Mechanic's prayer: Lord , grant me the serenity to discard the things that cannot be repaired, the skill to repair the things that can be, and the wisdom to know the difference.
I’m glad I found your channel. You explain everything as simple as you can. One thing I like is that you don’t come across as a know it all and work to find the problem. I hope you and your family are doing well. Thanks for showing how to fix these things. You’ve got a new subscriber. 🙏🙏
he discusses the subject with us like we are there with him..and his sense of humor is keen...he never ceases to maze me..level headed and insightful..wish he was my neighbor!
I used to be like Mustie1 fixing lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners and selling them. I was also a Toyota technician for 25 years. I love these videos. I fixed a lot of things I might get back into again.
I don't own a lawn mower, snow blower, generator, motorcycle or a VW. Yet I still feel the need to check this channel for new videos daily. Hidden gem on youtube. If Mustie1 had his own T-Shirt or cap, I'd buy one.
Why am I sitting here, at 10:30 at night hoping the free generator pulls through and works? What am I doing with my life? Mustie, you make some great stuff, thanks a lot!
I can't help it. I am addicted to Mustie1's videos and look every day to see if a new one has come out. You really have a way of making the viewer feel like they are right there with you.
Well put,JR. I concur. He's a natural.we are getting a sneak peek at a guy who may someday be a household name, like Mike Rowe but with skills. Don't ferget us little people if ya hits da big time, Mustie !
Years ago when i was a electrician helper at Caterpillar Inc. I would have to work on some old ac to dc generator style Hobart welders. When we had a problem of not enough voltage output the first thing we would do would be clean the commutator where the brushes rode with something that looked like a big gray rubber ink eraser. If the volts popped back up we knew it wasn't a bad control board. You might have run the genset long enough to clean the corrosion off and get it going again.
Great video! I'm most impressed by three things. One, that you can get a generator for free at a yard sale, two- that you have a VW bus in the driveway, and three, that you don't have duct tape for you wounded finger, but made a bandage out of painters blue tape, as well as using it to tape off the DC wires you don't wish to fry, and to hold the drill switch down. A true "in the shop" video. You've gained another subscriber
Perseverance coupled with knowledge. Like many others I am happy when I spend time with Mustie1 in his shop. So much to learn. I test myself by trying to predict his next move when doing small engines. Never gets old. Rock on Mustie1 !
Been watching the world go to crap here these last few days and I find my belief and trust in mankind drop off a cliff, then the light bulb comes on and I just know, that in order to rectify matters, all I have to do is log on and watch Mustie1. Keep rocking mate, your a life saver..............as well as a machine saver.
You are a savior to anything with a motor! You pay attention to detail whereas other so called "professional small engine mechanic" don't. I'm very impressed and everything you do and say is very helpful to people like me. Thanks a million!
Okay after stopping it about 75 times I figured out what kind of light you got I ordered it on Amazon and I found the blowgun. I know this is like a year old but I appreciate your videos so much.
Mustie1, I've learned so much from your videos and with your help have gotten 2 lawn mowers, a snow blower and a generator up and running (all personal, not for business). One of the lawnmowers I gave to my neighbor who had an old crappy one and scrapped it. Thanks and keep posting videos on generators please, I also like the VW stuff. My wife wants a Bug, so I'll be consulting some of your older vids
I envy your ability to find the stuff you work on at such a low price. Around here, they want a lot of money for broken crap. You have the talent to spot things that are repairable with little investment in money. I'm learning a lot from your videos. Keep them flowing.
FIRE!!! safety 3rd....lmao! I've never heard that before... thanks so much for the laughter and great videos you always create..... you have a Gift!.....
Mustie thanks for the great content. Always learn a bit more or I have a similar repair issue. It is nice to see that your views are also talking back to you too. Keep up the great work and hoarding supplies.
Glad to see you were able to recover that generator. Possibility that some of the connections to the regulator corroded and it just wasn't making good connections. If you ever blow her apart again try cleaning them up or putting new spade terminals on. I've been on the hunt for a fixer-upper yard sale generator for a couple years now but haven't had any luck. Storm season is a-commin'
Tip, engine speed is DIRECTLY tied to line frequency output, too fast or slow and that will get you in real trouble with whatever the load is in some cases (should be 60 hz +/_ maybe 2 or 3 tops in the USA, 50 hz in many places outside the USA.. That is what you shoot for, not output voltage alone.
Got so I didn't know which slide out regulator was which. and at the start you had difficulty deciding which was the replacement. Individual components can likely be checked with a meter and compared between the 3 of them. One set of windings may have got hot due the regulator failure but not enough to burn them out. You obviously have more patience than the original owner. Good job! Having seen the drill vibrate off the table, I too expected the battery to follow suit, nothing I can do, but you learn something every day.
Great video and I admire your persistence. A generator education and 2 usable units for sale. A good day, I'd say. Thanks again for taking your crew along for the class! Chuck in Kansas
After all that swapping, you have two working! Generators God's are rewarding your tenacity ;) ... I use to swap parts as computer tech, after replacing every possible part sometimes it was a wiring harness type issue with intermittent or questionable conductivity. Those days will test you!
Mustie, good video but you missed a lot of things. I see you had good methodologies to diagnose the problem, but where you had the most difficulty was how the board sets work. I repair generac boards at the component level. I was cringing towards the end of the video. If the regulator board and/or exciter windings are in question, take a 25 watt incandescent bulb hooked to the exciter windings and hitting the brushes with 12 volts will tell you if the exciter windings are good and can support a load. You also did the WORST thing by reducing the speed of the generator to get your correct output voltage, but now your speed is like 48-50hz and would burnup any 60hz equipment. In that situation your system control board circuit is bad and needs repair. Both your machines are still in good health, but your board sets need repair. To explain why you got 76VAC on the 6500EXL with the donor regulator board from the 5500EXL is because you reversed the exciter leads inadvertently. One leg of that winding is bonded to neutral, which is used for the voltage regulation circuit. Reversing the leads will cause this. Wires #2 and #6 im talking about. Also, you should have checked frequency and engine speed to be 62hz or 3750RPMS without a load. This should have been done first before measuring and adjusting output voltage. The blue pot on the system control board in the main panel does this. clockwise to decrease, CC to increase voltage.
Bassguitarist1985 Nice comment you should give him some support if you can find the time or maybe even comment on his videos with your own videos not to find flaws but just to give him some additional help
i have a powerland pd 10000 and the with autothrottle on the engine slows as it should but will not increase with a load so when i use it i have to turn auto off so the rpm will increase i dont know where to start trouble shooting
Bassguitarist1985, Excellent observations. You have to start an electrical post of your own to help people who don't have hands on experience with generators. This is getting to be a hot field as the number of folks owning generators increases and our national hurricane numbers climb. I pray no one buys a "rebuilt" generator who doesn't have the knowledge of how to test a generator for correct and safe output voltage, frequency, overload trip current and spikes and/or noise.
Check the current sensing transformer in the control panel. that should be looped through one of the hot legs. if more than 1 amp load on the genset the transistor gate that controls the idle solenoid should open and bring the engine to full speed.
I agree, I certainly want to help out everyone. I run a small engine repair business myself. I offered my comment as constructive criticism. Being that what he was doing was not the correct way to diagnose. if we were to collaborate on an updated video with the proper procedure I'd be more than happy to assist. Many of my generator videos follow step by step diagnosis for portable generators.
corrosion in the male female connections* you got it fixed... the man is near genius in this type of engineering troubleshooting . that was interesting video man, well done..
I enjoy doing what you do. Finding machines for little to no money. Bringing them back from the brink and sell them or give to family and friends. I'm actually from the next town over where you go to the scrap yard. I haven't come across a generator yet. If you need a part and I have it, id be happy to donate to the cause. Let me know.
Mustie , it's the printed circuit board in the fuse panel , , with it charging it will not activate the idle circuit you can get them on ebay , they are cheap , very common problem with that unit . I have a extra one if you need it . Bob k
Yes , they are repairable , just a couple of diodes , maybe a couple of dollars total . It happens if the windings get damp or wet . Go figure , on a emergency generator no less .
Ah, so they're the cardboard matches of the generator world, keep dry to keep functional! Yeah, shouldn't be hard to repair if the windings still have coating left on 'em.
I spent 7 years in the NAVY on submarines during the 80 s I would have done 20 but a torpedo reload accident left me in a wheelchair. I was a reactor operator and you also have to take care of the gen and motors . We had from 1 kva to 400kva systems. The 400kva x 2 run the sub we put steam to one side and it make ac but lose the input you put dc in the other side it makes it a gen set. We also had 2 40kva which were 400 hz which turns into dc a lot cleaner . The NAVY sent to a few schools and 1 was motor gen sets . I have seen nothing come out of a gen but when we excite it for over night it recovered most of the time. Just having the drill plugged can affect the excitement. I also hated doing bearing jobs we had old school brushes and commutators and you come out out black when working on them . We actually iced the shaft and heated up the bearing in a galley oven. I love the electric tape for a injury my dad taught me that one . I am 55 and he was a master mechanic over 50 years. I also have the same head lamp bought them off yugster . I also get a gen now and then if the price it right the best I got was back in 2006 I found 2 devilbiss 8k gen sets that were run in parallel or alone . Some weird problem you had but I hooked up a battery to excite the field over night and it fixed them both. I have used them on and off for years. last time this winter we lost power for 3 days . I live in a rural area about 90 miles up from nyc. I am sure you helped some folks out with that repair you would make a great NAVY teacher!!!!!
ncrdisabled Submarine vet Thanks for your service, and sorry for your injuries. Someone gave me a Generac that doesn't run good, or generate. Now I have some things to try.
From an old retired mechanic you are a very thorough and good mechanic and tinkerer.wish I could find someone in my area to do the things I no longer can!
What you could do is add a variable pot feeding variable 12v to the field wires /brushes. The more voltage you feed the brushes, the higher the output voltage.
I picked up a RIGID unit, engine ran fine... Zero output from the drill. I held the drill trigger and turned the drill by hand.... It has worked perfect ever since. These things have witchcraft inside the generator portion!
I like to think I know a bit about these power heads and how they work. As I watched I was thinking from the git go that one was toast but darn, was I surprised. That dog with a bone attitude of your paid off that time. LOL
You should try a good battery. You have the jump box just hooked up to your solenoid and ground and no 12v to the gen to create the needed field... Just guessing. I like your vids.
That is awesome!! They BOTH work! Can you recap now that some time has passed (1 year +) and are they still working? You wouldn't know, you moved them. :-) Great video and your troubleshooting approach is, well, beyond reproach. :-)
Hi from the UK. You have great skill and a great style for this video scene. Why not strip the generator down till you can see the wires coming off the field windings. Then check them for continuity if faulty get them rewound. . ,
I came back to comment. That is pretty amazing that it came back to life on you. I started collecting mowers, riders and snowblowers to see if I can turn a profit on getting them going. I am amazed that people get rid of good machines for no money. With my diesel mechanic schooling and my experience in injection pumps it has been fun getting back to turning wrenches and bring stuff back to life. I figure if I can massage these machines back to life with few or no parts that is a plus. Already have a hoard so that has come in handy. Thanks for all your videos. It has been a great refresher for me.
My luck would be the drill died and the generator was actually working the entire time. Then I sell it to my neighbor for $10 who turns it on and sells it for $300. Yup that's my luck! Mustie1- your videos are awesome, love how you talk to camera as if we are gonna answer right back! (And I do it all day long)
check windings Disconnect all power from machine. check T1 T2 and T3 to ground wire. readings should be infinite. if zero or any continuity, have motor or cable issue.
I Was is a professional security installer and I used to teach installation of security systems and the troubleshooting of the same you’re really good at explaining things I’m going to subscribe to your videos and I can’t wait to go forward and just watch a lot of stuff you’ve done thank you
He probably replaced the regulator and then gave up on it when the motor ,engine started giving him problems . I don't know why he would give you the old regulator as a spare part unless he thought it may still be a good part ? I was convinced the windings had burned the protective coating off the wires and got cooked and shorted out ! Nice save. Glad it worked out for you.
sometimes when windings overheat they short out against each other and can fuse together bypassing several windings but leaving the rest of the windings intact keeping a nearly good circuit that would produce less voltage, as the current is running through fewer windings, I have seen it happen myself but it is rare, usually it roaches the entire secondary set.
Catching up on your videos ... I'm hooked too! I've fixed computers for years ... as well as being a carpenter... when it comes to anything involving electricity and of electronics ... even I admit... I just can't explain electrical problems... as far as I can conclude... it's magic!
Dirty wire connections,maybe it needed energized properly ? Electrical can drive a man insane at times,plus seem to cure itself for no explained reason!! Good work and now 2 generators working with cheap fixes.
Aa said it, before you started the engine i said it out loud, that battery is gonna fall of da table! But did you listen... no you did not! Why, why!!? :)
It's those dang "sepherics" (used to call them gremlins.) An easy flash tool can be made with two power cords and two incandesent 100 W light bulbs. Hook light bulbs in series between hot sides of power cords. Just tie neutral leads together. Plug one side into generator outlet. Then (with generator running) momentarily plug other side into shop outlet. (Be aware of shock hazard on either end if other is plugged in.) Two light bulbs will take 240 to fully illuminate (grid side + gen side), but will feed power to gen windings to flash them in current limited manner. For safety sake install double pole switch on grid side of fixture.
nice videos. Almost like when i was a kid and had those toys where you tighten and loosen things and hammer on a peg. I get to see you and it like im doing it. Nice VW btw.
Since it uses DC for the field and battery charging, I would have been interested what the DC output was at the DC outlet and the battery leads. It may be helpful to do this to the running gen now for future knowledge for this model. I have on occasions brought them back to life by hooking up the DC outlet and battery leads to a good battery. If your asked me what brought this one back I would say dirty contact at the brush rings not allowing the field to be fully energised 13.5 - 14 volts. Pencil eraser works good for a quick clean without abrasive.
Don said, you put your 12 volt supply straight to the starter. You need the battery voltage to excite the rotating exciter winding. You should have replaced the battery first thing. I do enjoy your videos. And yes I was yelling that the battery was going to fall.
BIG Congratulations!! Excellent troubleshooting! I'd be scratching my head also. Agree, that it must have flashed itself with all the swapping OR the battery dropping to the floor shook that part of the concrete, vibrated up to the inner windings and shocked them into submission. Scaring the electrical that you would drop it also if it didn't start working - haha. (I was yelling then cringed for both the cordless drill and the battery but I wasn't loud enough)
Hey mustie You need a meter to check cycles per second to set the governor on the generator. Harbor freight sold one the last I knew. I believe it is called kilowatt. It is sold as a watt meter that you can plug something into to check the number of watts it draws but also tells the voltage, amps' and frequency or cycles per second. Usually you can set the cycles per second at about 61 with no load. A better way is to plug enough load into the generator so the guvernator on the engine opens up. Then set the governor so the cycles per second is at 60. If it is too high or too low clocks won't be accurate. A good generator has a regulator that tries to maintain the voltage so it is more important to have the governor set for cycles per second.
Gotta love old bored guys that don't sit on their hiney watching reruns waiting to die. True role model, you should have a circle of kids around you learning how to be a man!
It's alive! Proper "backfire" in the carb aha. Given how much the resistance was fluctuating when you were measuring the brushes it seems likely the you have a dirty / poor contact there leading to poor excitation. Looks like it's cleaned itself up enough now but a good clean out of where the brushes make contact and a re testing of the resistance will prove that the contact is stable.
I just now studied the schematic on the Generac web site. There are three main blocks to test that satisfies the control board. You can actually test them without the motor turning. However, this testing, while easily set up, you have a DVM, may a little beyond the scope of your shop. This is a useful generator and if the ICE (internal combustion engine) is good, then it may well be worth some more time and a few bucks. You didn't pay too much for it.
that vw van looks sharp parked in the driveway so shiny. when a diode burns out in a rectifier 1 side puts out raw ac and the other side nothing. the middle terminal is dc output like you said. i test those terminals with the multimeter while the engine is running but they can be tested with ohms. rectifiers have to be well grounded. the amp size of the rectifier has to match the amp output of the windings.
*After watching the drill bounce off the lift when he started the generator up, as soon as I saw that he put the battery on the corner of the lift I paused the video and went and got popcorn, because knew what was getting ready to happen as soon as it started up, and I wasn't disappointed.*
I think it was just a bad component there .. And you just got the combo right .. I agree with the look of the winding they may be hurt but not bad yet .. Thumbs up Darrin !! Good vid man..
Great video, Kind of stuff me and my mate Joseph get up to, buying anything Mechanical cheap at boot fairs (yard sales) and salvaging/ repairing them ;p
Hi, My name is Steve "Hi Steve" I'm addicted to Mustie1. Doesn't matter if it's lawn mower Head Gaskets, VW Engines, Old Vespa Scooters, I just can't stop. Someone, please help me.
General notice, anyone who gets a generator running and wants to hook to their home, a fairly in-expensive way is as follows. You hook up a male fitting to take a generator cord fitting for 120/240 and ground. that is 4 wires. the male fitting is hookt to a double breaker in ur panel. NOW here is the legal part. U get a mechanical interlock for UR panel. this interlock will be made of medium gage steel and is built to you shut off the 'Mains' breaker which will NOW allow you to turn on the generator breaker. This IS LEGAL. YOU need not spend all amounts of $$ for a transfer switch. The sole reason being that this mechanical interlock ensures NOT being able to send power out to the service drops, it never goes past the 'MAINS.
LOL, love it when the tech surrenders and just works. You have an intuitive sense for electrical, trust the force, Mustie1. :) . Those windings could very well have a bunch of shorts from overheating, and the impacts from running and work might have jossled them free. Yes, some them stator wires don't look right - a 6.6K load test would settle their health status once and for all, I think.
I wouldn't trust my life on it acting right in a pinch, but, as long as it running use it for misc stuff. And thanks for these videos, though many are not anything I'd want to do, it good to see somebody can and will fix this stuff.
Hi, my 1985, 18 HP Twin V 10,000 watt generator stopped generating power. I checked all the same things you have. But, mine had a run capacitor that must have over heated and deformed and was not working. I replaced the cap and the generator has been working fine for 4 years since fixing. The cap was hidden in the body of the generator under one of the cooling dust shields. I know this is really late but every idea helps.. Oh, you are very talented fixer..
Mechanic's prayer: Lord , grant me the serenity to discard the things that cannot be repaired, the skill to repair the things that can be, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Oh man, so true.
Amen
Amen
Amen
Aspanner 🙏
I’m glad I found your channel. You explain everything as simple as you can. One thing I like is that you don’t come across as a know it all and work to find the problem. I hope you and your family are doing well. Thanks for showing how to fix these things. You’ve got a new subscriber. 🙏🙏
he discusses the subject with us like we are there with him..and his sense of humor is keen...he never ceases to maze me..level headed and insightful..wish he was my neighbor!
I used to be like Mustie1 fixing lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners and selling them. I was also a Toyota technician for 25 years. I love these videos. I fixed a lot of things I might get back into again.
I don't own a lawn mower, snow blower, generator, motorcycle or a VW. Yet I still feel the need to check this channel for new videos daily. Hidden gem on youtube. If Mustie1 had his own T-Shirt or cap, I'd buy one.
Why am I sitting here, at 10:30 at night hoping the free generator pulls through and works? What am I doing with my life?
Mustie, you make some great stuff, thanks a lot!
rookie, try 4 am
Tip to fix the bowl gasket once it has expanded, stick it in boiling water for about 5 minutes. It will shrink back down to its normal size
I can't help it. I am addicted to Mustie1's videos and look every day to see if a new one has come out. You really have a way of making the viewer feel like they are right there with you.
Same.
JR Weis
Pmsl, I thought I was the only one.... I am now however starting to answer when he asks a question😂😂😂
Same lol
Jifty Aussie Gold
Well put,JR. I concur. He's a natural.we are getting a sneak peek at a guy who may someday be a household name, like Mike Rowe but with skills. Don't ferget us little people if ya hits da big time, Mustie !
Years ago when i was a electrician helper at Caterpillar Inc. I would have to work on some old ac to dc generator style Hobart welders. When we had a problem of not enough voltage output the first thing we would do would be clean the commutator where the brushes rode with something that looked like a big gray rubber ink eraser. If the volts popped back up we knew it wasn't a bad control board. You might have run the genset long enough to clean the corrosion off and get it going again.
Great video! I'm most impressed by three things. One, that you can get a generator for free at a yard sale, two- that you have a VW bus in the driveway, and three, that you don't have duct tape for you wounded finger, but made a bandage out of painters blue tape, as well as using it to tape off the DC wires you don't wish to fry, and to hold the drill switch down. A true "in the shop" video. You've gained another subscriber
Perseverance coupled with knowledge. Like many others I am happy when I spend time with Mustie1 in his shop. So much to learn. I test myself by trying to predict his next move when doing small engines. Never gets old. Rock on Mustie1 !
Been watching the world go to crap here these last few days and I find my belief and trust in mankind drop off a cliff, then the light bulb comes on and I just know, that in order to rectify matters, all I have to do is log on and watch Mustie1. Keep rocking mate, your a life saver..............as well as a machine saver.
You are a savior to anything with a motor! You pay attention to detail whereas other so called "professional small engine mechanic" don't. I'm very impressed and everything you do and say is very helpful to people like me. Thanks a million!
I shouted "Stop, stop" out loud when I saw that battery bouncing toward the edge when it first stalled. Glad it didn't bust open!
The battery did start leaking - you can see the acid pouring out at 29:22.
Okay after stopping it about 75 times I figured out what kind of light you got I ordered it on Amazon and I found the blowgun. I know this is like a year old but I appreciate your videos so much.
Mustie1, I've learned so much from your videos and with your help have gotten 2 lawn mowers, a snow blower and a generator up and running (all personal, not for business). One of the lawnmowers I gave to my neighbor who had an old crappy one and scrapped it. Thanks and keep posting videos on generators please, I also like the VW stuff. My wife wants a Bug, so I'll be consulting some of your older vids
I envy your ability to find the stuff you work on at such a low price. Around here, they want a lot of money for broken crap. You have the talent to spot things that are repairable with little investment in money. I'm learning a lot from your videos. Keep them flowing.
FIRE!!! safety 3rd....lmao! I've never heard that before... thanks so much for the laughter and great videos you always create..... you have a Gift!.....
Mustie thanks for the great content. Always learn a bit more or I have a similar repair issue. It is nice to see that your views are also talking back to you too. Keep up the great work and hoarding supplies.
Glad to see you were able to recover that generator. Possibility that some of the connections to the regulator corroded and it just wasn't making good connections. If you ever blow her apart again try cleaning them up or putting new spade terminals on. I've been on the hunt for a fixer-upper yard sale generator for a couple years now but haven't had any luck. Storm season is a-commin'
Flashing the generator..... 😂 almost sprayed my coffee
Tip, engine speed is DIRECTLY tied to line frequency output, too fast or slow and that will get you in real trouble with whatever the load is in some cases (should be 60 hz +/_ maybe 2 or 3 tops in the USA, 50 hz in many places outside the USA.. That is what you shoot for, not output voltage alone.
Got so I didn't know which slide out regulator was which. and at the start you had difficulty deciding which was the replacement. Individual components can likely be checked with a meter and compared between the 3 of them. One set of windings may have got hot due the regulator failure but not enough to burn them out. You obviously have more patience than the original owner. Good job!
Having seen the drill vibrate off the table, I too expected the battery to follow suit, nothing I can do, but you learn something every day.
Gremlins are everywhere! Glad this one wants to come back. Thanks Mustie, always fun to watch you make magic.
I love watching his videos not only is he good at what he does he makes us all a part of it and talks us through it lots of respect to this this guy 👍
I love it when a plan comes together, you know your good when your perseverance literally fixes something against the odds.
Thanks to your video, now i am looking for a cheap generator to fix up. I don't even need a generator!
It's all shits and giggles until someone giggles and shits.
Great video and I admire your persistence. A generator education and 2 usable units for sale. A good day, I'd say. Thanks again for taking your crew along for the class! Chuck in Kansas
Nice!! i just find your videos oddly satisfying. Keep it up.
After all that swapping, you have two working! Generators God's are rewarding your tenacity ;) ... I use to swap parts as computer tech, after replacing every possible part sometimes it was a wiring harness type issue with intermittent or questionable conductivity. Those days will test you!
Mustie, good video but you missed a lot of things. I see you had good methodologies to diagnose the problem, but where you had the most difficulty was how the board sets work. I repair generac boards at the component level. I was cringing towards the end of the video. If the regulator board and/or exciter windings are in question, take a 25 watt incandescent bulb hooked to the exciter windings and hitting the brushes with 12 volts will tell you if the exciter windings are good and can support a load.
You also did the WORST thing by reducing the speed of the generator to get your correct output voltage, but now your speed is like 48-50hz and would burnup any 60hz equipment. In that situation your system control board circuit is bad and needs repair. Both your machines are still in good health, but your board sets need repair.
To explain why you got 76VAC on the 6500EXL with the donor regulator board from the 5500EXL is because you reversed the exciter leads inadvertently. One leg of that winding is bonded to neutral, which is used for the voltage regulation circuit. Reversing the leads will cause this. Wires #2 and #6 im talking about. Also, you should have checked frequency and engine speed to be 62hz or 3750RPMS without a load. This should have been done first before measuring and adjusting output voltage. The blue pot on the system control board in the main panel does this. clockwise to decrease, CC to increase voltage.
Bassguitarist1985 Nice comment you should give him some support if you can find the time or maybe even comment on his videos with your own videos not to find flaws but just to give him some additional help
i have a powerland pd 10000 and the with autothrottle on the engine slows as it should but will not increase with a load so when i use it i have to turn auto off so the rpm will increase i dont know where to start trouble shooting
Bassguitarist1985, Excellent observations. You have to start an electrical post of your own to help people who don't have hands on experience with generators. This is getting to be a hot field as the number of folks owning generators increases and our national hurricane numbers climb. I pray no one buys a "rebuilt" generator who doesn't have the knowledge of how to test a generator for correct and safe output voltage, frequency, overload trip current and spikes and/or noise.
Check the current sensing transformer in the control panel. that should be looped through one of the hot legs. if more than 1 amp load on the genset the transistor gate that controls the idle solenoid should open and bring the engine to full speed.
I agree, I certainly want to help out everyone. I run a small engine repair business myself. I offered my comment as constructive criticism. Being that what he was doing was not the correct way to diagnose. if we were to collaborate on an updated video with the proper procedure I'd be more than happy to assist. Many of my generator videos follow step by step diagnosis for portable generators.
corrosion in the male female connections* you got it fixed... the man is near genius in this type of engineering troubleshooting . that was interesting video man, well done..
I still don't see a BFH in your tool sellections......believe me....it works......great vids.....keep em comming
I enjoy doing what you do. Finding machines for little to no money. Bringing them back from the brink and sell them or give to family and friends. I'm actually from the next town over where you go to the scrap yard. I haven't come across a generator yet. If you need a part and I have it, id be happy to donate to the cause. Let me know.
I almost crapped when that battery hit the floor!
Mustie just looked at it like it was nothing. Lol. Good job Man.
Mustie , it's the printed circuit board in the fuse panel , , with it charging it will not activate the idle circuit you can get them on ebay , they are cheap , very common problem with that unit . I have a extra one if you need it . Bob k
Are they repairable with a bit of soldering, perhaps? May not be worth the time, of course.
Yes , they are repairable , just a couple of diodes , maybe a couple of dollars total . It happens if the windings get damp or wet . Go figure , on a emergency generator no less .
Ah, so they're the cardboard matches of the generator world, keep dry to keep functional! Yeah, shouldn't be hard to repair if the windings still have coating left on 'em.
He tried swapping them around though, He put the known good one from the 5500 watt in the 6500 watt and its still not producing full power.
Robert Kavich I
I spent 7 years in the NAVY on submarines during the 80 s I would have done 20 but a torpedo reload accident left me in a wheelchair. I was a reactor operator and you also have to take care of the gen and motors . We had from 1 kva to 400kva systems. The 400kva x 2 run the sub we put steam to one side and it make ac but lose the input you put dc in the other side it makes it a gen set. We also had 2 40kva which were 400 hz which turns into dc a lot cleaner . The NAVY sent to a few schools and 1 was motor gen sets . I have seen nothing come out of a gen but when we excite it for over night it recovered most of the time. Just having the drill plugged can affect the excitement. I also hated doing bearing jobs we had old school brushes and commutators and you come out out black when working on them . We actually iced the shaft and heated up the bearing in a galley oven.
I love the electric tape for a injury my dad taught me that one . I am 55 and he was a master mechanic over 50 years. I also have the same head lamp bought them off yugster .
I also get a gen now and then if the price it right the best I got was back in 2006 I found 2 devilbiss 8k gen sets that were run in parallel or alone . Some weird problem you had but I hooked up a battery to excite the field over night and it fixed them both. I have used them on and off for years. last time this winter we lost power for 3 days . I live in a rural area about 90 miles up from nyc.
I am sure you helped some folks out with that repair you would make a great NAVY teacher!!!!!
ncrdisabled Submarine vet Thanks for your service, and sorry for your injuries. Someone gave me a Generac that doesn't run good, or generate. Now I have some things to try.
From an old retired mechanic you are a very thorough and good mechanic and tinkerer.wish I could find someone in my area to do the things I no longer can!
cmonster6 I
Absolutely fantastic Mustie 😊 I’m loving your videos on fixing things 👍 Keep um coming Stevie 🏴
That Q Tip in the drill idea is ACES! I'm going to have to steal that. Thanks!
What you could do is add a variable pot feeding variable 12v to the field wires /brushes. The more voltage you feed the brushes, the higher the output voltage.
И тут без синей изоленты не обошлось,автор ролика красавчик,человек с руками,заслуживающий уважения.
I agree with JR Weiss. Your personality makes it very interesting to watch. Keep up the good work mate...from Sydney.
I picked up a RIGID unit, engine ran fine... Zero output from the drill. I held the drill trigger and turned the drill by hand.... It has worked perfect ever since. These things have witchcraft inside the generator portion!
I like to think I know a bit about these power heads and how they work. As I watched I was thinking from the git go that one was toast but darn, was I surprised. That dog with a bone attitude of your paid off that time. LOL
I've learned alot from your vids,,,and I've learned from the comments,,,bookmarked!!!
You should try a good battery. You have the jump box just hooked up to your solenoid and ground and no 12v to the gen to create the needed field... Just guessing. I like your vids.
That is awesome!! They BOTH work! Can you recap now that some time has passed (1 year +) and are they still working? You wouldn't know, you moved them. :-) Great video and your troubleshooting approach is, well, beyond reproach. :-)
Hi from the UK. You have great skill and a great style for this video scene. Why not strip the generator down till you can see the wires coming off the field windings. Then check them for continuity if faulty get them rewound. . ,
Watching you fix stuff makes me wonder if there is anything you can't fix ;-)
James Eggerth Just A rainy day I recon!!
Don't drink from the wrong cup! lol
I came back to comment. That is pretty amazing that it came back to life on you. I started collecting mowers, riders and snowblowers to see if I can turn a profit on getting them going. I am amazed that people get rid of good machines for no money. With my diesel mechanic schooling and my experience in injection pumps it has been fun getting back to turning wrenches and bring stuff back to life. I figure if I can massage these machines back to life with few or no parts that is a plus. Already have a hoard so that has come in handy. Thanks for all your videos. It has been a great refresher for me.
thanks for watching
My luck would be the drill died and the generator was actually working the entire time. Then I sell it to my neighbor for $10 who turns it on and sells it for $300. Yup that's my luck!
Mustie1- your videos are awesome, love how you talk to camera as if we are gonna answer right back! (And I do it all day long)
check windings Disconnect all power from machine. check T1 T2 and T3 to ground wire. readings should be infinite. if zero or any continuity, have motor or cable issue.
Enjoy your troubleshooting videos and your deductive manner.
Very interesting video...thanks for sharing.
good job I fix my gernerator by watching your repairs on generators
Thanks, Patience is your virtue! I learn something every-time you tackle one of these small engine problems.
I Was is a professional security installer and I used to teach installation of security systems and the troubleshooting of the same you’re really good at explaining things I’m going to subscribe to your videos and I can’t wait to go forward and just watch a lot of stuff you’ve done thank you
He probably replaced the regulator and then gave up on it when the motor ,engine started giving him problems . I don't know why he would give you the old regulator as a spare part unless he thought it may still be a good part ? I was convinced the windings had burned the protective coating off the wires and got cooked and shorted out ! Nice save. Glad it worked out for you.
sometimes when windings overheat they short out against each other and can fuse together bypassing several windings but leaving the rest of the windings intact keeping a nearly good circuit that would produce less voltage, as the current is running through fewer windings, I have seen it happen myself but it is rare, usually it roaches the entire secondary set.
Going to be a lot of these --after the storms this year. They will be sitting in dumps in 3-5 years all over.
Sad. Really like what you do.
Wonderful videos, I learn slot from them, and you. Thank you so much.
Success, bad connection and all the changing of parts finally got it to connect fully I would guess. Persistence paid off.
nice to see a new video always learn something new with your videos
Love your reviving yard sale scores. My favorite videos on RUclips.
That's awesome that you got both of them to run, even though the one was a bit of a mystery :) Really enjoy your videos!
Great show. Only way to learn am I right. Oh well helped me fix mine.
you put lotsa work into these videos,,,,and its good to learn from a distance,,,,thanks
thanks for watching
Catching up on your videos ... I'm hooked too! I've fixed computers for years ... as well as being a carpenter... when it comes to anything involving electricity and of electronics ... even I admit... I just can't explain electrical problems... as far as I can conclude... it's magic!
Dirty wire connections,maybe it needed energized properly ? Electrical can drive a man insane at times,plus seem to cure itself for no explained reason!! Good work and now 2 generators working with cheap fixes.
Aa said it, before you started the engine i said it out loud, that battery is gonna fall of da table! But did you listen... no you did not! Why, why!!? :)
Hahahahahahaha
said the same thang exactly
did the same feel such a fool as if he could hear me,no way , the video is 3yrs old
It's those dang "sepherics" (used to call them gremlins.) An easy flash tool can be made with two power cords and two incandesent 100 W light bulbs. Hook light bulbs in series between hot sides of power cords. Just tie neutral leads together. Plug one side into generator outlet. Then (with generator running) momentarily plug other side into shop outlet. (Be aware of shock hazard on either end if other is plugged in.) Two light bulbs will take 240 to fully illuminate (grid side + gen side), but will feed power to gen windings to flash them in current limited manner. For safety sake install double pole switch on grid side of fixture.
nice videos. Almost like when i was a kid and had those toys where you tighten and loosen things and hammer on a peg. I get to see you and it like im doing it. Nice VW btw.
Since it uses DC for the field and battery charging, I would have been interested what the DC output was at the DC outlet and the battery leads. It may be helpful to do this to the running gen now for future knowledge for this model. I have on occasions brought them back to life by hooking up the DC outlet and battery leads to a good battery. If your asked me what brought this one back I would say dirty contact at the brush rings not allowing the field to be fully energised 13.5 - 14 volts. Pencil eraser works good for a quick clean without abrasive.
Add battery leads and dc outlet to the same battery ?
Just came across your vids...love them. Feels like im doing the work but dont have to get my hands dirty. Love to tinker too!
Don said, you put your 12 volt supply straight to the starter. You need the battery voltage to excite the rotating exciter winding. You should have replaced the battery first thing. I do enjoy your videos. And yes I was yelling that the battery was going to fall.
BIG Congratulations!! Excellent troubleshooting! I'd be scratching my head also. Agree, that it must have flashed itself with all the swapping OR the battery dropping to the floor shook that part of the concrete, vibrated up to the inner windings and shocked them into submission. Scaring the electrical that you would drop it also if it didn't start working - haha.
(I was yelling then cringed for both the cordless drill and the battery but I wasn't loud enough)
Hey mustie
You need a meter to check cycles per second to set the governor on the generator. Harbor freight sold one the last I knew. I believe it is called kilowatt. It is sold as a watt meter that you can plug something into to check the number of watts it draws but also tells the voltage, amps' and frequency or cycles per second. Usually you can set the cycles per second at about 61 with no load. A better way is to plug enough load into the generator so the guvernator on the engine opens up. Then set the governor so the cycles per second is at 60. If it is too high or too low clocks won't be accurate. A good generator has a regulator that tries to maintain the voltage so it is more important to have the governor set for cycles per second.
No Guts, No Glory! Great epitaph...
Stuff happens man! Enjoyed tagging along the troubleshooting path. Thanks
Gotta love old bored guys that don't sit on their hiney watching reruns waiting to die. True role model, you should have a circle of kids around you learning how to be a man!
Don't ya just love it when stuff fixes itself? Thanks for the video.
It's alive! Proper "backfire" in the carb aha. Given how much the resistance was fluctuating when you were measuring the brushes it seems likely the you have a dirty / poor contact there leading to poor excitation. Looks like it's cleaned itself up enough now but a good clean out of where the brushes make contact and a re testing of the resistance will prove that the contact is stable.
another great video by Mustie1 thanks for sharing
I just now studied the schematic on the Generac web site. There are three main blocks to test that satisfies the control board. You can actually test them without the motor turning. However, this testing, while easily set up, you have a DVM, may a little beyond the scope of your shop. This is a useful generator and if the ICE (internal combustion engine) is good, then it may well be worth some more time and a few bucks. You didn't pay too much for it.
that vw van looks sharp parked in the driveway so shiny. when a diode burns out in a rectifier 1 side puts out raw ac and the other side nothing. the middle terminal is dc output like you said. i test those terminals with the multimeter while the engine is running but they can be tested with ohms. rectifiers have to be well grounded. the amp size of the rectifier has to match the amp output of the windings.
*After watching the drill bounce off the lift when he started the generator up, as soon as I saw that he put the battery on the corner of the lift I paused the video and went and got popcorn, because knew what was getting ready to happen as soon as it started up, and I wasn't disappointed.*
Jackwad, you are, eh? And the drill ran..... where is YOUR CHANNEL, wiseazz?
I think it was just a bad component there .. And you just got the combo right .. I agree with the look of the winding they may be hurt but not bad yet .. Thumbs up Darrin !! Good vid man..
Great video, Kind of stuff me and my mate Joseph get up to, buying anything Mechanical cheap at boot fairs (yard sales) and salvaging/ repairing them ;p
Hi, My name is Steve
"Hi Steve"
I'm addicted to Mustie1. Doesn't matter if it's lawn mower Head Gaskets, VW Engines, Old Vespa Scooters, I just can't stop.
Someone, please help me.
General notice, anyone who gets a generator running and wants to hook to their home,
a fairly in-expensive way is as follows. You hook up a male fitting to take a generator cord
fitting for 120/240 and ground. that is 4 wires. the male fitting is hookt to a double breaker
in ur panel. NOW here is the legal part. U get a mechanical interlock for UR panel.
this interlock will be made of medium gage steel and is built to you shut off the 'Mains'
breaker which will NOW allow you to turn on the generator breaker. This IS LEGAL.
YOU need not spend all amounts of $$ for a transfer switch. The sole reason being that
this mechanical interlock ensures NOT being able to send power out to the service drops,
it never goes past the 'MAINS.
LOL, love it when the tech surrenders and just works. You have an intuitive sense for electrical, trust the force, Mustie1. :) . Those windings could very well have a bunch of shorts from overheating, and the impacts from running and work might have jossled them free. Yes, some them stator wires don't look right - a 6.6K load test would settle their health status once and for all, I think.
Mustie 1- what an amazing channel have been following for years!!
I love it when a plan comes together.
That isn't a generator...that's a god damn flamethrower!
I wouldn't trust my life on it acting right in a pinch, but, as long as it running use it for misc stuff. And thanks for these videos, though many are not anything I'd want to do, it good to see somebody can and will fix this stuff.
Hi, my 1985, 18 HP Twin V 10,000 watt generator stopped generating power. I checked all the same things you have. But, mine had a run capacitor that must have over heated and deformed and was not working. I replaced the cap and the generator has been working fine for 4 years since fixing. The cap was hidden in the body of the generator under one of the cooling dust shields. I know this is really late but every idea helps.. Oh, you are very talented fixer..
Keep up the good work I love your videos learned so much 👍👍👍