3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

[professor95]

professor95 wrote:
EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here.

In the eight year run of this thread we have amassed almost 10,000 postings and surpassed a million views. This creates somewhat of a dilemma for anyone who has just discovered the forum.

Since the amount of information is virtually overwhelming, I suggest you set your preferences for this thread to read "newest first" and then begin to page backwards.

What you will find in these pages is a wealth of info on virtually any make or model of Chinese manufactured synchronous (non-inverter) generator in the 3,000 watt performance class. Info will include how to rewire series coils to parallel to obtain maximum wattage from a single 120 volt outlet. Tips on further reducing sound levels, how to care for these generators, which ones are "RV ready" and provide the best overall performance for the dollar invested. Which companies NOT to deal with, where the best prices are, how to safely wire the generator into a home or RV, how to check your RV for electrical faults, sources for generator accessories, which 20/30 adapters are safe to use and which are not. How to convert a gasoline generator to propane or NG. This is only the beginning. The forum has a life of its own with the focus sub-topic switching frequently. Still, the main topic of utilizing the amazing, inexpensive Chinese gensets is always there. The amount of creativity and innovation presented in these pages is indicative of the talents shared in the diverse backgrounds of the folks who make up our combined RV community.

Many of the original brands and models of Chinese gensets mentioned in the introduction and early pages of the thread have since disappeared. New EPA and CARB emissions requirements, company bonds assuring the emissions warranty will be honored even if the company goes out of business, and fierce competition in the industry have changed the playing field. Champion Power Equipment has become the apparent "trophy team" providing an ever expanding retail outlet, an ample parts supply, a strong warranty and excellent customer service. CPE has continued to improve their product and now offers a new model (#46538) with exclusive convenience, safety and performance features aimed at the RV market. Big names like Cummins/Onan, Honda and Generac all now have Chinese built open frame synchronous gensets available. Ironically, the prices often found on these gensets has not significantly changed during the past eight years - even with the devaluation of the American Dollar and new EPA/CARB requirements.

I also encourage you to use the search function and even the advanced search options to find information. Key works such as "rewiring", "PowerPro", "Champion", "Onan Homesite", "Duropower", "ETQ", "Jiung Dong or JD", "Tractor Supply", "Costco", "Lowe's" and "Home Depot" are all examples of keywords that will give you specific information on different models being sold by retailers today.

Or, you can fill your glass with your favorite beverage (keep more close by - maybe some munchies as well :D, sit back at your computer, tell your wife (or significant other) that you will see her in the morning and spend the next 10 or so hours reading through the postings.

No one on the forum gets mad if you ask a question that is a repeat. Please do not hesitate to post to the forum. All questions are considered important and those active on the forum will do their best to respond with a valid answer.

Also note we are not out to knock the Honda, Yamaha, Kipor or other brands of high end digital gensets. We recognize the quality of these products and their suitability for quite, efficient RV use. But, there is a flood of reliable, inexpensive and comparatively lower cost gensets coming out of China that are excellent alternative choices for the RVer wanting power to run an air conditioner, microwave, etc. without excessive noise or breaking the budget.

Oh, one last thing. The folks on this forum are true gentlemen. We do not flame one another or the product discussed - period. Ugly contributors usually have their comments and remarks ignored by our masses. It is not a forum to start arguments to obtain a clear win. We do disagree on many issues, but we have all agreed to do that in a respectable manner.

We now have the introduction of more and more inverter gensets. There is a rather extensive thread named "The Official Unofficial Champion 2000i Generator" on this forum. Today, I added info on the new Champion 3100i inverter genset. Discussion on this product may get moved to its own thread at a later date.

Many have looked upon this thread with distain saying Chinese is cheap and doomed to failure. I remember saying exactly the same thing about Japanese products a few decades back. But, over the past eight years the track record for Chinese built generators has shown otherwise.

Please, join us in a fascinating journey down the Chinese built genset road of knowledge.

This is the question I posted that got it all started back in March 2005.......

Randy

For a little over a month now, I have been somewhat intrigued by the availability of a 3000 watt, 6.5 HP generator at Pep Boys and Northern Tool for under $300.00. The engine on this generator looks identical to a Honda 6.5 HP OHV engine. Knowing that the Chinese have become very adept at “cloning” reputable technologies from other manufacturers, I was not surprised at the similarities. Neither store could give me any information on the generator nor did they have a “running” display model.

I have done a little research. This is what I have discovered:

Many of these generators are imported by ELIM International (www.eliminternational.com) out of Buffalo, New York from Jiung Manufacturing in China. (The unit at Northern is identical but carries the JIUNG name.)

The engines are indeed a Chinese knockoff of the popular 6.5 HP 196cc Honda Engine. “Supposedly” Honda has licensed the engine technology to the Chinese manufacturer of the product.

The Chinese company that makes the ELM3000 generators is a rather large, diverse, long-standing company with a reputation for “above average quality” Chinese made products (Jiung Manufacturing). There are many more Chinese companies making almost identical gensets.

The generators at PepBoys do have a six month limited warranty. But, it is only on the engine (not the generator) and requires paying for shipping to and from Buffalo. Probably not a very practical thing to do if you have warranty issues.

ELIM does supply replacement parts (a PDF parts manual is available on the ELIM web site). No prices are given for replacement parts nor is there an “availability listing”.

The generator head itself is a brushless design. The only really significant wear parts in the generator are the bearings – most likely universally available.

The published dB rating is 67 at 23 feet. This is “reasonably” quite for a generator of this size as most comparabl.... The 67 dB rating is the same as Honda gives their 3000 watt CycloInverter with a “look alike” eng...

[Wgeorge11]

Seven years hasn't deterred the spirit of these generators. I suspect many of them will outlive their owners who have posted to this thread over the years. You should be very proud, Professor. This is indeed a happy birthday for all of us who continue to learn through your experience and knowledge.
We'll keep the lights on for you et al this summer in Fargo, ND, or Halafax, NS.

[MrRchitty]

And, happy birthday. Thank you.

[professor95]

The "key" to any dry gas conversion system is the use of the Garrett type low pressure demand regulator. This is a MUST have item. Multiple variations for feeding the gas to the engine after the low pressure demand regulator are currently being used.

If you are running a constant speed synchronous generator the feed is best supplied BEFORE the carburetor butterfly.

Darn - I missed the birthday for this thread. If my memory is working OK today I believe this is the seventh year. Interest in the use and modifications of the 3,000 watt Chinese gensets using the GX-200 clone engine apparently is still of interest to the RV crowd. Even with the new inverter gensets this is still my preferred method of supplying the current needed to run all of the appliances in either my Volvo or Cedar Creek fifth wheel. The Champion in my fiver is LPG fueled. The one in the Volvo is still gasoline fueled. The noise level is no higher than two 2,000 watt inverter gensets in parallel.

[mdconvert]

Ken,

Check pages 689, 692,695,697-8,705, 708, 709, 710 (real good one), 714, 718, 721. There is also this:LP/NG conversion

If you plan to retrofit the carburetor, I've seen what appear to be adequate carburetors for this on e-bay for ~ $15 shipped on e-bay.

I'm in the middle of attempting the other (cut a breadboard into a fuel block) method and run it on Natural Gas through 2 regulators. Ordered the Garretson KN regulator yesterday.

Good Luck.

[MrRchitty]

K. I'll catch up.

[Ken-55]

MrRchitty wrote:

Ken-55 wrote:
I have to apologize in advance for asking this BUT it doesn't seem like the advance search function is working . . . everything I search for in the archives returns zero results . . .arrrggghhh!

Can anyone point me to a section (page number range) of this topic where I can get comprehensive instructions (with pics) for a propane conversion NOT using a kit?

I work at a high school and was talking to the shop teacher. He'd be interested in experimenting with converting old gas engines to propane as a learning process for his students and I know you guys have tons of experience. To be clear, he would probably not be using generators (most of his stuff is old, donated lawnmower type engines) I'm just guessing that once you mod the carb it's the same??

Thanks!

Hey, Ken... How is the fire alarm doing over there?

Go back a page or two or a little more. I think even a Web link may be there. I am sure the professor will be more specific for ya. There is more in this forum, though. If I get a chance, ill try a search myself.

Good to hear from ya.

Couple false alarms last week . . . HVAC guys working on a steam leak set off the smoke detectors, once just before dismissal, what a nightmare . . . new system is much easier to reset.

Thanks for the info, I was talking to Mike about converting school buses to CNG and a more realistic start would be to get the students learning on the donated engines and propane conversion.

Stop by some night! New firehouse is looking good. Take care!

[MrRchitty]

Click me, click me!

Ken, try this link.

[MrRchitty]

Ken-55 wrote:
I have to apologize in advance for asking this BUT it doesn't seem like the advance search function is working . . . everything I search for in the archives returns zero results . . .arrrggghhh!

Can anyone point me to a section (page number range) of this topic where I can get comprehensive instructions (with pics) for a propane conversion NOT using a kit?

I work at a high school and was talking to the shop teacher. He'd be interested in experimenting with converting old gas engines to propane as a learning process for his students and I know you guys have tons of experience. To be clear, he would probably not be using generators (most of his stuff is old, donated lawnmower type engines) I'm just guessing that once you mod the carb it's the same??

Thanks!

Hey, Ken... How is the fire alarm doing over there?

Go back a page or two or a little more. I think even a Web link may be there. I am sure the professor will be more specific for ya. There is more in this forum, though. If I get a chance, ill try a search myself.

Good to hear from ya.

[Ken-55]

I have to apologize in advance for asking this BUT it doesn't seem like the advance search function is working . . . everything I search for in the archives returns zero results . . .arrrggghhh!

Can anyone point me to a section (page number range) of this topic where I can get comprehensive instructions (with pics) for a propane conversion NOT using a kit?

I work at a high school and was talking to the shop teacher. He'd be interested in experimenting with converting old gas engines to propane as a learning process for his students and I know you guys have tons of experience. To be clear, he would probably not be using generators (most of his stuff is old, donated lawnmower type engines) I'm just guessing that once you mod the carb it's the same??

Thanks!

[tvman44]

Much much quieter than the Coleman, I have both, the Coleman & 46515.

[jerb]

wow....been doing alot of reading on this topic, probably at least 200 pages, i ordered a champion 46515 yesterday, should be here by thursday or friday, anxious to try it out, will be mostly used for traveling to and from campsites, to keep the camper cool, we normally have electricity at our campsites, but will be nice to have portable power, plan on building a hitch on the back of my kz durango 295bfh to mount it, also will be used at home, we typically have some power outages in the winter due to the ice, i use to own a coleman, but no way i would fire it up unless there was nobody around, curious to see how quiet this unit is, thanks for all the info, and im still reading!!

[professor95]

Wrace wrote:
Alright then, it looks like I order the cover for a medium sized generator.

What about the electric start kit? I don't see those listed on the champion website.

Champion does not offer the e-start as an add on kit. It must come from a 2nd vendor site. I think there are still several on e-Bay offering the kit - Honda 160GX to 200GX is the base designation. SuperGen Products told me over a year ago they were going to offer a kit but it does not appear on their website. You may want to call and ask if they have it.

While a full kit may be convenient, you can complete a satisfactory conversion with ONLY the outer gear ring flywheel and starter. The new shroud with the bubble for the starter is nice but unnecessary as the OEM shroud is easily cut. The charge coil under the flywheel is IMHO a waste of time. The key switch is not needed as is a second transition pack. Use the RV battery to start. The rest is available at most any automotive or home store.

I did a conversion article years back - don't remember where it is, but somewhere on this thread it does exist.

[Wrace]

Alright then, it looks like I order the cover for a medium sized generator.

What about the electric start kit? I don't see those listed on the champion website.

[j_p_f_]

when converting to propane save your original carburetor!
go to a small engine repair shop and buy an old carb to fit your engine. drill and convert it, I paid $5 for my conversion carb. made the modifications to it and later was able to convert the generator back to gasoline using the original carb. ya never know when you may want to convert back to gasoline!

[tvman44]

No handle on mine, the cover fits good and snug like I like it.