QuestionPaul,
I have a small engine repair shop and a customer brought me this Honda EG5000 generator, engine Model GX340 , GC05-3018824. He asked if I would re-ring it. he is a contractor and uses this generator daily, complained of excessive oil consumption. he supplied rings and gasket set. My problem is Honda is very hard to find information on if you are not a dealer. I tried Honda Europe's website but no luck. my questions are...
What couples the engines output shaft to the generator, what will I find when I seperate the 2 to get the sump cover off.
What keeps the oil in the engine from going over into the generator itself?
what are the torque specs for the rod bearing and head bolts?
what are the valve clearances? same as Briggs?
Thanks Paul, I enjoy reading your responses.
AnswerThis will be long and confusing. I apologize in advance.
The questions first and then the rant.
The engine is held to the generator rotor with a very long bolt that goes through the rotor into the crank. The crank will have a tapered fit just like the flywheel side of the motor, but no key. Once you get the generator off this engine is just like any other OHV. No tricks.
Torque specs, who cares? I haven't used a torque wrench in 20 years and have NEVER had a problem. Rod bolts, 2 finger tight with a 1/4" ratchet. Head bolts, 2 fingers tight with a 3/8" ratchet. You are not building an airplane, or a nitro funny car here. It's a small engine!
You are using an old rod and a beat crank. Non critical!
.004
15 years ago my shops first year turned 75,000.00 in parts and labor sales. 2006 total? 400,000.00 in parts and labor sales. We got to where we are now by being fair and honest.
Now the "Truth".
This guy has been smoking crack.
Hell yes it smokes! He's got a bazillion hours on it and the airfilter is always dirty and it rides in the back of a truck, and it runs on a dirty freakin construction site all day. Hell yes it smokes. Reringing this engine will only help for about 50 hours. This engine to be "like new" needs to have the crank turned, a .010 over rod, and be bored .030 over, if you look close, I'll bet a frosty, that the throttle shaft is fried also. We haven't even started to talk about the valve stems and valve guides. They are as worn as the rings. Dirt can't eat the rings unless it goes threw the valves first I also assume that the engine doesn't have a pound of dirt in the crankcase, it's been going out the exhaust valve.
So let's track this. Air can't get in the dirty air filter so unfiltered air goes into the throttle shaft, through the intake valve, down the piston walls, out the exhaust valve.
Get my drift here Mark. If you hone the cylinder before you put in the new rings you just lost another 0.001 of bore size. You can't make money here either Mark. It pays about 5 hours labor, it would take me 10 and I do 50 generators repairs a year.
You don't even have a manual and apparently have never pulled an engine on a generator. It sucks, BAD! Hondas are the worst. I guarantee your first generator tear down will take 4 hours. That gives you 1 hour to tear down an engine, hone the jug, clean everything (remember this is a construction generator) and rebuild. Now if you do it right . new valves and guides, turn crank, oversize rods, bore to .030, you just added another 400.00.
I have found the best way to keep a good customer is to tell them the truth. They don't always like what they here, trust me, the worst message you could ever get on your phone is "This is Paul and I need to talk to you about your mower".
The thing I have found out is the customer respects you for telling them the truth. They might not buy anything from you but, when their neighbors says "I have a problem with my mower. where did you take yours" He will tell them that you were fair and honest.
The truth on this job is, DON'T DO IT. maybe in the middle of the winter when you don't have any work. But not now.
