Predator 3500 Generator - surging problem fixed! 

I waited too long to test my generator, when I finally did it was past the return period. It was surging right out of the box...I thought I was out $850. Saw this video, drained the carb, adjusted the screw, poked out the jet. My genny is currently purring like a kitten, thank you!!!

My predator with 746 hours lives on thanks to your video! I also evacuated old gas and drained carburetor bowl and now it's running like new!

I have this same generator and had the same trouble with it surging. This worked like a charm. I was afraid I would have to spend a $100 or more to have it fixed. Thanks.

That worked beautifully - I thank you for putting this video out there for the rest of us to benefit from your expertise.

Thank you so much! The storms in California have been repeatedly knocked out my power in the last few weeks. My Predator sputtered and died last night, I thought it was a goner. This worked beautifully and as you had displayed it wasn't complicated. However, I would have had to bring it in for repair without your video. THANKS!

Thanks for the video. Quick easy fix. I used a single strand of twisted copper wire and carb cleaner. Worked like a charm. Will put this on my maintenance list. You da man, thanks.

Thank you for the info!! I actually bought a tachometer on Amazon and calibrated it that way. Manual states 2600-3600 rpm. I let it warm up, put it eco mode, tuned it down to 2600 rpm, it took only a minute to tune. No more rough idle after cleaning that piece.

Thanks it fixed my problem with the generator did exactly what you did and it’s much better now after almost 2 years of storage

Been running 3 months almost non stop. Loping then died. Makes sense. Appreciate it

Thanks for the great video. I have changed the jet size, and had it running like a top, until today. Was running real rough and only when on full choke. Your vid reminded me of the tiny jet. Removed, cleaned it, and now it purrs like a kitten again.

This worked for me on my 8750 Predator generator. Thank you so much. I used a needle, carb cleaner and a compressor to clean out the blockage.

Great job. My generator is doing the exact same thing. I need to adjust this also. Thanks!

Great video...very informative...& thank you for leaving the " error" in the video it helps us know what to expect.

Perfect explanation. Works like a champ. Go elk dudes! All good, thanks.

Thanks for this tip. I have been working on my predator and was not sure how to get that adjusted. Will be doing that for sure. Great video!

Paid 350 dollars for mine, bought it at an Estate sale. Had less than 10hrs on it. Love it.

thank you so much ...you saved me ...i have this generator 4 years and work great until now . i did change oil probbably more often than recomended . once i have issue in the past was clogged exhaust ..it build up carbon so badly that there was barelly any flow and ofcourse didn't work right . i just removed the screan and after that was like day and night in performance .

Very clear and concise. Thank you!

Great job keep up the good work and please stay safe so you can keep us safe

Mine is brand new and surging at idle, was going to take it back but I will try your method first, thanks great video.

THanks for the Video, it was good. I am going to try that. I have my Predator for about 2 years now and from day one it was surging at idle & unless a lot of load is applied it just surges or hunts. I have tried vent the entire box, replaced the spark plug, replace the oil, replace with fresh if it sits too long and still doesn't run smooth. So I will try your fix & see what happens, thank you again.

Good info, thanks. My Norton Pgi3500 has been surging since new. I'm suspecting the seller used shitty gas when testing before shipping. I also bought an inline fuel filter that I will install.

Great job... you explained the issue great ... Keep going. I'll be following you

I love this Man.Thank you Sir!!It worked.

Thanks fixed the problem.

Thank you brother. Exactly the problem I had. Exactly the solution I needed Exactly the problem fixed. You da man !

Nicely done!

Thanks for the video, in California there is a cap on the screw that prevents adjustment. It must be removed to fix the generator.

Thanks! Very useful

This is very helpful. Thanks!

Thank You. Great help

Great video- thanks!

Thank you. Very informative

Just went out and cleaned the jet and it is back purring like a kitten although putting the idle screw back in was a PITA. Never the less after I got it back in and set the idle speed was extremely happy with the way it is running.

Great description 👆👍

Thanks!!!!! you just saved me from freezing to death in Kentucky!

Thanks bud this helped me get mine running smooth. That in another video that discusses deleting the evap can

Thanks for the video, Great learning experience for my self and others.

I am about to get a predator generator. The video was informative ...

excellent! Thank You!

Great information

Thank you, My predator is now purring like a kitten.

Miracle...it worked....please tell people when cleaning the jet the needle does not go all the way thru your just cleaning out the brass piece....thought it went thru to the opening in the middle of the screw

Thanks, gonna try that. Some say, the spark arrestor could be plugged as well. I'm also switching the fuel to ethanol free.

thank you so much for your guidance

15F today and Predator 3500 decided to act up and die while charging batteries for the house. Between video, rounding up tools and moving generator to a better location to perform repairs (snow/gravel not a good place to loose parts)…took about 2 hours. I didn’t find anything visible in the plastic pieces, still sprayed a little carb cleaner inside the carb. It was still acting up. I looked into the tank and the fill screen filter had also dropped into bottom of tank and was covering up the pickup inside the tank. So it was starving for gas too. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for this video. I'll try it.

Thanks for the vid

That ideal screw is only supposed to have 2 threads coming out the other side is only there to keep the pilot jet in. Throttle is controlled by the solenoid.

Great advice. Gonna try this out tomorrow. Nice plug on the Instagram link

Cleaned her and started working again. Mixed results on the idle fix

Have had my 3500 for about 2 mos now and a week ago it started surging and shut off at 2 am lol. A friend got it going again a day or so later but he bored out the jet 400th bigger which I'm not sure if I was happy about but it seems to run a little rough, now that I've watched your video I wonder if he has the the idle set correctly. Makes sense.

You have to clean the idle and main jets in the carb . There is no shortcut. It's a short coming of all carburetor engines. You can pop the fuel bowl off and spray up thru the main jet, but the best way is to pop the carb off. I start my 3500 every 2 weeks for 15 minutes. Or drain the fuel from the carb. Fuel stabilizer is a must.

Awesome ThankYou !!!

Your rack did you buy that or did it come on your trailer already that looks perfect for the generator

I went through all this exactly and I had no luck. I got it so it would idle down and stay even until you put any kind of load on it and it's all over the place. Generator has very low hours and started this almost immediately after I got it (should have returned it..). Replaced the plug (old one looked fine), air filter is spotless. I even sprayed some light oil on the governor mechanism thinking it might be sticky. No luck. Love the generator but this drives me absolutely nuts and I don't really trust a shop to work on it - I paid one $80 and all they did was swish out the carb, no change. I don't think many places know how to work on these things.

Question, when I'm hooked up to the camper should you turn the eco throttle off? Or do you always leave it on when hooked up. Thanks for the video. Mines been surging for a while. Going to try this.

Thank you!

Good video

You bought a P-3500 for $699???? Lucky you! Today they want $899 for the same generator! I don't think their common 20% discount will apply to these, either! Mine runs about half RPM these days after being stored for about 8 months. I failed to put Stabil in the gas tank, and there was a bunch of little pepper grains (looks like pepper!) in the gas that I think clogged the lines, jets, carb, bowl, etc. I drained it all out and bought some 91 octane ($3.77 / gallon these days here in Las Vegas!) and will add stabil from now on. I hope that solves my problems. I wish they had a method to remove that stupid black plastic strap/frame thing that blocks access to the carburetor! I'm ready to CUT it at the top and bottom to remove it and re-attach with some aluminum straps for something! Now... "Mr. Garage" here on You tube, has a much longer video to explain how to swap the #76 jet with something like a #68, but... he shows a brass jet thing that he unscrews from the BOTTOM of the carburetor bowl along with the 'emulsion tube'. You found a plastic one from the top! Which one is really the jet? I need to clean them both out, but ... that stupid black plastic frame thing is in the way! Oh... I have that exact same Craftsman tool box set that you have, but I think i bought mine in 1976 and I see will need a nice skate-board with tiny model car on it to complete my workshop! Cape Coral Elks Lodge? Is that what I heard? I was ready to toss my P-3500 generator in my truck and ask you for help until I heard that! You're a LONG drive from Las Vegas!

I bought a new machine with less then 1-hour on it at a estate sale. Had some gas in it, but had not been touched in about 18 months. When I looked at the machine, the switch on the right side was in the run position. What I have found out this controls the gas, choke and ignition. I charged the battery and got it to start, but it will not run in the RUN position, need to leave it in start position, which is the choke. So I drained all the gas, took the bowl of the bottom of the carb, got fresh 89 octane gas and added some Sea Foam to the gas. Still will not run in the RUN position. I was looking on here and saw your video and though it would give it a try. Thanks for the info, it was helpful, but it did not fix my problem. I'm wonder now if the problem is in the device that off, run start switch is attached to. Has to be starving for fuel.

Good info. Thanks. I just bought my brand new predator 3500 for my heat press machine 1500 watts. I sell T-shirts for festivals n shows. It runs great but once I get closer to the temperature I need for the machine it idols really high n the motor starts shaking. Do u think that’s my problem? IdolIng issue?

Thank you thought I was going to have to pull the carb

Question, my 3500 predator is running fine until the camper AC cuts on then after 10 minutes or so, the generator overloads. Start it back up it runs fine plug the camper back in it’s fine then the AC does it again. Problem is, it should be running the single AC unit no problem. Is this similar to what you’re talking about yours doing?

QUESTION...before doing any of this, if my generator is bone stock, would it be wise to count the number of turns for my idle screw turn if I screwed it in all the way so I'd know how many turns to back it out ? Good luck with your fund raising. Also, you might want to invest in a tripod so you don't have to display those fancy one handed skills...lol

can you just stick a pin in there while the jet is still set in the motor, any room for this? I'd mark the idle screw and count the turns to tighten to a light set then back it out all the way if you end up taking it out then you have a reference point: screw the jet all the way in to a light set then back it out the couned turns, like the 1.5 of a Holley carb.

Mine only does this when I have my espresso machine plugged in. And it's only 1600 watts! Will this help??

Mine serged all I did was spray gunk out in the carb by removing the drain plug for the fuel and spraying it in there. It's that simple and way easier

Thank

I love my 3500 and have had it for about 4 plus years so far. I am having a problem right now with mine. When I go to turn it off it keeps wanting to run and chug and like it's dying but just won't shut off. Any advice?

Does the needle need to clear a hole. Tried sucking and blow. No flow either way. ?

Idle screw is the famous SOFT black plastic !!!! While reinstalling I messed up the threads (forced in) Jet clogged but also need to dump the old fuel from carburetor

I just bought this generator. The first time I started it with the eco turned off I let it run for a while and then turned the eco on and it started surging. This was right out of the box. What's up with that?

if ya poke too big of a hole in the jet can u easily find a replacement one?

Get a cheap brass "toothbrush" at HarborFreight and pull out one hair of brass. Use that to poke through the jet to not tear up the jet.

Mine is a week old and when I set it to start it turns on... but soon as I switch it to "run" says overload and it dies . Even though nothing is connected to it. It only runs if I leave it on start and just slightly turn left towards run. .what could be the issue ?

I have a pizza trailer I ran a upright cooler chest freezer led lights and exhaust fan after about 3 hours it shut off and said overload first time this happened I may have about 18 hours on it!! What do you think it is? Do you have an email I can communicate with you? Thanks!

Are you suppose to be able to push needle all the way in

I have the same generator. when I hook up my travel trailer with 3,500 A/C and turn A/C on, the fan runs then the generator overloads and idles high when compressor tries to turn on. then runs normal and just runs fan, then a minute later same thing. could this be the problem?

Mine was fine for 1 week. Then My AMP demand went past 14AMPs and the the genie coughs and dies off. Could that be the issue...I am okay running at 3-5 AMPS...Pls advise Thank you

Good day why predator 3500 spark plug no spark

Wondering why it says overload and cuts off please help

Turn the screw all the way in before removing it and count the turns then you will know where it needs to be when you reinstall it.

Any truth to the rumor that California forces a too-lean pilot jetting to get CARB approval? Mine has always surged and cleaning the carb did nothing. I've been living with it for years.

Why do you have to remove the idle screw?

Lol. A microwave doesn't "heat up" Anyway, I got over 8,000 hours on one of 2 of my P3500 I.G.'s. It will surge when the oil gets low or the air filter is dirty.......it sits in the Arizona desert most of the time and 120 degree days don't phase it at all. I've never gone thru the effort you have. After 8 thousand hours it should be all worn out. The issue now is the electronic speed control has seemingly lost the ability to regulate to the energy save rpm and runs like the economy switch is off. I look forward to taking it apart and checking into a rebuild, for grins n giggles.

Great video. Thanks

How did you get that price ?

BTW, that is not the jet. The jet is inside the float bowl and it is brass with a number on it like 76.

dirt in jet = dirt in the gas... use a automotive paint strainer or a pair of panty hose over the fill tank

A little Marvel Mystery Oil or Seafoam added to the gas would stop that. Using non ethanol gas helps too. Just saying.

How is the Predator holding up

Great video I cheated tho I put about half an ounce of seafoam in mine

So I totally broke the idle screw where do I get a new one

How’s the spark arrestor? I rejected mine, pulled the eval canister, and vented the fuel cap. Keep spark arrestor clean and I’ve got no more surging.

Is that the air jet? Pilot jet? I know it isn't the main jet. Thinking air jet. That hose is a ventilation hose not a vacuum line.

I have spent a fortune trying to keep my generator running smooth and it only has 17 hrs. I think the best thing to do is go propane

This looks like cape coral lol

EVERY OTHER TANK OF FUEL USE STA - BIL OR MARVEL MYSTER OIL TREAMENT WILL CLEAN EVERY THING TOO ! .

No fuel gauge ???