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Thread: My CCC Generator

  1. #1
    BradC is offline Super Moderator
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    My CCC Generator

    (Cheap Chinese Crap).

    This is half rant and half buyer beware.

    Back in 2012 I bought a "Fuji Micro XG-SF3700" inverter generator from some dude on Gumtree. New with a warranty (he was importing them by the pallet load and selling them from his garage).

    I spent some time properly running it in and load testing it and it did/does make a good honest 3.2KW into a resistive load. 'Lectric start with remote.
    "Not light" (~30kg wet) and noiser than a Honda i2k, but it was ~$700 at the time. Purpose was the occasional camping use and power during prolonged outages.

    Due to circumstances, it hasn't had a lot of use. Some 17h on it since new, but it has always done the important jobs (like run the Coffee machine and small split A/C when we had no power for 3 days).

    We had a planned outage a couple of weeks back, so I dragged it out. It fired up ok. The original starting battery is long dead, an odd size and pretty much unobtanium but once primed up it started third pull (it has been sitting since 2018).
    Put a 600W load on it (UPS & IT gear) and it did the job until I tried to fire up the coffee machine at which it died in protest. Fired it up again, let it run a bit and tried again. No go.

    So I let it get us through the outage and waited for the weekend. Figured it was probably due a birthday, and when I popped the side cover off the cause was obvious. Split in the fuel hose ensuring the pump could get enough into the bowl to satisfy a <1000W load, but it soon sucked dry under duress. It had spent the previous couple of days slowly draining the tank into the "sound deadening" foam and leaking all over the bricks.

    I thought I'd replace all the hoses given they're made from the same "fuel resistant" Chinesium. Every. Single. Fuel. And. Vacuum. Hose. On. The. Bloody. Machine. has one end bigger than the other. Most are 4mm -> 6mm, but one oddball is 4mm -> 7mm. Every hose. All of them!. The only ones that aren't are the crankcase breather and the vacuum choke.

    Luckily there's a mob that make a replacement primer bulb rubber, and I've found a battery that fits, works and is actually available. But the time I've spent making up adapters for these damn fuel hoses is insane. I reckon I've added a kilo of weight to the machine just in adapters and hose clips!

    While I had it to bits I pulled the top cover off to check the valve clearances, and they were spot on. I don't know and can't identify which Japanese motor this thing is a clone of, but mechanically it's actually pretty well built. I believe the weak points are the inverters, but I don't really have enough hours on it to comment. I will say the fuel hoses being made from petrol soluble rubber aren't ideal, and the fact it has obviously been put together as a "parts bin special" requiring custom hoses all over the shop is a "challenge". But still, I couldn't by a quality Japanese unit with even close to a similar output with electric and remote start for 6 times the price, so I'll deal with it.

    I love my Chinese tools, and mostly I go in knowing there's stuff I'll have to do to fettle them, but this one is a doozy. Knowing my luck I'll probably get it all sorted and then the inverter will cark it.

  2. #2
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    the carby jets are next....

    go on, ask....

    I dare ya.


    and its not different sizes, its a wierdo curing hose that when its new will stretch like silicon rubber but then stiffens up....

    want to know what else thats in...

    bloody diesel heater....

    Go on....

    Ask.......

    I dare you,.

    and the goo that clogs the jets is the hose.
    Dave

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  3. #3
    BradC is offline Super Moderator
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    I might have a bit of experience with crappy small equipment carbs which is why I make sure they're as dry as practical before putting them away. I had to take the carb off to replace the fuel line, so I gave it a good going over to make sure the seals were ok and the jets not corroded in place and no debris. So far so good.

    For the hoses, you can buy them new and individually, with the specified end sizes from some mob in the UK. $27 each! and there are about 10 of them. Thus my desire to replace them with something better. They are so flimsy most of them have a small full-length copper spring in them to stop them collapsing. Thankfully no goo, just brittle as buggery.

    The only diesel heater I have is on the D3 and thankfully the fuel lines for that are steel and nylon with a very small rubber coulper that doesn't seem to dissolve in Diesel.

    I've just brazed up a set of 1/4" to 3/16" straight and right angle couplers, so as soon as the spring hose clips arrive it should be good to go until the next thing breaks.

    Oh, ok.... I'll ask. Tell me about the carby jets and the diesel heater. It's a bad day when I don't learn something.

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    Around the same time as you BradC I bought a Fuju Micro F6200. Mine now has around 500 hours on it & has been faultless from the point of view of generating electricity. I have however had to replace the remote start unit & the fuel tank cap. Some parts are available from Fuji-Micro I have also fitted Honda anti vibration feet as they stop more of the vibration being transmitted into our caravan. Mine lives on the back of the van & is often required to run while we are in residence.

    I keep looking at the Honda/Yamaha options but can't justify the cost of a little less noise & no remote start/stop. Been lucky with CCC so far.
    + 2016 D4 TDV6

  5. #5
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    Check out these guys for parts etc

    3200W Generator | GenPower Generators | F6200Ri Edisons

    I haven't bought any parts off them, but have purchased a chainsaw and a multi head whipper snipper type thingy before with no issues.

    Good luck..

  6. #6
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    Far too much heartache...

    Honda starts every time, does what it says on the box, services as required.

    Ran the new one 12 hours a day for 2 years and not a single issue - still in use and well over 5000 hrs

  7. #7
    BradC is offline Super Moderator
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    Not really much of a comparison. The EU30is is nearly $4k, double the size and double the weight. If they had something competitive I would have bought it. A bit like buying the D3 really. Features trump reliability.

  8. #8
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    I have bought 3 el cheapo gensets over the years.
    1 had the generator on it fail
    The other 2 are still going.
    1 I gave to the BIL and the other I use at home occasionally

    I bought a Honda 3kva unit 4 years ago and it is in a completely different league to the other 3 units, Quiet, economical and completely reliable
    Using the Honda genset for the first time was like the first time I used a 4 stroke outboard, pure joy after using the previous units.
    You only get one shot at life, Aim well

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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by BradC View Post
    Not really much of a comparison. The EU30is is nearly $4k, double the size and double the weight. If they had something competitive I would have bought it. A bit like buying the D3 really. Features trump reliability.
    Thats the exact thing you should ask - if a quality manufacturer wont package a 3+kw unit in a 2kw chassis, theres a good reason for it..
    Keep trying to get a baby 3kw genset to make that output and see how you get on.

    I was lucky and improved my option with having 2x EU22i - I can link them and have 4kw or just run a single unit when needed - only take 1 away if its deemed necessary although havent ever needed to use it so rarely comes with us.
    I have the link to give us sufficient to run the house in event of extended power outages.

    Yamaha has a slightly larger, small footprint unit at around 2.6kw for those needing a bit more.

  10. #10
    BradC is offline Super Moderator
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    10 separate pieces of fuel hose, 20 hose spring clamps, 4 homebrew 1/4" to 3/16" adapters, a new primer bulb rubber and new battery and we're back on line.

    Just in time for another long scheduled outage next fortnight.

    At least now it has proper fuel rated hose and if it does require replacement it's all standard size, plus I've spare hose and clips. It now takes a standard high rate UPS battery rather than the single source China special.

    I've ordered a new NGK plug for it. It specifies a "Torch" AR7TC. It came with an AR5TC in the motor and a spare AR6TC in the bag (both supposed to be a 7 according to the manual). Talk about a parts bin special.

    I shouldn't complain really, it's first maintenance that wasn't an oil change in 9 years. It doesn't get a lot of use, or love.

    I keep looking at the Jap gennys, but with >3KVa, remote start, carry it with one hand (barely), I'll wait till it suffers a terminal failure.

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