.

[@wvbassassassin]

At this point, with your track record, I think the appropriate title should be, "Will It Not Run"

[@JRattheranch]

Like this!

[@jimchronister5742]

You go nutty with the torque wrench.

[@rickwhitescarver8526]

Willing it to run as well

[@puppyduppy9811]

@@JRattheranch 0:41 0:16

[@johnfoster921]

All right dad, getting the kids involved. My dad was in the appliance sales and service business from mid 40's to late 80's when he retired. Back then he needed to be a plumber, carpenter and electrician. He taught me well and I have passed that on to my children.

[@boomerdrillman]

James , your videos are always worth watching. This one caught me a little off guard. Your daughter helping her dad brought back a memory for me! It was from 35 years ago, with little money I had to replace the exhaust system on our only car, I couldn't afford the $800.00 Midas wanted so it became a diy in the driveway, not fun!!! About twenty minutes into it my twelve year old daughter came out and wanted to help. I was shocked of course,but it turned out she was a huge help, it's a memory we still share today. It started raining and with a dirt driveway it soon became a mud pit. We did complete the project ,we were both covered in mud, grease and soaked, but we didn't quit!!! Something she still brings up occasionally. Thanks for your videos I always enjoy them.

[@krg038]

A few months ago I picked up one just as rusty. They had covered it in plastic but the covering acted like a bathtub and it sat in water. I'm no expert but watching your videos, its now making power. Thanks

[@jcondon1]

Thanks!

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

The labor of love for sure!!! You brought back another neglected basket case!! Thanks Jim!

[@FirstWizardZorander]

First reaction: Wow, that's disgusting! I'm looking forward to this!

[@landontesar3070]

are you all about that bass...clef?

[@haneyoakie14]

Impressive with the save! I watched this in parts, as it was Long, but totally worth my time. It was great that your daughter got involved in helping. Those moments are a treasure you will only realize the value of much later. Great work, above even your lofty standards.

[@chriholt]

Good for your daughter to want to learn, and good for you to be happy (and proud, I would imagine!) to show her!

[@chriscampbell8149]

"A guy will pretend he didn't to see that".😂🤣 Derek from Vice Grip Garage. 🤣😂 So funny! Love your channel! 🤙🇺🇲

[@brad9529]

Dammit I missed that comment 😞

[@Chambersdavidjames]

I genuinely enjoy the long videos! I like seeing all the steps/work.

[@techman2471]

Thanks! Great Job, Dad, with the daughter. You're a great job with both of them. Thanks for all the inspiRration to get into repairing more mechanical equipment.

[@SV2LLJ]

Previously we had the opportunity to get to know your son and now your daughter.. Well done James.. It's very pleasant to spend some time with your family and let them know your way to give them a good life... As for this generator...I think, this one wanted to live.. From the very beginning of the video it was obvious that it wanted to live and give you (and us..) that happiness.. Thank you for sharing..

[@philliphall5198]

My Father told my two sisters,if his father is not a hard worker and can keep a job, then his sons will be the same way and dam sure don’t bring him to our house, got it…. They found the hard worker and been married for 50/55 years now ❤

[@YukonHawk1]

I loved it , There's nothing wrong with that tank😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅It was great that your daughter helped out. Awesome! She handled that rotary brush very well. A very cute moment. Loved that too! The final product turn out brilliant!

[@gamlemann53]

How can anyone just leaving a good generator like this outside and do not take care of it? The work you did on this generator was amasing to see James. It's a lot of work. Thank you a lot! :-)

[@Privat2840]

I am working on this same model and it looks almost as bad. My is from an electrical contractor and unless brand new it is not worth the cost to repair them. They get to look like that as they sit in the rain and snow next to a job site trailer. After make parts like carb and springs are both under 20 dollars. Replacement tank is about $40. A little work and it makes a great backup generator to sit in the garage waiting for s significant power outage. I don't know how many hours a motor like this is good for but they live a hard life on job sites so I wouldn't want to try and sell this to someone who expects to get thousands of hours out of it.

[@johnclyne6350]

@@Privat2840This generator may see a few hundred hours if it was used as a back up generator for the rest of its life. It will serve faithfully as long as basic maintenance is performed & they keep the tank dry between outages. I think it’s days as back up power on job sites have come & gone.

[@kpdvw]

James;...there has NEVER been a Video of yours that did not help someone! Thank You !

[@DavinDesborough]

Watching you try to get that one panel screw out was like watching those Chinese tool ads where they use 5 wrong tools before bringing out the miracle tool to save the day. You just needed to wag your finger at us. 😂

[@jeffyoung478]

I love that your daughter has taken an interest in helping with your project and kudos to you allowing her to join in. Cheers

[@rodh2168]

I so enjoy watching you bring these back to life. It would be interesting if you gave a tally of $ spent and $ sold.

[@donprater2754]

After sanding a metal surface. IF you wipe it down with white vinegar it stops the oxidation process. And ensures a longer protection for the paint that is applied.

[@Digital-Dan]

As Fearless Fosdick may have said, "It's merely surface rust." A little Evaporust and Bob's your uncle. I enjoy watching these, and then enjoying the silent operation of my solar panels and big batteries.

[@davidreed628]

What I noticed about your daughter helping was even after she got to run the "FUN" tool she stayed and helped by holding ....👍

[@user-wy9fp9nr7q]

You are a super cool dad, Mr James Condon, letting your little girl work in the shop with you right on my friend.

[@generessler6282]

Haha. The old "pretend I didn't see that" method. Time-honored technique.... 😎. I really like the way Adam Booth does bad fastener removal with left hand drill bits. Maybe you can ask Santa for a set this year.

[@Darknamja]

Our tech manuals called for a dilution of 60/40 of Simple Green in our sonic cleaners. 😉

[@offshack]

I used gunk parts cleaner that comes in the gallon cans - I put in 2 gallons, and use it about 6 or 7 times then run it through a coffee filter in a funnel and use it about 6 or 7 more times. Its not cheap - 2 gallons cost me something like $100, but for 15 cleanings that's only about $7 each. It doesn't seem to bother most stuff but I don't put plastics or rubber in so I don't know how they would fare. I've thought about using dishwasher detergent as it has silica in it that may be able to 'sand blast" stuff clean in the ultrasonic but I've yet to try it.

[@chitown38]

Where was this guy in 1981 when my Montgomery Wards minibike broke down 🤣

[@benrobles752]

He probably wasn't born yet.

[@lukeb0319]

@@benrobles752 You don't think he's 43 years old? LOL

[@benrobles752]

@@lukeb0319He probably is.

[@jamessimons918]

Hi James, I’ve been watching your videos for some time now. I really appreciate your level of cleanliness, above all your detailed observations, and level of finesse to achieve the best result. Great job!

[@rkins100]

I think your daughter did a fine job wire brushing that tank. A future helper in the shop.

[@RobsChannel-dc1nn]

Wow, you turned a piece of junk into a treasure, okay maybe not a treasure but it is 100 times better than it was. Great job James, keep up the excellent work. 🍁

[@jaygee999]

Family love and devotion to mechanical restoration is inspiring --

[@magilla9792]

Wow, what a makeover. The before and after was amazing. If you showed it to your friend, he would have said that's not the same machine. Excellent editing.

[@gregorypierce6703]

Beyond awesome your doing the tank with your daughter! A incredible memory your so lucky.

[@robsisson6808]

Welding tip: if you don’t have fine adjustments on your welder, try increasing the distance between your nozzle and weld (just a little). The amperage will drop some. Practice makes perfect.

[@johnbrizendine7716]

A grinder and paint makes me the welder I ain't. lol

[@brianwood5220]

Back from the dead, what a resurrection. Thanks for sharing with us.

[@mikewhitley1183]

I appreciate how thorough you are. It's difficult and takes longer to do things correctly!

[@luuk-out-below9804]

Came out really good. What a great father and daughter project!

[@scottarnold8311]

It's good to someone taking pride in their work. Making something look great again.

[@paultice610]

Another great video to enjoy my morning cuppa coffee with excellent job. Keep them coming.

[@user-dx3kg4ir2p]

Only James! can take a bucket of crap and turn it into a bed of roses lol good job!!

[@jakejones9502]

You did a real nice job cleaning that mess up. Great vid. I really enjoy watching these vids keep up the good work.

[@BruceBoschek]

Sow's ear, meet silk purse! What an amazing transformation. Congratulations on a job very well done.

[@johnsalmon2501]

Great videos, really like your attention to details and 100% workmanship! Watching all your videos, very enjoyable! Thanks

[@user-zk4sm9vt8t]

I love what you do! Not only are you a good mechanic and electrical tech but you clean your projects which is just the icing on the cake for me!! Keep up the videos!

[@glennschlorf1285]

Nice to see the next generation of Condons getting involved... way to go.... nice job

[@Mr.Swede...69]

Thanks, as always, it's a joy to watch your videos. Thanks for the entertainment. Greetings from Sweden.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@oldbakedpotato]

Good on you for including your kid in the family business.

[@calvinkirk1638]

Nice, what a huge improvement from when you received it. Now you have a machine that can be sold!

[@user-gx9zm4bm6g]

Love, Love,Love the father daughter moment. She will always have a skill and never be unemployed

[@majorxlr8n]

Another fantastic refurbishing job James! A tip: a black permanent marker will cover up those spots on the main panel quite well. GREAT JOB

[@43mackmobile]

This one is a survivor and deserves the respect you're giving it.

[@jeffreyandreas7514]

Great video Jim! You did a fantastic job of bringing that generator back to life!

[@Tech-Dave]

Great job James bringing this thing from the depths of ruin actually when I first saw it, I thought it was a goner that I was very surprised. It looks great.

[@mikehors7351]

Wow cool come back on the gen and the great info as well . Keep up the cool vid's.

[@Wheel_Horse]

You outdid yourself on this one James! I would not have even tried to resurrect that one! Good job, amazing work!

[@er1073]

James you lucked out with the exhaust nuts I thought for sure cranking off the studs and the bottom one was loose. I think your kids have potential to help you and earn for their future great job as usual with a hopeless genset. The governor shaft and calibration was excellent you covered it before but still amazing how simple it is.Thank you Ed in Partlow Virginia.

[@WJCTechyman]

Wow, that was a definite 180 from what I was originally expecting. I was originally thinking it would be a parts unit and the carburetor and everything else worked out in the end.

[@rosewood7592]

James!!! Because of watching LOTS of your videos I replaced a carburetor, fuel filter and fuel lines on an Echo weed whacker!! Thank you so much for these educational vids. I've learned a ton from them.

[@bwzuell]

Two hours and I could not stop watching. Great job again. Greetings from Germany.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@kabukimax1]

hope your daughter has her own channel soon "Daddy little Helper"😁😁😁 👍👏👏👏

[@1goucho4u]

I have an Generac MC 10000. Nobody here will work on it. It pulls all the lights and freezer in the house but, seems like the governor won’t increase the engine to carry the extra load. Your video explained a lot. I’ve watched several. Thank you. I’ve learned just enough to really mess it up. 😅😂. Thank you again

[@mraaron12341]

Thanks James. Looking forward to next weeks.

[@richardwallinger1683]

good looking wheels . a fresh paint job and that will all turn out for the best .first pull starting . what a gem .

[@Bradleyscience]

You are truly very meticulous in your efforts Jim, it shows and you do an excellent job as well as a good motivational presentation! Cheers

[@jayjudd6518]

That was quite the surprise outcome. Congrats on that achievement. 😊

[@anthonyelectric6045]

Nice little surprise with that generator. Nice fix and review 👍

[@pecktox]

So happy to see your daughter helping, she'll always remember that..pex

[@watermanone7567]

Excellent job James. I thought that was a parts machine. WoW what a great job you did fixing that one. Thanks for the video.

[@3dvstudio_012]

Amazing video like every week, I like that you gave a second life to this poor generator

[@CitroTeam]

It's always a pleasure to see a possible lost cause have a new life. Very good work.

[@ayozhek1898]

Nice job James, that looked pretty good by the time you were done with it. Picked up and immaculate chrome framed Honda EM4500SX the other day, just needed a CDI unit, going to keep that one 🙂 Thanks for another great video.

[@sebstream8440]

Thank you for making these videos.

[@PeterDurrant]

It was a generator Jim but not as we know it! - it is now, with a little help from your daughter👍Great job, both of you. The generator has been resurrected and working - Fantastic👌

[@FeralPreacher]

And again a silk purse appears from the sows ear. Thanks for sharing.

[@johngrow1246]

I rnjoy seeing you work to investigate and solve these issues .

[@ebony5766]

Wow. I love your problem solving skills. What a great channel.

[@piconano]

Your videos are the best generator repair course on the planet. This one was a doozy. It had everything rolled into one.

[@RiverratGoRVing]

James, Very good save for under $100 in parts plus your time and knowledge 👍 to help someone out with a back up power supply for an emergency. Your knowledge on adjustments and where to look for parts is very helpful to those of us that still DYI our equipment. Tks keep posting, Michael from west coast.

[@johncourtneidge]

Nice tidy work, as always, James. Thank-you. And thanks also to Stanley and your daughter. All very enjoyable. Ps the new valve cover was a justified extra!

[@jcondon1]

Thanks. It would have been a let down to do all that cleanup and leave that old valve cover on.

[@johncourtneidge]

@@jcondon1 yes!

[@bertgrau3934]

I've been watching for over 2 years. The first time I seen you use a Q tip to clean a carburetor needle seat, I was impressed. I have used that many times. That machine looks very good now. Another interesting and informative video. Just goes to show appearances can be deceiving. Great job Sir. 😊

[@scottyV1000]

Nice save. It may not make you a lot of money but it has to give you a great sense of satisfaction to bring this back from the brink. I hope that wasn't a Black Widow crawling out of the fan.

[@Jameson4327]

This video is why I watch your channel. You take what looks like a junk and turn it into working generator that anybody would like during a emergency

[@whiggy6976]

To quote the great AvE: "Grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't!

[@jeanbaptistevallee4500]

A two-hour treasure! Thanks!!

[@woody95124]

Good job bud..Always a common sense & meticulous approach to figuring things out.Your darn good at what you do...

[@XxTWMLxX]

I just came across a Amazon ad on Facebook before watching this video. And of the recommended items was a tank compatible with a GP3250... CREEPY!

[@dougholtz]

you need a double thumbs up for your effort on this machine

[@loucinci3922]

Enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing

[@geraldharkness8830]

another great vid james!

[@user-od5ij6jt8z]

greetings mr. james; this has to be the most comical video you have ever produced. i laughed continuously as i watched. thank you for your attitude toward life........g

[@jimmyupson1959]

Thanks Jim for another fine video. Sometimes with your side cutters you can get a screw to turn. But the cutter edges have to go straight in so that they bite into the middle and outer edge of the screw at the same time. Then the handle's will give you lots of turning torque.

[@peterreeve8663]

I have also seen a hack on KZbin where they use a bit of rag on the screw driver bit. Not tried it myself but thought that this situation would have been an ideal test.

[@swallowinn4410]

Hello James: you should not have any trouble getting maximum resale for this unit. You sure do go the extra mile in making the units look good. Great to see your daughter wanting to learn and spend time with Dad. Keep the videos coming.

[@G-Force_70]

Freak'n amazing, great segment. Very informative.

[@thomasszilagyi7445]

48:00 I never would have thought to use my metal wood-splitting wedges as straightening tools. Now I will. I get so many great ideas from these videos. Especially tools and tools usage. Thank you!

[@RossReedstrom]

In sheetmetal/autobody work, that sort of tool is called a dolly, a chunk of metal with a smooth face that you hold behind the piece you're hitting, as a sort of anvil.

[@chipsatterly4902]

Another amazing video w great content. Thank you!!

[@RonnieAugeri]

Great video as always James, really appreciate your attention to detail and pride in doing the best job you can. For a degreaser I recommend Simple Green Pro HD which is aluminum safe. It’s purple (as opposed to the regular green) and is sold at Home Depot. You can check the MSDS sheet if you’re curious on the ingredients.