Powermate Generator - Not Generating Power

[@rgs4x]

In our throw away society it is good to have people like you James.

[@123majorpain]

I've never owned a generator or been in therapy, but your videos bring peace to the soul. You, sir are a skilled surgeon with a wrench and I just love watching you work. Thanks for showing us how patience, skill and care make things better.

[@jesterr7133]

This was a good one. It pays to be a hoarder. I love building my own machines out of the parts stash. It's very satisfying.

[@evilredBoris]

James has honestly became my favorite small engine repair channel on youtube within the last year. No other channel has consistently uploaded videos that had automatically drawn me to it except for james. Its will always be a great day when James uploads!

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@iamnoone.]

Dido

[@alancombe6083]

You all must live a sheltered life

[@Bulletman426]

Absolutely agree 100%. Great channel

[@centauri61032]

@@iamnoone. I thought you said a naughty word for a moment there! 🤣

[@edhansen8531]

Yes 100,000 congratulations. Fantastic, and you didn't need any foul language or temper-tandrums to get there. Your voice is clear and calm, good English, I really enjoy your videos.

[@Skynet-1]

The seller knew he broke the carb and didn't disclose it. Good work James!

[@lnk4328]

Agree. Didn't see the broken piece in the bowl.

[@jcondon1]

Surprised I did not notice it earlier. Looking back, I see the fuel valve was off when I first tested the engine. I must have filled the bowl and shut it off and never turned it back on when I did the quick engine test.

[@keithyinger3326]

You and Mustie1 are my favorite small engine channels. I've learned a lot about generators from you, and a lot about mowers and snowblower from Mustie1.

[@jesterr7133]

Congratulations on reaching 100K subscribers! You deserve it. I'm really happy for you!

[@centauri61032]

I'm surprised he hadn't reached that long ago. Well deserved.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks!

[@johncourtneidge]

Yes!

[@ron827]

GREAT job as usual. I have never been able to understand why people invest in power equipment, then leave it out in the elements and expect it to last.

[@RiverratGoRVing]

Excellent job 👏 you took nothing and turned it into a working unit. Keep posting James as your information and knowledge 👌 are very useful and informative to us DYIers.

[@peterecklund886]

James, It seems you always have another one that might work and it does😊. ‘I think I have another one” is one of my favorite phrases. I love this guy. He’s taught me so much and I can fix my own stuff.

[@xgamer34_94]

Hay James, it’s funny I realized that’s a Homelite generator and I actually got a homelite backpack style leaf blower from a garage sale. Took it back to the shop and I was able to get it fixed up perfectly.

[@Willy12927]

"Dr. James." Always look forward to watching you perform your mechanical magic.

[@jesterr7133]

That trick you use with the impact on the scissor jack is a wonderful idea. I would never think to do something like that. I will never raise one by hand again, lol.

[@nukepuke932]

Using an impact driver on a scissor jack is a BAD idea. Scissor jacks are designed to be turned slowly, not hammered ~20 times a second--especially when changing multiple tires or otherwise using the jack a lot in a short amount of time. I've personally ruined two scissor jacks by using an impact on them, and dropped the cars they were under as a result. It puts a LOT of force and strain on the screw, causing it to overheat, and the threads on the screw deform and melt.

[@assyholey4224]

@@nukepuke932 slow drill would work?

[@waynec3121]

Congratulations on 100,000 subscribers excellent video bringing all these parts together

[@jcondon1]

Thanks Wayne

[@alibuolayyan9038]

Hi from Kuwait . you are genius . Always find solutions to any problem. I'm proud of you

[@gregash7683]

Redemption and restoration - a live generator from three junkers. What can I say, but great job! Keep them coming.

[@FeralPreacher]

Another true Franken-rator created by our favorite fixer. Really nice job making it all fit and work together. Thanks for sharing.

[@dannyj5688]

Love the Franken-rator....It fits perfectly!!!

[@ruthkranendonk6687]

Jk. Bought a Homelite 5000 that made no power. Broken wire on rotor. Ran and made power once. Next time no power. Bought Ryobi 5500 power head because of your videos . Now works fantastic. Thank you very much Your videos are the best.

[@c.hundley9714]

As impressive as your mechanical skills and video skills are, your time management is even more impressive. You must put 40 hours in to each video. I'm absolutely in disblief, this is one talented man and not a crew.

[@nollidredins6257]

I'm a mechanic and used to be a small engine mechanic. One thing I've never done is check power output to a generator or do any repairs to such a unit. Because of that I've always been a bit nervous to take on those jobs. This video makes it seem pretty easy.

[@jayjudd6518]

This one had me wondering. Will you win or loose. Experience paid off. It seems your skills are 100%.

[@PeterDurrant]

Another maticulous and in depth video from James. His problem solving skills are second to none. Many thanks for the informative and and inciteful presentation. I have learnt a great deal from watching your videos.👌

[@jcondon1]

Thanks Peter. I see you got you comments working.

[@bpjr1899]

I personally worked with generators for years on tthe job and I do not like the noise of them. Now with poor quality components they are not made to last long. I had trouble finding someone to repair my clogged fuel sysytem in my lawn mower and they did a poor job. I wish Mr Condon lived close to me. Thanks for your videos I learned a lot about small engine repair and basically a better idea how they work. Hopefully this information will spur others to go in to this business.

[@dannytreadway4561]

I must commend you James for how well you maintain your hands. I would have been cut a bleeding with grime everywhere. I totally enjoy your videos and can say I learn from you with every project.

[@DeadKoby]

This video successfully answers the question that is often posed to fix-it guys.... "Why do you need all these salvage parts??"..... Saved by the salvage again my friend.

[@glenpaul3606]

Watching you videos inspired me to pull out my Craftsman 4500W generator. I bought it new in 1998 and have always have good luck with running it when needed. I had not started it in a year so I cleaned it off, opened the fuel and voila...it started first pull. I ran great and powered some fans and lights. I'm glad it still works well even with old gas that I treated with Startron. Now I can go back to watching you fix them knowing I have one that works.

[@kpdvw]

love to see you cutting wireties @ a 90 degree angle to prevent the cut ends becoming knuckle rippers....!

[@henkdouma8448]

Well James, it's better to have one good running generator than four broken ones.

[@78jog89]

"The grass will be dead in a week." I really do like your channel, Sir.

[@Jameson4327]

Watching you at work is educational, enjoyment, keep up the great videos.

[@Kenny-rn2xc]

If I had done this build you could not have seen anything. I would have been in the way of the camera the whole time. You do great work and I enjoy your videos. Keep up the great work.

[@jamesheina6952]

A little tip is I run my generator unloaded with the fuel off until the carb dries out that saves the carb itself and keeps the needle off the seat Funny story on making things out of parts I had a father in law that is from another country he loves gardening and yard work but never used outdoor power equipment such as timmers and leaf blowers After some instruction on how to use well, it was a bad idea after loaning him two timmers and one blower which he torched, threw the cluch or put the wrong fuel I managed to build a timmer out of all the spares from the two trimmers and blower. After all that, I bought him an electric trimmer... done

[@billhartsfield424]

Man, that’s was a literally change every part episode. Good job !

[@johncourtneidge]

Super nice, immaculate and very relaxing video. I love the way that you chop out and speed up micro segments to keep things going! Thank-you!

[@rickardandreasson5095]

I think it is awesome how two different brands of generator parts matches with small differences.its awesome and a great second hand value on these things

[@MrKeithsplace]

I was gonna suggest level ground,, carb can rich or lean if on a slop, always run gen sets level as possible. But love your channel, always learn something.

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

The man can fix just about anything . As soon as the heart mender 3000 comes out he'll be mending broken hearts !

[@landiahillfarm6590]

Another relaxing video! The wind chimes in the background while changing the carb was a nice touch! LOL Thank you for these videos, I am not joking when I tell you they are therapeutic.

[@Darknamja]

I too enjoyed the wind chimes. 😉

[@mrobi5797]

Great job James on making this swap. I like the fact you can use 4 hands on the video (At minute 45:40) to bolt the engine to the frame. LOL. Continu the good work.

[@hariranormal5584]

LOL 4 hands always helps a mechanic :)))

[@michaeltarasenkoop2389]

I .too have been hooked as to James condens show has become my favorite show

[@brianhind6149]

James: Using the word "OHMS" in place of resistance, is similar to mechanics who refer to an engine as a "motor" ! I am rattling your chain for fun. We all know what the terms mean, & that is all that matters. I am always amazed at the scope of your knowledge of these generators. I have fixed a few, & finding schematic drawings is a real problem. Quite often I have to follow wires & make my own drawings. At 84 years of age that is a pain in the ass to say the least. I finally found a set of microdrills (.1 mm through 5 mm) that you use to clean out passages in carbs. I had a carb here last week & I called several sources to see what a replacement carb would cost. ($289.50). I took everything apart & dumped the carb into a dish of carb cleaner & let it sit 0vernight. I replaced the fuel filter(plugged) & put it all back together & it runs like a swiss watch. The whole machine is good & I have mowed 2 1/2 acres with it. The microdrills allowed me to easily clean out the plugged passages. I used some of the techniques I learned from your videos. THANK YOU ! Cheers! from the wind swept hinterlands of Alberta Canada

[@additudeobx]

In many of these genny rebuilds, it seems like having "spare parts" is the salvation of the project. In this case, it exemplified that statement!

[@pc5569]

James thank you. A newly used 4-n-1 generator that runs very well. Great work.

[@WallStreet749]

James can you talk more about THD and what we can run and what we can get by with and what not to run. Im just wanting to run a window air conditioner and a frig. with a non inverter generator. How do we test for THD? I watch every video I run across. Great stuff.

[@r8118830]

Lovely work James. You have an incredible supply of new and used parts at your disposal. Well done on 100K subscribers.. In this one the cut down rotor bolt you used to remove the rotor was already cut from previous use., I have sometimes cringed when I have seen you cut expensive rotor bolts into pieces in the past. A metre length piece of M8, M10 or M12 threaded rod is quite cheap. In the UK you can get a l metre length for just a couple of pounds. A metre length might well cut into 2 usable pieces. Of course using water or oil is even cheaper.

[@jcondon1]

On this crank, I can use a rod because the bolt was 8mm and the shaft 10mm. On the Chinese generators the `bolts is the same size so either need to cut a bolt or use water to push it off. Water is the best choice, especially if I need to reuse the bolt.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

THanks, Pal and I thought this one was going to be for me BUT mine is a 96 model 5K with a10 horse Briggs I/C flathead, of course. I've got all the manuals for it and it doesn't show the rectifier at all so it looks like I have what I have as in NOTHING fancy but it WORKS! Pulls the well pump 220 no problem so I guess I'll grin and be satisfied. Thanks for everything and God Bless!

[@THEFALCON58]

Hi James & family, great job, Derrick Congdon.?

[@richardphelan8414]

You have to love how these one hour Jobs ,turns into a all day project Been there done that ,I will say Jim you do have a lot of patience

[@michaeltarasenkoop2389]

James you mention that at times the insulation breaks down I worked at a factory that had us use all wires that were double the thickness of regular wire !

[@michaeltarasenkoop2389]

Double insulation thickness prevents insulation break down from ground and cross feeds from wire to wire !

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Very good fix! Boy that simple AVR replacement really escalated LOL! I was thinking about you recently. Just got a 1970's Onan Diesel DJB 6kW generator. It has very heavy and runs at 1800 RPM with a two cylinder engine. Very well built machine and pulled 136% rated power for a brief overload test. Funny and sad about the broken carb float ear. That seller really was a Hammer & Chisel mechanic! Thanks for your videos and time spent to make them. These don't just happen, as you know. Lots of effort for sure.

[@brianwood5220]

Frankingennie works brilliantly. I still think you could start a business on small engine and generator repair and refurbishment. I think you'll get a lot of business, but restored generators would only sell well in the autumn/fall. Great job James and thanks for sharing.😁

[@NY411Info]

It's a good thing the donor panel was different then the original one you're working on. The donor front panel has those those problematic Molex plugs that I hate.

[@jaygee999]

Jimmy you're the master of re-manufacture !

[@mjpbase1]

James, did you just earn a Silver KZbin Play Button? It looks to me like you did. Congratulations! You put in the hard work. Yes, your hope that you helped someone, as you say, is undeniably true. Well done, sir.

[@jcondon1]

I did, thanks

[@TimDyb]

Wow, James, you were so fast, it looked like there was 2 of you at 45:38! 😉

[@andybonneau9209]

It's fortunate that you've accumulated so many spare parts. Otherwise this repair wouldn't have been possible.

[@akdenyer]

Another great video James. Keep them coming it is great fun watching you tackle these units. I am currently rebuilding a DuroMax XP4400. Not really economic but fun.

[@jsaurman]

58:38 When you are trying to fit an indicator light to a panel, I would never use a step drill, it's too easy to make the hole too big and then it never fits right. Harbor Freight sells a titanium 1/64 increment drill bit set for about $14 on sale, get one of those. That way you can drill the exact size you need, without fear of accidentally making the hole too big.

[@johnnybgoode6466]

Hi James, well done on getting this generator working from bits and pieces lying around. Congratulations as well hitting the 100k mark for subscribers - well done. Hello again from New Zealand

[@jcondon1]

Thanks!

[@johnmckee7937]

James, I fear you'll never have a generator that you don't have to work on the carburetor. You can still hope there is one out there!

[@assyholey4224]

not with corn serape in them? lol

[@gjohnston281]

Great video , always learn something new from your videos . Generators are now not a big mystery

[@saidkassem8472]

Ive watched almost more than half of your videos, all i wanna say that you are very talented very handy ive reached the point where i am watching the video i am like please work please turn on, also ive leanred so much from you , while watching over and over footage before you figure out whats going on in the video i am starting to also figure it out, like you know what i am saying ? You have teached to much man i really appreciate what you do, its teaching me how to maintain my generator and everything really thats gas powered, man i really love what you do and i hope you find a nice big generator that you make a video bc i love engines and electricity and watching you rebuild them, and the whole concept of mechanics, cheers for you and keep doing what you are doing i love your videos so much❤

[@wildefox1478]

Excellent video, that's awesome you were able to build a good generator out of a few parts, nice work as always James!

[@victorbellan8357]

Nice backyard engineering & thanks for sharing!

[@kylekaneshiro2583]

I have learn a lot by watching your KZbin videos so if i have to say your a good teacher thanks for all the advices and keep up the great awesome job

[@mikelamuraglia5645]

Another great rebuilt, enjoy watching

[@ashadams4722]

At 41:30 seconds it looks like the locating pin on the stator didn't seat into the bell housing correctly. Could have just been the was it looked tho. love the videos!!

[@kstricl]

Well worth the watch. Excellent job de-bug-ing that control panel ;)

[@m.pearce3273]

The 3 machines into one only James Condon can save these

[@kthwkr]

Get a 4'x8' sheet of 1/4" plywood to put on top of your grass when you are testing engines. I think 1/4" would be OK and light enough to be easy to move around.

[@guataco]

Congrats Dr. Frankenstein is a boy and runs perfect. Very good episode. Thanks.

[@RyeOnHam]

You could use a formable funnel for your oil draining needs. They are VERY useful.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

He has used one in other videos.

[@ericvaughn1126]

I sent him one last July, but Jim seems to have a stockpile of video content so it could take awhile before we see it or see it regularly. Or he may not be a fan. I love mine though! You gotta work to spill oil with one of those imo!

[@buckstarchaser2376]

@@ericvaughn1126 He did use a user-provided one in a video I saw. He mentioned the name, but I didn't commit it to memory. The color of it was green or teal. The stated reason for using it was because the oil outlet was in a spot that would dump it directly on the frame. Ordinarily, he doesn't seem to mind a dribble on the frame, because he cleans them up after fixing them.

[@ericvaughn1126]

@@buckstarchaser2376 That kind of rings a bell and the one I sent was green. Not needed for every oil change of course, but handy at times for sure.

[@arthurbiringer5676]

As always….. not only a great resuscitation… you did some upgrades!

[@jonminer9891]

Way to go, James. You showed a lot of perseverance! Thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!

[@KensSmallEngineRepair]

That is some funky looking framework on that generator!

[@jcondon1]

Almost all plastic

[@bdlivinlife24hrsatime]

Great stuff James, your putting in some details that I wouldn’t think of. I’ve never tinkered around with generator but I do work on other motors like lawnmowers and snowblowers and of course my bike. Ya great info and thanks for sharing

[@nialldaly7108]

Very nice work and well explained as you go. Just one thing, you drilled quiet a few holes and I didn't see any form of protection on the bare metal i.e. galvanized paint or such. But as always learned quiet a lot.

[@kerrygleeson4409]

Another great save well done James

[@marcojansevanrensburg7650]

Well done on your 100k subs James! I really enjoy your channel

[@jcondon1]

Thanks Marco

[@raysoltero7963]

Thanks for sharing! Appreciate your work and ingenuity. 🙂

[@watermanone7567]

Good job James. Good to use up spare parts to make one good machine. Thanks for the video.

[@Sev_Auk]

Congrats on 100k subs James! Cheers, Sev

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

great job James.. It took a lot of parts and time but you saved it !👍👍

[@gordiehattrick]

Great video Jim, congrats on your creation!! The "Frankenrator" 🙂

[@kenjohnson5498]

I heard those wind chimes at the end and went into Zen mode and told myself i am worthy, i am perfect, i am........... lol Another good video for our learning pleasure

[@deangentles4966]

Hi James this generator turned out quite a good one Thanks to all your endless supplies of parts and planning on your part mate as always thanks for sharing

[@jcondon1]

Thanks Dean!

[@grahamlack3302]

Great video James one of your best I think, probably because it went with few issues. And great machine at the end .

[@FarmCraft101]

I recently found your channel and I like your vids. I'm learning about generators, thanks for that. I have a general question that I can't seem to find the answer to, but I bet you know. What is the source of the DC power that is fed to the rotor through the slip rings on these small generators? If it's a pull start, there's no battery or alternator. Is it a magneto on the flywheel that is being rectified?

[@jcondon1]

Most generators made recently (last 20 years) have have an AVR with small permanent magnets on the rotor. That supplies enough magnetism to excite the DPE winding on the generator. The AVR rectifies the AC from the DPE and supplies dc to the brushes. The process quickly amplifies until you reach 120/240 volts. Older generators without an AVR usually rely on residual magnetism of the rotor to start the process and only have a bridge rectifier between the DPE winding and the brushes. The DPE winding stands for displaced excitation. It is a sub winding in the stator that is 90 degrees out from the main. This type can lose residual magnetism in which case you need to flash the field. Pretty rare. Other larger/better quality generators with electric start also send 12 volts dc to the brushes when you crank the engine. This ensures the system always powers up. Power is generated from the primary on the ignition coil, but that is only used to power the low oil module and low oil light. Hope that helps. Also find your content very interesting. Let me know if there is anything I can help with. -Jim

[@FarmCraft101]

@@jcondon1 Thank you, sir!

[@martin4787]

Hi James. When fitting the rotor, I'm pretty sure that you need to fit it on the crank, slide the stator over, fit the rear casing, torque it up and then fit the rotor bolt and torque it up last. Then you are guaranteed the rotor is fitted in line with the crank. The way you're doing it, is relying on the tapers of the crank and rotor and when considering the weight of the rotor on the taper you will be a little out of line. How is last weeks generator coming along? I'm really looking forward to you finishing it off James. Last but not least. Congratulations on passing 100k subscribers and very well deserved. 🙂👍

[@drunkingsailor2359]

How would you torque the rear housing bolts with the rotor on it has the fan covering it?

[@martin4787]

@@drunkingsailor2359 Hi Timothy. The rear housing is machined to line up and you do see James torquing the bolts up in the video and then you fit the rotor loosely, fit the stator, torque that up and then torque the rotor.

[@mmcc310]

This was a great video, only thing better would have been seeing the blown motor taken apart!! Thanks

[@eduardedwin3431]

I feel like I'm in a Zen garden for generators whenever I hear that wind chime :) Another great video from you James. And congratulation on 100k subscribers!!!

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@geraldharkness8830]

brilliant job james..i always look forward to your videos,keep them coming!

[@georgerobinson1203]

Hi James. Do you have an recommendations for buying a new power invertor for camping? It needs to be quiet and probably in the 2000 - 3000 W range. Thanks for any input. Love your video's. I don't know if you do this fulltime, but you would be a great teacher.

[@AW-Services]

Love your videos and amazing channel. With that control panel pink faded shroud I'd personally evenly heat it with an electric heat gun which will bring the oils and red pigment back to the surface. UV damage is ugly. Do you harvest scrap ie steel copper

[@centauri61032]

Great channel and content. But I'm surprised you don't do more cleaning of the individual parts while they are uninstalled. The bell housing for example. Is there some reason behind that, or just your method?

[@mrma281]

And rusty brown screws to fasten ground connections where no one will ever be able to reach easily :(

[@nicklutz61]

Congrats! 100K subs! Another excellent video.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@4Truth4All]

Another great video James! I learn a great deal with every weekly installment! And yes, you helped me.

[@rickolson9011]

Congratulations on 100K subscribers!

[@jcondon1]

Thanks Rick

[@neiltheplayer]

Nice save James. thank you for posting. I learn so much from all your video's

[@rjlinnovations1516]

Thanks for sharing your video. Greetings from one of your subscribers from Canada. Have a wonderful long weekend

[@jcondon1]

Thanks

[@rjlinnovations1516]

@@jcondon1 you’re welcome 🙏