Honda 2200 Oil changes

[pedroescobar]

We are heading down to the playa for a week this year and decided to revisit the option of getting 2 Honda 2200's which normally aren't of need as our camp has camp wide power. After a 6 day power outage, it seems like a reasonable time to pick up something for the house anyway.

One question I've had is how often do people change oil on these on playa, or do people do a before/after? I get after 100 hours of "normal run time", but the playa is obviously not normal. I don't expect to be running all day but will be running for the afternoon/evening naps or quick breakfast burrito heat up.

[Popeye]

If you are only running on Playa for a week then change the oil when you get home. If you are running off Playa then change the oil at the owners manual intervals as well as when you get home.
I'd worry more about the air filter.

[Molotov]

I installed an inexpensive hour meter powered by inductive pulses from the spark plug wire. It enables me to better predict regular maintenance intervals.
An example:
https://www.amazon.com/Magicalmai-Induc ... 246&sr=8-3

[Captain Goddammit]

They make nice aluminum tubes that screw into the oil dipstick hole so it’s easy to pour the oil out with no mess.
There’s only about a quarter in there.
If you want to do a mid-week oil change it’s really easy.

[BBadger]

Probably just change the oil according to the schedule. I usually just do it when I get home. Buy a spare air filter though. I think you also need to dip the filter in clean engine oil before installing it, so keep a small container or something for that.

The aluminum tube + dipstick and the hour meters suggested above are great inexpensive upgrades that save you a lot of hassle. The meter is especially nice to not have to keep a log somewhere.

Also remember to lock up your generators, and possibly even get those metal anti-theft security brackets for the handles so people can't just saw through the handle to remove the cable. Some people even build cages around their generators to deter theft.

Remember to put stabilizer in your fuel too.

[lucky420]

Is this generator pretty easy to use/maintain? I have no experience with generators but I know how to read and I’m stubborn enough to want to be self sufficient…

[BBadger]

Yeah, the Honda line of generators are top-notch and ubiquitous!

Mostly just follow the maintenance schedule the manual provides, remember to put stabilizer in your fuel, and drain the carburetor after you're not going to use it for a while (easy!).

[lucky420]

Thank you ^^ I’ll probably get one soon

[pedroescobar]

Thanks for the suggestions... I'm thinking between these and the IPI marine tank with dual cap hookups, I should be totally set for boondocking other times of the year when I want to go off the grid for a week or two. I'll be happy to get our full camp back on Playa next year, but this also adds some flexibility if we decide to skip camp down the road. My next project is working through the sh*tter issues.

[ken]

they make propane conversion kits specifically for the honda. As a once a year user, this is starting to look like a better option. No stale gas, gummed up carburetors, multiple plastic gas cans going to the burn, cleaner exhaust. no getting rid of the extra 10 gallons i took...just in case. But they say less power, but all we were doing was running lights and margarita mixers...

anyone have experience with the conversion?

[lucky420]

they make propane conversion kits specifically for the honda. As a once a year user, this is starting to look like a better option. No stale gas, gummed up carburetors, multiple plastic gas cans going to the burn, cleaner exhaust. no getting rid of the extra 10 gallons i took...just in case. But they say less power, but all we were doing was running lights and margarita mixers...

anyone have experience with the conversion?

[MrHedgehog]

anyone have experience with the conversion?

When I was shopping for a Honda EU2200i last year, I had the same concerns as you about running it on gasoline, and so I bought a pre-converted generator, that runs on exclusively on either propane or natural gas, rather than buying one of the after-market bi-fuel or tri-fuel conversion kits.

I wish that I could report lots and lots of hours of practical experience with the genny, but to be honest, with no Burning Man, and with the local electric company providing good power even during the worst of last year's weather, I haven't even started it up yet!

[Popeye]

anyone have experience with the conversion?

We ran 2 dual fuel Champions for at least 2 years, no real problems except they where a little noisy. Propane gives about 80% of gasolines power but you don't need to worry about cleaning the carb, gas spills, etc. Changing from gas to propane was easy, just plug in the hose and move a valve.

[GreyCoyote]

Here is a trick I learned over the years:

If you need a genny that starts first pull every time, regardless of tempersture or altitude, dump the fuel out and add a quart of 100 octane low-lead aviation gas. Run it for a couple of minutes and then shut it down. Done. When you need power, fill it with pump gas, yank the handle and go.

Avgas has zero ethanol, but more importantly it contains a boatload of high-tech additives that keep it fresh for well over a year. Its really amazing stuff. And it wont let the seals in the carb dry out like they would if you had drained it.

I’ve been using this storage strategy for years and it works very well. Just dont try to run on avgas in the long term. Modern engines like the Honda dont want/need the lead and IMHO actually run better with ethanol fuels. (They just dont store worth a shit). That little bit of avgas in the tank wont hurt anything, btw.

[ygmir]

Here is a trick I learned over the years:

If you need a genny that starts first pull every time, regardless of tempersture or altitude, dump the fuel out and add a quart of 100 octane low-lead aviation gas. Run it for a couple of minutes and then shut it down. Done. When you need power, fill it with pump gas, yank the handle and go.

Avgas has zero ethanol, but more importantly it contains a boatload of high-tech additives that keep it fresh for well over a year. Its really amazing stuff. And it wont let the seals in the carb dry out like they would if you had drained it.

I’ve been using this storage strategy for years and it works very well. Just dont try to run on avgas in the long term. Modern engines like the Honda dont want/need the lead and IMHO actually run better with ethanol fuels. (They just dont store worth a shit). That little bit of avgas in the tank wont hurt anything, btw.

this^^ I also put a little gas stabilizer in, just to be sure. cheap insurance. A chemist friend told me instead of fuel stabilizer, you can add naptha, he said it's the same. My experience is it works, but I can't say if it works better. I know it's cheaper. I run avgas in my old sandblast compressor, which is a 1969 Continental flathead straight 6, it sure likes it better than no lead...so does my old Stihl (1972 model). But like you say, my newer gas equipment does not seem to like the leaded gas as much as "regular" gas.

[Captain Goddammit]

The av-gas trick is absolutely worthwhile.
I had the seals dry out on a couple-year-old pair of EU2000s that I ran dry when I stored them.
When I didn’t run them dry, the carbs would gum up.
It isn’t a fault of the Honda itself, it’s the crummy fuel.
If you have a local source of non-ethanol gas, use it. I get it at the local co-op farm supply place, and use it in all small engines.

Propane avoids those things but it’s a pain in the ass too. The tanks are heavy and bulky and it’s less readily available and it’s harder to tell how much of it you have left.

If you do the external fuel tank trick, which works great, watch out for the little gaskets in the gas caps. Many of the aftermarket machined aluminum caps come with a gasket THAT DISSOLVES IN GASOLINE!!!
I’ve had to just make my own.
The external tank trick requires an airtight seal on the gas cap.

[Captain Goddammit]

The av-gas trick is absolutely worthwhile.
I had the seals dry out on a couple-year-old pair of EU2000s that I ran dry when I stored them.
When I didn’t run them dry, the carbs would gummed up on regular gas.
It isn’t a fault of the Honda itself, it’s the crummy fuel.
If you have a local source of non-ethanol gas, use it. I get it at the local co-op farm supply place, and use it in all small engines.

Propane avoids those things but it’s a pain in the ass too. The tanks are heavy and bulky and it’s less readily available and it’s harder to tell how much of it you have left.

If you do the external fuel tank trick, which works great, watch out for the little gaskets in the gas caps. Many of the aftermarket machined aluminum caps come with a gasket THAT DISSOLVES IN GASOLINE!!!
I’ve had to just make my own.
The external tank trick requires an airtight seal on the gas cap.

[BBadger]

So with that avgas. When you obtain it, do you just drive up to the self-serve place meant for aircraft?

[ygmir]

So with that avgas. When you obtain it, do you just drive up to the self-serve place meant for aircraft?

at our little airport here, sometimes they'll open the gate and let you drive to the pump. Other times, they have a little wagon, that can hold several of your gas cans, and you use it and pull them through the pedestrian gate, to the pumps and back to your vehicle. Card purchases only.

[BBadger]

OK, not so bad. Thanks!

[HarryN]

If you have not purchase the generators yet, consider instead to get one 3000 size.

The fuel tank is a lot larger and for many loads, it will actually be quieter.

[Molotov]

If you have not purchase the generators yet, consider instead to get one 3000 size.

With electric starting as a bonus, even though Honda 2000's usually start on first and second pull.