Broken Freewheeling Briggs - Replaced With a Subaru

A local subscriber reached out about his Briggs and Stratton Storm Responder Generator which hasn't run in years. The connecting rod is broken and the engine just freewheels. I gave him the option of rebuilding the broken Briggs engine or replacing it with a new Subaru EX30 engine. He opted for the new engine. The Subaru is a little less powerful then the original and not a direct replacement. What it lacks in power, it will makeup for in quality.
Blown Engine Model: 21T202-0121-G1 CODE: 120316YD
Generator Model: 030430B-00
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Alternator, Blown Engine, Break-in, Briggs and Stratton, Briggs, Conrod, EX30, Engine Swap, Engine Will Not Start, Fixed, Generator, Heat Shield, Hertz, How To, How-To, Load Bank, Load Test Fail, Load Test, Low Oil, Low Voltage, Oscilloscope, Repair, Set Engine Speed, Simplex, Small Engine, Storm Responder, Subaru, THD, Total Harmonic Distortion, Troubleshooting, Voltage Adjustment

[@jesterr7133]

I can't figure out why I enjoy your videos so much, but I look forward to them every week. I wish I had a tenth of your knowledge. You are quite possibly the most meticulous small engine guy I have ever seen. I have learned more watching your videos than I could teach myself in a lifetime.

[@calebpier7695]

Who needs school when you can watch these videos.

[@mickwolf1077]

Same, he is always calm and explains everything, even when you spot something he doesn't, he'll surely address it after a few moments.

[@johncourtneidge]

Yes!

[@schrodingerscat8621]

I’ve had many scenarios as a mechanic where a customer ran their engine low on oil, And in a desperate attempt to turn back time, topped off the engine after the damage was already done. Point is, it’s possible that the owner of that generator added some oil hoping it would fix what was already destroyed.

[@melkiorwiseman5234]

That was my first thought too, even before I saw how clean the oil which came out of the engine was.

[@Bulletman426]

I think you should try to install a low oil sensor on one of these Briggs one day when you’re rebuilding one. I’m sure there’s a way to do it and if anyone can do you could.

[@haneyoakie14]

That lack of low oil sensor seems to be the killer of those Briggs Storm Responders.

[@MothKeeper]

Clever (on the thieves side of things) the more that blow up the more they sell.

[@johncourtneidge]

Yes. And the casting is there. If I recall, early ones had that.

[@lpconserv6074]

A great video. As always with these videos you put out, I do learn something new on every one. For me, it was the epilog reminding that watts are a combination of volts and amps, so I will need to do the math before I draw conclusions... My 7000 watt generator here in the Philippines gets used on average at least once a week. Power here is considered a "nice to have" rather than a NEED to "have" for the general population. I attempt to provide full time service when on a project call to get new power plants and refinery systems started on first start up. I do some of it from here, via internet. So power and Internet is essential for me. I keep my generator ready to go at a moments notice. Your channel for me has been a real BIG help to diagnose where the little glitches are going to come from so I can remedy them before they become big. NOTHING resembling service or parts in this remote island, so I keep parts in my stocks. NOW, I need some of your testing equipment so I can do better at diagnosis. Thanks for your very thorough descriptions.... NOT electrical at all in me, but Chemistry and flow hydraulics are my specialties... Hence the reply below on Caustic instead of Muriatic. Ha ha, I wonder how many of us were shouting at the monitors trying to warn you about the ground wire you forgot!!

[@sumplais]

Aww, don't worry about the neighbors....they're probably just glad you're not trying to heat the outside anymore with your collection of heaters. 😄

[@mcg6762]

It's hard to not generate a lot of heat when burning 5500W of power! 😅 One way would be to use the power to charge a large battery!

[@swampy1584]

I know nothing about generators and not a huge amount about engines but I found the channel by accident and now I'm hooked and I don't know why!! Hello from the UK keep up the great work

[@giggiddy]

Well, in the event you decide to begin working on small engines/machinery. You have one of the most methodical and knowledgeable teachers on the web to provide examples of what to do. Cheers

[@jimmydm3]

If you hadn't bumped up the AVR and increased the output voltage it probably would have handled 5000 watts. I like your thinking. Load bank looks great, very professional.

[@eliasvrionis6848]

I like your calmness and how detailed you are! that's why you have good results! well done!

[@justinvanaulen2478]

Great video James, I love the re-power challenges! Those Subaru engines are great, I've owned several of the EX series and they are top notch. They have a superior timing chain design and I feel like these engines are underrated in terms of power output. They have solid guts and in my opinion, are equal to Honda's GX line. It's possible with break-in the engine will gain a little more power, but per the bonus footage, it appears it was holding nearly 5500 watts. The load bank is very helpful and that's a great addition to the channel.

[@jcondon1]

They are one of the best engines as far a build quality goes.

[@philliphall5198]

Love the Honda GX series but these are in the same category 😊

[@mickwolf1077]

Is it because honda and subaru are both japanese? I bet toyota would be up there if they made small engines.

[@denhackle8020]

Subaru engine are great; since 9 years, I have a EH72FI (28hp) running my 60'' wide snowblower (from rear 3pt hitch on a tractor to front mount) and since 9 years of snowblowing never miss a beat (I do care very well/maintain ALL my equipement). I live in Province of Québec, where we have 5 months/year snow cover ground and I have almost 1/2 mile of alley to clean.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

That load bank is awesome!!!!

[@Renville80]

Interesting to see you reasoning your way through this engine swap. Gives you an idea what the people who do LS swaps of various other engines have to work out.

[@davidgilpin5200]

Another "Bob Ross of generators" masterpiece! I love the new load bank... Your generator videos were always great; with the new THD meter and the load bank, they have reached yet another plateau. PLEASE keep your neighbors happy so you can keep giving us JC fans this great content! Any plans to create a JC T-shirt, coffee cup, or ball cap in a merch store? 🤔

[@jcondon1]

No plans for merch, but if someone wants to take the lead on it would let them.

[@jeffbotkin1405]

Glad you fixed the heat shield. Lot of people probably would never have thought of that

[@zodzod9378]

Think she around 5100 doing the maths on it? good job James ! Little john from the UK

[@beachthor1]

I thought you were going to put a Subaru car engine in the unit. Then I realized how ridiculous that would be. Another good video!

[@merrymanrc]

Hi James that lift was a great investment it save you from lots of back pain👍

[@bugges46]

That lift has to be the best improvement you have made to your shop. Thanks for the videos.

[@whitesapphire5865]

That Briggs, I reckon a little application of muriatic acid, a new conrod and some gaskets should see running again. Possibly a new piston, but eminently rebuildable. I guess the reason why the voltage was down just a little, was to avoid overloading the engine. As you say, the generator has an AVR, and the voltage doesn't sag, as would be the case in a non-regulated version.

[@woody95124]

Darn good meticulous work bud..very good

[@AW-Services]

An incredibly produced video, James. Such attention to detail and perfectionist. When I've always brought a new generator, I've always fitted a good quality electronic tachometer, which is great for service intervals and rpm readouts. Being a channel that's focused on generators and small engines, you should consider a video on building the ultimate sound deadening acoustic enclosure, which would be a great noise reduction and keep your neighbours as friends and not enemies

[@johnfoster921]

Another great video, especially on this generator. Thanks again for your support. The tank bushings are in the mail along with a bonus, letter in package will explain.

[@josejimenez9956]

Just washed a video of a guy trying to repair a carb on in a ryobi inverter generator and was the worst ever seen on you tube I can only hope you can see it. After finishing the repair, started up with surging alot, and said, their you go working great,which was ridiculous. Video on repair was awful. My friend you are the best in everything you do. Keep up your great work. Please take care. Freddy your best friend and fan all the way here in Puerto Rico 😂

[@theconnectedcamper]

Thanks for this video James! This is awesome to see and your videos help instill confidence in me. I’ve got a friend that blew up a 2,000 watt inverter generator (it had a knock from the factory and they told him to keep it). I’m going to try a 79cc predator swap on it just for a fun project. Thanks for your content, this is great!

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

Nice job James, I appreciate your knowledge and the explanation at the end of the video.

[@markae0]

Great video. I'm here for the viewing of the internals of the broken engine , and I am not disappointed.

[@emylrmm]

A word of caution, for distorted current (high THD) watts is no long just Volts x Amps. That gives you Apparent Power (VA). You need a proper wattmeter for the best accuracy. Adding a wattmeter to your nice compact resistive load setup would be a nice side project.

[@marcheld]

You are funny with that ground wire “mental block”. If I recall, you’ve reminded us about the ground wire in many other videos where you remove the power head.

[@Barracuda48082]

Depending on the heat treatment and hardening of crank in bolt thread area, the manufacturer may use a +.003"-.005" oversize tap, allowing compensation for metal shrinkage or expansion in the bolt hole.

[@alfredocuomo1546]

Odd but I have a Briggs & Stratton 1150 series 250cc on my generator it's rated at 11 Hp & 4375/3500 watts, so it makes you wonder just how close to the truth any of this stuff really is. Great video, shows just how important having all those spare parts around really is.

[@pc5569]

Another save. Great catch at the end by using the math to verify the Watts.

[@andymann9861]

Great video, James! You made a unit that works. That’s what counts

[@paultice610]

Great video nice to see another one saved

[@brucepeebles4939]

Subaru (Robin, Fuji) may be the VERY BEST engine available. It has chain-driven overhead CAMSHAFT (More power out of less displacement) ... most others have cam in the crankcase. I have been fixing small-engines for many years and have only seen ONE Subaru/Robin failure.

[@Canuck014]

Hey James, great video, as usual. Here’s a thought, try fabricating your own exhaust flange to fit a Subaru and then just weld it to any muffler you like. This way you can use the Subaru more often, just a thought. Again awesome job!! Ray

[@jcondon1]

Need to up my tooling a little. Would be great to repurpose the Briggs exhaust systems.

[@Canuck014]

I think you don’t give your self enough credit. All you really need is a welder(which you have), angle grinder, drill or drill press and an attention for detail ( which you also have). Bingo Bango, you’re all set. Maybe a engineer’s black book or a Machinery’s Hand Book if you’re unsure of some fabrication math but I have the utmost confidence that you would do an awesome job. Keep up the awesome work James!!! Ray Hanson

[@JOHNSMITH-if9jr]

@@jcondon1 so how come you didn't just put on another Briggs?? cost ??

[@jcondon1]

@@JOHNSMITH-if9jr I have not been able to source that engine new. Also price would likely be $900+

[@JOHNSMITH-if9jr]

@@jcondon1 ok thanks

[@anthonysimonhough9691]

Thanks for another entertaining video James I would agree with the comment about adding a low oil shut off switch somewhere on this type of engine it might be a improvement.

[@benkanobe7500]

Nice to see the load box implemented! And thanks again for recording THD and showing the wave form as it changes.

[@Bunk599]

I liked the epilogue.....no loose ends, nothing left unexplained.

[@YukonHawk1]

Your attention to detail is brilliant.

[@andrewgrace4410]

Great work James as always 😊

[@robertmorin6495]

Awesome video again James. Your explanation at the end makes perfect sense.

[@TBizzell68]

After watching quite a few of your generator videos I’m no longer apprehensive about jumping in and working on them, I do have a background in small engines. I’m currently searching for one to tinker with.

[@BenMitro]

I'm the same, after watching a bunch of James videos I feel comfortable enough to delve in too.

[@giggiddy]

​@@BenMitroAbsolutely. The diagnosis process is the most difficult part as every symptom can be caused by several things. Repair, to me, is secondary as you at least are focused on only one section/part- usually. James makes it look easy. Im sure you'll do great. Good luck and enjoy!

[@williamfoote2888]

Me too. Spotted a 5000 w Predator on Facebook marketplace for $80, and it’s on my way to camp. The owner says ‘No power’ ‘Might need a new alternator.’ Heh heh…

[@BenMitro]

@@williamfoote2888 Nice find...hopefully you get it up and running without too many expensive parts....

[@williamfoote2888]

@@BenMitro Me too…

[@brianwood5220]

Nice job, James. Thanks for sharing.

[@marcheld]

Thanks for the watt clarification at the end. Nobody on KZbin goes anywhere close to your level of detail.

[@kpdvw]

Never known any Video from James that does not help someone...!

[@Ram14250]

You are good James! Darn good!

[@lassitc]

WARNING: Those potentiometers will develop dead spots. You need to run the pot back and forth a few times in the general area of the turns. BTW, you have a great set of videos that I have shared out to others.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@jabcrap]

I believe potentiometers get dead spots from carbon buildup. People will turn the pot to wipe/clean them.

[@Georgeolddrones]

Thanks James, another great video more please George in England 🇬🇧

[@ecmsuperjack3571]

I can’t lie Subaru does make some good small engines. I’ve been having this 5.5 on a pump made for 10ish hp and it’s been used all the time for flooded basements.

[@mrpetit2]

When you fix up that Briggs engine, I'd like you to see try using a sodiumhydroxide solution to remove the aluminium from the crankshaft instead of muriatic acid. Sodiumhydroxide is a strong base and pretty aggressive on aluminium but not on steel. To get sodimhydroxide, you can basically use a drain cleaner solution.

[@lpconserv6074]

This is true. While Muriatic will obviously strip off the aluminum quickly, the only thing keeping it from eating some of the steel is time. Caustic will strip the aluminum a bit slower, but when done, it stops and does not eat on steel at any appreciable rate. Just keep temperatures around room temperatures and the steel will be safe.

[@THEFALCON58]

Hi James, great job

[@johnnybgoode6466]

Hi James - well done again, congrats on getting to 130k subscribers ..................

[@melvincapps5975]

Well you do a good job anyway James keep up the good work I learn something every time I watch your videos

[@peterouellette3874]

Let's hope for the best, nice one, James

[@craigbarton4054]

And we were watching with anticipation as that ground wire was hanging on.

[@jcondon1]

Always forget the ground wire

[@somerandomguy3868]

I'm thinking some run in under load and possibly valve adjustment, you know it doesn't take much, this is a fresh engine and the internals are just getting comfortable with each other, should definitely carry 5k without issue

[@DanKoning777]

Good stuff James.

[@bevis226]

And you were either running a little lean on the idle circuit in the carb or the magneto needs adjusted tighter. It was Breaking up at lower RPMs. It did sound like it was spark related. I've bought quite a few new engines off of ebay. You should always go through them thoroughly before firing them up. They get bumped around pretty good in shipping.

[@philliphall5198]

When will people learn not to buy anything with b/s names on it. ? No low oil shut down is a must have on a generator period…. Thanks for video and info 😊

[@loucinci3922]

Enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing

[@andyhamilton8940]

Would love a tutorial on how the AVRs function.

[@jeffclark2725]

Great video, was noticing the date code of 2012on the Briggs engine ,For being that old corrosion was at a minimum

[@Barracuda48082]

Wunderbar !! Ha As always James, superb work gives best results. 2 Thumbs up

[@deanedeane4318]

Awsum Job Man !!! And great job editing tooo !!! 😉😎

[@patrickd9551]

I don't think you hit 22 amps James (actually I'm pretty sure :) ) Your photograph is from an angle and these meters need to be read straight ahead in order to make an accurate reading. So most likely your reading was around 21 amps, still well above 5000W for a new engine that needs to broken in. Awesome repair as always. Very informative.

[@JRattheranch]

I missed you carrying out all those heaters and lamps to load test James. Very swanky now, with your magic box load tester...😅😅😅😅 👌

[@johncourtneidge]

Very good. It was a long haul!

[@coaterdave]

Mixed and matched. Saved it.👍

[@P_RO_]

Q: "What kind of generator do you have?" A: "It's a Brigsubaratton" 🤣

[@jcondon1]

Honda EU6500is

[@martyb3783]

Great video as always!

[@RiverratGoRVing]

Good work.

[@johnclarke8180]

Awesome content, thanks for sharing

[@Bassguitarist1985]

Due to thermal inefficiency, single cylinder 2 pole gensets have a 2HP for every 1000W ***under load*** relationship. This is an accepted rating within the portable generator manufacturing world. So ideally you have a 4750 running watt generator. You may be able to push up to 5K but at the sacrifice of engine speed since the AVR is going to maintain output voltage given that the power head is sufficiently sized but the prime mover is not. Great video is always James!

[@jcondon1]

5k is definitely pushing that engine to the limit. Was hoping for a little more. Was hoping for 5250.

[@arthurbiringer5676]

Great video!

[@criggie]

If generators have to be level when in use, you could stick one of those cheap bubble levels on top, that show levelness in X and Y at the same time. Could be cheap insurance.

[@charlesmisiak4926]

Oddly satisfying videos you make.

[@ariedekker7350]

With pleasure seen in Haarlem Netherlands.

[@davidmonteil6340]

Great job James as always. I'm curious to see how that Gen, would run 5kw of heaters, the old school hook them up way you used to do. You might be surprised and the AVR might be able to be turned down a bit for a few more amps into the equation.

[@michaelhannibal404]

I have one of these with a blown motor. Hole punched in the side. Going to try a Kohler swap.

[@paulparmer2779]

Sir if you have any more exhaust gasket you have someone using a Lazer cutter or water cutter and make some flanges so you can cut off the flanges off the Honda muffler and weld on them

[@jazzy1871]

Frankenstein gen set ...nice work Bro!

[@williamfoote2888]

Frankenstein’s MONSTER genset.

[@jacobgardner4101]

Sounds like you got a new mic? Sounds good been watching your videos since the beginning

[@MrHugawa]

nice job, most people would have simply said "close enough"...lol, not you, you would have been up all night wondering about that power issue.

[@mrmike8568]

Hello James. As I am in generation and electrical apparatus service and repair. I do agree that someone that has no experience should not adjust while it is running. In the field it is not practical to adjust the AVR while not running, as we can set it once and move on to the next piece of equipment. By the way the voltage to the field is not high voltage and is usually lower than 20 volts DC on smaller equipment. It is all ohms law. If you did have high voltage with low ohms the current would be so high that it would be more current than the AC current you are trying to supply. Keep up the good work and keep the videos going. Mike

[@jcondon1]

There are a lot watching that have no business adjusting while running so I do not show it. But it can be done. Surprisingly a lot of Honda clones are over 100 Volts DC at the brushes.

[@samuelfellows6923]

When you did the video for the load test unit, I saw a faint circle next to the meters in the blank area; I assume it is a cut-out plate for a 4th meter/gauge in that panel = you could put a watt-meter in there

[@edisteachd9051]

James, terrific video as usual. One additional thing that I know I would find interesting is after draining the break-in oil, you had added the synthetic you mentioned earlier and ran the last test one more time. I suspect that you would find enough additional power to reach your original goal. That has been my experience, but being able to quantify it would be even more convincing. Thanks again for another educational video.

[@rossbrumby1957]

Would have liked to see the inside of the briggs. A worksite bought a new concrete mixer with a robin 4 stroke. After about 5 hours use spread over a week or so, it developed a knock. Didn't get to findout what happened, but have seen a number of small 4 strokes just undid their own big end bearing bolts and flew apart. Apathy on behalf of assembly workers. Bought a 69 Valiant Regal (Aussie model) with a blown 225- took it apart to find the nuts on number 2 conrod came loose only to slightly crack the block, enough to destroy the motor though.

[@DeadKoby]

I believe you've done this sort of swap a few years ago. As long as the end result is a reliable working machine, it's all good. I'll admit it's a bit weird to have a non-briggs motor on a briggs branded product.

[@philliphall5198]

The b/s lowers the value of it big time, but it’s still going to be a lot better unit now 😊

[@debcamp2359]

Like your style. Its the worst when people stage videos.

[@ron827]

Super job as usual. Is there a risk using synthetic oil in an air cooled engine? You may be the only user who follows the suggested breakin procedure which is very admirable. 👍 As for calculating the Wattage, you are assuming your Ammeter is accurate.

[@johnclarke6647]

Why don’t you weld an angle on the Briggs exhaust so it comes out further? That should give you enough clearance?

[@michaelkennedy2528]

All to often you see the variable in the horsepower dictated by the size of the jetting or the carb on the engine. I am sure your aware of this but many are not. The CC of the engine can be exact, the stroke, and just by changing the carb and maybe the spring on the governor it will be up a couple hp without detriment effects on the engine longevity.

[@atomicpunk701]

That exhaust looks the same as a B&S 9HP Vanguard engine exhaust, if you have one take a look.

[@ddognine]

1:04:26 When you said you were pulling 22 amps, that reading from the video has significant parallax error. If you were to find a still with it aligned perpendicularly (no parallax) it would probably read closer to 20 amps. That would put the engine just shy of 5000 W unfortunately.

[@mcg6762]

Maybe you can have a clamp meter to accurately measure the current while using the new load tester so you can calculate an exact power value. Also, measure the voltage at the generator output rather than at the tester to remove the effect of any voltage drop over the cable (maybe you are already doing that).

[@jcondon1]

Definitely need to come up with a better way of measuring the exact amount of power being pulled. The analog gauges although nice to look at are not great for exact measurements.

[@colepegelow63]

Main jets play a big factor on horsepower ratings you could have the same engine same cc ect but if it was me I'd go up one to two sizes bigger on the main jet and it should handle it. I've gotten away with that before besides changing camshafts out depending upon brand and series of engines but like I said try a larger main jet.

[@JPRD2379]

In our area , we by law can only use battery powered inverters for emergency backups

[@philliphall5198]

That’s nuts I think 😢

[@paulmoffat9306]

Several Subaru dealer sites have indicated that the EX30 engine has been discontinued, so that may explain the dearth of replacement parts. Beware of eBay vendors that are selling 'seconds' or rejected engines as new.

[@chrishartley1210]

I found a few listings for the muffler by looking up the part number - 20000568 but I can't confirm that they actually have them.

[@mastertravelerseenitall298]

Adding a DPM with Watts to the load-bank should be easy. Amazon sells them for less than $50. Most measure power-factor too, so the Watts are expressed in real-power.

[@robertsimpson7113]

Stuck exhaust nut has red loctite on it. Use heat to remove it!