Harbor Freight Predator 3500 battery and carb mods
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- Here are two modifications I did to my Harbor Freight Predator 3500 Generator. It is well known that if you make modification to your generator it will void your warranty. These two mods are easily removed and do not void the warranty should you need to return the generator for warranty work.
I have one more thing that I will be doing soon. The generator runs great just like it is at my altitude of 2,500 feet on the Mojave Desert. But I've been told that when I go up to the higher altitudes where I camp (7,500 feet), that I should re-jet the carburetor for that altitude to make the generator run leaner. This is true for all makes and models of generators and small engines. The generator comes with a standard main jet of 76mm. But that would make the engine run way too rich at 7,500 feet. It would run, but would not develop as much power up that high. I've ordered a 72mm main jet and will be installing it when it arrives.
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Hey thanks for the tips, those are great ideas! Much appreciated!
These are both great ideas, very smoothly implemented and nicely presented in the video, thank you! So many other videos are full of fluff and self aggrandizement, you just get down to business and have done two very clever and useful things to make generator maintenance easeful.
Many thanks
Thanks for sharing your mods. I have been looking for a small inverter/generator, believe I just found it. Stay off that bad knee Brother. Found your channel from the PUP, glad I did. Keep them coming. Bless you and yours. See you on the trail.
I have not had any problems with my 3500 so far. I keep a trickle charger on the battery when its in storage. I don't use the Generator very often. Mostly to run the A/C unit on the camper when I camp in the summer months. I have a routine check-up with the Knee Doctor this afternoon. It has been doing quite well lately. Not much of a problem at all. Thanks for asking and viewing.
Great info. Clear and to the point. Well done!
Excellent mods. Thank you for your insights.
Enjoyed your video and like the mods that are simple and effective. Thanks for posting.
Glad you like them! I just added one more comment to the Description concerned a main Jet mod I will be doing soon.
Nice job on two mods that I will surely add to mine when I get it.
Something that is very important is to not let the fuel stay too long in the carburetor or tank. I don't need to drain the carb much anymore because I run the generator once per month for about 15 minutes. Another thing to help prevent having the engine run too rich is to install the proper main jet for the altitude you will be at most of the time. The generators come from the factory with a 76-jet installed. It's okay for sea-level operation. But the higher up you go in altitude the leaner the air/fuel ratio should be. I'm at about the 2,500-foot level here at home. If I remember correctly, I installed a 72-jet in mine. Some folks at levels higher than 6,000 feet install 68-jet. It is just like in my airplane, the higher up I go the more I have to pull on that mixture knob to lean out the mixture. You can find more information about this on other RUclips channels. Thanks for viewing and your comment.
These are great simple mods and well done video!
Thanks!
Note to self: clean wife's Corning Ware casserole dish before returning to the kitchen.........
Good advice! However, I found that dish out in the desert while on a Quad ride. It is permanently stored on my work bench. It generally has nuts or bolts and screws in it from what ever I'm taking apart that day.
Great modifications!
Thanks!
thanks, going to do the fuel line mod. Just ordered the hose and fuel valve off amazon.
Thank you for the nice video.
Very smart ideas to make life easier and extend the life of the unit! Thanks also for the tip to monitor the age of the fuel. I am u boxing and setting up my Predator 3500 tomorrow. I will borrow your mods and give you credit! Thank you, sir!
Thanks for your comments. I also start my generator up at least once per month just for the heck of it. I don't need it that often when camping, but when I do, I want it to be ready.
Great ideas (both)! I read somewhere (I think in Predator owners manual) to keep fuel tank at least 2/3 or 3/4 full will help keep moister from forming.
That is true. That's why we always refill the gas tank in airplanes. It helps to keep the moisture out of the fuel.
Nice mods. I disconnected the kill switch behind the front panel so the carb burns all of the fuel in it and then it shuts down.
I did a mod, where when you shut it off, it doesn't kill it, it runs it out of gas.
I have a Champion and put a petcock and hose on my oil drain. I'm in Quartzsite AZ in my RV for the winter and it's been 100-105 for the past month. I change my oil twice a week with synthetic 20-40.
Twice a week??? That seems a little excessive, but will certainly do no harm. I also started using full synthetic oil.
@@booniebuster4193 Ya, it is excessive but costs maybe $.75 each time? I bought 6 glass water bottles that hold exactly the amount of oil needed to change the oil each time. I also have a magnetic dipstick. There are some very fine metal shavings. I've already run into a few people who only change their oil when the engine low oil alarm shuts their generator off!!! I never have to check my oil. The new CO sensor is crap. If a mouse farts the engine shuts down. I'm a retired engineer and didn't take long to figure out how to modify and disable the sensor.
Good video. One item I would debate is the need to drain the fuel. If you use non ethanol gasoline and run your generator at least once a month I see no need to draw n the carburetor of fuel. For added insurance a
a quality fuel stabilizer can be used.
You are correct. I have begun running it once per month at the same time I run the bigger house generator. And I do use stabilizer in both. Thank you for posting a comment.
Smart
Great video. Can you help with where you got all the parts. Thank you
I got the fuel valve off the Internet, and the charger at Harbor Freight. The truth is that if you run the generator every couple of months like the instruction says to do, you won't need to drain the carburetor. There is a sticker on the top of the gen confirming that. I run mine and my house's generator every month for about 10 minutes.
Like your drain mod. I’ve seen that you need to also cycle the off-run-start switch while doing that to drain the carb completely. Is that the case?
No. When you turn the Off-Run-Start rotary switch to the off position, it also shuts off the fuel to the carburetor. Even by draining the carb in this manner, there is still a very tiny amount of fuel left in the very bottom of the carb bowl. It is only a few drops at best. But not enough to be any where near the main or idle jet. I discovered that when I took the bowl down to replace the Main jet to lean the mixture a bit for higher altitudes. It came with a 76mm jet, but I installed a 72mm jet since I will be camping mainly above 6,000 feet. I am not real happy with the drain valve I'm using, but I could not find one of the proper size and configuration that would be better. However, this one does the job.
Another mod I am thinking about is a fuel drain valve and line that will quickly drain the fuel tank when putting the Gen into storage. Right now if you want to completely drain the fuel tank it has to be through the carb using this modification. That works, but it take a little longer due to the size of the fuel line. I'm thinking of a "T" in the main line coming out of the tank before the carb and going to a larger fuel shut-off valve. But I don' t want to do anything that will void my warranty. It would be easy to do by removing the air filter box. The tank fitting and hose is right there in plain sight.
There is a valve for fuel shut-off incorporated into the rotary selector. It actually serves 3 items. When you turn it to start, it opens the main fuel valve from the tank to the carburetor and puts the choke on. When you select the run position, it simply moves the choke lever to the open position. The fuel valve, of course, is still open in "run." When you select "off," it has an ignition kill switch that grounds the ignition, and the fuel valve is shut off.
1=Fuel shutoff
2=Ignition kill switch
3=Choke control
A lot of people I see on other videos aren't sure where the choke is or if it has one. One video I recently seen, a guy said it probably has an automatic choke. Well, it's not automatic but built into the selector on the front panel. Works like any other choke having a separate lever.
I think the main point or question the original commentor here was saying is to drain the fuel from the tank as you were doing at the end of video, you need to move the selector to run. To open the main valve from the tank. Otherwise, you'll only drain the bowl.
Very good video and great ideas for easy maintenance. On the latest models of these 3500 generators, they've made some changes. One, is the oil drain has a hose barb fitting and a short piece of hose tucked inside the oil check door. They also put the oil drain/fill dipstick on the other side of the generator. This new setup is very difficult to bend the hose to get it draining out the bottom where the rubber plug is at. I started to get 1/8" pipe thread fittings to install a brass valve with a short brass pipe nipple to extend out the bottom of the generator. This would be a very convenient way to change oil. I found out that the pipe thread in the engine block is Chinese pipe thread. So I put that idea on back burner. I suppose I could run a 1/8" pipe tap through it, and with Teflon tape, it should have enough meat to thread in a national pipe thread fitting. Then, I need to make sure no metal pieces end up in the crankcase. LOL 🤣
Just use non ethanol fuel. Also after you drain the carb. Bowl try to start it to get all the fuel out of the carb. Cavities. If when you try to start it that turns back on the fuel, then you need a different mod.
I use small hand pump then run till gas runs out when not using. Takes ten minutes
I was disappointed with the combination ignition-fuel shutoff as well. I installed a toggle switch that bypasses the ignition switch when the knob is in the off (no fuel) position. The engine will keep running until the carb runs out of fuel. I have always used non-ethanol fuel with 4 ounces of Sea Foam added to 5 gallons of fuel. I always keep the tank full for emergency. The 3500 has run flawlessly for over 3 years.
One could interrupt the ground kill connection which is activated by linkage by creating your own on off circuit. This would allow the engine to run until the fuel in the carb bowl is depleted. The fuel drain idea is super easy too and necessary if you expect the thing to start after storage if you did not deplete the main tank of fuel. A kill switch is Easy enough but probably would void the warranty. Who cares if the unit is old anyway. The trickle charger trick is a super idea. I picked up a damaged one for $200 and got it running. This is the same unit as Northern Tool sells only blue in color. Great tech service too.
That is very good mod, would like to do it on mine, may I know where you get the drain valve?
I just ordered it off of Amazon
@@booniebuster4193 link plis
@@manuelbenitez1980 www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0711S4YY3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is the shut off 1/4" and where did you get the rubber cap?
I got the rubber caps at AutoZone. They came in a package containing several of varying sizes.
1PZ M2W-001 In-Line Gas Fuel Shut Off Petcock fits 5mm or 3/16" ID Hose Fuel Line
He sounds like Stan Lee.
Just to let you know. If you use ethanol gas, your warranty is already voided...
So if the drain you installed is just for the carb…how did you drain all the gas from the generator at the end of your video? 🤔
Well, that idea did not work out so well. At first, I installed a "T" fitting in the fuel line directly under the fuel tank and before the fuel shut-off valve. I then installed another shut-off valve and ran the line in the same place I put the carb drain line. I don't remember now just why I didn't like it. It might have been something to do with space, I don't remember. But I have since removed that mod. Draining the fuel tank is something I'll have to think about for a while longer. I don't keep more than a half gallon of fuel in the gen when it is not going to be in long-term use. Also, I'm finding out that it is almost not necessary to drain the carb if you run the gen once or twice a month just to keep it cleaned out.
Put the selector switch to run while not running and that turns the fuel on, then open the carb drain
@@Ebikelover I know that. I was asking how he did the mod for that…see his response.
@@superjoint57 Oh ok gotcha sorry
@@Ebikelover All good! 👍🏻👍🏻
These don't have a warranty.
I don't know about now, but when I purchased my generator on January 12, 2021 there was a 90 days warranty on the unit. It is printed in the owner's manual. I purchased the extended warranty for an additional $156.00 So I'm covered for an additional 27 or so months. It is a direct replacement warranty, but only if I have not made any unauthorized mods to the unit. I can undo these mods and no one will ever know I did them. Looking back on the Extended Warranty, I think it was a waste of money. There are untold thousands of these units out there and very few complaints or problems. But the EW is good for peace of mind just in case. Most of the problems were created by the owners not doing proper maintenance or following instruction in the manual. Almost all of the problems had to do with gas, management, overfilling the tank, or not cleaning the Spark Arrester
I had a 3 year warranty on mine when I bought it in 2018
Hey Ole man, next time put it on a table
I know. I should have. But I have a back problem and I'm not suppose to lift more than 25 lbs. I actually made some small ramps so I could just roll it into my camper.
I'll take a predator generator over a Honda.
ofcourse you do.. 🤣
Thumbs down for ads and being recommended even though I clicked don't recommend channel