Vintage Honda Generator

[Ausfahrt]

I was looking for a used Honda EU1000i generator to have around as a lightweight spare. I already have two other generators so I was not in a rush and I didn't want to pay the price for a new one.

So I found a Honda E900 generator at a garage sale for a song that is about 50 years old! I am an admitted Honda fan and I've never seen one of these before. It has a G28 engine, is belt drive, and much heavier that I wanted or expected.

It is cool though. It doesn't have a choke or a primer bulb but starts on the first pull every time and runs flawlessly. I drained the oil and put in Mobil 1 15w-50 which is my go-to air cooled OPE oil. Here is a pic of it powering a 500w shop light.

 

[JTK]

How cool is that!

I assume it's one of the old Honda flat-head engines? Great find.

I prefer to have several small portable generators over one big one. They're especially nice when they're not encased in an enclosure.

 

[skyactiv]

In case anyone didn't catch the other generator thread. Honda makes a small inverter generator not housed in plastic.

https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Honda-EG2800I-Portable-Generator/p70740.html

 

[SZR48207]

Is it loud?

 

[Ausfahrt]

How cool is that!

I assume it's one of the old Honda flat-head engines? Great find.

I prefer to have several small portable generators over one big one. They're especially nice when they're not encased in an enclosure.

Thanks. I believe that it's actually one of Honda's first small overhead valve engines.

I agree with you on the open engine.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Is it loud?

It's definitely not a quiet as my EU2000i but not lawnmower loud.

 

[JTK]

Thanks. I believe that it's actually one of Honda's first small overhead valve engines.

I agree with you on the open engine.

Could be. I can't tell from your pic. If you can't see a valve cover, it's a flat head/side valve engine. Still a really great old Honda engine.

 

[JC1]

That'll last another 50 years! Thanks for the pic.

 

[jeepman3071]

That's so cool! I love how it has the fluid capacities on the side.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Can you take a pic of the other side?

Really cool find, has character! Neat that it's belt driven, I guess that's so the engine doesn't have to spin at 3600 rpm?

Is that on-off lever to disengage the belt so the generator isn't driven?

 

[92saturnsl2]

Found a manual for it:

http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/manuals/428462.pdf

Rated for about 800 watts. I found the oil viscosity recommendations interesting. 10w-40 year round, 20w-50 for high temps, or straight 30, 20 and 10 weight depending on ambient temps.

Specs actually call it out as an overhead cam engine. Weighs nearly 100 pounds, that's a beast.

 

[Kamele0N]

800w.....and its sump is rated @1.7quart....

Eu10i holds what...0.26 quarts...

That honda is intended for HD use for sure

What is the OCI?

 

[jhs914]

92 lbs!! That thing must be built like a tank. Not portable with my 72 year old back unless it is on wheels!

 

[Kamele0N]

Ups...its 1.7 us gallon not 1.7 quarts

Still almost double the amount of more powerful Eu10i....

OCI is 50hrs....

 

[Ausfahrt]

Can you take a pic of the other side?

Really cool find, has character! Neat that it's belt driven, I guess that's so the engine doesn't have to spin at 3600 rpm?

Is that on-off lever to disengage the belt so the generator isn't driven?

The on/off lever does not disengage the belt, is just shuts off the engine. This thing is still new to me and I'm figuring it out.

Here is a pic of the back side. That's the exhaust at the bottom center.

 

[Kamele0N]

And what is then that metal hose on the bottom right side? Is that a part of pulse pump (pulse driven gasoline pump)?

 

[cjolson140]

Looked up the engine, pretty cool for 1969!

“The Honda G28 is a 67 cc (4.09 cu.in.) single-cylinder air-coolled 4-stroke internal combustion small gasoline engine manufactured by Honda Motor Company since 1969 for general-purpose applications.

The G28 has an overhead camshaft and an efficient combustion chamber designs together with a high-performance carburetor. Friction components such as the cylinder sleeve and piston are made of high strength materials. The crankshaft is mounted on ball bearings for reduced friction.


The Honda G28 engine compression ratio rating is 8.3:1, cylinder bore and piston stroke are 49.0 mm (1.93 in) and 35.5 mm (1.40 in), respectively.

The G28 produced 2.0 HP (1.49 kW) at 5000 rpm of continuous rated horsepower and from 2.8 HP (2.08 kW) to 3.0 HP (2.23 kW) at 6000 rpm of maximum horsepower.”

 

[JTK]

And what is then that metal hose on the bottom right side? Is that a part of pulse pump (pulse driven gasoline pump)?

Looks like the exhaust comes out of the engine there, runs down into a muffler built into the base, then out that elbow outlet with the spark arrester on it. Really neat setup. Honda really put effort into that little bugger. I bet that baby was $300+ USD back in 1970. A khrap ton of money in those days.

 

[Donald]

Looks cool but what can you power with 800 watts?

 

[Ausfahrt]

Looks cool but what can you power with 800 watts?

If push came to shove and the power was out and my other two generators were out of action?

It could provide power to my pellet stove and a few lights in the house. Enough to get me by when all else has failed.