Generac XG10000e Generator Racing Out Of Control - Bad Governor?

Jason picked up this Generac XG10000E with less then 100 hours on the clock for $500. New they sell for over $2,000. According to the seller the engine is running fast. Jason connected the kill a watt and measured 97 hertz (5820 rpm). Generators without a load should be set close to 61.5 hertz (3690 rpm). Is the governor trashed? Lets find out.
I use Harbor Freight Super Heavy Duty Degreaser in my ultrasonic cleaner www.harborfreight.com/1-gallo...
Generator Model: XG10000E (0058022)
Engine: GTH-530
Rollover Valve: 0J7921A
Airbox Cover: 0E9375A
Airbox Knob: 0E9511B
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#GeneratorRepair #SmallEngineRepair #SmallEngine #DIY #Fixed #Troubleshooting #HowTo #LawnMowerRepair #MowerRepair
Alternator, Broken Governor, Clean Power, Engine Racing, Fixed, Generator, Governor Calibration, Governor Reset, Governor Spring, Governor Spring, Governor, Hertz, How To, How a Mechanical Governor Works, How-To, Idle Set Screw, Inductive Tachometer, Load Test, Melted Airbox, RPM, Repair, Running Fast, Sinewave, Small Engine, Tachometer, Throttle Plates, Troubleshooting

[@steveharleyfan]

James' explanation of how the governor works is priceless.

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

Nice job James , your friend lucked out on this one . I really like the way you explained the governor set up !

[@er1073]

James your knowledge and experience definitely shows everytime you do repairs. Thank you Ed

[@mattdewater438]

I’ve been through quite a learning curve with this exact same machine. Wouldn’t rev up under load to compensate. Turns out the pins that hold the governor weights wore out and looked like spools. The weights did not open and close properly. I found the issue and made this repair myself when my local Generac dealer said they couldn’t fix it. I could not have done it without the HUNDREDS of hours of watching your videos James. Also had plenty of help from our favorite “Bassguitarist1985” Thank you!!

[@thomasstewart9368]

The "screamin-deamon" taimed, to a purring kitten with just a few adjustments. Amazing 👍

[@jayyoung5423]

Great diagnosis again....think I would have scrubbed off the 194 on the tank cover.....looks like auction material.

[@bjusticeforever]

WOW. It's THD is even cleaner than my dad's old Gen Pro II! Great diagnosis on the governor, and a FANTASTIC question about the idle limiter screw. It makes zero sense to have one that long!

[@Kuzzzzman]

Another excellent video James, your friend hit the jackpot on this one. Your knowledge of small engines is absolutely astounding, great job with another diagnosis that most people wouldn't have a clue on where to begin.

[@Kenny-rn2xc]

That V-twin engine really runs smooth. You are very methodical in you diagnostics. Great job. I noticed that you didn't put the screws in but I just thought you didn't show us. Have a great week.

[@2005Pilot]

LOL- We didn’t tell you about the 2 air box screws because we thought you were getting the blue locktite 🤣🤷‍♂️

[@Roy_Tellason]

It was interesting to see the waveform get cleaner as you put more of a load on it. I guess that speaks well to the design of that power head. That's a crazy design for the air box, almost encouraging dropped screws and other parts to go where you don't want them to go. I'd epoxy a bit of screen scross that opening to prevent this.

[@dstanobiful]

Very informative, l live in Maine and was unaware of the summer/winter operation. Thanks again

[@raymondj8768]

That Dude scored 1 hell of a deal !

[@iandennis7836]

Not half he didn't. You just don't want to ask what that'd be over here........put it this way, I'm looking at a Hyundai 4000W and even now after the winter scare we had with possible power shortages it's still £900 or about $1150. Whole home setups here are into the thousands. Nice bit of diagnosis there Jim, thanks again for another 'fix'😁.

[@FarmCraft101]

Great explanation of the governor function and how to adjust it. Good video as usual. Cheers Jim.

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

Well done again James. I was yelling at you twice, once when you missed the two screws to hold the air box on, but only because I remembered there were six and you only showed four, and again when you turned the DeWalt heat gun off and put the hot tip on the power cord but you just wouldn’t listen😂. I think the unanswered question is: why was somebody in there fiddling with the governor in the first place?? But I guess if the shaft slipped they may have been trying to back off the governor to slow the engine down. With their attitude of butcher the cover rather remove the fuel tank on an expensive generator I can only imagine what their car is like if they work on it. Cheers mate, Stuart 🇦🇺

[@TonyWhite22351]

The hot tip on the power lead had me bothered too !

[@awofeowolabi2065]

As usual an exceptional diagnostic skills. Many thanks!

[@4Truth4All]

Another great repair! What a nice machine. The best sine wave I've seen so far.

[@timd1833]

It might be a good idea to remove your original mark (22:28) and make a new mark where the slot on the adj screw aligns now. Later on, if something goes wrong with the idle speed, someone may notice the original (incorrect) mark and move the slot to align with it.

[@brianallen9810]

I've always used a stuff called Dychem Cross Check on adjustments that I've made. You can see at a glance if someones tampered with adjustments or it's become loose.

[@staind288]

That's excellent advice. Never thought about the next time in this scenario.. Good advice bud

[@loucinci3922]

The back end of that clamp seemed to bottom out when tightened. I thought about hitting it with a points file to give it a little more clamping grip. But it turns out that was not needed.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

What a super clean Generator wow only 63 hours used on it she practically brand new

[@martyb3783]

Every time I see you use that lift, I am envious. I am currently working on an old Universal Atomic 4 engine that is on a moving dolly and its kind of a pain in the ass to see things some times. Great video as always! You really are a genius when it comes to gensets.

[@jeffsignore7953]

Great video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience! Much appreciated!

[@jeffbotkin1405]

Glad you showed how just a tiny bit of adjustment can make a big difference unlike the spring tensioner which you turned and turned on to raise the engine speed. Very interesting

[@benkanobe7500]

Another great diagnosis and structured problem-solving. Excellent!

[@brianhind6149]

Excellent video as always Sir ! I always shake my head at some of the hack jobs that you unearth with these machines. If you promise not to tell anyone, in decades past I have been guilty at times of the same egregious actions. When you are young , nothing happens fast enough. On the other hand, some equipments are so poorly designed that I cut things out of the way, heated & bent brackets, & have actually redesigned electrical circuits so that parts could be found locally & installed in 10 minutes instead of hours. Yes, all electrical circuits were fused as close to the source as possible. Love your videos, & I have learned a lot about small engines. You were the man who explained to me what an "emulsion tube" was. About a month ago, I actually saw the word in print in an engineering manual Thank you James. Cheers! Brian

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

I’m pretty sure that carburetor is used on many applications for power equipment. Great work as usual!!! I have a Honda EU2000i that I’m rebuilding the engine and lapping in the valves. Your video on that really helped me out! Thanks Jim!!!

[@beaviswashere8009]

I wonder why it was so hot outside!!! James is Testing another Generator with ALL the space heaters! JK....😉😉😉😉 Great video and a easy repair :)))

[@johnhershey4010]

23:53 One hell of a Backfire

[@roberteddy8962]

Very nice repair James .

[@ron827]

Nice work as usual. A friend gave me an old riding mower that also over reved. I discovered the throttle plate lodged against the intake valve and the two screws with lock washers were eaten by the engine which was evident by tracks on the piston top.

[@dragonmaker1541]

Excellent job as always. Very easy to follow a complex topic.

[@pierremartel3552]

Let me tell you that you just demystified all of that governor work.. Thanks you very much!!!

[@goodness-mercy]

Awesome diagnosis - again!!! !!

[@TheOneTonHammer]

Pretty amazing machine. Quickly and correctly diagnosed, Well done.

[@ni_wink84]

My guess is someone was in there tinkering around, great job as always James, I genuinely enjoy your knowledge and troubleshooting!

[@mtttony]

Well done again James. I must admit the angle of the pinch gap on that governor arm looked like it was close to closing at the outside end. It looked like it had been over tightened at some point., One other thing is you would think a simple electronic rev limiter would be a good idea for safety if for any reason the governor or linkage fails. Thanks again, I watch every week and your video production gets better and better..

[@butler386]

Fantastic diagnosis and repair. That generator seems to pack a nice punch compared to most generators. More expensive but you get what you pay for--- sometimes. Thanks for the videos.

[@markyoung7470]

James, I saw you missed those 2 bolts on the air box right away 🤐🤐just pulling your leg I missed it too, another great video with excellent camera angles followed by an excellent explanation of what you were looking for and what you were diagnosing as the problem all were spot on by the Master Gen Man.

[@fhazen01]

Another awesome learning video. Thank you James.

[@watermanone7567]

Great work JIm. The THD surprised me. That is a good machine, I have not worked on that engine before. Thanks

[@stevendufresne9994]

Thanks James for the Great Video! I learn something new each time!! 👍👍

[@2packs4sure]

The best lawnmower I ever owned was given to me because right out of warranty the motor went crazy and sounded insane and the motor was condemned.. It was the governor shaft that slipped in the arm and it was actually opening and closing the throttle about 50 times a second,,, you've never heard anything like it,,, it was screaming and clacking and looking down at the top of the carb the throttle was an absolute blur ,,, never seen anything like that .. I fiddled with it and it's been running for 10 years... Toro personal pace 22" Briggs.

[@MrAluntus]

Wow, I had no idea how a govener works. Thanks for this tutorial.

[@fayiznalu8411]

Good diagnosis..!!!😊

[@deangentles4966]

Hi James your knowledge is fantastic mate thanks for sharing

[@paulravitsky2898]

I did yell at the screen when you forgot those 2 screws but then figured you left them out because you ordered a new air box....That's got a nice low distortion figure. Another excellent diagnosis and repair!

[@wjodf8067]

Great to see you diagnose and work on a decent generator for once what a nice sine wave

[@jonminer9891]

Hi, James. That was a step up from your usual trouble shooting efforts. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!

[@justinvanaulen2478]

Great video Jim! I have to say I LoL'd @ 23:56. You honestly sounded stunned! This was a good one. :)

[@PeterDurrant]

Looks like Jason got a bargain after your methodical approach once again solves the problem. Well done James. 👍Great video

[@whitesapphire5865]

As you'll know, James, those pinch bolts on the governor arm are prone to slippage on a whole raft of engines. The trouble is, there's no easy way to make them slip proof because of the need for infinite adjustment, at least, not without making the design much beefier and chunkier. That was a good exercise in tracking down the problem, and an object lesson to all, on how this adjustment can go awry, and how to get it back again. We used to maintain an older lawn tractor for a neighbour, powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine with the same governor setup. I think it would be true to say that it needed resetting every year, or at least, every second year. Just the nature of the beast I think.

[@Rorschach1024]

If the shaft were milled with worm gear teeth and had a captive screw to drive the teeth, you could adjust the setting much more precisely and it would be unable to slip.

[@staind288]

The governor shafts should all be made with splines. That would help A LOT

[@whitesapphire5865]

@@staind288 But would take away the infinite adjustment.. The whole purpose of the smooth shaft is to avoid any notching in the adjustment. With splines, you'd be in this one, that one, or the one on the other side, but you wouldn't have the ability to be somewhere in-between. It would make the adjustment rather imprecise.

[@dannyj5688]

Handled that 9000 load flawlessly!!! Great fix!

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

Nice and easy fix. great job James !

[@porkchop955]

Excellent video. You just helped me choose my next generator.

[@johnnybgoode6466]

well done James - only minor issues and your were able to detect and remedy them early on.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Wow at the amount of melting on the air box cover

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Super clean power great looking sign wave

[@markhelseth253]

Excellent video. I enjoy following the mystery as it unfolds. Very good tutorial on how a governor works. After watching multiple heaters get switched on and off - would there be an advantage to using an old vintage loadbank (Onan)? Might be a fun rebuild for the channel if one can be found cheap?

[@mjg263]

Nice clean output there, like inverter clean!

[@arthurbiringer5676]

An excellent job! Keep up the great work.

[@Georgeolddrones]

Another, brilliant video thanks George in England Uk

[@wildefox1478]

Very simple fix on this one, just a simple governor adjustment, nice work!

[@gaad7938]

I have a 4500 watt& 5500 watt Generac. In the owners manual i believe there is a procedure outlined for resetting the governor. I've done it and both work perfectly.

[@SamCanada1]

Thanks for the video. What a great generator. 👍

[@Mikelp73]

Wow man that’s a powerful gennie

[@sumplais]

I was a little surprised how much of a hit the first half of the load seemed to take and again after the full load - how little more it seemed to take.

[@peterouellette3874]

Nice job, James

[@bmcc12]

Wonderful editing!! The best yet

[@ayozhek1898]

Haha i was shouting at the screen "you forgot the airbox screws" but you didn't hear me :-) Great video James, thank you.

[@samuelgarofalo6910]

When I read the headline I thought you were talking about New York and Cailfornia, LOL

[@ChosesinWon]

I'm sitting here thinking is he going to leave that heat gun lying on the cord like that? They I seen it jump and the heat gun moved and I was relieved.

[@rich1953]

Nice generator high load values really good.

[@ItsAlwaysRusty]

Great video. You must have a great area for bargains. Nothing like that in my area working or not for $500.

[@mattdewater438]

Found out the hard way not to pinch the fuel tank vent line after using the generator when you secure it in a trailer. Came out the next morning to find a collapsed steel fuel tank! 😂

[@leonardomigot4040]

James Condon good luck with this generac generator

[@petergondolier4088]

You can easily make metal sleeves if you need to. I make them from soft copper tubing. It comes in various sizes from 1/8" ID up to 1.0" or even larger.

[@liljoeii6091]

Thank you for the video

[@arthurbiringer5676]

Maybe a dab of locktite on those screws would be a good idea….

[@MrRmh3481]

Good Job James. 5 stars!

[@GreyRockOne]

Nice work James, that Generac is a beauty. Fantastic reading on the THD! Also, aren't those Magic Erasers great! I use them around the exposed upper part of my fiberglass in-ground pool, that is where all the excess sunscreen sticks to after it "floats" off everyone's skin while in the pool.

[@jcondon1]

Good tip. I have the same problem.

[@ghettsumm7949]

When she backfired I almost heard you use a swear word! 😄 Thanks for bleeping it out, that would have ruined your squeeky clean image....LoL $500.00 for that unit is an absolute steal!

[@willrobbinson]

wow wander why the original problem if any, its very good out come WELL DONE

[@estorey1465]

another great video, thanks

[@markvincenzo4672]

Another interesting video. Even though I've built racing engines and almost every other kind of engine, I still really enjoy your channel. Quality is excellent and focus is on the project. However, I'd really like to know more about you beyond what is in your profile. Probably your other subscribers would too. Like, do you make any money from these videos? There are no ads so no source of revenue that I can see. Is generator repair your full time job or do you have another job? What area of the country do you live in? Wondering in case I come across something broken that you might want. Overall, Thanks!

[@phbrinsden]

Those V twins are so much smoother and quieter than single cylinder engines.

[@howieab606]

I purchased one of these new, a number of years ago, and the speed kept on surging going up and down, up and down, would not regulate. Sent it back to the dealer who claimed to have fixed it, but I had the same issue still. Sent it back, got a refund, bought a Honda and never looked back. Until today! Impressive numbers although I would not be confident enough in the brand to try it again.

[@MrAluntus]

I bet.. what happened was when it started idling faster and faster, the previous-previous owner thought they understood carbs went in and hacked at that set screw to try to slow it down and eventually they couldn't figure it out and sold it. That's probably what I would have done before I learned how goveners work from you. I might have gone the extra step to remove the fuel tank though instead of melting the cover. And I bet the govener was lose from the time it was made. Very educational, thanks!

[@peterhynes3251]

James, yet another superb video. I learn so much from these, but have been through so many, that I am beginning to accurately predict what you are going to say next! Great job man - please keep them coming. Quick question from me - what is the device that you use for measuring THD - I have been looking at clamp meters and could not find one with a THD feature. Are you using a device separate from the clamp meter to measure this? Any feedback appreciated. Best Regards, Peter Hynes, Chester UK

[@jimsgarlat7328]

THD is a very interesting subject to me also. A help to your community would be to look around at what tools are available to measure THD at a small cost so those of us who own generators could measure it. Maybe just an add on to one of your videos... Thanks.

[@treborupp]

Nice machine. Even made in the USA it did develop a problem. Almost a $2000, problem. Good machine.

[@tubeDude48]

As for the video- you always do a fine job! 👍

[@methods-SE]

If you need it to blow a rod we can duct tape the leaf blower to its intake. If it runs a little lean... I've got 12 cans of starting fluid

[@phillipbecker453]

The governor adjustment clamp was bent to the point where there is insufficient clamping travel left to hold the rod allowing it to increase speed! It was at contact point preventing any further adjustment.

[@GerardRusso]

really enjoy your videos

[@MadmanJimbo]

I would worry that it ran for 5+ of those hours or more at 6000 RPM without proper cooling. Valve clearances need checking when engines overheat like that. Its quick and it was accessible.

[@bunnylove273]

Hey bud great video very educational 😊

[@annierenard5954]

very good video, thank you

[@marcheld]

Bravo! As usual.😊

[@alphaomega9033]

I do seem to have an issue with this channel's subscribers not donating basic tools that many subscribers might be holding onto and rarely use, like for instance: • A Miniature Lathe, with a Two, Three and Four Jaw Chuck Set, Inserts, Tool Bit Holders, and High Speed and High Speed Ceramic Inserts and Cutter Steel Bar, • A Dual Grinder Wheel, and DoAll Grinder Machine, • A Miniature Press, • A Miniature Milling Machine, • A Miniature Shaper, • A Miniature Sand Blasting Cabinet, • A Plasma Cutter and Cutting Table, • A Tig., Mig, and Stick Welding Set, with wire reals and rods, tips, Hoses, Oxygen and Gas Tanks, Helmet, and Needle Scaler, etc. •A set of C Clamps, B Clamps, T Clamps, etc., • A large stock of different gauge Angle Bar, Sheet Metal, Bar, and Pipe of Brass, Soft Steels, and 4042+ Hardened Steels, • Electric Connector, and Shrink Tube Sets, • A Portable Gas Soldering Iron Set, • A Arm Crane, • A Complete Tap and Die Set, • A decent Stock of Small Tires, Rims, and Casters, • An enormous Nut, Bolt, Washer, Set and Cabinet, • And an enormous Rubber Seal, O-Ring, and Rubber Gas Line, and Tube Set, • Along with a Plastic Plate, Panel, Pipe, Tube, Plug, Washer, Clip Set and Shelf and Cabinet Set. • And a Garage Extension and Development Lump Sum of Money Donation. Just these few things would make me feel a lot better.

[@daveschroedersworkshop4479]

Problem brilliantly analyzed Jim. Great specs. THD and curve look sweet. What about star washers under those two screws in the air filter box?

[@haroldtanner9600]

The additional bolts to fix the handle recall should go all the way through the handle and have nuts on them.

[@AW-Services]

Another great video, James