Breaking in a Honda EB2800 generator (GC 190 Engine), best oil for break-in and long term.

[Owen Lucas]

New Honda EB2800. Manual says to break in for 5 hours (IIRC with no load).

I've read a few posts here on breaking in small engines with recommendations to:

- Run 30 Minutes then drain & refill to get glitter out

- Run another hr to get more glitter out, drain and refill

- Run another 3.5 hours to finish break-in process.

I have a bottle of the stock Honda 10w30 that maybe I'll start the break in process with.

What oil do you recommend I use? I have seen Amsoil synthetic small engine oil mentioned.

 

[spasm3]

I would get a magnetic dipstick to use for first startup and break in. I have pics on bitog of several engines, and what it captures from initial startup.

 

[samven]

I am really surprised that Honda says to run it 5 hr without a load. I dont think the engine needs that but maybe the alternator does, although most manufacturers recommend a 10-15 min cycle on/off 3 or 4 times to break in an alternator. A straight 5 hr run does not make sense to me but they should know. As far as the engine is concerned you might want to change the oil after an hour just in case and then follow the normal breakin instructions but without a load its just going to be slightly above idle.

 

[BMW Dom]

What oil you plan on using depends on the temperature in which the generator will be started in.

 

[Chris142]

Honda has been building small engines for a very long time. I would go with their recommendations.

 

[Owen Lucas]

I would get a magnetic dipstick to use for first startup and break in. I have pics on bitog of several engines, and what it captures from initial startup.

I looked for a magnetic dipstick for the Honda GC 190 engine and could not find one unfortunately. But that' a great idea!

 

[ozdrrider]

Personally I would run it in using light to medium variable loads over a few hours and then let it cool to ambient. Drain oil while still "warm/hot" refill with xx/30 of your choice and run again same again, drop that oil and then your good from there. This should maximise engine life.
I have a Honda powered 3.5kva set which is due for a rebuild. it would have done 1000's of hours over 30 years as a loan out. Oil changes became ad hock over 30 years, so I would not be overly concerned. New engine is $850AU.... so less than $30 a year for engine replacement...

 

[Ride_Red]

Honda 10W-30 is fine. I'm using Mobil 1 10W-30 now in my generators. I have a new jug of Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5W-40 in the garage for the next oil change.

Really, any 10W-30 to 15W-40 will be fine depending on where you live and your climate. In Alaska, they would run 0W-30 for starting in the cold.

 

[Cujet]

While a magnet seems like a good idea, that engine has very little ferrous material in it. The magnet is unlikely to help you. I believe the GC190 engine has a coated aluminum bore, chrome faced rings, "rubber" timing belt, composite non metallic camshaft, plastic oil slinger and so on. The only wear items that are ferrous would probably be the crank and sheet metal rocker arms.

There is not much risk in following the manufacturers break in procedure, considering the engine design. I'd have no problem letting it run 5 hours before it's first oil change. Then,,,

Choose a quality oil and change it frequently.

 

[Lubener]

New Honda EB2800. Manual says to break in for 5 hours (IIRC with no load).

I've read a few posts here on breaking in small engines with recommendations to:

- Run 30 Minutes then drain & refill to get glitter out

- Run another hr to get more glitter out, drain and refill

- Run another 3.5 hours to finish break-in process.

I have a bottle of the stock Honda 10w30 that maybe I'll start the break in process with.

What oil do you recommend I use? I have seen Amsoil synthetic small engine oil mentioned.

Best break in oil is what comes with it. Run it for 2-3 hours, drain it and refill it with an oil grade specified in your manual. Your engine will be broken in before 5 hours is reached. I would run a conventional oil during the first 2-3 changes then you can change to synthetic if you want thereafter. If you run a synthetic too soon, the engine may not break in as good. You want some controlled friction to properly seat the rings.
I have seen so many times where people run the original oil way too long and their engine still gives many years of reliable service without drinking the oil.

 

[Fordiesel69]

I have had tons of GVC160 / 190 engines opened up. They are the same except mine are verticle.

The engine will not shred magnetic metals as everything shredding is aluminum.

The upper plain bearing is what wears on verticle engines as owners let the oil go low.

There is no cylinder plating, just plain aluminum, so yes doing a bunch of oil changes early on will drastically help. Then stick to max of 25 hr intervals. It doesnt matter if you are using space age, hyper ceramic poly grip, quantified with liquid titaium, tripple additive full synthetic oil or not, its the particle count that will eat the cylinders. Being no oil filter your struck with short intervals regardless of oil brand or type. These are excellent engines when cared for, and terrible engines when neglected.

 

[wpod]

. If you run a synthetic too soon, the engine may not break in as good. You want some controlled friction to properly seat the rings.

100% not so.

 

[Cujet]

There is no cylinder plating, just plain aluminum.

Plain cast aluminum makes terrible cylinders for engines and won't last more than a few minutes. Honda does something to make it work, but you may be correct, it may not be plated at all. It could be hard anodized, which is simply a conversion of the aluminum and not a coating or plating. This is common in aluminum components that are subject to wear (such as a brake master cylinder) , but very uncommon in engines. Another method is to use an aluminum alloy that contains a high level of silicon, then etch the cylinder to leave a surface of silicon particles.

I repowered my commercial Snapper mower with a Honda GC190. It seems to work fine, but it is a lower quality engine than the commercial Kawasaki it replaced.

 

[asleepz]

I ran Supertech SAE 30 in my Generac GP8000 (Chinese 420cc) for the first 100 hrs (changed at 30 and 100) then swapped to on hand T5 15-40. Just ran it for 16 consecutive days (oil changes every 4) no issues and looks great.

I broke in and have run my Honda EU1000 (aluminum cylinder) on Honda 10-30/40 (whatever I had on hand at the time) Now it gets T5 15-40 as well. No idea on the hours on that motor. Probably 100 or less.

 

[UncleDave]

My parent purchased that same genset - because it fits under the tonneau cover of dads truck.

They've got about a hundred hours on it this summer using it to power their travel trailer mainly AC to sleep at night when traveling.

Their break in procedure was tossing it in the truck and using it. Gennys been fine, uses little to no oil.

 

[z71bill]

I have a EG2800i - exact same engine as EB2800i

http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/manuals/00X31Z43B011.pdf

Nothing in the owners manual about break in - and it would be a bad idea to let it run for hours with no load.

You want to get it hot and let it cool back down a few times -

This is how I broke mine in -

I bought a couple quarts of 10W30 conventional oil (SuperTec or whatever SN is cheap) Honda EG2800i does not come with oil -

It takes just under 20 ounces to fill -

I ran it for a few minutes to warm it up
Then 500 watts for 15 minutes
1,000 watts for 15 minutes
1,500 watts for 15 minutes
Then about 2,000 for 10 minutes
Then a few minutes at 1,000 and 500 and then let it idle for a few minutes then shut it down

Let it cool down - changed the oil

Then did the same thing again but went through two cycles so about 2 hours worth

Let it cool down and changed the oil

Then ran it hooked up to my breaker box with an interlock switch for 5 hours - power was out and it was really cold -

Then switched over to Honda 10W30 and changed it once per day - after I burned through 2 quarts of SuperTec breaking it in and 2 quarts of Honda 10W30 conventional I used Mobil1 10W30 full synthetic.

 

[tundraotto]

Dont overthink it....it's nothing but a consumer grade engine, it is not designed for any extended lifespan.

 

[nomas]

People are spending more time and money than the generator is worth . That's the BITOG way though .

 

[z71bill]

People are spending more time and money than the generator is worth . That's the BITOG way though .

I bought my EG2800i new from Tractor Supply about 4 years ago - on sale after rebates it was about $800 something -

Today that unit is $1,150 - almost $1,250 with tax.

I think spending $10 worth of oil and an afternoon messing around with it - learning how it works is money and time well spent!

But then I a retired with nothing better to do.

Does it really matter?

I don't think it does all that much - as long as you change the oil it will be GTG.

 

[2005jettatdi]

What oil you plan on using depends on the temperature in which the generator will be started in.

In my part of Arizona, that can be anywhere from 10 degrees to 110 degrees. That is why full synthetic goes in everything with an ICE.