Generator Carburetor Change - Sound legit?

[pianoman9701]

So, I took my chainsaw and generator (Duropower 2000S) into a small motor repair shop here in Vancouver. The chainsaw cost me $80 to tune up with a chain sharpening. They called me last Thursday to say that the gen needed a new carburetor. In addition to the $45 I'd already put down for cleaning and tune up, they told me it would be $55 for labor and $135 for a Honda GX 120 carb. Seemed a little pricey. So, I checked on the internet. First, I found a genuine Honda GX 120 carb for $65. Then, I found cheap Chinese replacements for 10-20.00. A few questions.

First, is it expected that a shop will double the price of parts? Second, I only use the gen for 2-3 weeks every year. Is there any reason I wouldn't just save the 90% cost and get the cheap Chinese carb? Should I trust this shop with my future business?

[Fl0und3rz]

"First, is it expected that a shop will double the price of parts?"


That beats 3x+ the price for a u-joint from a shop for which I will never return.  No kidding. It was invoiced at something like $95 for a part that I could order for $28 or so, for a premium Spicer u-joint.  Someone once explained that it is common for some shops to add overhead for the parts storage or something. 

That's when I started going to coachcw for vehicle maintenance, even though it is quite the drive, and I never looked back.


I would just take the generator and order the genuine part, I think.  I might chance it for the chinesium one.

[Woodchuck]

The carb price is not outrageous in the grand scheme of things. They buy parts from trusted suppliers that will stand behind the parts as much as the shop has to stand behind them for you, this may not be the cheapest place to buy. They also have to make money to stay in business. In a shop setting when it comes to warranty work, it isn't just doing a job, it is also the time the shop won't have another paying job on the bench, all of this has to be figured in to the price of doing business. If they are fair and stand behind their work, stick with em. My favorite analogy is that I can buy a ribeye cheaper at the store than I can at the steakhouse but when you want to be waited on it costs money. 

[pianoman9701]

You buy the ribeyes. I'll cook 'em, fill your wine glass, and light your cigar after dinner. It'll be better than your steakhouse, too.  Thanks for the input.

[Woodchuck]

You buy the ribeyes. I'll cook 'em, fill your wine glass, and light your cigar after dinner. It'll be better than your steakhouse, too.  Thanks for the input.

DEAL!!! Good luck with the shop. 

[baker5150]

The carb price is not outrageous in the grand scheme of things. They buy parts from trusted suppliers that will stand behind the parts as much as the shop has to stand behind them for you, this may not be the cheapest place to buy. They also have to make money to stay in business. In a shop setting when it comes to warranty work, it isn't just doing a job, it is also the time the shop won't have another paying job on the bench, all of this has to be figured in to the price of doing business. If they are fair and stand behind their work, stick with em. My favorite analogy is that I can buy a ribeye cheaper at the store than I can at the steakhouse but when you want to be waited on it costs money. 

 

The cost of being in business is really high.  At that labor rate, they aren't making much, if anything at all on labor, the parts mark up covers the overhead and, if they are lucky, a little profit for the business to stay open.

[luckyman]

Ill add my  .
Never leave gas sitting in a carburetor when not in use.
Run it dry or drain the bowl when through.

[Bofire]

If you are happy with cheap Chinese , why did you pay for a Honda motor when you bought your generator? They sell cheap generators with cheap motors brand new. I would buy Honda parts for a Honda generator
Carl

[Knocker of rocks]

Ill add my  .
Never leave gas sitting in a carburetor when not in use.
Run it dry or drain the bowl when through.

And Honda's are really easy to run dry. 

[j_h_nimrod]

Ill add my  .
Never leave gas sitting in a carburetor when not in use.
Run it dry or drain the bowl when through.

On another note.. Not sure how long you have had the generator, but investing half the cost of a new generator into an older one is hard for me to do. It might be money ahead to buy new.

Most shops I have dealt with in the last few years will not even attempt to fix a carb issue, they will defer to buying a new one because there is more profit for them. Generators are a bit more complex to disassemble generally but the motors are the same. Carbs are pretty easy to go through, and I know a few hours of my time is pretty cheap

[wapiti hunter2]

Ill add my  .
Never leave gas sitting in a carburetor when not in use.
Run it dry or drain the bowl when through.

And, get a real good stabilizer, Not Stabil, and run only ethanol free gas.

[Special T]

Pman you have just experienced the results of sending too many kids to college... AND you are just old enough to know how to do the stuff you were gonna pay some one else to do....

There is a huge shortage of skilled labor and you are going to pay a premium for ANY kind of skill.  Every industry is experiencing this kind of situation.  How do I buy, stock parts and service customers when online prices beat what I can purchase for.

I called on a past  customer of mine whom only does service now. He choose to let his customers buy product where ever they please he just charges for his time. He choose to do this because the cost of investing in product, having what the customer needed and when, and then beingnresponcible for the service and the product wasn't worth it. He encourages customers to buy online and doesnt want to hold any inventory beyond normal supplies.  There is a product pipeline battle for anyone whom need a combination of product and service.  If all you need is product there are deals to be had. If you need both you will be left unsatisfied. Comparing online prices and brick and motor will increase in distance and satisfaction faction.... UNLESS you realize that service is at a premium right now...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[pianoman9701]

Ill add my  .
Never leave gas sitting in a carburetor when not in use.
Run it dry or drain the bowl when through.

I always do.

[pianoman9701]

If you are happy with cheap Chinese , why did you pay for a Honda motor when you bought your generator? They sell cheap generators with cheap motors brand new. I would buy Honda parts for a Honda generator
Carl

The generator was cheap and likely Chinese. Duropower. I use a genny for two-three weeks a year and have had it for about 10 years. Saving $120 on the repair will go to other supplies and maintenance.

[Fl0und3rz]

Ill add my  .
Never leave gas sitting in a carburetor when not in use.
Run it dry or drain the bowl when through.

And, get a real good stabilizer, Not Stabil, and run only ethanol free gas.

What do do you recommend besides not stabil?

[birddogdad]

on my new RV, has a cummins onan gen set... the gen ran like crap cycling and that was the fix by cummins... was under warranty but that was SOP by the  techs... i was told to run Seafoam in my gas in the onboard RV tank and for a small portable gen set i would recommend a couple other things to do.

1)drain gas from carb, ez screw just for this
2)if you are going to leave it for greater than 6 months , drain tank, pour into a car if you don't want to waste it...

run E free if you cant do either of the top 2

[rasbo]

Being retired I now fix these things my self,,it's easier to buy the carb and replace it yourself. I rebuilt my Honda 2000 carb,watching a video.. it felt good saving labor,did the same with honda outboard,just put a new carb on that. My honda has no drain,i use seafoam and run it once a month.. fire up a one of those nasty poodle turds you smoke and enjoy saving a few bucks,

[Caseknife]

Definitely run non-ethanol in all your small engines.  Ethanol creates all sorts of gunk in the carburetors that will plug
the jets and small ports of the carburetors.  Star Tron seems to work very good in combatting the effects of ethanol.

[rtspring]

Easy way to save is do it yourself.  Its really not hard and once you do it you will have the knowledge to fix problems down the road.  Preventive maintenance is the best thing to achieve with small engines.  Always use good gas and if not using them, run them once a month or drain all gas.  Gummy ethanol will mess them up. 

You can utube just about anything these days!!!!

[birddogdad]

Being retired I now fix these things my self,,it's easier to buy the carb and replace it yourself. I rebuilt my Honda 2000 carb,watching a video.. it felt good saving labor,did the same with honda outboard,just put a new carb on that. My honda has no drain,i use seafoam and run it once a month.. fire up a one of those nasty poodle turds you smoke and enjoy saving a few bucks,

i have (2) of those 2000's the screw is directly on the bottom of the carb bowl with a tube that runs to bottom of gen? maybe your carb bowl is backwards and hiding the screw? Watch for that damn oring on the bowl!

[Knocker of rocks]

Being retired I now fix these things my self,,it's easier to buy the carb and replace it yourself. I rebuilt my Honda 2000 carb,watching a video.. it felt good saving labor,did the same with honda outboard,just put a new carb on that. My honda has no drain,i use seafoam and run it once a month.. fire up a one of those nasty poodle turds you smoke and enjoy saving a few bucks,

i have (2) of those 2000's the screw is directly on the bottom of the carb bowl with a tube that runs to bottom of gen? maybe your carb bowl is backwards and hiding the screw? Watch for that damn oring on the bowl!

I just kill the fuel valve and run the machine till it quits.  Seems like a fine way to do it.

[Knocker of rocks]

Ill add my  .
Never leave gas sitting in a carburetor when not in use.
Run it dry or drain the bowl when through.

And, get a real good stabilizer, Not Stabil, and run only ethanol free gas.

Seafoam?

What do do you recommend besides not stabil?

[Fl0und3rz]

Never heard of Seafoam as a stabilizer.  Fuel system and intake cleaner, sure.  I'll have to check it out. 

[Knocker of rocks]

Never heard of Seafoam as a stabilizer.  Fuel system and intake cleaner, sure.  I'll have to check it out.

After all these years I finally looked at their website, you seem to be right.  It isn't a stabilizer.

Ethanol free fuel needs a ton less stabilizing.

[rasbo]

Never heard of Seafoam as a stabilizer.  Fuel system and intake cleaner, sure.  I'll have to check it out.

I run mine once a month,it hasn't had a problem.the Honda on off switch is the fuel shut also which sucks. I should put a pet cock on it so I can run it dry...also I'm not sure if the seafoam stabilizes anything,but by running it it helps

[hunter399]

+1 on fixen your self
But it already at shop might as well pay ,and get it fixed up right.
I have never taken a small engine to a shop,spark ,fuel ,air,make anything run.

[Fl0und3rz]

I'll take a 2 cycle there, because those seem to run on voodoo.  But otherwise, if I have time, I am in the fix it yourself camp.

[Knocker of rocks]

I should put a pet cock on it so I can run it dry...also I'm not sure if the seafoam stabilizes anything,but by running it it helps

I think the problem is varnishes and the like.  Even if you only partially empty the bowl by closing the valve and running it until it dies, then any crerated varnish won't be in gumming up the work but down below that.

I don't know if that is fully correct, but doing just that and using SeaFoam sure has made the problems go away and made the machine start dependably.

[rasbo]

I was amazed how small things get in the carb,it sure doesn't take much to plug up. Draining the bowl, will certainly help

[pianoman9701]

Easy way to save is do it yourself.  Its really not hard and once you do it you will have the knowledge to fix problems down the road.  Preventive maintenance is the best thing to achieve with small engines.  Always use good gas and if not using them, run them once a month or drain all gas.  Gummy ethanol will mess them up. 

You can utube just about anything these days!!!!

Good advice. I just don't have a shop space to work. My wife took over the garage for an internet business that doesn't sell anything. I was able to fix a disabled neighbor's toilet this weekend with the help of Youtube. The tank bolts were rusted completely. I used a hack saw blade between the tank and the bowl to cut them, changed out all the innards and it works like a new toilet. Probably helped her getting rid of all the black mold around it to. By the way, Parkinson's really sucks. I feel for her. 52 and hardly able to get around.

[Knocker of rocks]

I was amazed how small things get in the carb

Yes, you need to use a small hammer

[birddogdad]

Being retired I now fix these things my self,,it's easier to buy the carb and replace it yourself. I rebuilt my Honda 2000 carb,watching a video.. it felt good saving labor,did the same with honda outboard,just put a new carb on that. My honda has no drain,i use seafoam and run it once a month.. fire up a one of those nasty poodle turds you smoke and enjoy saving a few bucks,

i have (2) of those 2000's the screw is directly on the bottom of the carb bowl with a tube that runs to bottom of gen? maybe your carb bowl is backwards and hiding the screw? Watch for that damn oring on the bowl!

I just kill the fuel valve and run the machine till it quits.  Seems like a fine way to do it.

sure it will work, but have you seen the  holes in the carb ports and the jets.. any spec of sand will mess them up.. this bowl drain can remove any of the fine particles that have settled in the bowl vs sucking up into jetting....

[Fl0und3rz]

You are a good man.  If I were near you, my shop or garage would be open to you any time.

[pianoman9701]

If you can't take care of your neighbors when they're in need, you're a POS. I know from personal experience that many on this forum are the same way. Thanks Flound3rz.

[BigGoonTuna]

In addition to the $45 I'd already put down for cleaning and tune up, they told me it would be $55 for labor and $135 for a Honda GX 120 carb. Seemed a little pricey. So, I checked on the internet. First, I found a genuine Honda GX 120 carb for $65. Then, I found cheap Chinese replacements for 10-20.00. A few questions.

honda is weird, depending on where their engines are manufactured.  there could be a dozen(or more) carbs available for a different engine, and a lot depends on where it was manufactured.  if you have a japanese engine, that carb might be $150...if it was made in thailand, it could be $15.  mind you, this is for the same engine model and displacement.  that thai carb would work just fine on the japanese engine, but it might not be the "OEM" replacement and not kosher per EPA's wacky emission regs.

when i was in the small engine business, i would sell the customer one of the cheaper carbs unless they asked me otherwise(and nobody ever did), especially over trying to make a badly corroded one(from ethanol tainted gas sitting it it) work.

i would probably stay away from the chinese knock offs, often they are put together just well enough to work "OK," and generally don't hold up very well(quality of the body castings are usually bad quality and corrode easily.)

[pianoman9701]

Well, I did go with the knock-off and it was cheap. We'll see how long it lasts. It runs smoothly now.

[dscubame]

ethanol free gas is the key to small engine reliability.

[pianoman9701]

It ran alright for almost 3 weeks, 4 hours a day. I'll keep E-Free gas in mind for next year. Not sure who has it around here.

[birddogdad]

It ran alright for almost 3 weeks, 4 hours a day. I'll keep E-Free gas in mind for next year. Not sure who has it around here.

piano, Efree does work great, the death of these things is sitting idle with fuel.. they gunk up so darn fast... draining bowl and all lines for storage is key.. like i have said before, the jets are tiny, a fine grain of sand will mess up performance, they come with inline filter but they only do so much ... if you use more often, run a stabilizer in gas on last tank to treat the carb. when cleaning, if inside of bowl is "rusty" get a new one... i run a pair 6 weeks continuous a season (starting this weekend!) to mid November.. preseason carb cleaning makes them just hum along and i run regular unleaded from closest store to  camp....