Honda eu2000 - two tips

Da Nag

Da Nag

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C-Brats - two quick videos for those of you with Honda eu2000's. These are great tips, both fuel related.

Mine started in with the dreaded surging/rough idle/hard starting last year, and based on some articles and videos I read online I ordered up a plethora of parts with the intent of going through everything in the carb. Today, I went looking for the tear down video I'd watched earlier and found this one first. 5 minutes, zero parts, runs like new again. Basically - clean the jet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdUlhJFHlDU

Admittedly, there are two carb gaskets that could conceivably tear upon disassembly - but in my case, they were fine even after 10+ years of usage.

Next, I decided to put a fuel line shutoff valve in the picture so I could run things dry - and I stumbled upon this video. For those of you who aren't aware - the eu2000 already has a fuel shutoff valve in it. Yup...that big on/off knob you turn not only shorts the ignition, but closes a fuel valve as well. Given the number of videos of people installing fuel shutoff valves, I'm gonna assume I'm not the only one who has been living in the dark. Of course, this does nothing to help with the "old fuel in the carb" problem, as there's still plenty in the line and the carb itself when you turn the engine off with the knob.

Rather than put a second fuel valve in line, simply disconnect the kill switch portion of the shutoff knob - simple as unplugging it. With the shutoff valve in the off position, the engine will still run until the fuel expires. If you only want to run the generator dry on occasion, this is good enough - simply plug/unplug the switch as desired.

However, as the video shows - you can also wire in a momentary switch to the disconnected kill switch, which gives you all functions from the outside without need to open things up. Use the new momentary switch to kill the engine, use the original on/off knob strictly for fuel flow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shyiDR-y53c
 
Da Nag":202cvg77 said:
C-Brats - two quick videos for those of you with Honda eu2000's. These are great tips, both fuel related.

Mine started in with the dreaded surging/rough idle/hard starting last year, and based on some articles and videos I read online I ordered up a plethora of parts with the intent of going through everything in the carb. Today, I went looking for the tear down video I'd watched earlier and found this one first. 5 minutes, zero parts, runs like new again. Basically - clean the jet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdUlhJFHlDU

Admittedly, there are two carb gaskets that could conceivably tear upon disassembly - but in my case, they were fine even after 10+ years of usage.

Next, I decided to put a fuel line shutoff valve in the picture so I could run things dry - and I stumbled upon this video. For those of you who aren't aware - the eu2000 already has a fuel shutoff valve in it. Yup...that big on/off knob you turn not only shorts the ignition, but closes a fuel valve as well. Given the number of videos of people installing fuel shutoff valves, I'm gonna assume I'm not the only one who has been living in the dark. Of course, this does nothing to help with the "old fuel in the carb" problem, as there's still plenty in the line and the carb itself when you turn the engine off with the knob.

Rather than put a second fuel valve in line, simply disconnect the kill switch portion of the shutoff knob - simple as unplugging it. With the shutoff valve in the off position, the engine will still run until the fuel expires. If you only want to run the generator dry on occasion, this is good enough - simply plug/unplug the switch as desired.

However, as the video shows - you can also wire in a momentary switch to the disconnected kill switch, which gives you all functions from the outside without need to open things up. Use the new momentary switch to kill the engine, use the original on/off knob strictly for fuel flow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shyiDR-y53c
Click to expand...

Isn't there a floatbowl drain also? :thup
 
I wasn't sure but always suspected that the knob shut off the fuel simply because in 15 years of sometimes only biannual use it starts every time. Having just jinxed it by stating that, your video link might come in handy. Thanks. Unplugging the kill switch is a good idea, though, so maybe I will survive the jinx since everything else is going so great in 2020.

Honda small engines are unbeatable. I have a small rototiller that is a good 25 years old and a pressure washer that is closer to 30 years old and both the Hondas start every time, every year. The only repair ever needed on either of them is a carb cleaning on the tiller the one time I forgot to shut off the fuel valve when I put it away.
 
tsturm":1u2stfs2 said:
Isn't there a floatbowl drain also? :thup
Click to expand...

Yes - but one has to open things up to get to it, as well as having somewhere to drain the fuel.

Not always a problem, but arguably a little cleaner/quicker to run things dry. Also, if it works similar to other engines - I've not tested it - draining the float bowl doesn't get all the fuel out of the carb/lines, so you would still need to run the generator to get the last bits out.
 
cool, thanks for the links. my generator has the surging issue and not wanting to tear into the carb, I just kept running heavy doses of sea foam through it hoping it will clean itself out. Now that I see how easy the proper cure is I can put the sea foam away. It will be good to get that thing running good as it is Y2.02k
 
I have a Honda e1000, which started surging at idle, not under a load. Cleaned the carb and finally replaced it. Still surging. So I sprayed silicone lube on the servo and linkage on top of the carb which fixed the problem.

Still running, and runs well, after 20 years.

Boris
 
C-BRATS,
The new Yamaha has a fuel drain and petcock. You can modify the Honda to so the same thing so you can reach the drain screw via a hole in the access cover or put in the shut off switch mod but these things run forever on a float bowl of fuel. I use Sea Foam and Stabil Marine Fuel Stabilizer in all my small engines and they all start up fine even after more than a year. I keep the tanks full to the top, use the best gas I can fine (I know it has no value but I use 91 not 87) and wish I could buy non-ethanol without driving to Utah. They sell racing gas in Nevada but I cannot find anyone who can tell me if it is OK for small motors.
The total fix? But the new EU2200i with a shut off and Bluetooth:
https://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/eu2200i
Bob
 
I modified my eu2200 to run on propane, natural gas or gasoline and so far I haven't had a drop of gasoline in it (I've run it off of propane or natural gas so far).

I haven't used it in the boat yet. I would prefer to keep gasoline out of it, but I also know propane has dangers of its own on boats. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it I guess. I've been reading how others have dealt with propane for various purposes. Currently considering turning my port lazarette into a propane locker.
 
I have owned the Honda 2200 for over 2 years, and have just used the "run out of fuel" feature. Works great--no more draining. Still starts on first or second pull after sitting several months (Stabil and Startron in the fuel.)
 
We have a Honda 1000 and a mini tiller both 20 to 25 years old, and never a problem with either. However I have never used anything but non-ethanol fuel in either of them. Although Honda doesn’t say it in their manuals, some dealers will suggest pure gas is better, and storage life is double ethanol gas. So I never completely drain the tanks and lines until put them away for the winter. Then I dump the tanks and run them dry until the engine quits. Not quite the same with the boats, over time they were all Hondas. I filled the tanks, added Sta-bil, disconnected the lines and ran them dry. Never had a fuel issue and never found any water in the filters.
 
Been reading this thread so I took out my EU 2000 and tried to start it. Wouldn’t start. YouTubed the links and decided to tear down the carb. Didn’t look too hard. Let me say that I am NOT a mechanic and in fact, should not be allowed to own anything with a gasoline engine!

Found a tutorial and followed step by step how to clean the carb. It was clogged with varnish from that @#&#@#& ethanol fuel, even though it was treated. Carb cleaner and some patience it is running like new. The moral of the story is if I can do it anybody can.

John
Swee Pea[/u]
 
Thanks. Good info. I've used only pure dyno gas since I bought it and that seems to help. But draining the carb is a good practice, especially at the end of the season.
 
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