Honda generators
zxcvbob
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.
Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?
I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.
I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.
Thanks,
Bob
Mike Dobony
My brother-in-law has a Honda generator he aquired several years ago, 15 or
so, and it is still going strong and is very quiet. We were on a island
several years ago when he heard someone in the wee hours of the morning, so
he got up, gave it one pull, and the lights went on. They didn't even know
it was from a generator! If I had the money I would go for the Honda.
z
@mid.individual.net:
> I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
> (best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
> bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.
>
> Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
> hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
> But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
> the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
> situation. Know any good dealers?
>
> I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
> Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only
rated
> about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
> extended power outage.
>
I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4 years
of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
timing belt which you can fix. We used the crap out of them and they'll
keep starting, and the power is clean and they're quiet as hell... and
sip the fuel.
If you only need 2000 watts and can afford them they are the way to go.
I've had the best deals from my local honda dealer.
I'm a big fan of these gens.. and they're light .. basically they kick
ass.
I think I paid around a grand for the last one .. like $960 or something,
but this was several years ago.
Vaughn Simon
"zxcvbob" <zxc...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:6jglidF...@mid.individual.net...
Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.
Join the EU2000i Yahoo group
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Honda_EU2000_Generators/
and ask there where folks are buying lately. I have seen new EUs on e-bay, but
I am not quite brave enough to send that kind of money to a blind account and
get...what?
I own one, they are great products. I bought mine here: http://www.sunelec.com/
Give them a call and get a price. Let us know where you finally buy.
--
Vaughn
........................................................
Nothing personal, but if you are posting through Google Groups I may not receive
your message. Google refuses to control the flood of spam messages originating
in their system, so on any given day I may or may not have Google blocked. Try
a real NNTP server & news reader program and you will never go back. All you
need is access to an NNTP server (AKA "news server") and a news reader program.
You probably already have a news reader program in your computer (Hint: Outlook
Express). Assuming that your Usenet needs are modest, use
http://news.aioe.org/ for free and/or http://www.teranews.com/ for a one-time
$3.95 setup fee.
.........................................................
Will poofread for food.
Neon John
>I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
>(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
>bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.
>
>Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
>hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
>But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
>the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
>situation. Know any good dealers?
Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator (most
people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because of the honda
thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha doesn't have that
same price-fixing attitude of honda.
>
>I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
>Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
>about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
>extended power outage.
>
>I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
>contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
>they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
>problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.
Before you buy a generator and before I can offer any advice you need to
identify what you want to do with it. Sit down, ask yourself that, write it
down and post it. Then we can look at some possibilities.
John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Daddy, why doesn't this magnet pick up this floppy?
Vaughn Simon
"Neon John" <n...@never.com> wrote in message
news:bv77d41f8s4jrs0a3...@4ax.com...
> Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator (most
> people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because of the honda
> thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha doesn't have that
> same price-fixing attitude of honda.
I bought two 1000 watt Yamaha inverter generators for my employer (initially
chose Yamaha because they were a bit cheaper & fit within my corporate credit
card limit). They are wonderful jewels! Yamaha is every bit as good as Honda.
Vaughn
dpb
...
> Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
> and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
> for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.
And why should a company not be allowed to set whatever policies for
their dealers/products they wish?
Surely if this particular peccadillo of yours were particularly
user-belligerent it would be self-defeating and correct itself...
--
starrin
>hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
>But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
>the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
>situation. Know any good dealers?
you have one nearby
www2.northerntool.com/generators.htm
specs, etc will be in there
The reason, to me, that you want a Honda generator is that you want
the Honda engine. I have one of their Honda-powered Northstar
generators and it has proven reliable since 2000. Have run it for 8
days during Isabel with a tree on the house. Just used it when a tree
felled by remains of a storm took out power, phone, cable.
No problems, ever.
YMMV
starrin
ransley
The honda can last 15000 hours if run easy, RPM is load dependant so
at 100w it might only run 900 rpm, it also has as clean or cleaner
power then your utility co, alt.energy.homepower is where folks are
that have gotten 15000 hours, bull full load it and maybe you get
2-3000
Stormin Mormon
No prices? Plenty listed on a google product search.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"zxcvbob" <zxc...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:6jglidF...@mid.individual.net...
Tony Hwang
I live in COLD climate. One thing about Honda, it is very easy to start
even in VERY cold weather. I never heard Honda engine dying after 500
hours of use. When I had camping trailer, I had small one which did it's
job beyond satisfaction.
Stormin Mormon
fuel so you can run LPG.
http://www.google.com/products?q=+Honda+EU2000i+&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"AJH" <ne...@sylva.icuklive.co.uk> wrote in message
news:7497d4ha4f6jnlcmi...@4ax.com...
Can they be run in parallel?
Z has given figures for Honda eu2000 life, I have had similar life for
a Honda engined generic genset, do you think Yamaha will be as long
lived?
Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?
AJH
Stormin Mormon
dollars. I can get several ETQ brand generators for that money.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Vaughn Simon" <vaughnsimo...@att.FAKE.net> wrote in
Tony Hwang
> "zxcvbob" <zxc...@charter.net> wrote in message
> news:6jglidF...@mid.individual.net...
>
> Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
> and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
> for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.
>
> Join the EU2000i Yahoo group
> http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Honda_EU2000_Generators/
> and ask there where folks are buying lately. I have seen new EUs on e-bay, but
> I am not quite brave enough to send that kind of money to a blind account and
> get...what?
>
> I own one, they are great products. I bought mine here: http://www.sunelec.com/
> Give them a call and get a price. Let us know where you finally buy.
>
>
There are many dompanies doing that. Not only Honda.
Mike Dobony
> The (below) link does show some parallel kits. Also lighting kit, and tri
> fuel so you can run LPG.
>
> http://www.google.com/products?q=+Honda+EU2000i+&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en
I like the idea of LPG. You don't have fuel sitting in the tank or carb or
anything. A little oil fog at shutdown for storage and it is good to go
next time. With gas or diesel you have greater potential for fuel
problems.
Vaughn Simon
"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gb0d5c$e5i$1...@registered.motzarella.org...
> I can get several ETQ brand generators for that money.
Apples and oranges. I could have bought several tents for the price of my
home.
Vaughn
Vaughn Simon
I have no direct experience, but this company
http://www.yamaha-propane-natural-gas-generators.com/ claims to be
factory-authorized to sell new/warrantied Yamaha generators pre-converted to LPG
or tri-fuel. They also sell kits.
Vaughn
ransley
> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:32:03 -0400, Stormin Mormon wrote:
> > The (below) link does show some parallel kits. Also lighting kit, and tri
> > fuel so you can run LPG.
>
>
> I like the idea of LPG. You don't have fuel sitting in the tank or carb or
> anything. A little oil fog at shutdown for storage and it is good to go
> next time. With gas or diesel you have greater potential for fuel
> problems.
The TRI fuel kits are great you can even run them off home NG at a
cheaper cost.
Cydrome Leader
> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:33 -0500, zxcvbob <zxc...@charter.net> wrote:
>
>>I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
>>(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
>>bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.
>>
>>Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
>>hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
>>But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
>>the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
>>situation. Know any good dealers?
>
> Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator (most
> people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because of the honda
> thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha doesn't have that
> same price-fixing attitude of honda.
It is obnoxious to find honda stuff online, as they seem to not want their
dealers to sell outside their territory. For just plain engines, I like a
place called Helmuth Repair. They don't pull shipping price scams either.
What's better about the yamaha generators? Are these the ones with a blue
housing?
ransley
mkir...@rochester.rr.com
> But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
> the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
> situation. Know any good dealers?
Honda has a good thing and they know it. Nobody else can come close to
the reliability, durability, sound level, and power quality, even
though they claim to do so, and price their products accordingly.
What Honda is doing is encouraging you to work through local dealers
rather than allowing online companies to blatantly undercut the local
dealers. They do it because they can.
This is pro mom-n-pop stores, not anti-consumer.
If you have a camping world in your area, and know someone with a
president's club card, you can get the 2000 for $929, IIRC.
zxcvbob
That tri-fuel model looks very interesting. I also like that it is
surge-rated to 6000W. It's heavier than I wanted... I'll have to think
about it. Thanks.
Bob
z
> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:33 -0500, zxcvbob <zxc...@charter.net>
> wrote:
>
>>I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years
>>ago (best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken
>>the bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.
>>
>>Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
>>hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
>>But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
>>the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
>>situation. Know any good dealers?
>
> Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator
> (most people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because
> of the honda thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha
> doesn't have that same price-fixing attitude of honda.
>
I like the yamaha's too.. the newer ones. I got onto the honda only
because the yamaha I bought had a problem with the inverter when they
first came out with an inverter model. Much MUCH line noise. Yamaha
fixed that but by that time I was a honda guy.
If I was going to start out fresh I'd give the Yamaha a hard look no
doubt.
zxcvbob
In alt.energy.homepower Neon John <n...@never.com> wrote:
> Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator
> (most people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because
> of the honda thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha
> doesn't have that same price-fixing attitude of honda.
I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors,
refrigerator, TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during
an extended power outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the
same thing except a 8000 BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.
I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a
couple of hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that.
I think I could get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W
continuous power. I could certainly get by with it a lot better than I
could with no generator at all.
The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to
a job site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.
I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is
so reliable. But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been
living off a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how
fast it burns up the gasoline they had stored. One gas station just
opened up for business again a couple of days ago (all the other
stations are still closed because they don't have power) and you have to
wait for hours in line at the one Exxon station and hope they don't run
out before you get to the front of the line. We don't get hurricanes up
here, but we do get tornadoes and ice storms (usually not at the same time)
That's why the tri-fuel conversion looks mighty good.
Bob
ransley
1600 watt, you will tax it to a short life and may not get everything
running at once. A furnace figure 375-425 watts with 600 surge, A
frige figure 120-500 watts with 1000 surge in defrost cycle my old
frige uses near 600 watts, TV 150 -300 w. You need to calculate surge
load and have at least 1000 watts reserve. A unit that small will be
under near 100% stress load and things dont last long stressed. Hondas
site has a good page on run and surge load of different apliances. To
be correct you need to test everything for load and surge draw first.
Old apliances and things nearing end of life can have surge loads
Tripple, that could realy hurt you unit. There is also voltage swing,
unless its a inverter honda a small gen will be hard to control to run
everything safely
Vaughn Simon
>
> I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors, refrigerator,
> TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during an extended power
> outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the same thing except a 8000
> BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.
If you expect that the EU will normally be loaded above 1000 watts, you will
get little benefit from the inverter technology. The really great thing about
the inverter units is that they modulate engine speed depending on load. Over
about 60% load (the EU 2000 is really only rated at 1600 watts) your EU will be
reving like any other generator, and you will have given up most of the reason
for all of that extra electronics, co$t, and complexity.
> I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a couple of
> hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that. I think I could
> get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W continuous power. I could
> certainly get by with it a lot better than I could with no generator at all.
You are thinking about load management...good!
>
> The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to a job
> site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.
True, but be sure to chain the thing down!
>
> I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is so
> reliable. But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been living off
> a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how fast it burns up the
> gasoline they had stored. One gas station just opened up for business again a
> couple of days ago (all the other stations are still closed because they don't
> have power) and you have to wait for hours in line
Yes. I live in hurricane country, and the above is why my generator runs on
natural gas with propane as a backup. Few folks think about the fuel
consumption of their generators. I have seen people buy generators and not even
bother to buy a gas can! At 1 gallon ($4.00) per hour, nearly $100/day (IF you
can find the gas at all), I am sure that there are many folks in Texas today who
would gladly pay MSRP for something like an EU2000i.
Vaughn
zxcvbob
Vaughn Simon wrote:
> "zxcvbob" <zxc...@charter.net> wrote in message
> news:6ji4lgF...@mid.individual.net...
>> I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors, refrigerator,
>> TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during an extended power
>> outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the same thing except a 8000
>> BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.
>
> If you expect that the EU will normally be loaded above 1000 watts, you will
> get little benefit from the inverter technology. The really great thing about
> the inverter units is that they modulate engine speed depending on load. Over
> about 60% load (the EU 2000 is really only rated at 1600 watts) your EU will be
> reving like any other generator, and you will have given up most of the reason
> for all of that extra electronics, co$t, and complexity.
The refrigerator doesn't run all the time, it cycles on/off. And I
/might/ not have to run the A/C. Even running a few hundred fewer RPM's
for half the runtime has got to be easier on the engine. I expect it
will be running less than 1000W most of the time, but I wonder if it has
enough surge capacity (The Yamaha 2400 is an honest 2000W inverter and
it's rated 6000W for 3 seconds. I like that. It also weighs a lot
more; not sure if it can be shipped UPS Ground.)
I need to wait another couple of weeks for Texas to be powered-up again,
then start calling the generator dealers. Especially the ones in
Wisconsin because it's not so far/expensive to ship from there.
Bob
ransley
> Vaughn Simon wrote:
> > "zxcvbob" <zxcv...@charter.net> wrote in message
How are you hooking it up, you realy need a transfer panel with what
you plan on using, At Lowes I got a Generac 5500-7500 gen for 600$
with a free pre wired 6 circuit with 2 amp meter transfer panel. Your
usage puts you at least in the 3000w range
m II
> The honda can last 15000 hours if run easy, RPM is load dependant so
> at 100w it might only run 900 rpm, it also has as clean or cleaner
> power then your utility co, alt.energy.homepower is where folks are
> that have gotten 15000 hours, bull full load it and maybe you get
> 2-3000
That 15000 hours is more likely with a slow diesel or a water cooled gas
engine. I'd venture to say the Honda is more realistically rated at 2 to
3 thousand hours maximum, as compared to Briggs and Stratton's 500 hundred.
mike
Vaughn Simon
>
> The refrigerator doesn't run all the time, it cycles on/off. And I /might/
> not have to run the A/C. Even running a few hundred fewer RPM's for half the
> runtime has got to be easier on the engine. I expect it will be running less
> than 1000W most of the time, but I wonder if it has enough surge capacity (The
> Yamaha 2400 is an honest 2000W inverter and it's rated 6000W for 3 seconds. I
> like that. It also weighs a lot more; not sure if it can be shipped UPS
> Ground.)
For what it is worth, I did some tests with a little 1000 watt Yamaha
inverter generator. It ran my big 'fridge with a few hundred watts left over
for computers and things. (In the defrost cycle however, it had to run full
blast with everything else disconnected.) I forget the exact results, but it
would run a normal refrigerator forever on a single gallon of gas. With that
unit, you could keep your food cold keep a few lights on & run your TV for the
evening on one gallon per day. It was so quiet that your neighbors would not
even know you had a generator. Amazing.
Vaughn
ransley
I have talked to people that claim near 15000 on campers. The reason
is simple, the EU is not a 3600 rpm unit unless its full load, RPM is
load dependant. Put it on a camper to run a few hundred watts and the
3500 watt unit might turn 900 rpm. At 900 RPM it might just last 50000
hours. There is a 900 rpm Deisel made in India that are known to last
100,000 hours. But load up a EU and 1500 - 2000 hours might ruin it.
Take a car on a race track it might not last a day, drive it easy it
might last 150000 miles. Tecumpsee and B&S non ohv 3600 rpm motors
might only go 3-350 hours, mine did.
zxcvbob
zxcvbob wrote:
>
> (The Yamaha 2400 is an honest 2000W inverter and
> it's rated 6000W for 3 seconds. I like that. It also weighs a lot
> more; not sure if it can be shipped UPS Ground.)
>
I may have the Yamaha 2400i and 2800i models mixed up re: that 6000W thing.
I've done some searching and there are places that will ship them for
reasonable shipping costs (like free), and they are both convertible to
NG/LPG. They cost about the same, weigh about the same, but the 2800 is
about 10 dB louder (that's a big difference.)
I wonder if I could run it *inside* my detached garage to keep it out of
the weather and keep it from "walking off", and use some kind of powered
exhaust vent...
Bob
terry
> >news:7497d4ha4f6jnlcmi...@4ax.com...
> >> Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?
>
> > I have no direct experience, but this company
> > factory-authorized to sell new/warrantied Yamaha generators pre-converted to LPG
> > or tri-fuel. They also sell kits.
>
> > Vaughn
>
> That tri-fuel model looks very interesting. I also like that it is
> surge-rated to 6000W. It's heavier than I wanted... I'll have to think
> about it. Thanks.
>
> Bob
Re the above discussion of Honda versus Yamaha.
Is it not interesting that some of the best products (generators,
motor cycles, cars, electronics etc.) come from Japan; one of the
countries with high wages, and one of the most expensive to live in in
the world!
Back before WWII Japanese goods were considered tinny and cheap, same
as Chinese and certain other Asian goods are viewed today.
Just wait until the Chinese, as they are rapidly doing, improve the
quality of their products and raise their standard of living, along
with competition from India.
The rest of the 'Old World' won't get a look in!
So long British bicycles, German cars, US electronics and electrics
etc.!
For some time certain 'quality products' such as custom built yachts
and fine furniture, have been produced in places such as Hong Kong,
once again part of China.
Makes on think, eh?
Boden
(PeteCresswell)
>I wonder if I could run it *inside* my detached garage to keep it out of
>the weather and keep it from "walking off", and use some kind of powered
>exhaust vent...
How detached is "detached".
I'd be worried to the fringes of paranoia about carbon monoxide.
As far as the gennie goes, I've run mine in my garden shed (about
75' from the house) with no problems. OTOH, a garage is a lot
nicer/cleaner environment to begin with and smell/exhaust fumes
settling on things might be an issue. But as far as the
generator being able to breathe goes, the garden shed seems tb
ok. Roof line vent, couple jalousie windows, about 6 x 10 feet
floor space.
--
PeteCresswell
zxcvbob
IIRC it's about 20 x 25 feet, with a high "ceiling" and open rafters.
Couple of small windows in the back, and a double garage door that could
be left cracked open an inch. It's about 20' from the house.
I use an unvented forced-air [kerosene] heater in there sometimes with
no problems. I would probably add a 1600 cfm electric gable vent at the
back, but that would be really handy anyway in the summer.
Bob
Neon John
>
>In alt.energy.homepower Neon John <n...@never.com> wrote:
>
>> Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator
>> (most people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because
>> of the honda thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha
>> doesn't have that same price-fixing attitude of honda.
>
>
>I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors,
>refrigerator, TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during
>an extended power outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the
>same thing except a 8000 BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.
> I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a
>couple of hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that.
> I think I could get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W
>continuous power. I could certainly get by with it a lot better than I
>could with no generator at all.
>
>The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to
>a job site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.
Your parents' experience with the gas hog is one reason why I asked the
question. Far too many people find out the hard way about how much fuel it
takes to keep a 4 or 5kW generator running.
Unless you go for the very high dollar 3 or 4kW versions, an inverter
generator isn't a good match for your load mix. The reason is that they have
no surge reserve. That is, no motor starting reserve.
For instance, the EU2000 has a continuous rating of 1,600 VA (nice little fib
there in the model number) but a peak of only 2000 VA. A momentary load, say,
starting the compressor of the AC, of even a tiny bit over 2000 VA and the
inverter shuts down, requiring an engine stop and restart.
A conventional generator, OTOH, may slow down a little and dip the voltage but
it will supply much more surge current than its nominal full load rating. In
isolation, an EU2000 or Yamaha equivalent would probably run any of the items
you mentioned (minor question on the AC) The problem is trying to run several
loads at once.
For instance, you might have the lights, a PC and the refrigerator running
when the little AC tries to start. There simply isn't enough headroom left to
do the job.
Yamaha has addressed this problem with their "boost" technology that uses the
cranking battery to supply surge current
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/products/modelhome/444/home.aspx
But this is a high dollar generator.
What I recommend is to get two different generators: a little 1kW unit to run
your lights, PC and other light loads and a larger one, say 2500 watts, for
the AC, furnace blower and perhaps the refrigerator. (depending on the fridge,
it might run on the 1kW unit.)
The 1 kW unit which just sips fuel, can be run all the time. The larger
generator can either be started and stopped as needed or can use the no-load
idle-down feature that almost all constant-speed generators have to return to
idle when no load is applied.
Buying chicom generators, you can get two for less than the price of one big
name inverter generator. The 1kW 2-stroke unit that Northern Tool and others
sell for as little as $99 does a fine job. I have two of 'em. One of those
will start and run my electric lawn mower, something my 2,500 watt inverter
will not do. A 4-stroke version is about double that price but, IMO, not
worth it. The 2-stroke version is fairly quiet and with "no smoke" oil like
Northern Tool sells, emits almost no fumes.
Harbor Freight, Pep Boys and many other similar places sell a nice little 2500
watt generator in the $300 range. Some versions use a honda clone engine
manufactured under license from Honda. (I know the Pep Boys one does, not
sure about the rest) Here's Harbor Freight's version:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92456
If you dedicate the 2500 watt unit to the AC, furnace fan and perhaps the
refrigerator then it can idle down when there is no load, further conserving
fuel.
If you really just want 1 generator then I'd go with something in the 2500
watt class.
John
>
>I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is
>so reliable. But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been
>living off a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how
>fast it burns up the gasoline they had stored. One gas station just
>opened up for business again a couple of days ago (all the other
>stations are still closed because they don't have power) and you have to
>wait for hours in line at the one Exxon station and hope they don't run
>out before you get to the front of the line. We don't get hurricanes up
>here, but we do get tornadoes and ice storms (usually not at the same time)
>
>That's why the tri-fuel conversion looks mighty good.
>
>Bob
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Vegetarian - Indian word for "poor hunter".
Neon John
>The refrigerator doesn't run all the time, it cycles on/off. And I
>/might/ not have to run the A/C. Even running a few hundred fewer RPM's
>for half the runtime has got to be easier on the engine. I expect it
>will be running less than 1000W most of the time, but I wonder if it has
>enough surge capacity (The Yamaha 2400 is an honest 2000W inverter and
>it's rated 6000W for 3 seconds. I like that. It also weighs a lot
>more; not sure if it can be shipped UPS Ground.)
Thing is, the inverter generator engines actually turn FASTER with significant
load than a constant speed generator. For example, per the manual, the EU2000
turns 5000 RPM at full load. They don't give any indication in the manual as
to what the load vs speed slope is but from first hand experience, it doesn't
take much load to get the engine spinning rapidly.
>
>I need to wait another couple of weeks for Texas to be powered-up again,
>then start calling the generator dealers. Especially the ones in
>Wisconsin because it's not so far/expensive to ship from there.
Check around the net. Many of the larger generator dealers offer free
shipping.
John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
There is nothing more frightening than active ignorance. ~Goethe
Neon John
>IIRC it's about 20 x 25 feet, with a high "ceiling" and open rafters.
>Couple of small windows in the back, and a double garage door that could
>be left cracked open an inch. It's about 20' from the house.
>
>I use an unvented forced-air [kerosene] heater in there sometimes with
>no problems. I would probably add a 1600 cfm electric gable vent at the
>back, but that would be really handy anyway in the summer.
>
>Bob
Power failures up here in the mountains are practically a weekly affair so my
generators get quite a workout. I roll my big one (either 5.5 kW Generac
Quiet Pack or 10kW homemade diesel, depending on which fuel is the least cost
at the moment) out 50 ft away from my cabin and I STILL get CO build-up in the
cabin when the outside air is still.
I use a NightHawk CO detector, the rectangular one with the digital readout.
It only takes a couple of hours sometimes to register >50 ppm in the cabin. I
have a whole-house fan that I can run periodically to clear the air (windows
on the other end of the cabin open) but that's a pain, especially in hot
weather.
I'm going to have to do something to address this problem, as I can't go to
sleep with the generator running for fear the house will load up with CO and I
won't wake up. I'll probably make a vertical stack taller than my cabin that
connects to the generator's exhaust.
I'd be VERY wary of running a generator inside any type of closed building
absent the exhaust being plumbed outside and verified air-tight. I'd much
rather roll the genny away from the house and sling a chain around it and a
tree if you're afraid of it growing legs.
John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made with meat?
bw
> IIRC it's about 20 x 25 feet, with a high "ceiling" and open rafters.
> Couple of small windows in the back, and a double garage door that could
> be left cracked open an inch. It's about 20' from the house.
>
> I use an unvented forced-air [kerosene] heater in there sometimes with no
> problems. I would probably add a 1600 cfm electric gable vent at the
> back, but that would be really handy anyway in the summer.
>
> Bob
Don't do it. The old Maytag washing machine engines had a metal hose to
direct the exhaust outside. Similar to how dryers exhaust through a duct. In
winter auto garages would test engines with a hose over the exhast pipe and
directed outside through a port.
Blattus Slafaly
> I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
> (best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
> bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.
>
> Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
> hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
> But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
> the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
> situation. Know any good dealers?
>
> Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
> about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
> extended power outage.
>
> I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
> contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
> they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
> problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.
>
> Thanks,
> Bob
Try NorthernTools.com
--
Blattus Slafaly ? 3 :) 7/8
Erma1ina
Hi, Bob. I'm a real fan of the Honda EU2000i. In a couple of earlier
threads I posted stuff about my experiences with it. Rather than repeat,
here are the links to three of those posts:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.home.repair/msg/89eaab218c37adac
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.home.repair/msg/112fb99d397f47b3
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.home.repair/msg/b61e11de67a6b740
As far as pricing goes, I found a good price at a local Honda dealer. If
you go to the Honda website, you can find what dealers sell/service
generators. Here's the link to that
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/dealerlocator/
Good luck.
Ulysses
> I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
> (best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
> bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.
>
> Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
> hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
> But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
> the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
> situation. Know any good dealers?
Honda will supposedly yank their distributorship if they list prices lower
than retail. Last time I looked they were going for about $900.
>
> I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
> Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
> about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
> extended power outage.
>
I had one eu2000 last about 12,000 hours and the second one lasted about
7500 hours. They both were running about 1/3 throttle most of the time.
Instead of buying another one (got kinda pissed off at Honda) I bit my
tongue and bought a cheap Chinese 2000 watt genny from Pep Boys for less
than $200. It's not as quiet and portable as the eu2000 but it has over
2700 hours on it and still runs great and has more power than the eu2000.
Not so good for microwaves and such but works fine for most things.
I also have a 5000 watt genny powered by a Honda GX engine and at around 600
hours the ignition coil went out ($45 generic) and at about 2000 hours the
exhaust valve broke and punched the piston. That cost about $65 for parts.
Also, the muffler holes stripped out and I had to re-tap them and use bigger
screws. Oh yea, right after I replaced the piston and valve the governor
gear wore out and that required splitting the case again. That part was
only about $15. Given all that the engine is fine now and I use it
reguarly.
Ulysses
I once ran a 24 cu/ft side-by-side refrigerator for about 13 hours with one
tank (one gallon) of gas with an eu2000.
If you need something just a little bigger Yamaha has (or had) an inverter
generator around 2700 or 2800 watts which might deserve a close look.
Ulysses
I have a rather roomy 3-car detached garage and I regularly run a 5000 watt
genny in there with no additional ventilation other than opening the two big
doors a foot or so, opening the small door and the window opposite the door.
If I have any brain damage from exhaust fumes I can't tell.
> Bob
Ulysses
"Neon John" <n...@never.com> wrote in message
news:u9q8d4ta63jmpj0i9...@4ax.com...
I never run my generator inside my garage when I'm asleep. But I'm
completely off-grid so I only use my generator to charge my batteries and
run everything from inverters. One OutBack 3600 watt inverter will run a
lot of stuff and doesn't cost all THAT much $$$. Add their X240
autotransformer and you can run a well pump or other 240 volt loads. They
have all kinds of settings and controls so you can autostart a genny when
the batteries are low and set it to not come on during the "quiet time."
Martin Riddle
"Ulysses" <eatm...@spamola.com/> wrote in message news:5wdBk.855$sQ1...@fe115.usenetserver.com...
<snip>
>
Cheers
Vaughn Simon
> I had one eu2000 last about 12,000 hours and the second one lasted about
> 7500 hours. They both were running about 1/3 throttle most of the time.
> Instead of buying another one (got kinda pissed off at Honda) I bit my
> tongue and bought a cheap Chinese 2000 watt genny from Pep Boys for less
> than $200.
I wonder how long that Chinese generator would run that same side-by-side
refrigerator on a gallon of gas? I am guessing it would only be a fraction of
the 13 hours you got from the EU2000? When you are talking thousands of hours
on $4.00 gas, I wonder if you still wouldn't be better off with an inverter
generator in the long run.
On the other hand, if you are now normally using your generator at 80%
capacity to charge your batteries, that is a whole different deal.
Vaughn
Jim
with tax incentives, initiatives and in the Caribbean Basin
Initiative, they picked up the tab with your tax dollar, cost the
factories nothing. Cost us 5,000,000 manufacturing jobs, and
the traitors in Washington are still at it with GATT, NAFTA and
now the NAA. It's all carefully planned, to lower your living
standard to that of the lowest Peruvian peasant.
Americans are dumber than rocks..
Stormin Mormon
is good to know about the cheaper ETQ.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Vaughn Simon" <vaughnsimo...@att.FAKE.net> wrote in message
news:UXOAk.227736$102....@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gb0d5c$e5i$1...@registered.motzarella.org...
> I can get several ETQ brand generators for that money.
Apples and oranges. I could have bought several tents for the price of
my
home.
Vaughn
Stormin Mormon
I'm likely to need.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"m II" <C...@in.the.hat> wrote in message news:evSAk.643$T65.575@edtnps82...
Stormin Mormon
oil do you use? And how often you do oil changes?
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Ulysses" <eatm...@spamola.com/> wrote in message
news:ajdBk.331$t%4....@fe089.usenetserver.com...
I bit my
Gary H
<cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote:
>"m II" <C...@in.the.hat> wrote in message news:evSAk.643$T65.575@edtnps82...
>
>That 15000 hours is more likely with a slow diesel or a water cooled gas
>engine. I'd venture to say the Honda is more realistically rated at 2 to
>3 thousand hours maximum, as compared to Briggs and Stratton's 500 hundred.
500 hundred? That's 50,000. Did you really mean that?
BTW, posting stuff AFTER the sig is not a good idea. When someone uses
a newsreader that handles the sig separator properly, it interferes
with quoting.
ransley
> On Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:43:11 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
>
> >"m II" <C...@in.the.hat> wrote in messagenews:evSAk.643$T65.575@edtnps82...
>
> >That 15000 hours is more likely with a slow diesel or a water cooled gas
> >engine. I'd venture to say the Honda is more realistically rated at 2 to
> >3 thousand hours maximum, as compared to Briggs and Stratton's 500 hundred.
>
> 500 hundred? That's 50,000. Did you really mean that?
>
> BTW, posting stuff AFTER the sig is not a good idea. When someone uses
> a newsreader that handles the sig separator properly, it interferes
> with quoting.
Ive had B&S worthless at 400, he meant 500 hours.
m II
Yes..I did. What's depressing is that I had plenty of practice using
single digits when posting the 2 or 3 thousand hour figures. Not only am
I getting senile, but blind too. I see no sig separator markings
anywhere in my response.
Sig separator follows:
--
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
/ /\ / /\ / /\ / /\ / /\ / /\ / /\ / /
/ /\ \/ /\ \/This space for rent/\ \/ /\ \/ /
/_/ \/_/ \/_/ \/_/ \/_/ \/_/ \/_/ \/_/
Densa International©
For the OTHER two percent.
'Think tanks cleaned cheap'
Due to the insane amount of spam and garbage,
I block all postings with a Gmail, Google Mail,
Google Groups or HOTMAIL address.
I also filter everything from a .cn server.
For solutions which may work for you, please check:
http://improve-usenet.org/
Ulysses
> Two thousand, seven hundred hours off a Chinky generator? What kind of
motor
> oil do you use? And how often you do oil changes?
Well, I *was* using Valvoline 10W30 exclusively until oil got up to about
$36 a case and now I use whatever is on sale and comes with a rebate as long
as it has the name of a major oil company on the label (or Valvoline when I
can get a good deal). The manual recommends oil changes every 50 hours but
I stretch it to about 70.
Ulysses
>
> "Ulysses" <eatm...@spamola.com/> wrote in message
> news:ajdBk.331$t%4....@fe089.usenetserver.com...
> > I had one eu2000 last about 12,000 hours and the second one lasted about
> > 7500 hours. They both were running about 1/3 throttle most of the time.
> > Instead of buying another one (got kinda pissed off at Honda) I bit my
> > tongue and bought a cheap Chinese 2000 watt genny from Pep Boys for less
> > than $200.
>
> I wonder how long that Chinese generator would run that same
side-by-side
> refrigerator on a gallon of gas? I am guessing it would only be a
fraction of
> the 13 hours you got from the EU2000? When you are talking thousands of
hours
> on $4.00 gas, I wonder if you still wouldn't be better off with an
inverter
> generator in the long run.
If you are only running the refrigerator then the inverter genny would
certainly use a lot less gas. I'm guessing the Cheap Chinese 2000 watt unit
would only run a few hours on one gallon. Six of one and a half dozen of
the other. Personally I use the genny mainly for battery charging via an
OutBack inverter so it would be running full speed most of the time. I
figured at around 2500 hours (or something like that) the Chinese beat the
Japanese as far as value per dollar spent to buy the thing goes. Once the
cylinider and rings are worn out I suspect the Chinese engine can be rebuilt
IF I can find the parts. It has an OHV engine that looks exactly like the
Honda GX engine as far as the diagrams are concerned and I would not be
surprised if Honda parts didn't fit right in there. I have not taken apart
any of my Chinese engines yet so I don't know if the quality is there and I
will say that the insides of Honda GX engines look like they were built to
last.
I have an electric chain saw so I need to haul a small generator to my
wood-cutting site and an eu2000 is a lot more portable than my UST GG2300
but it's not all that much trouble to put it in the back of a pickup. At
least it's not worth the other $700 to me for what I'm doing. I have a
worn-out eu2000 and if they ever make a replacement engine available for a
reasonable amount I'll consider fixing it as they are very good generators
and extremely quiet. But then the GG2300 is not particularly loud.
Jim Wilkins
>
> I have an electric chain saw so I need to haul a small generator to my
> wood-cutting site and an eu2000 is a lot more portable than my UST GG2300
> but it's not all that much trouble to put it in the back of a pickup.
My electric chain saw is such a POS that I looked for convenient ways
to cut up firewood with the gas saws. The Husqvarna is really too big,
loud and powerful but the small MacCulloch is civilized enough to cut
rather than throw branches as long as I don't file the rakers down.
Those are the protrusions between the cutting teeth that control depth
of cut.
I made two folding sawbucks, X's connected by 2x4s, put the log on
them and cut about 8' at a time. If the log isn't too heavy I put the
sawbucks in the trailer so the cut pieces fall into the bed. The saw's
idle is set low enough that the chain doesn't move when I set it down
on a clear spot to move the log. The noise isn't a problem here, the
neighbors are bikers and construction workers with their own chain
saws.
Stormin Mormon
was the only brand that quieted the knock for more than two days. So, now, I
favor Castrol.
--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
"Ulysses" <eatm...@spamola.com/> wrote in message
news:IePBk.73$3F2...@fe117.usenetserver.com...
zxcvbob
Stormin Mormon wrote:
> I agree. However, if you want to provide 1,000 watts for a couple hours, it
> is good to know about the cheaper ETQ.
>
I'm leaning towards the Yamaha 2400i. 25% more capacity than the Honda,
and a lot quieter than the Yamaha 2800i (the 2800i seems like the best
deal if you don't mind the extra 10dB noise, which is still relatively
quiet for a small genset.) I like that the Yamahas have a petcock on
the fuel line, and they are convertible to NP, and while they are a lot
heavier than the Honda they are still luggable by one person (the extra
weight might be a *good* thing -- means a preteen girl is not likely to
steal it ;-) )
I'm the original titewad, but this should be one of those lifetime
purchases.
I can't find a dealer locally (maybe Cabela's, 40 miles away, I haven't
called them) so I guess I'll have to order one online.
Thanks guys,
Bob
Ulysses
"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gb4cj1$t0r$1...@registered.motzarella.org...
motor
> oil do you use? And how often you do oil changes?
Let me try this again--I responded a couple of days ago and my replies got
lost somewhere in cyberspace
I used to use Valvoline 10W30 until oil got up to about $36/case. Now I use
whatever is the best deal as long as it has the name of a major oil company
on the label. The manufacturer recommends changing the oil every 50 hours
but I generally stretch that to about 70.
Ulysses
"Vaughn Simon" <vaughnsimo...@att.FAKE.net> wrote in message
news:xffBk.45483$Mh5....@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> news:ajdBk.331$t%4....@fe089.usenetserver.com...
> > I had one eu2000 last about 12,000 hours and the second one lasted about
> > 7500 hours. They both were running about 1/3 throttle most of the time.
> > Instead of buying another one (got kinda pissed off at Honda) I bit my
> > tongue and bought a cheap Chinese 2000 watt genny from Pep Boys for less
> > than $200.
>
> I wonder how long that Chinese generator would run that same
side-by-side
> refrigerator on a gallon of gas? I am guessing it would only be a
fraction of
> the 13 hours you got from the EU2000? When you are talking thousands of
hours
> on $4.00 gas, I wonder if you still wouldn't be better off with an
inverter
> generator in the long run.
My reply to your post got lost too...
I would guess it would run about three hours on the same amount of gas.
From my experience the inverter gennies are far superior on gas mileage when
running small loads. But, like you said, it doesn't make much difference
once you get up around 3/4 load or more.
>
> On the other hand, if you are now normally using your generator at 80%
> capacity to charge your batteries, that is a whole different deal.
One thing that seems to get overlooked is that the eu2000 is rated for 2000
watts for only 20 minutes. My GG2300 is rated for 2000 watts continuous and
2300 surge but, as Neon John pointed out, the cheap generator will keep
chugging along if overloaded but the Honda will shut down. If the high
quality sine wave is needed then sure, go with the Honda.
>
> Vaughn
>
>
(PeteCresswell)
> the cheap generator will keep
>chugging along if overloaded but the Honda will shut down.
Is that to say that the Honda will protect itself by shutting
down before continuous 2kw even begins to damage it?
--
PeteCresswell
Ulysses
"Vaughn Simon" <vaughnsimo...@att.FAKE.net> wrote in message
news:xffBk.45483$Mh5....@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
Jim Wilkins
> I can't seem to post a reply.... time for a new server..
You posted this one OK.
Pete C.
Yes, the Hondas have evolved self preservation instinct, while the
generators lower on the evolutionary ladder are still suicidal...
Neon John
I think that it would be more accurate to say that the EUs are overprice
dilettantes what when faced with the least bit of serious work, toss their
delicate arms in the air and quit.
Meanwhile, less expensive constant speed generators just hunker down and "git
'er done". The engine may slow a little, dropping the frequency a bit and the
voltage may sag but it continues to run the load. I've yet to see a generator
where the alternator overloaded before the engine so there's little concept of
"protecting itself." I'd LOTS rather my hedge clippers or electric chain saw
or even my refrigerator run a little slower because it overloaded a
conventional generator than I would for it to not run at all because the
inverter quit.
EUs are mostly for people who don't REALLY need a generator but want one
anyway. Honda uses their cheapest throw-away engines on the things. They
have almost no reserve to handle inrush. The benefits of the variable speed
only show themselves when the generator is very lightly loaded. An
appropriately sized conventional generator would get at least as good a
"mileage".
RVers are about the only ones who can justify the cost, based mostly on the
low sound level. Thing is, for just a little more money, one can get an
honest-to-God real RV generator with single side servicing, draws fuel from
the main fuel tank, has electric start and remote start. And, of course, the
engine is designed to last many thousands of hours of continuous service.
I have an inverter generator in my MH (a Generac, NOT Honda.) and appreciate
its economy and low noise when running a small load (a coffee pot or microwave
is a small load for a 3.8kW generator) but my portables are all constant speed
units. I have a variety of sizes, from 1kW to 8 for various applications. My
little 1kW, $100 unit gets used the most.
John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
No one can be right all of the time but I'm getting close.
Pete C.
My EU2K runs my camper quite nicely, including A/C, will run overnight
without refueling and happily rev back up when I microwave my coffee in
the morning. Being a truck camper there isn't a generator compartment
for a regular RV generator, and I prefer the portability of the EU where
I can readily take it anywhere I need quick power vs. my much heavier
5kw unit (or really heavy 25k).
zxcvbob
>
> zxcvbob wrote:
>>
>> (The Yamaha 2400 is an honest 2000W inverter and it's rated 6000W for
>> 3 seconds. I like that. It also weighs a lot more; not sure if it
>> can be shipped UPS Ground.)
>>
>
> I may have the Yamaha 2400i and 2800i models mixed up re: that 6000W thing.
>
> I've done some searching and there are places that will ship them for
> reasonable shipping costs (like free), and they are both convertible to
> NG/LPG. They cost about the same, weigh about the same, but the 2800 is
> about 10 dB louder (that's a big difference.)
>
> I wonder if I could run it *inside* my detached garage to keep it out of
> the weather and keep it from "walking off", and use some kind of powered
> exhaust vent...
>
Cabela's had the Yamaha EF2400is on sale for $1099, plus I had almost
$200 in "Cabelas bucks" on my credit card, and they gave me a $150 gift
card from a promotion they have going (good 'til the end of the year.)
And I'll get $20 Cabelas bucks back.
I bought it last night. Was gonna try it out today, but the only 10w-30
oil I have handy is synthetic, and that doesn't seem like a good idea
for breaking in a new engine. Will buy a quart of cheap oil tomorrow.
At the first oil change I'll mix the remaining 10 ounces of cheap oil
with 10 ounces of synthetic, then switch to all synthetic oil at the 2nd
oil change.
The oil change schedule is longer than I expected; the first change is
at 20 hours, then every 100 hours after that. I'm not sure I want to
stretch it that far.
Any of you A.E.Homepower folk hook up an inverter generator to your
house with a transfer switch? What do you do about grounding? (Normal
generators bond the neutral, but inverters float the output and the
neutral is isolated. I'm not sure if that matters) I assume you don't
use an isolation transformer. Run three wires, and bond the ground and
neutral at the transfer switch? I'm planning on using this with 10 ga
and 12 ga extension cords and not tie into the house wiring so it won't
really matter, but just thinking ahead.
Hmmm, an isolation transformer to step up 110V --> 220V with a center
tap could be interesting...
Bob
zxcvbob
> On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:12:13 -0500, zxcvbob <zxc...@charter.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Any of you A.E.Homepower folk hook up an inverter generator to your
>> house with a transfer switch? What do you do about grounding?
>
> the transfer equipment also needs to switch the neutral. That will be
> a separately derived system.
> If you lift the neutral to ground bond in the generator you only
> switch the phase legs and you are using the grounding system in the
> service. That is probably the best way to do a small residential
> generator. You could even use one of the interlock kits that attach to
> your existing panel if you can get the breakers arranged right.
What I'm concerned about is the generator has no bonding strap and no
provision to add one. It does have a terminal on the frame for adding a
grounding electrode conductor (but it's a small one that will not
accommodate a #6 wire.) Not sure if bonding -- at the generator *or* at
the switch -- will hurt the inverter circuitry. The owners manual is
silent about it.
What I was thinking about someday is a 30A transfer switch with 6 or 8
circuit breakers, and use it as a subpanel right next to the main panel.
I could move the critical circuits and a few convenience outlets to
the little subpanel.
Bob
jack
place for bonding is in the main panel.
As you said, my Honda gives meaningless voltage readings UNTIL it is
attached to the transferswitch. Then it has a 120v hot and a 0v neutral
just like it should. I've run it for 5 days that way and it is just.
zxcvbob
> You don't want to bond any generator connected with a transfer
> switch. Only place for bonding is in the main panel.
Right. But that will still pull the neutral at the generator to ground
potential. I understand how to wire it right from the house's
perspective, I just don't want to hurt the generator circuitry.
>
> As you said, my Honda gives meaningless voltage readings UNTIL it is
> attached to the transferswitch. Then it has a 120v hot and a 0v
> neutral just like it should.
> *I've run it for 5 days that way and it is just [fine]*
That's what I needed to hear. :-)
It would be really cool if my main panel has a main-breaker lock-out
kit* where the first breaker can only be closed if the main is open (and
vice versa.) I need to check on that. It's a GE panel, about 15 or 20
years old. That would make it really easy. I could back-feed one leg
of the panel without rewiring /anything/, just install one of those
recessed-male weatherproof outlets on the back of the house. The
lock-out kit would provide mechanical isolation from the mains.
*Do y'all know what I'm talking about? It's a sliding piece of metal
that blocks the main breaker or the first circuit breaker, so only one
can be closed at a time. I could fabricate one myself and rivet it in
place but doubt that that would be Kosher.
Bob
Dave + Gloria
would say Doh! Buy the best oil that you can afford. First change is to get
casting remnants and manufacturing dross out of engine. Why jeopardize motor
for the sake a few cents?
Dave + Gloria
"Dave + Gloria" <derbyno...@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:ZsEDk.1347$sc2...@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
zxcvbob
>> Bob
> Cheap Charlie. Spend a grand on a genset and then skimp on the oil. As homer
> would say Doh! Buy the best oil that you can afford. First change is to get
> casting remnants and manufacturing dross out of engine. Why jeopardize motor
> for the sake a few cents?
>
I'm not skimping on the oil, The first oil change is to seat the rings
(and the main bearings, I think.) That doesn't work as well if you use
synthetic oil. It will actually cost me more to go to the store and buy
a quart of SF mineral oil than the difference in price for the
SJ-or-better synthetic oil I have already.
But "penny wise and pound foolish" is the sort of thing I tend to do if
I'm not careful. :-)
Bob
(PeteCresswell)
>Other thing is don't mix synthetic and mineral oils
How come?
Somewhere, sometime I recall hearing somebody who seemed to know
what they were talking about saying there's no problem mixing
Mobil-1 with regular oil.
Been going on that assumption ever since by topping up my vehicle
with dino oil towards the end of an oil change interval.
Is that assumption incorrect?
--
PeteCresswell
jack
>
I also own a Yamaha EF1000 and hooked it up to see how it would do. It
started my refrigerator without problem, and that takes 16A. I didn't test
the voltage, but presume it was 120v and 0v.
Bruce in alaska
"jack" <ja...@yahoo.org> wrote:
> You don't want to bond any generator connected with a transfer switch. Only
> place for bonding is in the main panel.
>
> As you said, my Honda gives meaningless voltage readings UNTIL it is
> attached to the transferswitch. Then it has a 120v hot and a 0v neutral
> just like it should. I've run it for 5 days that way and it is just.
This "MAY" put you out of compliance with the NEC in the USA...
This is not a well understood area of NEC Compliance, and even
the folks that write and update the NEC, have been disscussing
the issue for the last DECADE, and the practical issues are not
universally accepted around the industry. You best bet, is to consult
your local Electrical Inspector, and do as "He" suggests, then if you
burn your house down, at least your Homeowners Insurance WILL pay off.
--
Bruce in alaska
add <path> after <fast> to reply
zxcvbob
> The oil change schedule is longer than I expected; the first change is
> at 20 hours, then every 100 hours after that. I'm not sure I want to
> stretch it that far.
>
I started it up, and it's really quiet -- just like it's supposed to be.
I plugged a 6' heavy duty extension cord into it and tried a few power
tools. Everything will start except my 1 HP (but it's old enough that
it's an honest 1 HP) table saw. Will have to try it later with the 8000
BTU air conditioner since it's capacitor-start like the table saw. The
other high-draw tools I tried all had universal motors.
I wonder if the saw might start up if there was an additional resistive
load on the genny, like maybe a 300W incandescent light or a hair drier,
to get the thing off idle before I turn on the saw? (should also help
with the power factor)
I shut off the gas petcock and let it run dry, and it ran for
*several minutes* just on the gas in the carburetor bowl. After the
first minute or so I was beginning to think the shutoff didn't work.
Bob
Forger
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/Re-Honda-generators-331898-.htm
:
-------------------------------------
z wrote:
> I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
> years
> of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
> timing belt which you can fix. We used the crap out of them and
My timing belt just crapped out because of a stuck intake valve, where can
I get a new belt and can you explain how to time it?
Thanks
##-----------------------------------------------##
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Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup -
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z
news:XSTDk.34$5M...@textfe.usenetserver.com:
> Forger had written this in response to
> http://www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/Re-Honda-generators-331898-
> .htm
> :
>
>
> -------------------------------------
> z wrote:
>
>
>> I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
>> years
>> of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
>> timing belt which you can fix. We used the crap out of them and
>
> My timing belt just crapped out because of a stuck intake valve, where
> can I get a new belt and can you explain how to time it?
>
> Thanks
>
I'll give it a shot. Here is the part
The Belt:
PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Mfg Product Number: 14400-Z0D-003
Description: BELT (61YU7 G-200) for Honda
Order Quantity: 1
Unit Price: $11.10
Total Cost: $11.10
Oil Splasher
PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Mfg Product Number: 16512-ZL8-000
Description: HOLDER for Honda
Order Quantity: 3
Unit Price: $1.86
Total Cost: $5.58
Its always a good idea (thanks Ullyses) to change out the plastic oil
splasher while you are in there. Its only six bucks or so. As they get
older they tend to get brittle and its easy to change once you've got
everything apart.
I ordered from http://www.hondapeninsula.com/
Even with shipping it runs cheaper than my local honda dealer who wanted
like 18 bucks for the belt. Anyway you just plug the part no in -- or
shop around as you like -- either way.
You'll also need some liquid gasket gunk. I use the stuff made by honda
'Hondabond HT, but probably any quality stuff would work.
So you gotta drain the oil, pull all the plastic, pull the carb, pull the
exhaust, pull the valve cover and then pull the crank case. Its kind of
a pain.
Give it a good clean out etc, replace the oil splasher. This might be a
good time to test the low oil sensor -- i had one go bad just after I put
everything backtogether.. sucked. You just hook a test light up to it
and submerge it in oil. takes a few mins
So I've found its easiest to pull the pin on the timing gear (just with a
plyers or whatnot) and set the belt up with the timing gear kind of
hanging lose. Then you rotate the crank till you see a little square
indentation on the crank and a notch. Line that up so its virtical (i
think there might be another mark you can match with).. anyway its
supposed to be at the top as you look at it. The timing gear itself has
a horizontal line that should match up with the case. When you see it
you'll know what I'm talking about. They made it pretty easy. That
should be TDC.
Then you can pull up the timing gear and slip the pin back in .. then you
are good to go. Clean the case and goo it up
Just use your aluminum fingers putting those bolts back in.. they'll
strip easy if you get too aggressive with them.
They say you are supposed to change all the gaskets (exaust, carb etc)
when you do this but i'm too cheap and so far so good on using the old
ones. Just be careful and don't break em :)
good luck.
-zachary
PS: i've had the timing a bit off before after a rebuild. Once the belt
is on you can pull that gear pin and set the gear a few teeth one way or
the other after you reassemble -- once the belt is on you won't have to
take the crank case off or even all the plastic again if you think it
needs a little adjustment after you are done. Thank gowd for that man ..
the plastic etc is a pain in the ass to keep taking off all the time.
Neon John
>zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> The oil change schedule is longer than I expected; the first change is
>> at 20 hours, then every 100 hours after that. I'm not sure I want to
>> stretch it that far.
>>
>
>
>I started it up, and it's really quiet -- just like it's supposed to be.
> I plugged a 6' heavy duty extension cord into it and tried a few power
>tools. Everything will start except my 1 HP (but it's old enough that
>it's an honest 1 HP) table saw. Will have to try it later with the 8000
>BTU air conditioner since it's capacitor-start like the table saw. The
>other high-draw tools I tried all had universal motors.
>
>I wonder if the saw might start up if there was an additional resistive
>load on the genny, like maybe a 300W incandescent light or a hair drier,
>to get the thing off idle before I turn on the saw? (should also help
>with the power factor)
That might very well help. I sometimes have to do something similar with my
RV's AC unit in very hot weather. The Generac inverter generator idles down
so slow with no load that it can't handle the starting inrush. Most of the
time just letting the AC's fan come up to speed is enough. If not, a
momentary tweak of the microwave's timer knob does the trick. When I'm going
to be in a very hot climate for awhile such as my periodic trip to Texas to
visit a friend, I simply turn the idle screw up a bit so that the engine can't
idle down as much.
A refrigeration-type hard start (AKA KickStarter) kit on the saw might help.
Basically a capacitor and either a thermistor or relay, the kit supplies the
reactive power the motor needs to get going.
Inverter generators can make you pull your hair out on occasion. Things that
obviously should run sometimes don't. A little fiddling around with other
load sometimes fixes it.
John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Multitasking: Reading in the bathroom!
Forger
:
-------------------------------------
z wrote:
> good luck.
> -zachary
Thank you!
Very clear - makes perfect sense.. thanks :)
z
news:6k8jauF...@mid.individual.net:
Now I don't know about the Yamaha, but I was warned by the honda techs
that using synthetic in the EU series caused a problem with the low oil
sensor. They were issued some tech alert from Honda == for some reason
synthetic builds up in it or something causing them to fail a LOT sooner
than normal.
So just make sure you use what they suggest in the manual. Nothing like
a damn sensor failing that keeps you from being able to start your gen!!!
zxcvbob
I plugged in a hair dryer and the generator revved up a bit. Then
turned on the saw, and switched off the HD as soon as the generator
starting bogging. The saw started just fine. I ripped a short piece of
2x4 with it, and then shut it off. Then I tried it again with the HD on
low and just left it on. The saw started right up. Probably if I ever
do have to run the saw from the generator, all I need to do is plug in
some lights with it (which I'll probably want to do anyway.)
I'm feeling better about this. Thanks.
Bob
Ulysses
"z" <z...@yada.yada.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9B27AC9BE63...@216.196.97.131...
Also I would recommend replacing the seal on the oil sensor as that is prone
to failure. Not as bad as a stuck oil switch but still not fun.
>
> So I've found its easiest to pull the pin on the timing gear (just with a
> plyers or whatnot) and set the belt up with the timing gear kind of
> hanging lose. Then you rotate the crank till you see a little square
> indentation on the crank and a notch. Line that up so its virtical (i
> think there might be another mark you can match with).. anyway its
> supposed to be at the top as you look at it. The timing gear itself has
> a horizontal line that should match up with the case. When you see it
> you'll know what I'm talking about. They made it pretty easy. That
> should be TDC.
I'm probably just not understanding your explanation but on mine there were
two raised marks (lines) on the cam gear. They should line up horizontally
with the top of the cylinder head _ _ If they look like those two
line just to the left of this you should be at TDC.
jack
>> >> years
>> >> of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
>> >> timing belt which you can fix.
Thats like 7,500 hours before the first problem? Is that right?!
I have about 150 hours on mine; I guess it will last a while longer.
z
@registered.motzarella.org:
One thing that might help for longevity is to use an engine injector type
cleaner into the air intake and spark plug hole when you change the oil
each time.
The guys at honda told me to use Ames Power Foam and run that through it
a few times when you change oil. Seems like if the generator is ran
under low or mid load conditions for a long time it can have buildup
around the valves etc. Turn off the 'econo mode' and spray that crap in
there and give it a good italian tuneup once in a while running at full
throttle.
but yeah .. overall very reliable .. 150 hours yours is bearly broke in
mate!
jack
> The guys at honda told me to use Ames Power Foam and run that through it
> a few times when you change oil.
I did a search on Ames, but didn't find anything. What is it?
Vaughn Simon
> One thing that might help for longevity is to use an engine injector type
> cleaner into the air intake and spark plug hole when you change the oil
> each time.
>
includes getting every drop of fuel out the tank and carb (it has a special
valve for that) and coating the inside of the cylinder with a bit of oil before
storage. This is also a good time to change the oil. Since mine is used only
for hurricane season, this engine "pickling" becomes an annual event celebrating
the end of hurricane season.
--
Vaughn
........................................................
Nothing personal, but if you are posting through Google Groups I may not receive
your message. Google refuses to control the flood of spam messages originating
in their system, so on any given day I may or may not have Google blocked. Try
a real NNTP server & news reader program and you will never go back. All you
need is access to an NNTP server (AKA "news server") and a news reader program.
You probably already have a news reader program in your computer (Hint: Outlook
Express). Assuming that your Usenet needs are modest, use
http://news.aioe.org/ and/or http://www.motzarella.org/ for free, and/or
http://www.teranews.com/ for a one-time $3.95 setup fee. Newsguy,
http://www.newsguy.com/ offers a variety of reasonably priced services. If you
wish to experiment with real Usenet access, they will give you a free 2-day
trial account.
.........................................................
Will poofread for food.
z
@registered.motzarella.org:
>>
>> The guys at honda told me to use Ames Power Foam and run that through it
>> a few times when you change oil.
>
> I did a search on Ames, but didn't find anything. What is it?
>
>
amsoil I meant sorry
Ulysses
>
> Stormin Mormon wrote:
> > I agree. However, if you want to provide 1,000 watts for a couple hours,
it
> > is good to know about the cheaper ETQ.
> >
>
>
> I'm leaning towards the Yamaha 2400i. 25% more capacity than the Honda,
> and a lot quieter than the Yamaha 2800i (the 2800i seems like the best
> deal if you don't mind the extra 10dB noise, which is still relatively
> quiet for a small genset.) I like that the Yamahas have a petcock on
> the fuel line, and they are convertible to NP, and while they are a lot
> heavier than the Honda they are still luggable by one person (the extra
> weight might be a *good* thing -- means a preteen girl is not likely to
> steal it ;-) )
>
> I'm the original titewad, but this should be one of those lifetime
> purchases.
>
> I can't find a dealer locally (maybe Cabela's, 40 miles away, I haven't
> called them) so I guess I'll have to order one online.
That was one of the reasons I bought my second Honda eu2000--there are three
authorized Honda dealers/repair centers within about 15 miles and no Yamaha
dealers.
But, after Honda admitted that the failure of the oil splasher could/would
cause severe engine damage due to lack of lubrication and they refused to
repair the engine I decided to try something else. Actually, there are many
features about my cheap Chinese generator that I like better than the eu2000
such as it will run stuff the Honda won't. I also like the fact that it
will never cost more than $200 to repair it ;-D It's really not very loud
either--louder than the Honda but much quieter than many open-frame gennys.
>
>
> Thanks guys,
> Bob
Ulysses
"(PeteCresswell)" <x...@y.Invalid> wrote in message
news:rv6od4p8984ekdhm2...@4ax.com...
> Per Ulysses:
> > the cheap generator will keep
> >chugging along if overloaded but the Honda will shut down.
>
> Is that to say that the Honda will protect itself by shutting
> down before continuous 2kw even begins to damage it?
I believe it is trying to protect the electronics. If you were to slightly
overload most conventional generators it would either bog down and/or trip
the circuit breaker but it's unlikely anything would be damaged.
> --
> PeteCresswell
Ulysses
"Neon John" <n...@never.com> wrote in message
news:304rd452n7378picv...@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:23:22 -0500, "Pete C." <aux3....@snet.net> wrote:
>
> >
> >"(PeteCresswell)" wrote:
> >>
> >> Per Ulysses:
> >> > the cheap generator will keep
> >> >chugging along if overloaded but the Honda will shut down.
> >>
> >> Is that to say that the Honda will protect itself by shutting
> >> down before continuous 2kw even begins to damage it?
> >
> >generators lower on the evolutionary ladder are still suicidal...
>
> I think that it would be more accurate to say that the EUs are overprice
> dilettantes what when faced with the least bit of serious work, toss their
> delicate arms in the air and quit.
Well put.
>
> Meanwhile, less expensive constant speed generators just hunker down and
"git
> 'er done". The engine may slow a little, dropping the frequency a bit and
the
> voltage may sag but it continues to run the load. I've yet to see a
generator
> where the alternator overloaded before the engine so there's little
concept of
> "protecting itself." I'd LOTS rather my hedge clippers or electric chain
saw
> or even my refrigerator run a little slower because it overloaded a
> conventional generator than I would for it to not run at all because the
> inverter quit.
>
> EUs are mostly for people who don't REALLY need a generator but want one
> anyway. Honda uses their cheapest throw-away engines on the things.
Yea, but that's not what Honda *says* is in there. They call it a GX100
but, as far as I can determine by definition it is a GC engine. It even
says GC on it. I suspect the parts such as the timing cam gear and belt are
interchangeable with a comparable sized GC.
They
> have almost no reserve to handle inrush. The benefits of the variable
speed
> only show themselves when the generator is very lightly loaded. An
> appropriately sized conventional generator would get at least as good a
> "mileage".
>
> RVers are about the only ones who can justify the cost, based mostly on
the
> low sound level. Thing is, for just a little more money, one can get an
> honest-to-God real RV generator with single side servicing, draws fuel
from
> the main fuel tank, has electric start and remote start. And, of course,
the
> engine is designed to last many thousands of hours of continuous service.
>
> I have an inverter generator in my MH (a Generac, NOT Honda.) and
appreciate
> its economy and low noise when running a small load (a coffee pot or
microwave
> is a small load for a 3.8kW generator) but my portables are all constant
speed
> units. I have a variety of sizes, from 1kW to 8 for various applications.
My
> little 1kW, $100 unit gets used the most.
>
> John
> --
> John De Armond
> See my website for my current email address
> http://www.neon-john.com
> http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
> Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
> No one can be right all of the time but I'm getting close.
>
Ulysses
"Jim Wilkins" <KB1...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:aa3e9d7b-8aa1-4d6f...@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
On Sep 26, 2:09 pm, "Ulysses" <eatmys...@spamola.com/> wrote:
> I can't seem to post a reply.... time for a new server..
You posted this one OK.
Beats the hell out of my why that one posted. It seems my ISP no longer
thought my six-letter password was adequate and changed it to eight letters.
I forgot the change the password on my NG reader. It seems to be working
now.
Ulysses
"jack" <ja...@yahoo.org> wrote in message
news:gceg26$3ut$1...@registered.motzarella.org...
> >> >> I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
> >> >> years
> >> >> of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
> >> >> timing belt which you can fix.
>
> Thats like 7,500 hours before the first problem? Is that right?!
Well, aside from changing the oil religiously another problem they have is
with the starting rope. It is routed around some stuff and it can wear out
after a few thousand hours. I coated the wear point with a little 5-Minute
Epoxy and that seemed to help it last longer. In order to replace the pull
rope you have to remove all of the red plastic and that can be
difficult--one of the top (handle) screws on mine was so stuck I had to
drill it out and one of the bottom bolts stripped.
Actually 7500 hours was the *last* problem. It barely runs now since the
oil splasher gear broke and was replaced. I just dragged it out of it's
tomb and tried using it with my electric chain saw because it is still the
most easily portable genny I have that can run the saw. It shuts down the
inverter when on Eco Throttle but seems OK when Eco is off. It burns oil
and the oil turns black after only an hour or two. I used to change the oil
about every 60 hours (I think) and it was still transparent.
Ulysses
"Vaughn Simon" <vaughnsimo...@att.FAKE.net> wrote in message
news:VfIGk.259475$102.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> "z" <z...@yada.yada.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9B2FCD06262...@216.196.97.131...
> > One thing that might help for longevity is to use an engine injector
type
> > cleaner into the air intake and spark plug hole when you change the oil
> > each time.
I've read many times about people using water in both fuel injected and
carburated engines. I finally tried it on my old '78 F350 (carburated, of
course) before I took it for it's last smog test. I did some other things
too but the emissions were significantly lower. I just dribbled some water
into the carb while it was running and the engine barely noticed it. It
seemed like a dumb idea to put water in the engine but it seems to have
helped. I also put some water in my new *free* Mitsubishi Mighty Max. It
also has a carburator. Is this case I had nothing to lose as it was an
abandoned vehicle and I have not yet spent one cent on it. When I got it
the engine was froze and the throttle was so frozen that I could not move it
with a hammer! I ended up using hydrochloric acid to losen up the butterfly
valves. In any case I did a compression test and one of the cylinders has
low compression with slow build-up so I guess the water didn't help. Even
so It'll make it up my 4WD ONLY hill on 3 1/2 cylinders ;-D
> >
> I don't know about that, but I follow the owner's manual to the letter.
That
> includes getting every drop of fuel out the tank and carb (it has a
special
> valve for that) and coating the inside of the cylinder with a bit of oil
before
> storage. This is also a good time to change the oil. Since mine is used
only
> for hurricane season, this engine "pickling" becomes an annual event
celebrating
> the end of hurricane season.
>
I've had very good results on several engines by adding some Sta-Bil to the
last little bit of gas and then running it out of gas and then draining the
carb and spraying with carb cleaner. I too completely empty the tank. And
the other thing I always forget to mention is to pull the starter rope until
you get resistance so the valves are closed while in storage.
Forger
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/Re-Honda-generators-331898-.htm
:
Hey z let me pick your brain again if I can...
I have replaced the timing belt and plastic gear in my own honda 2000 and
a friend's. But I seem to have identical problems now with both
generators. They seem to smoke for a few minutes when they are first
started in the morning, and consume more oil than previous. I dont know
what I did by replacing the belt and gear that would cause that, I time it
with the square box on the crank straight up and the lines on the cam
lined up with the case. Any ideas what I did wrong that would lead to
burning oil?
-------------------------------------
z wrote:
> I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
> years
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