How To: Change the Oil in a Predator 3500 Inverter Generator 

It's really not "flipped over", it's tilted just as step 3 in the owner's manual specifies: "3. Lift and tilt the Generator. Remove the Drain Plug on the bottom of the machine, then set the Generator back down on a level surface." You could always write to the manufacturer and tell them you wouldn't tilt an engine & maybe they can give you an alternative; perhaps lifting the entire generator onto blocks in a level fashion would do it. I definitely can't lift it so just I tilt it as shown.

It's sealed. Completely fine. Oil settles right back down.

Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know my video helped! :)

Thanks? LOL! 🤣

I’m sorry lol

Thanks! I'm glad my silliness was appreciated! Lol! :)

It’s all about the vibe 👍

Excellent! Good luck with your generator & thanks for commenting! :)

@@EndlessDIY All ready done. Pretty fast project. Glad you mentioned to hold off on putting the full 20 oz in it. 17 oz was about perfect. Thanks again.

@@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643 on the first change it is usually black as rings seat. First 50hrs is all about the break in.

Lol! Well, if he tried to mow in the garage then we might have a little conflict! 🤣🚜

LOL! Good point! LOL! Good video, and thank you!

That's awesome and I'm so glad my video helped you! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! :)

You can do it! Good luck, & thanks for watching! :)

Excellent! Congrats! I'm really happy to hear my video was helpful! :)

Aw! That's a bummer! It powered the AC in my Ice Castle, but I don't recall the size. Yours must be bigger. I've seen people talk about a "soft start" kit that allows a slightly smaller generator to start a heavy draw item like an AC. From what I understand, when the AC kicks on is the huge draw. If you're not able to return it for some reason, that's something to look into, at least. Thanks for watching! :)

Great! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! :)

Thanks so much! I'm glad it was helpful; lawnmower noise & all! 😄

Lol! I bet! I have garage specific bakeware (cookie sheet for oil change, muffin tin for nuts & bolts on a big project). 😁 I'm glad you found the video useful! Thanks for tuning in!

@@EndlessDIY Muffin tins for nuts and bolts!! What a great idea! Add magnets and voila!

@@LivingFaith2 Thanks! It definitely keeps things organized! Everything seems to roll away otherwise. lol!

@@EndlessDIY I wish I would have watched your video Before removing my radiator on my Dodge. I would certainly have bought a muffin tin first.

That's fantastic, Diane! I'm so happy to hear that! :)

WTH 🤣

Great! I hope it went well for you! :)

I agree. I use regular automotive oil, as well. This was the first oil change after the break-in period so it still looked pretty new. I rarely use the generator. I mostly use it to power my house when the power goes out (dang rural power). Thanks for the comment! :)

It's there but a good mention, nonetheless! Good reminder to pay attention to those kinds of things. Something a simple as a dropped washer can definitely ruin your day if you don't notice it. Thanks for watching! :)

Thanks for watching! I'm glad it was helpful! :)

🤫🤐😉 Your secret's safe with me!

Umm…. The kitchen? Well, I guess we won’t wonder what happened to you after we see the obituaries.

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! :)

I love to hear that! Thanks for letting me know! :)

Lol! Aw! C'mon! Those are my best moves! 😆

You are lucky if you have one

I'm happy to hear that the video helped! :)

Thanks for watching!

Thank you for watching! 🙂

Great! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! I'm so glad it helped! :)

Thanks for watching! :)

Excellent! I'm glad it helped! :)

I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know! :)

Thanks so much! :)

I'm really glad to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! :)

Thanks for watching! :)

Lol! And I thought I was the only one! haha! Thaks for watching! :)

Thanks for watching! :)

Thank you! :)

Thank YOU for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

Thank you! :)

Excellent! And thank you! :)

If you ever find out, let me know! lol! Thanks for watching! :)

Thanks so much! And thanks for watching, too! :)

Congrats on your new generator! As far as I know, anywhere that sells a reasonable amount of oil has to accept it to be recycled (like Walmart, Napa, etc).

Thanks! :)

Agreed. I do mention it in the video, but the camera was in the way so I couldn't really show it. Lol! Dang camera! ;)

Seems like your old oil would make a huge mess if you tipped it to its side. That’s a pretty small exit hole down there for it to hit. Id rather just leave it open for a while and come back later to finish up. Good vid.

Thanks! :)

Lol! What I actually said was that my extension is a "wabblah" (wobbler). It totally sounds like blah blah now that you pointed it out! And I can't un-hear it! Haha! 😆

Thanks for the comment! :)

Thanks! I haven't had any issues with fuel coming out when tipping the generator. You most likely overfilled it a bit. It's common on these. There's a fill mark in the gas neck that you're not supposed to fill past (and they mean it! lol!) but it's kind of difficult to see. Gas expands so if you overfill it will make a nice mess for you. Hope that helps! 🙂

I had the same question, thanks!!

I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner, your comment was held as spam for some reason. 🤷‍♀️ Anyhow, I don't know, offhand, but if you take the bolt to a powersports dealer (Polaris, Yamaha, etc) they might be able match one up for you. The last one I got was for my Polaris General from the dealer, so they do have them. Just matching the size is the challenge. I hope you find one & thanks for watching! :)

You're right, it did look really good. It was the first oil change after the break-in period but I don't recall the hours.

Hi there! I use Mobil One synthetic 10W-30 in my Predator. The manual just recommends 10W-30. Thanks for watching! :)

Thanks for watching! 🙂

You should check/clean the spark arrestor. I've seen several people talk about it getting clogged and making the generator less efficient and even falter a bit. It's simple to do. Here's a link to the owner's manual, if you want to read all the details about the generator and some service info. manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63584.pdf 👍🏻

@@EndlessDIY Thanks for the link to the OWNERS MANUAL

Thanks for watching! :)

Good question! According to the manual, you're supposed to change it every 6 months or 100 hours. Here's a link to the manual if you'd like to take a look. Thanks for commenting! :) manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63584.pdf

I always thread it in but you should do whatever the manual calls for. I believe either method is just fine. 👍🏻

I use Mobil1 synthetic in my generator, but you'll have to make the call on what type you want to run. I know people are really partial to their brand/type. lol!

YES!!! Lol! I hate that! Locking it "just right" helps, sometimes, but that thing is so annoying! I'm thinking about making a big wheel kit for mine with possibly a different brake system. I'll design & 3D print the spacers and maybe come up with a jingle jangle solution in the process. 😄

Place it on an even ground.

The manual for the generator recommends 10w/30 oil so that's what I always use. I'm sorry, I don't know if other weights would be suitable. Here's a link to the owner's manual if you'd like to take a peek. Thanks for the question! :) manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63584.pdf

I don’t recall off hand but the video does show how much oil.

It sounds like it might not be getting fuel. I've not dug into the carb on my Predator but you might do some googling to find out what type it has. It could be a dried-up accelerator pump/diaphragm or maybe your jet/fuel orifice is just plugged with old varnished fuel. If it were me, I'd find out what I could about the style of the carb then take it apart for a thorough cleaning. Sometimes the little carbs for small engines can be so inexpensive a rebuild kit actually costs more. Another free dignostic thing you can do is make sure it has spark. Take the plug wire off & hold it very near the plug & turn the engine over to see if you have spark. It can be hard to see. If you're not really able to see, unscrew the plug, put it in the plug wire & hold the electrode near a bolt or something on the generator & watch for spark that way. Good luck! I hope you get it sorted!

Maybe dump all the old fuel out and buy non-oxygenated gas with two oz. of Seafoam and crank it over. If it starts let it run for 15 min. to let Seafoam clear the varnish out of lines.

A worthy investment, for sure!

Yay!

Anything to make the job quicker is nice! 👍🏻

Isnt it easier to unscrew and take the whole side off to get better access??

@@tomcoon6930 I've never had the side off of mine so I can't compare methods. The access panel has been plenty of room for me, but whatever works best for you is the way to go! :) Thanks for watching & commenting!

What size was the valve????

@@jseries9247 Are you asking what the bolt head size for draining the oil is? If so, it's a 10mm socket (I mention it at the beginning of the video and it's also in the description along with the other items needed). If you're asking what size quick drain hose you can buy for these, I haven't got one, but I believe they are 12mm. Other than that, I'm not sure what "valve" you mean.

Lol! That sounds delicious! I had a Honda EU2000 many years ago. It was a great, workhorse generator. We used it mostly for ice fishing and it never failed, even in terribly cold weather. I chose this one over a larger Honda for a couple reasons; price and I have read SO many great reviews about the Predator. I'm hoping it is at least as reliable as the old Honda was. Thanks for watching and commenting! :)

Thanks! :)

Interesting. The manual for mine, on page 17, step 7 says: " Replace the Oil Drain Bolt and add the appropriate type of oil until the oil level is at the proper level. *_SAE 10W-30 oil is recommended for general use_* . " . Here's the link to the manual if anyone would like to double-check or would like to read the specific steps. manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63584.pdf