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Forum Index : Other Stuff : Repairing a old gen set
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Hi guys I was given a old ( 1970's ) Honda E1000E 1kw gen set the other day. It didn't run and had been sitting for many years. A fun little project, I like restoring old machinery, which is why I have 3 ride on lawn mowers! First thing was to pull the alternator apart and blow out the dust and rust. Then I cleaned up the armature slip rings and checked the diodes, all good. Next I pulled the control box apart, blew out the dust and replaced a old electrolytic cap. Again, everything tested OK. Next was the motor, a 170cc 4.3hp four stroke, Honda G40. Pulled apart and cleaned out the carb, ripped off the head and cleaned the piston top and chamber, its a flathead motor so servicing these parts is dead easy. You can reuse the head gasket many times, and dont use any gasket goo. A lot of oil in the chamber, maybe the rings are stuffed? Put it all back together and fired it up. Started easily enough, but the motor was very noisey, mechanically, and lots of blue smoke. Bugger, needs new rings and bearings. While I had the motor running, I tested the alternator side of things and it works fine. I ran a 600 watt power drill without any noticable slow down, so at least that side of things was good to go. Pulled the motor bottem end apart. The crank bearings are a bit loose, as was the big end bearing. Piston compression rings ok, but oil ring stuck. I broke the oil ring trying to free it, so time to do some research and find some replacement parts. The main bearings were easy to find. The big end bearing is made up of rollers on a pressed together crank, no way was I going to tackle that one, so I'll leave them in place and hopefully they will last. I found a supplied for the piston rings, $70 for the set, on order. Next I'll hone the bore and give it a good clean. Its only a 1kw gen set, but I enjoy fixing this sort of stuff and it will come in handy from time to time. I am looking at buying a new gen set in the near future, before the storm season takes hold. I like the Dunlites, thinking maybe a 5kw with electric start, big enough to run the basics ( fridge, TV, etc ) and maybe power a small welder. I want to stay away from the inverter types, prefer something I can fix in 20 years if I have to. This is the alternator. 
Circuit diagram, I edited it a bit to remove the voltage select plugs. A is the armature coil, B is the exciter coil in the little motor, C is the regulating transformer, its really very simple. 
This is the motor in bits. Poor pic, camera phone. 
Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| RossW Guru  Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
A good choice too, IMO. About 25 years ago we had a substantial storm here in Albury which (through a comedy of errors, lack of maintenance etc) saw the substation for the whole city blow up. We were without power for days, and on substantially limited power for about 4 months. I purchased a Honda/Dunlite 5KVA genset which ran 24/7 for several days, and which I still use as a standby generator (and throw it in the back of the Ute when I need welder, grinder, jackhammer etc down the paddock). They're super-reliable. If you plan to use it as a standby generator, a word of warning *from experience*. I modified mine to use a 60 litre petrol tank from a car. It didn't get used in anger for a few years, although I'd start it and run it for 10 mins or so once a month. When it came time to use it, it started fine - but wouldn't hold up any load. Just coughed and spluttered and died! The petrol had gone off... petrol is IMHO a BAD choice for a standby/emergency generator. My cure was to pull the carbie apart and re-jet it, modified the fuel bowl so I could feed it with low pressure propane. A regulator from a 20Kg cylinder and the generator is right to go any time - it never goes off like petrol, and can quickly swap over to a 9Kg bbq bottle to keep going while the larger cylinder is swapped. |
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| Robb Senior Member  Joined: 01/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 221 |
I was looking at generators about a year ago and found Welling & Crossley now own the Dunlite brand. Their Gentech brand looks like an almost direct re-badge in many cases. |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Thanks for the feedback. I've been looking at prices, and the electric start feature adds about $500 to the price. A 5kw with electric start is $2,300, without is $1,800. A 7kw model without electric start is $2,300, so I'm thinking I might be better off to go for the larger model without electric start. But maybe a 5kw is enough for my needs. If it can run my little mig welder I would be happy. The piston rings for the little Honda have arived, so if its a quiet weekend I'll put it back together. Converting to Gas is a good idea, I might look into that once the warranty runs out. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
I wish you luck pull starting a 7kva generator, while its new and fires first time is not so bad, but after its sat for a while and the fuel has got stale, by the second pull you be wishing you paid the extra for electric start, not to mentsion by the 10th attempt its time for a trip to the fridge for a cold beer and a cool down. Pete. Sometimes it just works |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
This weekend I put the motor back together. Honed the cylinder and cleaned the block, fitted the new rings and put it together. Bugger of a job 
The ignition coil and exciter coil. Its a points magneto system. 
All finished. 
Took a couple of yanks on the cord to get it going, bit of oil smoke at first but it soon cleared, and the carbie needs a little adjustment to get it running smoothly. My lower back has been out for a few days, and pull starting this thing stuffed me for the day  I wont be able to pull start it again for a few days, at least until after I see my chiropractor.
One thing I learned today, a electric start is a good idea 
Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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sungod Newbie  Joined: 11/07/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3 |
I have a dunlite powered by a honda 410cc 9HP diesel. It is about seven years old and had run for 900 hours. One of the counterweights on the governor decided to break free and it no longer works and is in pieces in my shed awaiting a time I can repair it. pretty sad as it cost me $5500 when I bought it |
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