Found in Pieces - Old Honda EM650 Generator

[@DeadKoby]

I did work for a gent who "started" all the projects and left me with a bucket of parts. It's NOT a fun situation, so I commend your bravery for taking it on.

[@glennschlorf1285]

Nothing like a new James Condon video..

[@ingagiorchestra]

Just wanted to express my much overdue gratitude for keeping the ads off for us early viewers. Can't tell you how great it is to have my Thursday lunch with your videos on the big screen and not be bombarded. A class move. Love the channel.

[@iskydivetoooo]

Absolutely.

[@tur3ine]

Totally agree. Really engrossing and relaxing to watch.

[@Richard_the_V]

Usually commercials give me the excuse to get out of the trance. Was here thru the whole thing. Just let me find one of these for me to put my newly acquired skills to the test.

[@CrimeVid]

It is good to have no ads, it makes your channel sort of clean.

[@trith72]

I love the fact I can just hop into bed and put on one of James' videos and just be entertained and educated before I call it a night.

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

Hi James, i’ve cleaned a few fuel tanks and jerry cans before using Red Coat so I made a very simple jig for the cleaning. I got an old large bicycle wheel and forks, cut off one arm of the forks and mounted the rim to the remaining fork with just one bolt. I cut the axle stub off the other side. This allowed me to strap the can to the wheel with elastic straps and /or tape. I had the fork bolted to a piece of board using the head stock fittings and an old inner tube connecting the rim to a small electric motor. This allowed me to use only half a litre of Evapo Rust (it’s very expensive in Australia) and a handful of nuts to do the cleaning quite quickly and I could just let it run for hours. It cost me nothing to build and the large wheel and tiny pulley on the electric motor slowed the whole thing down perfectly. I didn’t even bother with a special pulley on the motor, I just used the standard “A” section pulley that was on it. It worked for years without a problem. Thanks for another great video. Will the generator be going back to the owner? Cheers, Stuart 🇦🇺

[@Rorschach1024]

Replacing discontinued plastic parts is an excellent application for a 3d printer.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

Was just going to comment the same. James, if you read this comment and ever want to collab, let me know. Would love to make some parts for you.

[@Snatchwrangler1]

@@FunctionalPrintFriday I would definitely like to see that!

[@Landrew0]

@@FunctionalPrintFriday But it's not the easiest thing to make the printer files.

[@r8118830]

The material used in 3d parts is not the best for generators. They suffer from the heat and the vibration. Some might work well if they stay cool and have the vibration s close to them considerably damped. I have see James mention this before. The ones his son made for him failed.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

@@r8118830 That's like saying metal is no good for tools because it deforms too easily, having only tried aluminum. While it's true that PLA, which is one of the most common filaments used by beginners when 3d printing does deform easily when heated, you can 3-d print ABS, which is what that part was likely originally made from. It's now possible to even print polycarbonate and nylon on hobby-level machines.

[@electricboatal]

I do enjoy watching these videos because they show how old machines should be properly overhauled to be as close to the original condition as possible. I was in the helicopter overhauling business for many years. The methods and care of work is identical in every way. To this day whenever I repair machinery I use the same level of care shown in the videos. As with all old pieces of old machinery getting parts is difficult at best so I often have to manufacture my own parts. So consequently I have a rather complete machine shop to do such things. It isn’t as interesting to me as it once was but I still enjoy knowing that there are others that feel the same way as I do about these things. Best Regards Al

[@johnmeyer8495]

cracking find on the exhaust vent port James...Looks like some bug made a nest in there and sealed the fate of the machine until the right man was tasked with the resurrection. These tiny genny's may seem small for what we use these days, but with LED lighting, this would run your rv lighting no problems and even keep the battery for your fridge topped up on a rainy day.. With a rectifier on the output and then a DC to ac grid tied inverter in the mix, you would get a clean output for lights and laptops at a cheap running cost as they do sip the fuel...Always a pleasure to see you at work and making the decommissioned kit brought back from the scrap heap..... Bravo James😁

[@billy123174]

Well said

[@m.pearce3273]

The little engine that could And all told from the boxes to a saved EM650 Honda quite the incredible process to bring her back to life. I totally love all your extremely in-depth style of doing these incredible saves and rebuilds ❤🎉🎉

[@abergbe1]

I am full of admiration over Mr Condon's patience with the fuel tank.

[@nomad3189]

As always very professionally presented with zero unnecessary speech and very informative. Thanks!

[@cunnings309]

I had a few of these generators to repair back in the 70's when I was a mechanic for Honda. The most common problem was oil consumption. A customer even told me that in their case it was: “Check the fuel and add oil”. They were, as you mentioned, the quietest on the market.

[@philliphall5198]

20w50 castrol oil 😊

[@erik_dk842]

@@philliphall5198 10W60 exists

[@Ragnar8504]

These small Honda units used to be quite popular with market vendors who just wanted to power a few light bulbs to illuminate their stalls. They were reasonably quiet, compact and had plenty of power for, say, the five 60 W bulbs needed to light up a market stall.

[@erik_dk842]

10W-60 exists

[@cunnings309]

@@Ragnar8504 I agree with you and they were (as I mentionned) so quiet that a friend of mine told me he had his in a shed at the back of his camp and he forgot it running all night because the noise didn't bother him.

[@benjamincresswell3713]

Hello Mr. Condon. I am very impressed with your video once again. The attention to detail and knowledge of how things work. E.g. Figuring out how the governor and link worked, how to use the Evapo-Rust, Red Kote, and make adj to the speed & Hz. No matter how many times I watch your videos I find something out I didn't know. AND FYI: I inherited a 6,000 watt generator from a window contractor who used it on remote jobs in his window replacement business. I needed it and when I got it running, it had the proverbial hunting issue. Thanks to you putting videos up on the net fixing hunting issues, I was able to pull the carb all apart and go thru it in just a few minutes to get it running reliably. Then I ran it for about 1 whole day and another 1/2 mostly for 2 sump pumps and the water well pump at a house I own. So, my hat's off to you for the education you gave me. ben/ michigan

[@jcondon1]

Thank you and you’re welcome!!

[@1soupasaurus]

I came across your channel after exhausting all of Hand Tool Rescue's videos. With your guidance I saved a lawnmower from the scrap pile. Just needed the carb cleaned.

[@4Him4u2]

My dad willed this same unit to me last week. It had all of the same issues. My fuel tank is varnished. And, I am still working on that. The throttle governor adjustment was a life saver. It was quite a victory when it started on ether for the first time!! Thanks!!

[@iskydivetoooo]

Glad to see more people are willing to send you their broken generators. It makes the channel's content more diversified. The Kipor still works flawlessly now.🤗🤗🤗

[@jcondon1]

Very true

[@rbassettjr]

I had a Honda EM500 and a Yamaha EF1000 I used for RVing when I didn't want to run the onboard Onan. Those two were some of the best machines I've ever owned, quiet, dependable and fuel misers. Great video!

[@sparkplug5481]

I’ve had one for 25+ years , use it once and a while……love it

[@octaviofigueroafigueroa9794]

To clean inside of a tank, I have seen guys attaching the tank in a lawn tractor wheel (wheels of course in the air). They turn on the wheels for a while. So you do not need to shake manually several times. As usual, your video was a Master Class. Saludos from Mexico.

[@TheTkiller9999]

was that Mustie1?

[@CleaveBuscemi]

He's actually done this before in a previous video! It's a really smart way to clean up a tank

[@octaviofigueroafigueroa9794]

No, but he is a great guy. I also follow his channel and I think I missed that chapter 😢. I can not find the episode you mention.

[@Ragnar8504]

@@TheTkiller9999 He actually jacked up his Toyota pickup truck to do that 😂 Put it into 2WD drive and let it idle.

[@dalee.mccombs8571]

Whaaat? No leftover parts? Not my usual basket case project! 😂😂 Good job, James 👏👏. I always look forward to your videos. Entertaining, interesting, and quite educational!! Thank You.

[@w.ottopeck9619]

James I’m impressed as I always am with what you can do with these small engines. What I like about you there is no, “thats good enough”. A clean tank was not good enough, a coat if red coat was still not good enough, after 2 coats it was the best it could be. That was a good catch to find the clogged fuel valve!

[@dondonaldson1684]

And vent

[@hoveycorbin5712]

Aloha James. Way to go once again on resurrecting an older generator. I love your narrative and how you describe every step of a refurbishment on old equipment. Please keep up the great work, and myself and many others will continue sitting through an hour and a half plus repair video because they are very interesting and informative. I love the channel. Aloha.

[@bbeauregard4181]

Well done James, you helped me rebuild a commercial Ariens self propelled walk behind mower that my neighbor was going to trash. Much appreciated!

[@BWGPEI]

Nothing like getting a puzzle that fits your interests. You were having good days and that makes my day. Many Thanks!

[@swallowinn4410]

Hello James: You sure do go the extra mile on your projects, This rebuild/repair another testament to your quality and attention to detail. Keep up the good work .😊

[@stephenhaslam680]

Good instruction on the importance of a clean fuel delivery system end to end which is all it really needed. Thanks James.

[@kenjones4139]

Hey James! Another very enjoyable video. As others have said, I have had great success using a heat gun to "reshape" old misshapen plastic parts. If you can make a jig to put and hold pressure as it cools, it will work just great. I have had great success with the Briggs airboxes with the built in primer that are kniwn to warp.

[@wesleypulkka7447]

James, I realize that you are a perfectionist (about clean or dirty power) but the little Honda still gets the job done at age 39! I always go with what Mr. Harley said to Mr. Davidson 100+ years ago "what's good is what works"! Kudos for another great revival!

[@jcondon1]

Thank you!

[@moconnor6275]

Love your voice! The sir David Attenborough of small engines! 😊

[@bobpitts2435]

You've helped me out so much thanks James

[@marvinunderwood545]

I learn so much from you every time I watch your videos. Your delivery, your knowledge and no stone left unturned. I have already applied some of your techniques on my own equipment. Keep them coming!

[@jcondon1]

So nice of you

[@Amy_McFarland]

What an awesome video! I so look forward to my Thursday morning coffee with your videos!

[@Rick-S-6063]

Considering how everything was half taken apart and boxed up I had been wondering how this episode would turn out. Well, there's only one word to describe the results and that word is "outstanding." Thank you for another informative video.

[@justinvanaulen2478]

I'll take a 40+ year old Honda in pieces over a brand new one bought in 2024 @ a Big Box store. As usual, great video James!

[@MalleusSemperVictor]

I don't know if you can really make a blanket statement like that. I'd rather have something modern that has parts availability.

[@v-g-z3689]

@@MalleusSemperVictor Yeah, because for the modern one, you´ll need them :D

[@justinvanaulen2478]

@@MalleusSemperVictor Search online, you would be very surprised how much of these stuff is still available, as new, from Honda. But...doubtful you would need anything but the normal plugs/airfilter/oil to keep it going.

[@masoncross-om3oc]

You are so right, brother...?? That's all we'll buy is honda. Our Gen sets 4 wheelers outboard for our boat and our side by side.. all made by honda... we never have any problem with them...????

[@MalleusSemperVictor]

​@@justinvanaulen2478I suppose I am surprised.

[@iconoclad]

James, i have to thank you for your calming demeanor. I have had a tough year with the death of two of my long time friends topped off with a bladder cancer diagnosis. I have had corrective surgery and may be out of the woods. I cant tell you how much your videos have helped me in my stressful periods.

[@jcondon1]

I’m very sorry to hear about your friends. It’s great you found an outlet to help take care of yourself!

[@johncourtneidge]

Immaculate! As usual! Thanks to you, Subscriber Steve and his Dad! At 1:20 it seemed z long time back when you were struggling to get the spark-plug boot off! Hurrah!

[@jcondon1]

Thank you!

[@MgoBlue24]

another one rescued, great work as always James!!

[@JR-bj3uf]

This is the best kind of project, it comes in multiple boxes.

[@Ed_Stuckey]

I certainly breathed a sigh of relief when the exhaust bolts broke free instead of just breaking.

[@kd5byb]

One of my favorite generators in my collection is an old two-stroke Homelite military unit. When I got it, it had broken rings and a muffler COMPLETELY FILLED with thick, sludge-like oil. When it would start and get hot enough, it would fog all the mosquitos in the neighborhood. I mean ALL OF THEM. HAHAHA. After about three hours of running under load, it all burned out and now the exhaust is as clear as any other two-stroke. 😀

[@ezinatx]

It appears to me that dad had cleaned the carb because he was trying to get the fuel flowing on the intake side. My guess he missed the clog in the fuel valve because it was hidden behind the support. As usual, great detective work, nice repair, and excellent video!

[@garrydonnelly6433]

Thanks James for another entertaining and educational video. I like the way you give us close up views of what you are doing complete with descriptions and your opinions on options when they are available. Some KZbinrs just show the back of their hands when filming in tight places. cheers from OZ

[@jaygee999]

James you must have had angels on both shoulders with this project -- Double Up on the Collection Plate this Sunday ❤

[@ianthomason8563]

Hi James Greetings from UK. I have a so little used EX650 Honda generator circa 1996. So much of what you do in this vid would apply to any/some issues that may occur in the future to my EX650, especially your refurb of the tank. Many thanks and a great job!

[@michaelkennedy2528]

A careful application of heat from a heat gun on that air box cover will cure what ales it.

[@robfinch1522]

And the same process on the old air box will de-stress the fatigued clip mounts.

[@andenmcleod7355]

Perfect timing, just when i was waking up and starting to eat. like actualy was about to follow the endless wormhole of finding the perfect video when this came out, thanks again james for making my mornings just that much better.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

I have a box of square nuts that I use and they beat that rust right out. This is the second mud dauber nest in a Honda muffler I believe. Nice Job! Thanks!

[@justwannachillwithya]

Don't know why your channel has not been recommended to me before! SUBSCRIBED! Refreshing to be able to hear (NO MUSIC, THANK YOU!) and see such great instructions without all the over productions. (I just watched a movie length video that felt to short😁).

[@robertcochran7103]

Thank you for posting this great video. That unit must be anything up to about 39 years old if the manual is dated 1985. I had one family member who was a professional carpenter from the 1960s through 1990s and I'm surprised that person did not have one of these units in his truck.

[@robertmies2109]

2 things. To check the needle and seat I attach a small piece of fuel line on the intake, turn the carb upside down and blow. You can only blow about 2 psi and this is usually a good indication if the needle is seating. Also wouldn’t it be better to put the gen under a full load and then adjust the eng speed to get 60 hz. That way there’s no guesswork. Love ur content.

[@1SmittysGarage]

What intriguing piece! Full of surprises and came together beautifully. Awesome workmanship indeed! Blessings and respect!

[@melkiorwiseman5234]

My first guess as to why that genny was disassembled and left like that would be that the blockage in the fuel cutoff wasn't discovered by whoever was attempting to revive the generator. Anyway, it's nice to once again see a discarded piece of equipment saved from the scrapheap. That little generator would be useful to run a few lights during a blackout. Maybe even a small fridge.

[@tonygriffiths2485]

Such a small device and so much work needed, but you got there in the end. Fantastic to watch, thankyou :)

[@DrDre-ir4gu]

Hi James, I own next to my other generators also a Honda EM650. A leaking gas valve is the only repair I had to make until today. The set up of that cable/ spring for the choke, you got it right.

[@jcondon1]

Thank you!

[@rkins100]

An oldie but goodie and another success. Thanks for posting Jim.

[@jcondon1]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@JustAnAverageBrad]

that era of little hondas are great little machines..

[@RiverratGoRVing]

Great 👍 save James 👏. Keep posting and will keep a frig up and running in an power outage.

[@paulmurphy5964]

I love your videos James. The videography and your dialogue are excellent.

[@oldodger]

Another win. Love your attention to detail !

[@siegfriedjunghans]

Hello James, I'm happy about every new video from you. I've already learned so much from you that since I've been watching your videos I have a completely different view of broken engines and it's always fun to repair something, whereas it used to be hell for me 😊 Many thanks and best wishes from Germany

[@jcondon1]

Great to hear!

[@jeepersdawgs4105]

I always enjoy watching your videos. Your personality really comes through in your clips.

[@Artemis22202]

James I always enjoy your videos! Thank you!

[@DanKoning777]

With each new video I'm seeing how much I've learned. I try to anticipate what's needed, what the issue is, and/or what you'll suggest. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm less intimidated now re: small engines. Hopefully I won't have that "deer in the headlight" look when the time comes. 🤔 👍👍👍 God bless.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

The engineering and product design that came out of Japan during the era this was made was some of the best, anywhere, anytime.

[@davidparsons5513]

Just talking out loud here... I think the uneven coverage of the tank liner was maybe because you rolled the tank faster than the red liner could flow. A much slower, more deliberate roll keeping in mind the thickness of the liner might have been better. Also just realized that I REALLY enjoy watching with no YT advertisements. Thank you.

[@danielcovel6236]

I am Not A very good mechanic….this channel has been very helpful

[@Billej1965]

I am at that point too . Not an expert but learning something new every day . I have that same mower with that same issues !

[@user-tn1hk6zm2freedom]

I would never use water on bare metal as a cleaner. Instant rust starts. I would have used acetone to clean out the rustevapo. But you are an expert. Very good at what you do.

[@tuxnor]

I have the exact same one..just been running and working for 35 years no tears

[@superfram81]

Thank you for sharing this special machine I really love it I'm trying to catch up on all my videos I've been in and out of the hospital I really hope I hear back from you we really need help for Christmas I don't know what we're supposed to do this may be my last one because now I'm having seizures with my heart doing what it's doing thank you so much and God bless you and your family

[@chriholt]

I have always loved Honda generators, and this one is no exception!

[@haneyoakie14]

It lives! And works as good as the day it was new.

[@Barracuda48082]

Success ! Your work is so impressive. I sealed two automobile tanks with a similar product imprex..sure saves searching for a good tank .

[@robfinch1522]

Had one of these when they first came on the market (240v). Gave us light and TV at the caravan. Just purred away quietly no issues ever. They don`t make the quality like Honda did then.

[@neiltheplayer]

Nice save James. Thank you for posting this.

[@tur3ine]

Great video as always, James. I’ve had very good experience with POR-15 gas tank sealer, easier and more complete in one application. I agree the redkote looked thin and also time consuming to apply.

[@jimh2887]

I have to save this video until Friday night. It's gonna be an hour and thirty six minutes of fun!!😊

[@ericvaughn1126]

Nice save, James. I've done a tank with Red Kote and it takes some doing to work quickly so it doesn't dry too fast and keeping the vent/fuel ports clear can be a challenge too. You CAN thin Red Kote with acetone as noted on the can or their website. So you can likely do that with what you have left in your can. I always closed the Red Kote can immediately after pouring out what I needed since the stuff dries so fast.

[@brianwood5220]

Well, James. Yet another excellent video. You always come up with something interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@gregorygomez7975]

NICE JOB JAMES. CAME OUT GOOD.

[@buydirectusa4954]

Every time you work on these things i feel a bit more educated. Was able to get my 2011 weed eater working. It wasnt running so a couple shots of wd40 helped clean the carb. Had to replace the fuel lines, the primer bulb, new spark plug, clean it up and it started right up. Fixed the cracked case with jb weld plastic repair.

[@Kiltylake]

Well done James!

[@cameroncassel994]

Great video! I found when using evaporust when your done don't use tap water. I found using distilled water prevents flash rust in the tank and after that heat the tank on a barbecue grill or an oven until dry and there will be no rusting afterwards.

[@deanedeane4318]

Just a thought about the airbox cover , maybe carefully warm the inside face with the hot air gun , it may still have a memory of where it's ment to be ! Great video as always ! 😉🙃😎 NZ

[@davecole2230]

G'day there, I think you do a awesome job repairing these machines.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@phillipshannon4210]

Hey James,,, I was watching as you were unpacking the Honda 650 generator and it looks like their is still a small part in the plastic bag,,,, you might want to take a look,,, I enjoy watching your work and appreciate the fact that you are so meticulous,,,, Phillip

[@jeffclark2725]

That generator is a real find, , I would send you a couple of my old ones but i am by Seattle,thumbs up,great video

[@johnsalmon2501]

Great video! Looks perfect for old generator. Glad you red coated the fuel tank. Thanks!

[@clownhands]

I love when I feel like the restoration is on the home stretch, but then I look at the KZbin video and see we’re less than halfway done. And then I speculate about the known unknowns…

[@RequiredSugar]

As always, a magician with small engines! I have a partially running Honda eu1000 sitting in my garage I picked up after watching your videos. I would like to attempt a refurbishment.

[@WILD35]

Something to watch in hot summer day in UK

[@redneckbryon]

34:00, in a situation like this, when dealing with a plugged exhaust, Dawn dish soap, and water is your friend. When there’s no torque spec be your own judge, that applies to a lot of different things.

[@texascottonfarmer]

Once again, nice work. 👍👍👌👌 I think I would have put that gas tank in the sun for several hours, or in a 120 degree oven for a couple hours, to help that coating cure. Thanks for the video.

[@twaggs6523]

Thanks for all the detail. You do great work! I've had pretty good luck applying heat to plastic parts, usually with a heat gun, to get them back into shape. Maybe that airbox cover could have been re-shaped with some heat? Cheers sir!

[@silvinotavaresdelima7875]

HEY JAMES YOU ARE A GREAT PROFESIONAL IN ALL YOU DO MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND FAMILY GREETINGS FROM BRASIL

[@habana7638]

The reason Honda sounded so nice and where so reliable is that they ran at 3000 rpm at the time..

[@matteoa8317]

You'll still find incadescent lights in animal shops. Those lamps are used for the reptiles. The cost will be much more compared with the lights found at the store. PS: I love your channel, new addiction unlocked

[@joewilmetti3296]

Hi James. Fantastic video, as always. Your content is the best on YT, and your meticulous repair / restoration process is far and above the bar. Just one question - on several videos, you have not addressed valve clearance. Do you routinely check & adjust the valves? Seems like it should be a part of “normal” maintenance, and your content is always so comprehensive. Keep up the great work! 😊

[@philnguyen6376]

Honda will never die.

[@jankamp8177]

James i used to have almost the same one . Only the one i had was 1000 watt. And i did have the same problems with that generator . Dirt ,after cleaning and a lot of work he is still running into the Ukraine Allways when i have a good running Generator i send it to People who need it badly. James have a nice day greetings out of a sunny Holland,bye Jan.

[@jgreitz]

Love your videos! Here's a thought about the Honda carb settings: 1985 there was no ethanol and much better gas. That carb wasn't engineered for ethanol. But it sounded great when all together. Speaks to honda engineering and quality.