Baldor Generator Not Making Power - Can It Be Fixed? 

(ex-)electronic engineer here. The diode logo is from International Rectifier, which has been acquired by Infineon. It is NOT Vishay, although Vishay does manufacture similar diodes. Distributors like Mouser do not usually know the markings of the manufacturers on the components, which explains why you didn't get anywhere with them. And since it's not manufactured by Vishay, that's why they didn't reply (although they could have been nice and let you know). The acquisition by Infineon complicates things if you were to try to contact them - it's possible they lost the data about the markings from IR. The diode is a "stud mount" diode. 0733 on the marking is most likely the date code : year 2007, week 33. Regarding your rant, the problematic company here is Baldor Generator. They should have written the type of diode in the manual in the first place instead of obfuscating it with their own part number (or at least give a description). All of that just to grab a few more dollars when people order spares. S1362 is the International Rectifier marking, however, I could not find any reference to it. And frankly even when you look at the datasheets of diodes you know the part number of, often the manufacturers do not mention the actual marking on the parts (it'd sad, but it's the way it is ...) I am not familiar with this type of rotor and generator, however, from my understanding, the purpose of the diode is to short the rotor winding and create a north/south magnetic pole by forcing current to only go in one direction. If this is correct, the good news is that the diode type is extremely non critical. You simply need a generic rectifier diode of the same size and current/voltage capability. The one you ordered should be good enough. I assume you got VS25-FR120. If it fails again, try one with a lower voltage rating (see below) and higher current rating, and maybe get a Schottky diode instead of a standard one. Are you able to see any marking on the MOV ? If the MOV is parallel to the diode, it will protect it, so you choose a diode rating above the MOV peak voltage (and never below), otherwise the diode may suffer reverse breakdown. PS: I disagree that it is an 1N1362, as suggested by other comments. The 1N1362 is a low current zener diode, which I do not believe make sense for this application. It's not because it shares "1362" that it is the right part ! Hope this helps a bit !

Thank you for the shout out James! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

I like your calm and careful approach to trouble shooting. BTW - I don't think your description of your difficulties finding that diode counts as rant! Thanks for this informative and enjoyable video.

When unsoldering the lead from the diode: You would have more success heating the connection without the needle nose pliers attached. The pliers will act as a heat sink and draw heat from the connection requiring you to apply more heat or prolong the process. Your application of solder before removing the connection likely just served to preheat the part enabling you to be successful with the pliers in place. Your videos are appreciated and a credible source for information, Regards.

0733 is the date code. Made in 2007, 33rd week. IR is international rectifier. So that’s likely a 1N1362. :/

Being electrically challenged - these videos are a learning bonanza. Thanks James and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family

Your tenacity and thoroughness is admirable. Repairing a generator is not the only thing we learn. Thanks for sharing.

Well done on your persistence in fixing this. Most people would have just dumped it. I've been enjoying the channel. Best regards from Yorkshire, UK

Great fix. I used to go to Balsor in Bristol UK. Hope the guy's at Bristol are still there it was a well organised set up. Used to make motor controllers. Also UK warehouse for Baldor motors I was amazed at the size of some of them. Thanks for another repair and video.

That was some excellent work James, crazy that little diode caused the problem and you got it fixed!

James, Thanks for another video, I never really was much to wrench on things, but your videos have encouraged me to start repairing a generator that my in laws have in their possession, Thanks

Another excellent video James! That seems like a very well built generator. Its a crying shame when these companies wont support one of their products. I feel like I've been dealing with that a lot lately. Cant wait for your next Q&A with Ken and Bassguitarist!

Wow!! Incredible how you pin point the issue and hunting down part. Great job!!!!

Jim, Rance here and my head is still spinning on how you can figure out the neuroanatomy of the wiring to this generator! It’s as if you jump in and crawl through it one connector to the other. I need to go get some oxygen! Job well done! Thanks for the brushless generator tips at the conclusion.

You are a genius and master of small engine diagnosis and repair.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nice work. As former Teacher of Electronics both beginner and advanced I most enjoy the circuitry troubleshooting parts. I was even searching the manufacturers website to find a diode that would match. The P&N material that diodes are made out of degrades over time especially when subjected to heat and they lose their ability to switch on and their specified voltage range.

I could never figure this stuff out, and that’s why I love these videos I learn a ton of information, the detail and persistence to find the issues is flawless!

Outstanding! Great detective work James.

I suspect the original diode is still working. If you look closely at it, you can see a large, sloppy soldered piece of tin on the top terminal. Perhaps it is this that touches the diode body when bent. I think if you clean it and carefully tin it, the diode will work.

Never seen a more gentle mechanic 👨‍🔧

Good morning, James. That is a very interesting and informative video. The power head on the unit is one I have never seen before. As usual with your expertise and experience of trouble shooting you came through. 👍👍👍👍 Happy Thanks Giving to you and your family.

When you finish the insulation test, do not immediately remove the leads. Let the voltage be dropped by the tester, otherwise you’re in for a nasty shock.

i love your neat and tidy approach to things

James, thank you for these great videos! I’m hooked and I watch them all. I even pick up some great tips for troubleshooting.

Another great work from the king of generators... actually at the beginning of the video when you said that the stater looks fine.. I realized that you are gonna fix it. The testing of semiconductors always confuses us ...sometimes they give the right readings and sometimes don't even after disconnecting them from the circuit itself which makes you going crazy. Anyway, I can't wait to see another video and thanks a lot for the detailed information. My regards Mr. James👍👍

Great detective work on the diode! Probably never have issues with it again! Of course, wonderful job!

And another generator roars back to life! The trick of torquing the rotor bolt was genius; I consider myself a pretty crafty man, but doubt I would have came up with that method. Thanks again James, for another cool video. Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless. Rev. D.

What a great video love the content. It is good to see you do a fantastic job repairing the generator. I always get more knowledge of what to look for and check. Thank you also have a happy Thanksgiving. 😀❤🇨🇦

Good work diagnosing that diode and finding out what you did differently by looking at the video. Excellent troubleshooting as always. Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a good video, I enjoyed it especially all you went through to find a diode, that was unreal.

Hi James....first off Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Holy diode detective work Batman. Great job finding what you needed to make your repair. Another genny saved from going to the scrap heap. Glad you got it working.

Awesome troubleshooting James,, another great video 😊

you always have very informative content , good to know brushless generators produce dirty power 👍

Like always, this is a great video! I really enjoy watching your videos James! Thanks!

I have always enjoyed and learned something from each video. The diode was good work on your part. You do a lot with a diode when you understand how they work.

Hi, James. A very challenging repair. I'm glad you persevered. Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Yet another great and informative video. Many thanks and have a Great Christmas James.

Another great video James. Happy thanksgiving to you and your family.

That would have frustrated me to death. LOL You have more patience than me. I will watch this again and maybe one day I will be able to troubleshoot longer and hammer less. Really enjoyed this one and learned a lot. Thanks!

You never fail to impress me. Thank you for posting.

Wow, talk about adapting, adjusting and overcoming, you really did. Electrical stuff is a mystery surrounded by a riddle, wrapped in an enigma.

Great Video! You had an ORGANIZED METHOUDICAL approach to solve this generators problems. I just have to mention that you also show a great deal of PATIEANCE, particularly when it came to all that occurred locating a REPLACEMENT DIODE. As you are probably aware Many Manufactured products have " QUALITY ISSUES " these days and it is a sign of the times we are presently in that is promising to get much worse before it gets better I think. While watching this video you made it so obvious that HAVING THE RIGHT TOOLS for the job is so Very Important.

Doc., this definitely was a challenge but persistance and patience paid off again, great learning experience for me.

Another interesting video about generators. Thanks for the in-depth troubleshooting.

Interesting stuff, well done James

Nice diagnosis and repair, James.

Great troubleshooting as usual! My last generator was a brushless and I could tell it put out a pretty dirty sine wave (lights flickering, etc). It was fine for running the sump pump, boiler and lights but that’s about it. I ruined a DVD player with it so I never used electronics with it again. Even with the generator I have now with brushes and an AVR I probably still wouldn’t power electronics with it.

Another great video. I know this is not related to this video but would love to see you do some rotor and stator rewinding. Your attention to detail would be a great watch on how you approach this task.

Great video as usual, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Your best tech video yet. Bravo!! If you did not attend MIT, they should have offered you a scholarship..

I have a Winco 9000 watt generator that I bought used. It is an industrial, brushless generator that put out a sign wave just like this Baldor generator. When hooked up to house, my refrigerator, my box fan and my portable A/C unit, all made an "electrical" humming noise that is not there when running on utility power. I wasn't able to solve the issue, so I bought an installed an Italian made, brushless generator head. The sign wave from this Italian, brushless head, looks like what comes from the utility company. Awesome video as always!

Old owner is now kicking himself for giving away generator that only needed a new diode 🙈. Granted a lot of time finding that diode. Interesting fix and thanks for posting.

Great result James thanks for sharing your knowledge 👍

Thank you for your videos. I am now understanding more and more and it makes me have more confidence in my own repairs when I can come to you for understanding and not intellectual jargon.

Awesome work James. Great Job.

Thanks for the thanksgiving video !

The crime novelist, PD James in a videoed interview on RU-vid (I think) said that the Crime Novel is predicated on the principle that The Universe is, both, moral and comprehensible. Jim's videos are just like that: but not fiction! Genius at work! Thank-you!

Another great video James..

James, thanks for the video. Extremely interesting generator. How many brushless generators have you encountered previously? I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

hell of a class, at least for me, Im learning a lot. I do a lot of electrical work on all types of devices. Mostly learning from youtube videos, and a little experience of my own, but ur videos are taking me to another level. Excellent videos already subscribed. KEEPEM COMING

I put these vids on when I want to go to sleep. Works.

I love your inventiveness James. It is this inventiveness that made people what they are. The immense changes in technology and the capacity to adapt that improved technology to human problems from say 6 thousand years ago till now has taken us from the stone age to spacefaring.

Good explanation and happy Thanksgiving to you and your family

Good one. Very different issues to normal. Great sleuthing. Well done.

Great electrical diagnosis skills!

I think if it were me, and I got it to work, I would hook a scope up to that diode and see what it’s doing. Looking at waveforms in/out are good clues to its purpose. Glad you got lucky!

Nice job finding the part

Hey James, At 18.23 when you go to desolder the diode, your soldering iron appears to not be working. Next time remember your needle nose pliers you’ve induced on the other end of your soldering project act as a big ole heat sink. Good idea refloating your solder before or adding new to speed up the process but next time get your solder joint hot first then quickly bring in the pliers after your connection is ready so as not to use your irons energy heating up you pliers before it can ever heat up you connection. Hope that helps. Love your videos. Keep ‘em up. Happy Thanksgiving Leon

Baldor, sounds like a Sci-Fi comic book character. Nasty looking sine wave for sure, good for powering lights and electric heaters.

James you have some great patients with this equipment and you usually stick with it to you get it and I thank you for doing that. Isn't Baldor a manufacturer of hundreds of horse power electric motors? It seems that I have seen them in commercial applications over the years. I hope that you and your family had a Happy Thanksgiving. Ed

One of your best vids. Very interesting!

I've got to say that was one great find not many would have found that.

very very instructive, thank you

Soldering and desolderimg tip, ALWAYS clean and tin your solder tips! It allows for even distribution of heat

Great job. The diode looks like those in some car alternators.

Baldor motors are some of the best motors made. I did not know they made a generator. To bad you can't get a correct parts list. Hope it all works out for the best.

What can I say outstanding video best yet! 😁

Others are envious of your mechanical skills, but I want your calm voice.

I'm like you to get down to the component level and repair rather than replace. Thanks James!

The diode came from International Rectifier. Today it's owned by Infineon

Your awesome James, nice work. I was already searching for your diode (while watching) thought I found one that looked pretty close and it was even listed for a generator, but It was kit for a 3 phase gen. Glad you got it going, be good for a sump pump, motors, tools, or lights, but I defiantly wouldn’t connect anything electronic to that. I believe that is the worst sine-wave on anything you’ve worked on, that was ugly.

Another great video!

Great job James ! One of the first tools I invested in 35 years ago was good test equipment and meters back then are nothing to what they are now . But they can save you money and make you money ! That was a high dollar generator new . I would say 3-4,000 dollars .. Great save !! ENJOYED...

Clever, the way you torqued that rotor.

Nicely done

Nice work 👍

A long video but well worth the watch.

LOL....thats one way to go about torquing it James....good job

That was testing. Nice megger Rob hooked you up with !

Your the man you are going to get this gen set up and running again 😁

It's a Baldor so you would expect decent quality.

Since the repair didn't seem to have worked out, because of the last very informative comment - I suppose when the diode you put in there saw that big ratchet - it went straight to its knees - let's see how it goes. So you got it off the ground - now I'm into Averlance diodes - currently learning electronics in my spare time and just finished the diodes/zener topic and finally understood more of the basics than before. Well - brushless generators generate dirty current - or voltage - I thought this distorted sinusoidal signal could have something to do with the diode you installed - I also have a few generators lying around that I can get out of the scrap junk for little money and buy more if necessary bring it back to life after experimenting - thanks for the video and so many detailed informations

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Been binge watching your videos for a week now! That generator is a BEAST! Only 5 Kw but its insides are built like a tank. I bet Paul Carlson of Mr. Carlson's Lab could have either matched, or figured out a way for you to calculate the specs for the diode. I have never seen an electronic or technical challenge of any kind he couldn't solve.

Wow this has been a crazy year for storm's here in B.C canada ton's of fuooding and now 3 more storms coming in l have been keep massivly busy with generator's this year and have just one left anyway great video as alway's till the next one

I learn something every time!

Thanks for the wave form illustration. Let this be part of the general parameters Volt Frequency and Waveform w/wo load. Thanks again.

It was interesting to see the epoxy potting on that rotor. I've seen that before someplace but can't recall just where, I think that it was in the motor of a power tool. This is a good thing! I'm thinking that the manufacturers should be doing this, but of course when you do you affect heat dissipation which needs to be taken into account. I'd have done things a little differently than how you did. From about the point where you put the spark plug back in. I'd have hooked up that outlet box and spun that shaft with a drill, see if it was putting out any sort of power at that point, and only then proceeded with the rest of the reassembly. I was just thinking while watching that how I'd be interested in seeing the waveforms coming out when you went ahead and did that. :-)

James, do you keep all the equipment you repair or is it a side business? I pick up all kinds of small engine stuff and repair it. It's hard for me to let go of most of it. I just enjoy doing it as a hobby. However, when I know a young man that needs a weed eater, chainsaw, and stuff like that I have picked from the trash and repaired, I give it to them free. I really enjoy your videos!

Great job on the video ! Enjoy your beautiful day ! Love!