How To: Change the Oil in a Predator 3500 Inverter Generator

[@chrisniner8772]

I wouldn't flip an engine over...

[@EndlessDIY]

It's really not "flipped over", it's tilted just as step 3 in the owner's manual specifies: "3. Lift and tilt the Generator. Remove the Drain Plug on the bottom of the machine, then set the Generator back down on a level surface." You could always write to the manufacturer and tell them you wouldn't tilt an engine & maybe they can give you an alternative; perhaps lifting the entire generator onto blocks in a level fashion would do it. I definitely can't lift it so just I tilt it as shown.

[@SkinnySkinch]

It's sealed. Completely fine. Oil settles right back down.

[@tonerangermusic]

I had the time of my life watching this

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks? LOL! 🤣

[@tomweaver7723]

I’m sorry lol

[@martinh194]

I have to the check the oil level and change oil on my sister-in-law’s Predator 3500. Thank for the short, clear and helpful video.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know my video helped! :)

[@cbass305]

I never like or comment on videos. But your short groove to the music put a smile on my face. Awesome!!

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks! I'm glad my silliness was appreciated! Lol! :)

[@jeffh3906]

It’s all about the vibe 👍

[@edb6095]

This is probably a redundant comment, but my 3500 came with a drain house with an easy twist plug/cap installed from the factory ( so no 10 mm socket needed)... and my rubber plug was designed to be removed from the inside. Manipulating the drain hose out the bottom wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but so it was. As a tip for those without a dedicated oil measuring cup for garage use, I used my kitchen one to measure out the 20 ounces USING WATER. Then filled a bottled water container with that water and marked the container at the 20 ounce mark. Then I replaced the water with oil. Thanks for the video.

[@EndlessDIY]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing your tip about the drain hose! People with that style setup should find it helpful!

[@StatusFX3]

Thank you!

[@derekmclv]

Thanks for the video. I borrowed this Predator from a relative and changed the oil, with your help. Alternatively, i opened the oil door, pulled the plug up, then just slid the tray underneath. I then tilted the machine toward me for about 20 seconds (after it stopped pouring out flat) until it was really empty. I think it took almost 17oz. After all, i then pulled the cord slowly a few times to get oil into the cylinder, and then i checked the oil. Always pull the cord a few times before statup to pre-lube before startup. Thanks, again.

[@travelingpsychicsupperclub5015]

Thanks for that additional tip 👍

[@travelingpsychicsupperclub5015]

Thank you- simple easy to follow, to the point everything I was looking for. Just bought one if these used so oil change prob in my future… I saved the vid too for future use- thanks for doing what you do to help others out ☺️

[@EndlessDIY]

You're very welcome! I'm happy I could help & good luck with your new-to-you generator! They're great to have!

[@dianewatsonstone9188]

I had never changed the oil in anything since I was a teenager with my 1969 Buick Sylark. I watched your video and I went out tonight and changed the oil. It had 359 hours on it and it had never been changed. Yeah, not again I know how to do it, now. Thank you and bless you Our generator will hopefully last much longer!

[@EndlessDIY]

That's fantastic, Diane! I'm so happy to hear that! :)

[@stoptellingmewhattowrite]

WTH 🤣

[@terryday6637]

Very clear, informative video. One note, though.... Regarding the final check of the oil level, you check it without screwing the cap in. You just put the dipstick up against the oil fill port, pull it out, and read...

[@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643]

Perfectly done. Thank you. I bought one of those 3500 inverters two days ago on FB. The machine looks new, but that oil was black as coal. Fixing to walk out to the barn and change the oil, just needed a little instruction. Thanks again.

[@EndlessDIY]

Excellent! Good luck with your generator & thanks for commenting! :)

[@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643]

@@EndlessDIY All ready done. Pretty fast project. Glad you mentioned to hold off on putting the full 20 oz in it. 17 oz was about perfect. Thanks again.

[@techtalkabc]

@@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643 on the first change it is usually black as rings seat. First 50hrs is all about the break in.

[@trevorwhat]

Superior instructions, Big thanks for putting it together.

[@SMILESDaMILL]

I must admit you were informative and very thorough, thank you for the video.👍

[@davidcook8323]

I'm going to change the oil it my generation now. Thanks for the tutorial, was the first I clicked on, and the only one I need, that's rare!!!

[@orderusp6394]

Thanks for the Video. Heading 2 kitchen for a cookie sheet!

[@EndlessDIY]

🤫🤐😉 Your secret's safe with me!

[@jeffh3906]

Umm…. The kitchen? Well, I guess we won’t wonder what happened to you after we see the obituaries.

[@larrysierralar6589]

Good training video for my wife....mucho gracias

[@mattharris7256]

Thank you for creating this video. We have 100 hrs on ours and it is doing great providing power for us as full time RVers/off gridders. Your video helped me a lot!

[@EndlessDIY]

That's awesome and I'm so glad my video helped you! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! :)

[@rja12]

When you said that you swear your husband is always out mowing the lawn when you are trying to do something outside all I could think about is your husband saying, "I swear she is always out here doing something when I'm trying to mow the lawn". 😉

[@EndlessDIY]

Lol! Well, if he tried to mow in the garage then we might have a little conflict! 🤣🚜

[@sesquashtwo]

LOL! Good point! LOL! Good video, and thank you!

[@thesuburbanxplorerschannel]

Thanks for the really easy to follow DIY. I will explore the rest of your channel!

[@erikguth4830]

Awesome thanks. Much better than hunting down the manual and far more entertaining

[@BirchlegGrim]

I just got my Predator and putting the first 8 hours on it. Thanks for the how to, I didn’t know about that bottom flap or how the oil was supposed to get out without making a huge mess. Now I know, thanks.

[@EndlessDIY]

Great! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! :)

[@timrossmultimedia]

This was EXCELLENT... EXACTLY what I needed. You answered ALL of my questions. Very helpful and very well done. Thanks so much for your efforts... you have a new subscriber.

[@TheLakingc]

Thank you for making it look so doable. Going to do my first oil change.

[@EndlessDIY]

You can do it! Good luck, & thanks for watching! :)

[@djhotdogboy]

Thanks! I just bought one of these, and wanted to get familiar with the maintenance of it. Great instruction!

[@EndlessDIY]

Excellent! Congrats! I'm really happy to hear my video was helpful! :)

[@WilliamLimpert]

Big help, I'm sending a grandpa hug! Thanks.😊

[@EndlessDIY]

I'm glad to hear that & thanks for the grandpa hug! :)

[@kevo5303]

Sadly i enjoyed this generator, but it won’t power my AC in my trailer. So I found this video very informative to drain the oil to return it! Thank you!

[@EndlessDIY]

Aw! That's a bummer! It powered the AC in my Ice Castle, but I don't recall the size. Yours must be bigger. I've seen people talk about a "soft start" kit that allows a slightly smaller generator to start a heavy draw item like an AC. From what I understand, when the AC kicks on is the huge draw. If you're not able to return it for some reason, that's something to look into, at least. Thanks for watching! :)

[@mcgilm69]

Thanks for that. The other videos I've watched talk about propping up the generator using 4x4 blocks. I like your idea of using a cookie sheet instead. If I use my wife's cookie sheets she'll have my head, but the aluminum ones can be had for virtually nothing.

[@EndlessDIY]

Lol! I bet! I have garage specific bakeware (cookie sheet for oil change, muffin tin for nuts & bolts on a big project). 😁 I'm glad you found the video useful! Thanks for tuning in!

[@LivingFaith2]

@@EndlessDIY Muffin tins for nuts and bolts!! What a great idea! Add magnets and voila!

[@EndlessDIY]

@@LivingFaith2 Thanks! It definitely keeps things organized! Everything seems to roll away otherwise. lol!

[@LivingFaith2]

@@EndlessDIY I wish I would have watched your video Before removing my radiator on my Dodge. I would certainly have bought a muffin tin first.

[@michaelmedina6864]

Great video. Thank you. And the lawn mower noise wasn’t too bad! 😂👍. Great stuff seriously. Bout to do my first oil change tomorrow on my predator.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks so much! I'm glad it was helpful; lawnmower noise & all! 😄

[@GM-gt6rn]

Good video today is my 1st oil change in my predator 3500

[@EndlessDIY]

Great! I hope it went well for you! :)

[@trevorhalapoff6224]

Straight to the point? Thank you.

[@ButterNoToast]

Your oil looks really good still. I run my generator 8hrs a day for 4-5 days. I do my oil change every week. I also use the same oil just because my truck uses the same ( truck oil is much better then generator oil) and I don’t want to buy a different oil for my generator. I had a lot of generators since I use them for commercial use and never had a problem with the engines ( the power plant goes first before the engine ) so I’m pretty sure you can run yours for a lot longer before doing an oil change. I love the predator series generators they are way better then Briggs and Stratton as i have 2 brigg generators dead in my shed.

[@EndlessDIY]

I agree. I use regular automotive oil, as well. This was the first oil change after the break-in period so it still looked pretty new. I rarely use the generator. I mostly use it to power my house when the power goes out (dang rural power). Thanks for the comment! :)

[@DavidMartins-vr4zt]

Thank you for this video, I’m changing mine now 😊

[@ernestgutierrez99]

Great video. I bought one about 6 months ago.

[@fcknalf]

Your video made it easy!

[@ZMommie]

I feel pretty confident doing it myself now. I love your video super informative.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thank you! I'm so happy to hear that and thanks for letting me know it was helpful! You can do it! :)

[@markmarcott395]

Great instructional video! Thank you for sharing.

[@blackriflemensorganization6139]

Excellent tutorial!

[@ThePikeHunter1]

Super, thank you helping me out to change the oil on my gen......

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad it was helpful! :)

[@AceAutoDetails]

Simple and effective!! Thanks for the vid

[@WonderMonkey2]

Thank you for this, I was just getting ready to go look at the manual. One think I would critique, if you don't mind, is leaning the generator up that far. I tipped mine up from the side just far enough to pull that rubber plug and that's it. I'm no mechanic and I can't really say WHY I wouldn't tip the generator up that far, but it's just something I've been told about engines. Maybe it's not true and it's something that's been told then told then told then told to me? I don't know but it was easy enough to just tip it up a bit.

[@EndlessDIY]

I think that's generally said because people are concerned about flooding the carb or getting the float stuck open. I've heard it many times, as well & I'm still not positive that's the reason. Lol

[@robriley6804]

Thanks so much... Im stuck, this helped so much

[@EndlessDIY]

Excellent! I'm glad it helped! :)

[@erikguth4830]

Suggestion; go buy the big wheel kit. Worth every penny.

[@EndlessDIY]

Agreed! It's on the to-do list! The wheels that are on it are about worthless! lol!

[@coopart1]

Thanks ! Who freaking knows where my owners manual went 👍

[@mikesubocz]

Very nice video. BTW regarding how to check the oil level per the manual and makes perfect sense: "Check the oil level. The oil level should be up to the edge of the hole as shown".

[@mamasram]

Thank you now I know how to change my oil in my predator

[@EndlessDIY]

I'm happy to hear that the video helped! :)

[@jacehowell1201]

Awesome video.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks so much! :)

[@laflakiafj]

Thanks for the video.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thank you for watching! 🙂

[@drtdbbt2588]

Every man deserves a good handy woman, lol. Heat must be getting to you too there Mrs. Funkmaster G.

[@EndlessDIY]

Lol! Aw! C'mon! Those are my best moves! 😆

[@dianewatsonstone9188]

You are lucky if you have one

[@kareeberry7555]

Great video but why do you remove the rubber plug?

[@EndlessDIY]

Sorry for the late reply, I haven't been receiving notifications for some reason. The rubber plug is popped out because the oil is drained kind of inside the case & it has to come out of that hole. If you don't open the plug, it'd just sit in there & make a terrible mess.

[@athiker7209]

It was probably poor lighting, but it looked like the washer was missing from the drain plug, when you screwed it back in. However the process was easy to understand. Thanks for sharing.

[@EndlessDIY]

It's there but a good mention, nonetheless! Good reminder to pay attention to those kinds of things. Something a simple as a dropped washer can definitely ruin your day if you don't notice it. Thanks for watching! :)

[@backoffjoe8347]

Thanks for making the video.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@DjGrooveTech]

Great tutorial. Question for you. Does turning the generator on its side like that run the risk of overflowing the fuel tank? Reason I ask is because we had the tank for one time and it spilled a bunch of fuel during transport and we have no idea how? I was thinking maybe there is an over fill or we put too much gas in. Just want to make sure it’s completely safe to tilt the generator like that. Thank you.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks! I haven't had any issues with fuel coming out when tipping the generator. You most likely overfilled it a bit. It's common on these. There's a fill mark in the gas neck that you're not supposed to fill past (and they mean it! lol!) but it's kind of difficult to see. Gas expands so if you overfill it will make a nice mess for you. Hope that helps! 🙂

[@bc3tech]

I had the same question, thanks!!

[@gailewatford316]

Easy to follow-very detailed

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! :)

[@questionableprojects]

Nicely made video!:) subscribed

[@ivareiriksson6833]

Very good. Helps a lot

[@EndlessDIY]

Great! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! I'm so glad it helped! :)

[@MrJoJoJoJo]

Thanks for the help

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@joem560]

Thanks this helped a lot!

[@EndlessDIY]

I'm really glad to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! :)

[@chrisunderhill8853]

Thank you for the video and the smile wobla :) thought i was the only one that said it like that haha :) cheers

[@EndlessDIY]

Lol! And I thought I was the only one! haha! Thaks for watching! :)

[@michaelkelly6154]

Great video. I just used it successfully👍

[@EndlessDIY]

I love to hear that! Thanks for letting me know! :)

[@wingrider1004]

Well done. Props.

[@theodorehill5252]

Excellent job.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thank you! :)

[@BigHo3Swayz3]

Very helpful thank u so much!!

[@EndlessDIY]

I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know! :)

[@TheKrblum]

Impressive lady, your husbands a lucky man

[@crashsport6060]

Great video, thanks for sharing

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching!

[@jet0577]

Oh and is there anything else I should look for to change? Say the air filter or whatever?

[@EndlessDIY]

You should check/clean the spark arrestor. I've seen several people talk about it getting clogged and making the generator less efficient and even falter a bit. It's simple to do. Here's a link to the owner's manual, if you want to read all the details about the generator and some service info. manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63584.pdf 👍🏻

[@happyday5396]

@@EndlessDIY Thanks for the link to the OWNERS MANUAL

[@thatredcam]

I always recommend tipping the machine towards the side you put new oil

[@EndlessDIY]

Agreed. I do mention it in the video, but the camera was in the way so I couldn't really show it. Lol! Dang camera! ;)

[@nla3654]

Seems like your old oil would make a huge mess if you tipped it to its side. That’s a pretty small exit hole down there for it to hit. Id rather just leave it open for a while and come back later to finish up. Good vid.

[@herlindapenagarcia6844]

How often do we change the oil?

[@EndlessDIY]

Good question! According to the manual, you're supposed to change it every 6 months or 100 hours. Here's a link to the manual if you'd like to take a look. Thanks for commenting! :) manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63584.pdf

[@plumbandsquare1]

Perfect. Right to the point.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thank you! :)

[@michaellanigan9857]

Great video, thanks.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thank YOU for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@billieblaze]

Where on earth am i gonna find a 10mm socket?! :-P. Great vid, thx!

[@EndlessDIY]

If you ever find out, let me know! lol! Thanks for watching! :)

[@SkinnySkinch]

That oil you drained looks brand new! Was this just for demonstration purposes and if not how many hours was on that? And yes they do make a magnetic dipstick now pretty cheap on amazon and ebay.

[@EndlessDIY]

You're right, it did look really good. It was the first oil change after the break-in period but I don't recall the hours.

[@reynadelangelreyes6307]

Exelente imformacion

[@51-FS]

Does this have a pull sart and electric?

[@EndlessDIY]

Sorry for the late reply, I haven't been receiving notifications for some reason. Yep, it does have both.

[@albinsalguero6300]

😆🤣 my extension is a blah blah 😆🤣hey great video I just got one of these generators

[@EndlessDIY]

Lol! What I actually said was that my extension is a "wabblah" (wobbler). It totally sounds like blah blah now that you pointed it out! And I can't un-hear it! Haha! 😆

[@happyday5396]

Great job.... subbed/liked

[@EndlessDIY]

Excellent! And thank you! :)

[@aintitariey9570]

Great job!!!

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks so much! And thanks for watching, too! :)

[@xander7738]

how many ounces of oil?

[@EndlessDIY]

I don’t recall off hand but the video does show how much oil.

[@lonestarprepper0156]

Good job.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks! :)

[@carlosdanger2586]

You can get magnetic dip sticks on Amazon

[@paulrichards6033]

Thanks 👍🇺🇸

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@joegonzalez1547]

Need help, my generator won’t start. Sat for about 2 years, new battery, oil, and spark plug. It cranks but won’t turn over…any suggestions

[@EndlessDIY]

It sounds like it might not be getting fuel. I've not dug into the carb on my Predator but you might do some googling to find out what type it has. It could be a dried-up accelerator pump/diaphragm or maybe your jet/fuel orifice is just plugged with old varnished fuel. If it were me, I'd find out what I could about the style of the carb then take it apart for a thorough cleaning. Sometimes the little carbs for small engines can be so inexpensive a rebuild kit actually costs more. Another free dignostic thing you can do is make sure it has spark. Take the plug wire off & hold it very near the plug & turn the engine over to see if you have spark. It can be hard to see. If you're not really able to see, unscrew the plug, put it in the plug wire & hold the electrode near a bolt or something on the generator & watch for spark that way. Good luck! I hope you get it sorted!

[@KSmith-wl9yy]

Maybe dump all the old fuel out and buy non-oxygenated gas with two oz. of Seafoam and crank it over. If it starts let it run for 15 min. to let Seafoam clear the varnish out of lines.

[@jet0577]

Awesome! Thanks. Just bought a used one with a 1k hours. Hope it was ok for the price and has no problems. The 1st thing do, as with used cars I buy, is change the oil. Piece of mind I guess. Thank you for this. Seems simple. Question. Where do you dispose of the used oil?? Thanks

[@EndlessDIY]

Congrats on your new generator! As far as I know, anywhere that sells a reasonable amount of oil has to accept it to be recycled (like Walmart, Napa, etc).

[@garyduran1]

Awesome thanks

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for the comment! :)

[@1elvin]

Excellent!

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks! :)

[@theaverageguy3884]

Will 10w40 works or do i have to use 10w30?

[@EndlessDIY]

10w-40 should be fine. The oil gets changed so frequently & those are so similar, I'd run it if that's all I had, personally.

[@anacrespin8222]

I was trying to take a picture of the Oil name . I have same predator. Is nice.

[@EndlessDIY]

Hi there! I use Mobil One synthetic 10W-30 in my Predator. The manual just recommends 10W-30. Thanks for watching! :)

[@aggiekiss9783]

What oil ? Is 5W-30 ok ?

[@EndlessDIY]

The manual for the generator recommends 10w/30 oil so that's what I always use. I'm sorry, I don't know if other weights would be suitable. Here's a link to the owner's manual if you'd like to take a peek. Thanks for the question! :) manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63584.pdf

[@foodtrucktorestaurant2096]

Do you know what size the crush washer is? And where to even find a crush washer? Last time I changed my oil on this same generator, I noticed the washer is broken...

[@EndlessDIY]

I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner, your comment was held as spam for some reason. 🤷‍♀️ Anyhow, I don't know, offhand, but if you take the bolt to a powersports dealer (Polaris, Yamaha, etc) they might be able match one up for you. The last one I got was for my Polaris General from the dealer, so they do have them. Just matching the size is the challenge. I hope you find one & thanks for watching! :)

[@vengeancestills]

My only complaint is that rattling wheel lol, mine drives me crazy

[@EndlessDIY]

YES!!! Lol! I hate that! Locking it "just right" helps, sometimes, but that thing is so annoying! I'm thinking about making a big wheel kit for mine with possibly a different brake system. I'll design & 3D print the spacers and maybe come up with a jingle jangle solution in the process. 😄

[@fantasy007deo9]

Place it on an even ground.

[@davidrcook8126]

Thank you!!!!

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@JimmyVern1]

I liked the video. However on my predator it said to check the oil level by taking out the filler plug and wipe it off and just stick it in without threading it and pull out and check the level!

[@EndlessDIY]

I always thread it in but you should do whatever the manual calls for. I believe either method is just fine. 👍🏻

[@jet0577]

Is it ok to use synthetic oil????

[@EndlessDIY]

I use Mobil1 synthetic in my generator, but you'll have to make the call on what type you want to run. I know people are really partial to their brand/type. lol!

[@philobeddoe87]

I wedged a piece of plastic in between the front wheel to keep that metal piece from rattling around.

[@Justice4TimmyHenley]

I had added a Valve so I didn’t have to grab a wrench every time.

[@EndlessDIY]

Anything to make the job quicker is nice! 👍🏻

[@tomcoon6930]

Isnt it easier to unscrew and take the whole side off to get better access??

[@EndlessDIY]

@@tomcoon6930 I've never had the side off of mine so I can't compare methods. The access panel has been plenty of room for me, but whatever works best for you is the way to go! :) Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@jseries9247]

What size was the valve????

[@EndlessDIY]

@@jseries9247 Are you asking what the bolt head size for draining the oil is? If so, it's a 10mm socket (I mention it at the beginning of the video and it's also in the description along with the other items needed). If you're asking what size quick drain hose you can buy for these, I haven't got one, but I believe they are 12mm. Other than that, I'm not sure what "valve" you mean.

[@johnp5639]

Thanks.

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@danielrodriguez4932]

Thanks

[@EndlessDIY]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@jeremiahjohnson4931]

Dang can't find my 10 mill socket

[@EndlessDIY]

Join the club! 🤣

[@scubahealer]

Yes magnetic dipstick on Amazon

[@EndlessDIY]

A worthy investment, for sure!

[@gungoroseguera7505]

Hi I love to see women do engine mechanic, tell your husband to get inside and make lunch,( homemade lemonade plus lime juice, with azucar cold pressed sugar, in in green bag, 1gallon of that), a nice baby green salad with pecans over an lite vingareet salad dressing, plus a softroll sandwich with b. L. T and extra avacado . A 2 big chocolate chip cookies. ) When your outside he staysinside.)) Nice work . Nice generator, have you tried Honda over the Current one?

[@EndlessDIY]

Lol! That sounds delicious! I had a Honda EU2000 many years ago. It was a great, workhorse generator. We used it mostly for ice fishing and it never failed, even in terribly cold weather. I chose this one over a larger Honda for a couple reasons; price and I have read SO many great reviews about the Predator. I'm hoping it is at least as reliable as the old Honda was. Thanks for watching and commenting! :)

[@idetailpdx]

❤

[@NYNMYHART]

Go Bears!

[@EndlessDIY]

Yay!