Honda Powermate Generator - No Compression? 

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Shave the tab off that screw and adjust it. They want them running so lean for air pollution but then they run like crap

James: I do hundreds of Honda's for the Amish and others. First make sure the valves are adjusted to about 4 to 6 thousands of and inch. They are famous for going out of adjustment. Second, you can remove the plastic stop on the adjustment screw by heating it with a hot air dryer or shop heat gun, it will get soft and should come right off. I have also cut of the little stop tab with a small cut off wheel on a Drummel tool. I also drill idle jets on lots of them. The EPA sets them far to lean and causes many issues. Different altitudes makes it necessary to drill the pilot jets. Also thought your governer spring looked a little loose. Sometimes they get stretched out by people trying to replace carbs and it will also help cause surging. Great video and those are excellent machines when cared for properly. Thanks P.S. check out Dony Boy's latest video on the tiny screen under some of the newer carb inlet fittings. They plug really easy. Thanks

Ah, I think we have a fisherman working as a carb doctor. The wire bristle is a great carb cleaning tool but I prefer the wire in a bread wrapper twisty because it is easier to hang on to and not loose. The melted airbox could be from the frequent use of starting fluid or a substitute such as acetone. When purchasing a small engine piece of equipment, I always inspect the starter rope. A worn rope tells me it has been started many times or it is hard starting. The shut down "pop" can be eliminated by holding the throttle butterfly in the idle position for a minute or so to let the engine cool down and then shut the ignition off with the throttle in the closed position. When shutting off an air cooled engine via the ignition, the governor opens the throttle butterfly wide open and the carb meters a large amount of fuel into a hot engine. This unburned fuel passes into the hot exhaust manifold where it is ignited and creates an explosion. It can be very damaging to the manifold gasket. The carb solenoid is intended to prevent this. The metering needle which appears to be unremovable can be if the tab is carefully reduced in size or the surrounding area enlarged. An engine needing to be slightly choked appears to be running lean and turning this needle open by 1/4 turn should make a big improvement. I have resurrected many engines with this procedure. This is the best internal combustion engine channel on MeTube with quality content, no obnoxious music, no foul language, great delivery and lots of good tips. If all generator owners knew what Dr. James knows, generator sales would plummet.

everything with a gas engine is so leaned out our days due to emission control , everyone now has a jet drill set in their tool box , 90% of the of the small engines i work on run rough or surge due to the idle jet being to small , drill once ,twice , three times usually and it runs like it should

Ahhhh the life of retirement. Hot coffee and a new video to watch.

The back side of your air cleaner grid looks to be fine... That melt is from using of using the wrong starting fluid trying to start this thing. That's a chemical melt, not fire melt.

James, take a look at the valve lash. Incorrect valve clearance can severely affect intake vacuum and make the carb run lean.

The Honda power equipment (and many others recently) i've worked on has been intentionally been very lean to meet a Calif emission standard, and the damn engine has to be really hot before it runs right on the lean mixtures they are requiring. On some stuff, I xref a replacement carb from a prior or older model where the main jet is adjustable. The factory adjustment seems to be "Find out where it runs perfectly, then lean it out two turns!".

17:00 I think they used lots of starting fluid to get the engine running. The fluid collected at the bottom of the airbox and ignited somehow. Maybe it backfired a little bit after it was in storage for a long time (sometimes the valves initially dont close all the way after that until the engine ran a couple minutes). Thats why the airfilter is in good condition. It wasnt there.

I love your videos. Well though out, methodical troubleshooting, and you admit when you make a mistake. Keep 'em coming!

It freaks me out to drill jets. The generator I’ve been working on I must have gone up five drill sizes one at a time till I ran right. Now it runs perfect. All else being good I will not hesitate to increase the size of the jets starting with the pilot jet. If it surges under load I’ll go for the main jet. I’m putting those number drill sets to use.

Thanks for shearing

My thoughts on the damaged filter box are this. This generator might have been repaired before you got it, and the air filter might have been damaged at the bottom, the float stuck and gas saturated the filter or ether was sprayed in below the filter. An unknown source of ignition caused it to ignite, thus causing what we observed here. Just speculation, Jim.

Remember too Jim... that the fuel system MUST BE VENTED! Fools a lot of people who overlook that tiny hole in the gas cap to balance the pressure! Good Luck! Steve

Revisited this one. Carburetors are so finicky. If there are minor jetting issues on a new Honda carb then there can be no wonder that other cheaper carbs have so many issues.

James you should really do a cylinder leak down test before dealing with anything in the carburetor. I've gotten into a habit of doing that first before digging into any machine that comes in my shop. It will immediately tell you if you have bigger problems before tackling the smaller ones. Recently just had a snowblower come in where it would idle fine and soon as you put it to full speed no load it would start to backfire stumble and want to die. Turns out it was a combination of leaking valves intake to be specific and the guy stripping out the spark plug threads where compression was leaking from the spark plug itself. After doing a thorough valve job on both valves and reaming out the old spark plug threads and putting in a thread insert, all is right again. Had I not done the leak down test I would have done the same as you and tried cleaning out the carburetor thinking that it was a mixture issue.

Great job of sleuthing this one out! Thought it was going to end badly there for a minute. Unusual for a Honda to behave badly. Must be a California carb...

Thank mr generator for fixing it yeah buddy 😊 👌

That air filter cover looks like it was chemically melted. Possibly someone used a harsh chemical like enamel reducer for some reason on that area. I have seen that look before plastic when chemicals are used on plastic that cannot handle it.

Fuel stabilizer. Stabilizes fuel so much it turns into super stabile jelly.

I had that same problem replaced 2 oem carbs with a new oem carb and on the 6.5 hp briggs and stratton I had could never get rid of the surging no matter what oem briggs carb I had never figured it out but realized that the crank was loose and the motor was done for so just replaced the engine anyways @James Condon

A few comments have said Intake Valve lash/adjustment, I dunno so I'm going with. I can't believe a Honda engine doesn't run right with a brand new Honda carb, seems wrong

I have seen a couple of brand new Lifan clone engines where that idle carb screw was broken off. I think that is done in the factory due to emission regulations. On my old engines, which are pre EU stage V, there is a normal screw but on anything I bought recently the screw was broken off and thread locker applied to it.

You can dremel the little nub off of that low speed needle and then remove it for cleaning and adjustment.

Wow. Admire your patience and excellent foresight replacing both of the jets in the new carb when the issue persisted. Bummer to have to modify the jets so much though as the typical homeowner is not likely to have the micro drill bits or want to monkey with doing the work. I get annoyed at how long it takes to drill out jets when I need to do it, but maybe my cheap set needs to be upgraded. Top quality as always and please do keep them coming! Early mowing season has started here in NC so I hope to move some mowers, blowers, whips and pressure washers that are taking up space while getting equipment in for service too.

I Was starting to wonder. what could be wrong? but it can be staring you write in the face, because you know you fix it. but did you?.. you sometimes you need and go over it again sometimes. great job, you got it running great.

Guitar strings work great to clean out jets and all orifices.

Still makes me wonder why you needed to drill out the pilot / main jet for this. Seems like there must be some type of vacuum leak somewhere. Maybe a slight warp in the carb isolator or something. I dont know. Im not expert :)

Where do you find your generators? i look all over the place and can't find any to repair at a reasonable price.

Great video, thank you. I think the intake box was melted by someone placing it on a hot surface, such as a Kerosun heater used in the garage. Don't ask me how I know. Also, did you do a compression test? I'm just wondering if the intake valve adjustment is off a tiny bit. Kind regards, Craig

Great Job James. Sticking with it and figuring out the issue. Most would have given up when the new carb didn't fix the issue.

I just learned that trick of spraying carb spray onto the carb seat in a Tarl video a few weeks back.

"I lost my favourite wire" 😆, said nobody ever.....😃

I love your videos. You are so patient and methodical in everything you do. I don't work on many generators however after watching so many of your videos I do believe I could do a decent job at it. I do work on walk behind/push mowers more. This video reminds me of one particular mower that I was given, repaired and then sold, however I do wish I could get that mower back now. It was surging just like this engine. Initially it was surging worse, however I drilled out the pilot jet and the surging was less, but didn't go away. I made a slight adjustment to the governor and increased the rpm a bit and the surging went away and the mower ran and cut great, but at what I believed it was a bit high on the rpm. At the time, I was tempted to increase the size of the pilot jet again rather than making the other adjustments, but was afraid I would destroy the jet. I believe that would have been the better option to try. That is why I watch your videos along with others, in an effort to try to improve myself/skills. Thanks so much for all of the great content you provide. My actual business is in lawn care, and one of my assistants is interested in helping make repairs to our equipment. I have directed him to your videos as well as a couple of others because there is so much to learn from y'all. I do a good job with the equipment we use daily, however when it comes to other brands, there is a skill that I have still strive to acquire.

Great videos as usual, super methodical and thorough. Keep up the great work! 👏

Thanks for showing the projects that drive you crazy. Otherwise new people think it's all straightforward and simple.

I like the discussion that your channel generates. Plus, I learn a lot about troubleshooting with your patient style.

The previous owner might have sprayed carb cleaner on the air filter and it melted the plastic. Some carb cleaners are very debilitory to certain plastic!

A load bank would be a big help to your Business

I have this exact model. I have taken meticulous care of it and it has given me no problems except I had to lightly clean carb once. Always use ethanol free gas in it, and change out the gas regularly along with the oil.

Those pilot jet caps can be removed by gently prying up on them while using a torch to heat the cap to melt the loctite. Be careful to not pry too hard or the screw will break off at the narrow point.

Most times I’ve had a surging problem like this it has turned out the be an intake leak or clogged jets. Usually the gasket. One time it was a gas line that had dry rotted from the inside out and basically turned into a flapper valve.

I just did a 5000 honda it was piston rings , they were stuck in the piston , I just last night fired it up changed piston rod head and cam.

Not this video but another one has helped me. Twice I have used your tip to remove the spark plug, fill the bottom stroke of the cylinder with rope and be able to loosen the nut on the flywheel to remove it. Mice had nested and chewed the insulation off wires causing a short and cut thru a wire powering a headlight. Neither were generators. The generator video parts are over my head. I would have taken it to the repair shop had I not watched your videos.

Learning each time James thanks for sharing 🇦🇺🦘👍

WOW ! This one almost got you !! I think i would remove that brand new Honda carb, replace all of its new parts, put it back in the box and on the shelf ! Then I would re-install the carb that came with the generator along with the bored out pilot jet (using # drills ?).

Interesting dilemma with this one when the new carburetor didn’t fix it

my powermate 7000 has been used only once . it has been sitting with fuel for a number of years. i tried starting it but it would not start. i believe that there may be gum in the carb. will pull down the carb and clean it up. will let you know. thanks for the video

From what I'm seeing in the couple of videos that I have watched, you are finding the same problem that most of us that work on small engines. The new fuels that are around. With that and I did hear you mention Harbor Freight, a friend recommended these plyers. You can find them at HF at www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-long-reach-hose-grip-pliers-37909.html?_br_psugg_q=hose+plyers They make it easy to remove fuel lines that may be just plain stuck or even hardened. Just an observation and suggestion. I enjoy watching your videos and have learned many new things. Thanks. Greg

Well done James. Why are these coming from the factory so poorly (incorrectly) jetted? Is it all in the name of emissions?

up the main Jet one or two sizes if it has say a 47 put a 50 or 52 and surge is gone ,the factory has make them lean to met EPA

Use heat like a soldering iron or a small gas torch to get the anti tamper off of the mixture screw. Worked a lot with Honda engines.

And a new spark arrest screen on the muffler fixed it.....lol

Wow At the amount of Jelly in the carb looks like way to much fuel stabilizer kinda reminds me of Jellied antifreeze @James Condon

Seems to be running a lot better with new carb from Honda with drilled out jet interesting very intriguing 🤔 @36:40 @James Condon

If the idle jet is plugged you have to break the stop off and clean it out, then order a new jet, I have the number if you need it

Gotta love getting items for cheaper because people are miss informed about a problem 🙄😕 @James Condon

Definitely adjust the valves. Previous owner said low compression maybe. Did he do a compression test? Does he have a compression tester? Does he even know how to perform a compression test? Or is he just talking out of the side of his mouth? Don't trust what seller's tell you. Love all, and trust few.

Great job James glad to see you sticking to your instincts and working it out ran like new

Great video. Not many would have bored the jets. Thinking outside the box can fix a lot. Really like your determination. I like how a torque wrench is a highly used tool. Especially with plastic involved

Wow took awhile to start thought there was a worse problem then just the gelled fuel in the carb @19:20 @James Condon

Great work on that generator, my guess as to why the plastic air filter housing was melted would be that someone probably was smoking or had an open flame near it and it caught on fire or perhaps they had a heater close to it while working on it. Excellent work as always!

Nice tip on harvesting wire from a brush @James Condon

Jim, one thing I've found that cleans small holes well, is a strand from a piece of wire rope. We have a rather unlimited source at work as this is used on semi truck door seals. Your way seems to work well, and it's unlikely you have the same access to these. We've used this technique on cleaning the overhead bug spray nozzles to great success.

Missing gas,Stop trying clean the carburetor with carburetor cleaner,dismantle it and put it in white vinegar and boil for 15 minutes,rinse with water and baking soda. Voilà

I wonder if the previous owner tried to preheat the carb with an electric heat gun during a cold winter's day as everything froze and thinking about cold starts tried to heat it melting the intake grid

I don’t think that 2 perfectly fine carbs would cause the same problem. Drilling the jets may have fixed the problem but highly doubt they were the actual cause. I think you should make a second video trying to find the real issue. Still enjoyed watching you trouble shoot this. Keep up the good videos.

I know what caused the melted plastic carburetor cleaner that stuff destroys anything but metal.

The 9 and the 13 have the sane carb different jets that could be a 9 hp jet..

Wow that was a naughty carburetor. Thank goodness you took your time and got it running great in the end. Great job of diagnosing and testing. Thanks for the information and video.

I can't believe it was a pilot jet I can't believe you had to bastardize amounts to....can you speculate what happened from before that put it in this condition all of this should not have been something else happened somebody with a little bit of skill was in there

I've had similar issues with small outboard engines. They are jetted for sea level. If they are used at higher altitudes (1000ft or more) the mixture is wrong and they need to be rejetted to function properly. Could it be the same with this one? I see surging quite a lot in your generator videos... what's the height above sea level in your area?

Its strange they put those metal tabs on the idle adjustment richness screws on those carbs. Even the Yamaha carbs. As the engine gets older its nice if a person can tweak the idle richness screw. I have cut those tabs off my generators even put holes in the clam shell case so I can slip a screwdriver through the case and make adjustments to stop the surging while its running. On the eU2000i Honda I remove the back black part that goes over the muffler and I can get a screwdriver in there to adjust it while its running. I also make a slot for a small screw driver in the adjustment screw if it doesn't have one so I can adjust them. Way easier than having to re-size the pilot jet and I understand why you did with a new carb who want's to modify a new carb. I think the epa has something to do with that they try and get the motor so efficient it won't perform. I winter in Key West a lot on base in the campground so I have tweaked many a carb for neighbors down there since we are mainly dry camping and everyone has a generator or 2 or 3 lol Most the aftermarket carbs come with a normal screw head to make adjustments. Crazy I love your videos. I'm addicted!! to them. Thank for sharing your knowledge. I see in the below comments where people use a heat gun to take off those metal tabs I'm going to try that next time.

You should set the valve clearance and clean/gap or replace the spark plug before chasing carb issues. You could be tuning the carb to compensate for other issues, especially if the PO's friend had his fingers under the valve cover.

Ha!! I've used Famous last words many times 🤣🤣🤣

Is the generator case arcing to the through-bolt? At around 25:00, look at the discharges at the top of the generator;

Do you you never showed us? Did you adjusted it? You gotta adjust them when they’re surgeon to get the surge to go out you didn’t just anything.

I would rather find "jelly" in the carb from too much STABIL, rather than have a scrapped out carb due to corrosion.

That looks like somebody was spraying it with something not knowing where the carburetor was and it run down run down ran down and melted melted melted

Love how this generator ups the voltage the more you add load.

“Famous last words.” What could go wrong? We’ve thought of everything. 😊

GREAT JOB ! I have had this issue so many times with the clone engines and some Honda's as well . They like to try to run them as lean as they can from the factory and it causes problems in some cases .. Just a heads up you forgot to add the two 0's behind the 161 to the part # in the description .. SURE ENJOYED !!

Engine hunts, because of non adjustable jets. What crap they manufacture, now a days....

Really glad you didn't give up in this one. Surging seems to be such a common issue so I'm glad you solved it!

EARLY IN MY CAREER AS AN AUTO TECH WAS LOOKING FOR A VACUUM LEAK, SPRAYED CARB CLEANER AROUND THE INTAKE, A BAD PLUG WIRE ARCED AND CAUGHT THE ENGINE ON FIRE. SINCE THEN HAVE USED WATER, IT WILL CHANGE AN IDLE, SOMETIMES YOU CAN HEAR OR SEE IT GET SUCKED UP.(IT WILL ALSO SHOW YOU BAD IGNITION WIRES, , ETC).

Surely , you're not going to use the OLD gas as IT has TOO much fuel preservative in it !!!!!

I have to ask this question. Why did the Voltage go up 2 Volts when adding another 1500 watts? 37:02 We clearly see 117.8-Ish Volts. and at 37:15 we clearly see 119.2-ish Volts. I am only curious..I mean no hate.

Page 16:00. Gas spill plus back fire? Or Gas confused for oil plus back fire?

16:00 my guess is that the plastic melted, not from heat, but from chemical reaction. Possible someone attempted to use an inappropriate starter fluid?

No don't get a new carb clean the progreshion jets in the venture whith a brissal off a wire brush and remove the emolshion tube behind the main jet and check and clean all the small holes in it hope this helps from the uk

. Why do they call the Masonic cleaner when it really vibrating? It’s like a sander weight under there that spins around the circle I just wondered.

Seems like maybe the guy's "friend" was trying to get a sweet-but-shady deal on his generator.

Someone set that intake box ablaze with some raw gas while trying to get it running.....that is why the intake is cooked.

No compression? No problem. Just replace the carburator as instructed in most of these videos.

Why can't you tell from pulling the starter cord that there's no compression

I smelled a Honda Snake in that one. Did you smell him? Enjoyed your testing...

I notice you never drop or throw down your tools I like that .🔧

23:58. That is removable. Heat and just pull the top of it off and there is a normal jet underneath.

I had a friend look at it? Is your friend a vet cuz hes got no buisiness lookin at a generator.