This genny is from a time when things were built with pride and quality and when Briggs was a Briggs.

@jcondon1

6 ай бұрын

It was a well made machine

@CorwinBos

6 ай бұрын

No kidding on the new Briggs engines not being great. Id rather just go buy a HF special anymore than a new Briggs.

@TestECull

6 ай бұрын

@@CorwinBos Or get an old briggs. My first choice for 4-cycle small engines is a flathead Briggs. They didn't go to shit until they went OHV.

@CorwinBos

6 ай бұрын

@@TestECull Easier said than done unfortunately. Most of them are too clapped out to run or even to bother fixing.

@TestECull

6 ай бұрын

@@CorwinBos I would sooner repair a windowed flathead Briggs block and rebuild it than deal with these crappy clones. Way I see it, spending $400 on resurrecting even the most clapped out flatty Briggs is a better spend of money than buying a bunch of those disposable $99 Predator 212s Harbor Freight sells. Plus those things won't be $99 forever. The $400 Briggs overhaul will last well into the days where those Predator 212s cost $150 new. To me, quality is worth the spend going with a flathead Briggs over a modern cheap clone engine. I LOATHE cheaply made, disposable crap. How many times now have we seen James put a clone carb on an engine only for said clone carb to not work worth a fuck?

34 years old, and starts on first pull. That's quality!

I would purchase an old refurbished Genny from Mr. Condon, before even considering a brand new one,....Excellent work my friend! 🙂

I think old machines have a life all their own. You've helped another continue that journey.

I picked up this type 3000 watt generator for free one day. Cleaned it's carb and changed the oil/plug. Then came the 2008 high winds that knocked out power for 8 days. That 3000 saved my household for a week and kept us going. I'll never be without a generator again as I gave my 3000 to a family member and bought a 6500 watt Honda liquid for hard times. Another great video James, as it brought back enjoyable memories.

@markphillips6154

6 ай бұрын

Way too long. You need to shorten these things up please

@wesley00042

6 ай бұрын

​@@markphillips6154 Watch at 1.5x

@robertdavis6708

6 ай бұрын

Mark, I'll do that for you.@@markphillips6154

@louisciotti3111

5 ай бұрын

Hello James weather do you use in your ultrasonic vcleaner. Thanks ,I watch your KZread videos all the time and enjoy them. Thanks ,Lou

@linuxjrm

5 ай бұрын

I enjoy the detail in your videos. Thank you

James, in the first few minutes I can offer a Volt fix that is common on this type of head. Using a big drill motor you power it up, plug in the drill, and if your volts are down below 110 you run your drill and let off then before the drill stops spinning forward you click the drill in reverse, bogging it and hit it a few seconds, repeating this back and forth a F/R/F/R few times. It's old school genny flashing that works. The old PM Commercial models were only "commercial" due to the electric start and muffler. Otherwise same thing as any of the rest.

@Jim-ie6uf

6 ай бұрын

Great comment

@Jim-ie6uf

6 ай бұрын

John, love your videos, Merry Christmas, bud.😊

@fasteddie8782

4 ай бұрын

I have heard of that it's like flashing the system putting a a shock to it like a jolt

It was definitely in the pilot circuit. I ran into the issue on a tiller I was selling recently. I had someone coming to look at it, and it ran terrible that morning. The guy was on the way, so I had to rush. I removed, disassembled, cleaned, reassembled, and reinstalled the carb in 14 minutes. I was proud of that one. The pilot jet was clogged. I got $200 on it, which was pretty good for a 15 year old and beat up machine with no model tag on it. It ran perfect though, and the only money I invested in it was for a new drive belt.

@jackpatteeuw9244

6 ай бұрын

Best thing for old B&S flat heads is replace the points with a B&S Magnetron magneto.

I really enjoy the methodical approach. James is the antithesis of Andrew Camarata. Andrew would have thrown a chain around that control panel and hooked it to a skid steer. "There, good as new."

Thank you for painting that muffler. It drove me crazy from the second I saw this machine, lol.

@philliphall5198

6 ай бұрын

Me too 😊

1:36:30 Jim, you can use silicon rectifiers in series. Five diodes drops 3 V from charger. 6A6 is a very low cost and reliable choice.

I have one powermate with a briggs and another with a tecumseh both engines needed rebuilt but they were both free junk Im glad your doing a powermate video.

That air filter is very similar to the one on my 18.5 Briggs lawn tractor engine. Lots of life to them and less likely to degrade like a foam filter.

I was yelling at the telly “first pull” and this old girl delivered

I scanned and converted a few gaskets to CAD drawings a coulpe of years ago, was a surprisingly easy process and now if I need a new one I can just laser cut it from gasket paper

This is the longest video you have ever done, and it was done on a machine that was actually running when you got it, lol. I appreciate though. This was a cool machine to do a long video on. It's one you don't see every day, and this was very interesting.

Indeed a beautiful machine! Great choice to go from white to black on the cover! That really gave it the look it needed. If i could get my hands in that i certainly would!

@lewiemcneely9143

6 ай бұрын

I have a 86 model and it runs as good or better than a new one.

Yet another enjoyable video, James. I love the older generators. You definitely got more for your money back then. You've delivered some quality videos this year, James, so thank you very much. Merry Christmas everyone

@jcondon1

6 ай бұрын

Thanks and Merry Christmas

@martin4787

6 ай бұрын

I'd like to second everything you said AW and a Merry Christams🙂

@teresapittman7303

6 ай бұрын

Hello I love watching your videos. I learn a lot from you.thanks😊

@browsedeweb8834

6 ай бұрын

Another amazing video! The editing must have taken forever! This is my favorite KZread channel by far...quality, long, valuable and interesting content with no ads. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into these James, and Merry Christmas to you and your entire family.

@throwbo

6 ай бұрын

> You definitely got more for your money back then. Not really. Back in the '80s I think these machines sold for around the same price as they do today, but in 1980's $, so like $1,000 today. And no AVR. And the Briggs were still flat head after Honda went over to OHV (and Subaru to overhead cam). Basically a 1940s design motor. Colemans were the "big box store" generator of their day, not a high end item.

James, this popped up today, Fathers Dad 2024. Idk why I missed it 6 months ago. Awesome job. That black paint on the shroud looks bad a$$. I love the old equipment! Thanks for saving this 35 year old machine and sharing it with us. You accompanied me today as I staked up my tomatoes, I couldn’t watch it all, but I listened to every word. Thank you and Happy Father’s Day. You are the Cool Dad, I have seen the go cart videos.

On the charging circuit, you can add a zener diode rated for 13V 1w (1N4743A) between the positive terminal and ground.

@raymondhellberg3600

6 ай бұрын

That zener would probably be short-lived, nothing to limit the current through it when it opens. Leave it disconnected, or try to find a decent charging controller.

@shunloc9704

6 ай бұрын

Honestly I would go with a Automotive voltage regulator that you can pick up for cheap at an auto parts store.

@Roy_Tellason

6 ай бұрын

I'd go a little higher than that. And add a small amount of resistance in series, otherwise that zener is gonna get awfully warm.

@r8118830

6 ай бұрын

@@Roy_Tellason Making some assumptions. 18 AH battery. trickle charge at C/100H gives 180mA. Need to drop say 3V. R = V/I so R = 16.7 ohms. W = V x I. W = 3 x 0.18 = 0.56 W. I would use a 5W panel mount resistor. Values I see for sale are 15 ohms or 20 ohms. Easy to mount anywhere. It will run cool and costs 2 dollars. I would use the 20 ohm resistor. Connect in series with the charging diode.

Tremendous job! Black and green, good choice 👍

Those old-school flat head motors were so darn tough. I know they were less EPA friendly (allegedly)...but I think they kept power equipment out of the trash.

That’s what I all say the older machines are built much better and last longer ! I ran a old Honda gen for over three days stright and it powered my daughters house full time ! After a storm !

JAMES GORDON Master of small engine, generator and carburetor repairs"😁😁

Nice video.... A jewel in the rough!

Hi James, I think the color is Onan green

Another great video James, thank you 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I bought several of those from Costco back in the early 90s for use on survey spike camps and prospecting camps .. I know that 2 of that initial batch are still running today, as the family still uses them up at the fishing cabin and to run emergency lights and forced air furnace fan/pump if power is out ..

I like this machine too. I would be a cool one to keep around due to it's age and condition. You are not likely to find another that age in such good condition. I was impressed by the THD. I didn't expect it to stay as low as it did. It's a shame that a machine made before sensitive electronics even existed operates them better than a modern machine. This was a nice save. It is nice to get one that you runs well enough that you can concentrate more on the cosmetic end of things.

@YukonHawk1

6 ай бұрын

I completely agree.

I always liked the green paint on those units. Gave them an industrial machine look. I also like the new pavement.

You don’t typically see brass floats anymore. My youth they were the standard.

When I saw the motor running flawlessly at 40 minutes I thought there is no way it would last another hour and a half and stay interesting, once again you proved me wrong.

I like the older style motors better then the newer OHV motors. They seem to be better built and more dependable. Thanks for the Vids Jim. 😛

@jcondon1

6 ай бұрын

You and me both. Much better engines in the long run.

Great video Jim, enjoyed it very much! Good job bringing that old guy back to life,it seems to be a good machine. Hope you and your family have a merry Christmas!

Another great video in the bag! I like how you go beyond just fixing the generator to making look as good as you can. It shows you really care about what you put your name to. Looking forward to the nest video. KOKO!

Another amazing restoration! I never tire of your assessments and your knowledge of electrical principles.

@johncourtneidge

6 ай бұрын

Yes!

Love watching your videos. I actually need to do a some maintenance on my generator just waiting for a few parts to come in

Someone has taken very good care of the generator and it’s really a good buy once carb is cleared Good quality back then 😊

A great machine James and another great video. I'd like to wish you, your family and all your viewers a Very Merry Christmas 🙂🎄

Well , you turned another old piece into something worth having and it looks nice to boot . Nice job James !

Another excellent video,as always! Merry Christmas. Hope you have a Christmas Marathon 😊😊😊😊😊

This is my second comment. The care and precision you give these gennys and vids is outstanding. I really loved this video from start to finish. As you said it cleaned up really well. Once you sprayed the muffler and shroud, the machine colors really popped. Great choice. I would definitely keep that genny in the family 😊. Lastly, James, I recently met Bob, whom you have traded and bought things from. I bought a car rooftop pod from him last Saturday. He is a very nice gentleman. I saw his workshop and all of the machines he had fixed. We spoke for a while and discussed how I met up with you a couple of years back to give you some genny parts I no longer needed. Anyway, Merry Christmas to you and your family. 😊

Thanks for saving it. Lot's of work though, gees. Funny how KZread makes these jobs worth it

That bowl gasket would be pretty simple to make. I make my own most of the time to save money on the machines I am flipping, and I could definitely make that one. That one is an easy fix.

@alanfryer5670

6 ай бұрын

How is a diy bowl gasket made?

That machine looks a lot older than it is, due to the way it was assembled. They used a lot of really old technology on it. I didn't know they were still using that style of carb, flathead engines, or brass floats that recently.

@jcondon1

6 ай бұрын

Think they used that design still until the early 90s

A job worth doing is a job worth doing well. I like the pride you take in your work. Well done.

1:56:30 After you derusted, cleaned an painted the muffler, it looked real good. Then I noticed what appeard to be four threaded holes at the exhaust outlet. I wonder if at one time in its historty there was an exhaust deflector there to direct the hot exhaust down or away from that tire.

@oldsharkie3786

6 ай бұрын

I believe a spark arrestor goes on there.

@jcondon1

6 ай бұрын

I think it was for a spark arrestor. I tried a standard one the the holes did not match. Should have also been to add a deflector or a pipe to take the exhaust away.

@johnglynne9032

6 ай бұрын

actually a spark arrestor / deflector combination

Beautiful job James. I had a few of them many years back and Coleman had a bulletin on the rear bearing on the gen head. Apparently when sitting for long periods of time the oil leaked out of the bearing and caused it to fail and eventually would cause a crash of the rotor and stator. Might check that bearing. Thanks for the video. Really good one.

Using dishwashing liquid in the ultrasonic now?

@jcondon1

6 ай бұрын

For now. Have had a few issues with the Harbor Freight degreaser recently. They changed the recipe and it is now corrosive to aluminum. Still works well on most, but some it reacts badly. Will not use it anymore on carbs that are expensive or impossible to replace.

I really appreciate you work you can't believe through videos I now can do basic maintenance and fix few things on my Gen set

Thanks for another informative video. Thanks for sharing.

Great job, you may have outdone yourself with this one, clearly has a lot of useful life left in it, I agree it's never looked better

James it’s amazing how much detail you put into your projects! All others have a saying ! Good Enough you go out to make it perfect! Great job on your repairs I too would buy your machines rather than a new one !

Also, you did a great job cleaning it up and painting it. I agree that black was probably your best option. Another great video!

Your attention to detail is outstanding James. Sure do enjoy your videos…!

James is the best. It's pure enjoyment watching his videos. I wish he was in my area.

I am so glad you finally got a lift. Watching you work on those generators all bent over used to make my back hurt.

Thanks for the video Jim. I use a 12 point 7/16" socket to remove the square pipe plug when doing oil changes.

James, you rescued yet another classic from the recycler. Those older Briggs engines were built well, and this one sounded great. The only drawback: Watching an old piece of equipment come back to life bears unfortunate witness to how bad (cheaply made, planned obsolescence) some newer gear has become. Thanks for the great content in 2023... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the whole Condon family! From a JC fan in Texas. 🎄🎉

Great find James and upgrades😊

I've got one very similar to this that needs a power head. I recently fired it up with carb cleaner. Stored without fuel. I'd love for you to have it. Getting it to you is the issue, I reside near Pittsburgh PA. I appreciate the pride and workmanship that you put into your projects! Thank you James. It's got your name on it!

What a great revival of a fine old machine. Got my fingers crossed that those HF wheels won’t go flat on you, like mine did. Ended up putting solid wheels on. Enjoy your vids and your calm, methodical manner of problem solving.

Great video James. I appreciate your thoroughness. Wish you lived closer😀

These are the videos I enjoy the most, you bringing older (pre-1990) gererators back into a reliable state. I find those episodes the most interesting and I wish there would be more, but I do understand that one doesn´t make as much money with the oder models.

Great video Doc., that's that's great generator for someone.

great work, someone is going to get a good genny. great video

This is the most enjoyable video ever 😊

I like your attention to detail, noticing the power head was not level and how you clean, paint and do your best to remove the dents. I also have a similar older model Homelite generator that I occasionally use. It runs great, I need to test the output of the power head to confirm that all is adjusted correctly. All of your videos I have viewed and the added test equipment that I have purchased will help me do that. Keep up the good work.

Thanks James for another excellent video! I recently picked up a free Dyna DX4500E which is similar to this 1989 Powermate. In the New Year, I hope to fix it up and bring it into good use again ~ Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Merry Christmas!

Great job again James - really enjoyed the video. Lovely older machine - good to see it get some tlc! Please keep them coming - high spot of my week to watch them. P

I like this gen set, You did work magic on it as well good job.

Loved the video, James. Great to see old machines brought back to life... One comment, if I may....as a retired physician I cringe when I see you clear away metal shavings with compressed air, rather than vacuuming them up...way too easy to land in an eye. Stay well!

I always learn something new from your videos, love the videos on older US gennys, rarely see these in the UK

Beautiful job James

it shined up real nice.. nice job

Thats interesting, an older machine, it didn't look too bad to begin with, but now it looks great, and runs like new. Another interesting and informative video sir.

Why don’t they make the exhaust pipes out of stainless steel so it doesn’t rust so bad ?

Great content! Keep it up..👍

James, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Nice rescue and revival!

Beautiful Restoration!

Hello James; As a long time viewer I am still somewhat impressed with the detail you put into your repair or refit projects, I agree with your assessment that it should not be that difficult to replace the fuel tank grommet. I now try once with locking pliers and reasonable pressure. If rhe valve does not come out ( it usually does not). I take a very small drill bit and drill the old grommet right beside the stem of the valve, 3 or 4 times on each side of the valve spray the drilled holes with WD40 and then pull the valve. It seems to work well. So far no valves damaged since I started drilling the old grommet. I have done 3 this way, it works for me. I think if you try it you will have good results.

I have one of those runs good got it at SAMs

New guy watching your video....out standing job!!

Hi James, I really enjoy your videos. I own 3 gennys one of which is the Coleman Powermate 4000, pretty much identical to your 5000 except no electric start. Bought it at Costco in 1987 and used it to build my off grid cabin in Maine running power tools and air compressor. It was my source of power after the cabin was built and was perfect for my needs until I had a deep well drilled and it wasn't quite enough to start the well pump and other electrical needs so at that point in time I upgraded to a Generac 6500 Megaforce w/o electric start. The Coleman had well over 2,500 hours and I rebuilt the carb, new brushes and a paint job using Coleman Green spray paint. I still have the Coleman I/C 4000 and it starts always on the first pull. After 4000 hours on the Megaforce I upgraded to the Champion 41532 7000 / 9000 electric start with remote fob. I have since installed a Champion Tri Fuel carb and run it on LP which makes it purr like a cat compared to gasoline. I still own the Generac as a backup to the Champion at the cabin in DownEast Maine. The only problem I have ever incurred was the Coleman was left outside uncovered and an unexpected snow shower allowed moisture into the end housing toasting the capacitor. Engine ran fine just no juice so soldered in a new capacitor and problem solved. So needless to say watching your videos of all your Generator repairs is very interesting and educational for me. Thank you!!

Good video I have pretty much the same generator I use for my water well on power outages. You remind me of the neighbor on the TV show home improvement that never shows his face he is just peers over the fence.

Nice detailed video, and you have some good luck! No serious mechanical issues; good work on the cosmetics!

I have the 3000 watt little brother to this generator and love it still. One pull and away we go! I used to throw it on my sailboat to light up my boat for the Pass Christian, MS Lighted Boat Christmas Parade! I keep it as a backup for my other hurricane generators that are larger. It’s been effortless past routine oil changes and occasional spark plugs.

Would not be surprised to see this old girl in the background of future videos. Thanks for the effort

I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, but what typically causes that slack in the pull rope is a rusty tension spring in the recoil. All you have to do is spray some type of lubricant under the plastic plate and pull on it a few times. That will usually fix that issue without replacing anything. You can also soak the spring in Evapo Rust, but reinstalling it is a pain.

can't beat the old motors

Briggs and Stration voltage regulators are available on e-bay for about 10 dollars.

Great video as always! It’s amazing you ‘only’ have 144k subscribers! For the battery charging voltage issues, suggest you consider adding a battery charging control circuit. You can buy modules off the shelf that will likely do the job.

Nice work! Nice old unit. That green looks a lot like Onan green on my screen.

Another award winning job! Can’t use this one for sensitive electronic devices.

About replacing the fuel tank bushing, where you say "There's gotta be a better way" ... there is. Cut it off with a single-sided razor blade. Cut sideways into the fuel valve and let the top of it drop into the gas tank, then shake it out. Saves pulling your guts out.

@jcondon1

6 ай бұрын

Good point. Think I knew that and forgot it. Thanks.

Go with black. Very nice detail, Jim! 👍

Thanks Much james. I have a 1976 Version of that Engine in an 8 hp on a Gilson Snow Thrower. I bought new in 1976. And i Found out the hard way to split the Carb, Yup. Bent the tube. was able to save it. I have it set just a tad on the rich side and it really snorts with a full head of Snow HAHAHAH That powerhead Bracket is bent.the Feet should be flat...

Great job as usual James. I have a couple of suggestions that might be useful to you. 1)on plastic tanks I’ve had good luck with plastic welding and it is darn near undetectable, I bought my welder off of Amazon but I’m sure Princess Auto or Harbour Freight would have them too. 2) I use 303 Aerospace Protectant and Chemical Guys VRP to rejuvenate plastic and this does a great job making them look new again. Hope this helps Ray

Your a perfectionist James, great video, did you know there's a 'right way up' for a metal washer? Rounded on the top edges (punch side), square and often sharp ish underside edges (die side). Die side always goes to the work piece!

Nothing like the sight of an old Briggs & Stratton.❤