Junked DuroStar Generator | Is it Junk or Will it Run Again?

Paid the scrape price for this Durostar generator. Is is scrap? Lets find out.
Generator Model: Durostar DS4000S
I no longer use Harbor Freight Super Heavy Duty Degreaser in my ultrasonic cleaner. Harbor Freight changed the recipe. The bottle previously stated "NON-CORROSIVE". Now it says "CORROSIVE", "do not user on Aluminum". It now damages most carburetors.
Visit My Amazon Store:
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Airbox: www.ebay.com/i...
Form A Funnel: amzn.to/3QeKIqe
Fuel Valve: amzn.to/3Mh3cFD
Kill A Watt: amzn.to/3QdSfpe
Oscilloscope: ADS1013D amzn.to/45LyF9B
Squeeze Bottle: amzn.to/3s4Z18M
THD Multimeter: Amprobe ACDC-52NAV amzn.to/3Sg234Y
Ultrasonic Cleaner: amzn.to/3ShS5jl
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#DuroStar #GeneratorRepair #SmallEngineRepair #SmallEngine #DIY #Fixed #Troubleshooting #HowTo
Alternator, Bad Gas, Bad Petrol, Broken Air Box, Clogged Carburetor, Dripping, DuroStar, Engine Will Not Start, Fixed, Fuel Petcock, Fuel Valve, Generator, Hertz, How To, How-To, Leaking Gas, Load Test, Old Fuel, Repair, Sine wave, Small Engine, THD, Total Harmonic Distortion, Troubleshooting, Will Not Run

[@methods-SE]

Dude is an inspiration. I emulated his methods and ways to success on 3 generators already! BEFORE - Broken for 15 years AFTER - Working good as new Super grateful not just to him but to those who contribute

[@jcondon1]

Nice work!

[@nsayer]

Honest question: Do you think it's better that it had 15 years less wear or did sitting for 15 years cause more harm?

[@methods-SE]

@@nsayer In my experience machines that remain in service are more desirable than machines that sit. This is true in automotive... When things sit the seals dry out, the aluminum starts to oxidize, The steel starts to rust, The fluid start to separate, The plastics and rubbers start to crack... Me? I would rather have a generator with 15 years on it than a new old stock. BUT... I'm also willing to replace the bearings, Hone the cylinder walls, inspect the cam lobes... So... It really depends on what level of skill you want to develop. This KZbin Master Will show you how to completely rebuild an engine! ... Me? I'm just learning how to clean carburetors

[@jeremytuomisto5721]

I always find small engine repair interesting. I work on huge engines every day. This is a breath of fresh air. Very interesting. I’ve been binge watching your videos ever since I found your channel!

[@robertduncan2742]

2 cycles are real fun like the old lawn boy mowers

[@swallowinn4410]

Hello James Another very successful salvage. You have demonstrated our throw away society perfectly. " (WHY REPAIR WHEN WE CAN BUY A NEW ONE)" If the under 40 age group really want to make environmental changes they need to go away from the disposable society and back to products lasting 40-50 years. I give you a thumbs-up every time you bring back a repairable land fill destined unit. Keep up the good work.

[@SHO1989]

totally agree. I'm old enough to remember when one always tried to repair TVs and appliances. We expected things to last. Now it's all disposable. Really a shame.

[@ronaldbrown5745]

It will stay disposable as repair $ is high ( if you can find a repair shop) and replacement cost is relatively low, this might be why this unit was relegated to the scrap yard. The cost of this unit is low compared to a higher quality generator, so it’s disposable. Repairing this generator is beyond most modern humans skill set.

[@joeholm4591]

But, if you’re not James and dont have the tools or experience…

[@mrobi5797]

Great find James. It's amazing how much stuff people throws away that could still be used by others. You certainly help in recycling those generators. Thanks for the video.

[@Chris-yy7qc]

Because less and less people are able to do stuff themselves. And technicians are often expensive.

[@Mikesorrento3344]

Unfortunately, Durostar generators really do belong in the dump. They are exceptionally cheaply made Chinese generators that are highly unreliable. If you must buy one, resist the urge to buy new. Buy one with at least 100 hours on it and you should make it to 300 hours before failure. I have a generator repair business and Durostar generators are pure crap.

[@akbychoice]

@@Mikesorrento3344many generator brands like many other things are produced in the same facility. I’ve even picked up 5 different brand lawnmowers from the same manufacturing plant. Minor differences on the outside for the brand recognition.

[@GreyRockOne]

I love finds like this, you can fall into a bucket of you know what and come out smelling like a rose... love it!

[@anthonyelectric6045]

Wish I had dump yards around me like that. Wow what a surprise 👍 finally an easy fix.

[@AW-Services]

You know when it's a Thursday when James publishes another great video 👏

[@bertgrau3934]

The tip on the Idle screw is very good. I cleaned the carburetor on my Predator generator and screwed the Idle a tad too far, wouldn't go to "Fuel Saver " mode. I knew right off what I did wrong. Was able to back off the Idle screw without removing the carburetor. I've worked on more than a few small engines, still make some mistakes. I know I'm old that's why I forget. At least I knew why it acted up.

[@YukonHawk1]

Damn good deal for 20 bucks and some of your magic brought it back to life. Excellent video as always.

[@jesterr7133]

I taught myself to work on small engines and turned it into a side business simply by working on things and watching videos on KZbin. It is amazing to me that people still throw machines with minor issues like this away. It would have taken less than ten minutes of research for the previous owner to have been able to learn how to test the machine and determine what the issue was, and another five minutes to find a video showing them exactly how to service the carb. I can't believe that things like this still happen.

[@dougbertInExile]

Yes, so true

[@jimweinheimer]

Thanks James for listing replacement parts on your webpage. I have a wheelhouse 5500 generator that had a bad gas tank shut off. I replaced it with a new one, but it failed (leaked) within a couple of months being only used 3 times. You have listed a metal gas tank valve that fit the bill perfectly for a permanent repair.

[@octaviofigueroafigueroa9794]

Thank you for mentioning the torque you use in non key áreas. Also I learned that we must use oil in that kind of filters!

[@HotrodRon74]

this is why i dont leave nothing of mine in the rain,,i see a lot of people leave there tractors out in the rain,,and rust to death..i was raised poor,,and i respect something new,,haa,,its not everyday i get something new...course theres people that have money,,,and they think,well if it breaks down we will get a new one..i been there iv heard it...some trash is a poor mans dream..you do good work James bringing these back to life..love watching and learning new things..

[@chrisanderson4799]

Nice fresh driveway James. Looks great!

[@montecorbit8280]

At 13:17 Carb taking a bath.... 1: Poor carb!! Gummed up worse than the bottom of the desks during summer school session!! 2: Carb float floating.... Is there a reason why you just let the float float inside the bath?? I would assume you would put it in with the small parts so that it could be under the bath instead of floating on top, but this is the second or third video that I have seen you just let the float float. Thank You for your time....

[@petergdk]

Love how you revive so many lost machines. That is true environmentalism :) BTW - i bought one of those 2000w camping immersion heaters for my ultrasonic. Mine is 10 liters, so the small 300W hearing element would take forever to get it up to the 60 degrees C i use it at. But with the 2000w heater, it takes only 10 minutes. Had made it so i use it a LOT more. I reuse my solutions and put them in 10 liter sprinkler jugs after each use. So now i have one for carbs (non corrosive aluminium safe), one for oily stuff like chainsaw chains and bike parts, one for Evaporust (work REALLY good in the ultrasonic) and one for finer stuff like jewelry and glasses. I am a big fan of your channel.

[@dukerocket0249]

watched this to replace a carburetor on this exact same unit and it was perfect! Started on the 1st pull. Thanks!!!

[@PeterDurrant]

Nice and straight forward James for a freebie. Brilliant methodical approach yet again. Thanks for inspiring us all to recycle and save👍

[@P_RO_]

This video helped me- I'd forgotten to get a new fuel valve for my generator, and the parts link appears to be exactly what I need. Thanks James 👍

[@jameshedrick605]

Nice work as always. This reminds me that i need to service my generator. I find it kind of funny watching you work on a generator and working on my chainsaw at the same time

[@kengoodwin5906]

I wish you had made this video 2 weeks earlier!! A friend has this exact generator. His air box was also broken. I bought a metal replacement off of Amazon. It was a lot more than $18.50. Wish I new it was a Honda / Predator Clone. Also didn't think to look for the air box part number on the back. Great info as usual!

[@davidmonteil6340]

Great job James! You really made that carb. (even the formerly very rusty bowl) look great and I admire your professionalism and patience. No corny music needed with an engine repair artist like James at work. "Quiet, professional at work:" works for us just fine with your videos. Thanks again buddy! Top notch work.

[@martyb3783]

Great video and great find! It always amazes me how little effort people will put into getting something working, instead, just throw it away. Nice work!

[@DangerLaboratory]

it is just amazing to see engines that don't run run again

[@AndrewLee-cg6uk]

bought one of these about 6 months later a hurricane came thou knocked out power for 3 days... this thing rocked kept my TV fridge a fan... my computer going.... life is good i still got her run her every so often good machine imo

[@jayjudd6518]

❤ Always learning from this guy.

[@Rein_Ciarfella]

Thanks for the heads up in the description about the Harbor Freight cleaner. I had recently heard about this issue but it was unconfirmed. Now I’ll give that one a pass as I work my way down the list of solutions to use in the ultrasonic. Right now I’m trying out Dawn, and so far so good. My test is threefold - does it clean and degrease, does it discolor/corrode aluminum, does it discolor stainless or chromed metals. I want a clean carb that looks as close to new as possible.

[@kellyappel3015]

Nice find. Did forget the suction test on the needle however. Always worth doing before putting carburetor back on motor. If needle holds a vacuum, it won't leak.

[@Rein_Ciarfella]

Doesn’t matter how many videos I watch, I always learn something, even if it’s a very small thing like attaching a fuel line to the intake of an engine-mounted carb to determine if the needle is stuck. Very neat, Jim! I assume if the carb took a fair amount of fuel then you might have just tried to get it to fire.

[@SHO1989]

Always enjoy these videos bringing junk back to a useful state. I have ro admit, when I see this is going to be 35 or 60 minute repair video I wonder if I'll get bored but i never do. Amazing how a small engine repair video can keep my attention and even go by faster than I thought. Says a lot when these repair videos are more engaging than most 30 to 60 minute highly commercial videos.

[@vnhg]

This amazing video helped me restore my non-working generator. Well done and worth every minute. Thank you for posting this!

[@johnhiggins9838]

With distortion that high, I would like to see what the scope would display connected to the brushes. A comparison between a genny with a very low THD vs this one. Most curious indeed!! I can think of other locations to look at with the scope. Thus getting a possible solution to clean up this high THD.

[@ouch1011]

I need to move to one of these places where people leave usable, valuable stuff on the side of the road and people can salvage things from the “dump.” Neither one of those things happen anywhere near where I live!

[@MrBooMY3]

I just picked up a $100 non running Firman 3650 watt 120v only gegerator. Bought the same ultrasonic cleaner you have. Cleaned the carb 2x 15 min and reamed out the jets and emulsion tube. Replaced a few gaskets and the bowl and she runs like new! Ty for giving me the courage to try myself!

[@coolguy21420]

That was one of the best breakdowns of a carburetor that I’ve ever seen. Nice work!

[@jeffreyandreas7514]

Great job as always! Really enjoy your videos and appreciate your knowledge and patience!

[@robertmailhos8159]

Even if the engine was probably not working out at least you got a parts machine that is equipped with a hopefully good a.v.r and power head nice save of a $200 to 300 dollar 💵 generator.all for the price of $20 plus the air filter box plus the air filter

[@barrygrant2907]

Not a good generator for home use maybe, but fine for running lights and hand tools out in the field. Drain valve and airbox, a little carb TLC, and it's a runner. I wonder if the airbox was broken by someone trying to remove it from its tight place. I might have bowed the frame back out a bit where it was dented.

[@benjamincresswell3713]

OK James Condon. Another expert salvage. In my own world, I go ahead and drill out the main orifice .O01" or maybe .002". I have number letter & fraction drills but sometimes I am not able to "find" the matching diameter drill bit, hence I go up to the next size to cancel the surging. It only takes a second w/ a micrometer to figure it out and I've never had a surging or "choking" engine from too much fuel. I believe the fuel is sometimes to blame. Between the engine mgr & my fuel, I believe there is a discrepancy to overcome sometimes. So for emergency use I believe I'm doing well. ben/ michigan

[@johnclyne6350]

That was a quick fix! Your friend has a good small generator to run power tools. Thanks for the great content. 👍🏻

[@brianwood5220]

Very lucky find. Thanks for sharing.

[@christophermarshall5765]

Runs great!! Jason can be confident it will be a good unit.

[@Happyfacehotwheels]

It's amazing what people throw away.

[@r8118830]

I do not recall a generator repairr in which the THD was ever this bad. The gennie needs a health warning on it. Like THD at full load exceeds 30%

[@jcondon1]

It’s definitely one of the worst I can remember.

[@petercolquhoun2086]

What causes the THD to be bad? Poor generator design or the engine not running perfectly smooth?@@jcondon1

[@DemolitionManDemolishes]

@@jcondon1 Looking at the waveform Ive noticed that the generator is clipping at +/- 196V, which for sure generate a good deal of distortion. Makes me wonder if AVR is damaged too, and changing it would improve THD.

[@theking-bh9ph]

I feel confident I can get my working again as of now it won’t start, thanks

[@rongoodrich1541]

I like your video. I just bought 2 generator last week . I fixed one it needed new carburetor and put back together. The guy said it was out of time and backfiring thru the carb. I checked the valves and Exhaust valve was OK. But the intake was tight. I reset the valves and put new carb on and all back together and she runs and makes power. Just got to get a killalot meter to set the speed. The other one he said doesn't make power. But I'll need to get it running first to check it out . Has spark and compression. But wrong carburetor onit . So will get a carb if everything else checks out ok . Thank you for your video. R.w.goodrich disabled veteran

[@wildefox1478]

It's amazing what people throw away, just needed a carb clean and an airbox and this generator lives again, nice work James! The first week of October every year the area where I live has a fall cleanup week where the city picks up bulk garbage people want to get rid of, I always go around and look for mowers and other gas machines. I scored 6 push mowers and a Simplicity Broadmoor lawn tractor powered by a 16HP Briggs Vanguard vtwin, 2 of the push mowers there wasn't anything wrong with them, they fired right up. The riding mower only needed a new battery and it started right up, just craziness.

[@jcondon1]

Nice! Our town used to do the same thing twice a year. Would always find some treasures. Unfortunately the town did away with that a few years back :(

[@2packs4sure]

I fully expected you to build a special fixture to hold those wheels, de-rust and repaint them and maybe do a nice pinstripe or ghost flames,,, oh well..... :)

[@kennethprice1370]

Supersticky RV roofing tape on the back of the airbox, or fiberglass mesh topped with a 2 part resin like JB Weld and a little sandpaper and paimt.

[@mikerossman9863]

While you have the oil drain plug out it’s a good time to add a pipe nipple and a valve to get it past the frame. And no they don’t vibrate enough to bust off. Done it to many of mine and never had a problem.

[@calvarybuilders5689]

It's a good call to replace bad parts, yet would like to see you repair some also, like the fuel petcock. 🙂

[@mikehotchkiss8975]

Is the cause of the thd the powerhead or maybe just the avr. Great video as always

[@Brian60646]

James - Another great video. What happened to your new LOAD TESTER? Was hoping to see you test this generator with it.

[@Kuzzzzman]

Thanks James, another great educational generator video. One of the easier ones that's came into your shop.

[@johnnybgoode6466]

James, you need to have Hearts' song "Magic Man" playing in the background, as this is another occasion when you have worked wonders from the scrap yard....

[@dulaso]

"Plenty of oil, needs to be changed" should be a meme. Love your vids, keep it up 👍

[@robertsimmons3556]

Another Phoenix out of the ashes! Good explanation of THD!! Good post!

[@ericwilliams952]

Anytime, I have a bad gasoline carburetor I swap them out with a new HEPA dual fuel, propane, carburetors love those

[@davidchisham]

I have learned so much watching your great videos . Thanks

[@lavina58]

Awesome job (expert for such motors) 🙌👍👌😊🍀

[@tonym6920]

Very informative as always James, thanks for the vid! 👍👍.

[@offgridmangogrower]

I hear a harmonic on the starter assembly….I just replaced a predator that made more noise than its replacement….a plastic panel was oscillating against the tank…I inserted a piece of leather and it was about 1/2 the noise….I also take a stellite dish and bounce the noise away….

[@terrellscaife2411]

Yeah, I definitely need some help with my generator

[@jonathanlitz2018]

One time i worked on a Coleman generator that was sitting for a long time. I drained the bad gas that stinks, inspected the fuel filter, and replaced the Tecumseh carburetor

[@brunolagace1135]

A lot of those carburetors have a small screen filter after the inlets tube. Every Powermore engine carburetor from MTD do have those screens filters.

[@larrykelly2838]

Great little generator.

[@gerardb.ducoudray8881]

I like the way you use 'fresh ingredient' every you 'soup!'

[@williambikash6645]

On generators that don't idle set the idle to 110 volts with no load. Just hold the throttle against the screw with a warmed up engine and just the volt meter hooked up. It helps to moderate wild surging until the engine warms up. Can't think of any disadvantages.

[@johnallen8680]

Good video ! Hope the part 2 gets made

[@michaelmathews295]

I've used Krud Cutter in my ultrasonic with good results.

[@deannajoseph]

Thank you James, good video

[@dposer10]

You need to get that mixture screw out and clean that passage too. Its gonna be under that plate on the side of the carb between the two posts where the carb goes on the engine. If you don't clean that the carb WILL run lean, all jets in the circuits add up to the carbs fueling, take one away and its lean then.

[@williampugh6699]

In a future video could you show how you attach your scope to the generator?

[@edpagan3336]

Another great job James

[@waynestefinashen239]

Saw on Saturdays live stream with Ken and Stella that you had an aluminium dissolving issue when using the Harbour Freight HD degreaser. Same thing will happen if you use SuperClean which totally dissoved an aluminium carb bowl when i did a test against GreezOff whish is totally aluminium safe and Spray Nine which also appeared safe but did some damage when left for a long period of time. You could see the Super Clean reacting within a short period of time just like the HD degreaser you were using. Note all these tests i did were at full strength not diluted. Not sure GreezOff is ok to use in an ultrasonic cleaner with heated solution, we basically stay with diluted Zep Orange mostly water and Zep Orange to the bottom of the basket without issues.

[@artpeck9272]

I guess the older I get, the more suspicious I get. Have you ever considered that these cheap-but-easy-fix units might be stolen? Why would someone dump a generator that just needs a little love? 🤔 Probably ok, you know the source. Another great video! My wife says I now have no excuse for not fixing the mower or generator.

[@hamop3]

Love it. No excuses now my friend Art

[@maintenanceman1015]

Wondering if you added a Uxcell AC 115/250V 20A CW4L2-20A-S Noise Suppressor Power EMI Filter to one of the 120 lines would that help. I saved a motor with a bad governor with your help. Maybe a video on a filter you might use to clean up the power.

[@eDoc2020]

Those EMI filters probably won't do much of anything here. They're made to block electrical noise which is from tens of kilohertz into megahertz, but the AC power and all the relevant harmonics are well under 1 kilohertz.

[@Kholtz-x8r]

Please do a video on proper grounding of a portable generator ( Generac XG 8000 E ) To a panel with an interlock installed. My particular model says neutral bonded to frame. I am finding conflicting answers online. Thanks. Great content.

[@jcondon1]

Should be floating neutral on the generator in most cases because your main panel has the neutral to ground bond. There should only be one bond in the system. If for some reason there is not ground wire connected from the generator to the main panel then might be ok to have both bonded. Not that would ever be the case. You may have to verify that the interlock connects the generator ground into the main panel.

[@billy123174]

Easy fix for a change usual carb problem good vid

[@guzziwheeler]

James, I do not know what you do with the stale fuel you drain from all theese engines.Do not let them be a disposal problem. After all, it is nothing but hydrocarbons, and they all burn. Filter it, separate the water by putting the plastic bottle in the freezer overnight. The water will freeze, what comes out of the bottle is water-free fuel, which can be used in your gas engined car (in small doses). Cheers from Germany!

[@jcondon1]

I reuse when possible in the car. Just filter it and remove the water. The really bad stuff I am able to recycle.

[@I_M_Nonno]

Simple Green HD pro purple according to the manufacturer is the same formula as Simple Green Aviation. Both are safe on aluminum. The pro purple is half the price.

[@kiplandingham322]

When replacing the carb bowl, should the drain plug be facing in a certain direction? Another great video as always, thanks.

[@99tombstone]

Nice repair plain and simple fix

[@g2theb584]

Just a thought....maybe you could put a video out in regards to THD and some of the best you've seen vs worst? I'm interested in knowing more about that aspect.

[@williamjones4483]

The OCD in me would have had the bottom of that tank cleaned before I installed the new fuel shutoff valve. Also having the extension cord coiled may be causing some issues with unwanted inductance. Cords that carry alternating current should never be coiled or bundled up.

[@alevans51]

Excellent approach.

[@MrKeithsplace]

Thanks James, another great save, although I’d never use that one on the house, that sign wave was ugly, maybe job site for power tools and lights only, not sure I’d even plug a tool charger into that. Could you reply what the scope brand and model is your using?

[@michaelp3076]

James I love your videos they always seem to have just enough info but not too much. I would love it if you could do a short video about the tools you use. I see you have an ultra-sonic cleaner and you use various greases (like the red one) block honing tool and valve lapping tools and paste. it would be nice to know what brands you use and how good they work for you.

[@johnrichardson4214]

Hey, can you locate briggs and stratton q6500 that needs repair and do a video. No where on the internet is a video of how they are fixed. Plus 104 volts at idle and QTP OFF 120 volts. This would really be a great video.

[@johnclarke6647]

Don’t you hate it when the drain plug falls right over the frame, so the oil goes everywhere. I had the same problem on my 5K Briggs. I screwed in a quarter inch NPT extension, so it extends past the frame and put a 90 degree elbow on the end. The old plug screws right into the elbow. I put it up with oil resistant pipe dope. All I have to do now is put a drain pan under the elbow, unscrew the plug and drain the oil. It goes right where I want it to. I had a similar problem on my old rear engine Snapper and did the same thing to it.

[@MitchEllis-e4y]

My carb float pivot pin looks like someone tried to drive it out using a small punch and hammer but in trying to w support the part of the carb that the pin goes through they ended up penning the ends of the pivot pin on both ends. Looks like my only hope to remove it if it come down to that is a dremel with a cutoff disc to get rid of the enlarged ends in the pin then get a new pin if successful. The gas inlet into the carb is badly restricted when you open needle and blow through it with your mouth. I think I’ll try the drill bit trick first. Unfortunately without removing the float you can’t spray backward back through the carb bowl inlet to get any/all loosened debris out. It’s a 9 Hp B&S 185432 series I believe.

[@MitchEllis-e4y]

The float needle shuts flow off but seems restrictive when you try to blow through it and needle is open.

[@SV2LLJ]

Being a follower for some time now,I've seen you having the oil drain problem many times..Why you don't make an extension piece of flexible hose with a plug,so to make your life easier...Nice video though...

[@TheOtherBill]

You can get them ready made, I picked one up and put it on mine, saves a lot of mess. A bit overpriced for what they are but decent quality and not too expensive.

[@Roy_Tellason]

Having some idea of how an alternator works, though I don't really have a handle on those "extra" windings, I don't understand those funky waveforms and that high level of distortion..

[@thatdellguy]

I got that same one in 2012 but its a Champion brand.

[@rovhalgrencparselstedt8343]

I think i heard a whining like a bearing noise during the closeup no load clip, or maybe that was just the brushes on a slightly dirty slip ring.

[@tabelq]

Would clean sliprings / brushes help that horrid THD ?

[@rovhalgrencparselstedt8343]

@@tabelq No thats down to how the power head is constructed, and at what kinda quality level.

[@danielmoose1273]

Excellent Video(!!!) 🙂 ... Informative, Thorough, And Presentation Was Pleasant. Thank You For Posting.

[@akbychoice]

Duromax channel has a video on the Durostar generator. Says in the video it has all copper windings. A guy asked in comments and Duromax(?) replied the Durostar has aluminum windings. Who is lying? The voice over or the reply in comments?

[@Tiktokrefugee69]

When the lift was going down I thought the purge was happening. 😂

[@stephensklein6952]

The wave form looked more like Grand Teton than a sine wave. Wow. Doesnt look like that genset saw any ethanol either. Probably what saved the carb.

[@Dustin_the_wind]

Thanks James.