# ETQ TG3000



## jjsinaz (May 24, 2021)

I was given a ETQ TG3000 generator. It has two problems 
1) does not produce power, but I think the capacitor is bad. It tests okay with the uf setting on the multimeter ( 15uF cap tests at 14.7uf). I've torn the generator apart, pulled the rotor off and tested the diodes. All seems good there and there is no signs of any physical damage or burned coils. My question is, can the cap test good but still be bad somehow internally? 
2) Whenever I pulled the alternator apart noticed that the cooling fan blade is broken in two. I'd like to find a replacement for that. Any suggestions? Looks like ETQ sells the whole rotor with the fan blade as an assembly. I've found some fan blades on ebay but they are not quite the same. Anybody have any suggestions for a substitute (with minor mods).

I know it;s not a top of line gen, but it was free so I'd like to see if I can get it working


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

snap some pix of the gen set for us please.
we love pix!
and snap some pix of the tags as well.
how extensive of a shop do you have?
do you have calipers etc?
yea best not to run one with any fan parts missing...
hard on bearings... and the rest of the fan could be bad as well!

hard to buy parts for the low cost gen sets...
but if we had numbers we might be able to find them!

are there any numbers on the gen head??
that is a great place to start as a lot of mfg's use others heads in the low cost units...
if you had a parts blow up for the exact gen it would help as it may have the oem part number!
see if they have any of the paperwork for the gen set like the owners manual.


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## jjsinaz (May 24, 2021)

Thanks for your reply. Here is a pic of the gen and the broken fan. The fan blade attaches to the rotor on a flange that is press fit to the engine end of the rotor shaft. The flange is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and has two threaded bolt holes in it. Fan blade is 6 5/8 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. As nearly as I am able to determine from parts diagram I found online, the fan blade is part of the rotor assembly, not a separate part. I thought about seeing if I could adapt a similar fan blade (similar diameter and thickness) to the existing flange, however most of the fan blades I can find that are similar dimensionally are the wrong rotation (mainly engine flywheel fans). I ordered a new cap for it just to see if 
I can get it to output power. If the cap doesn't fix that, I am just going to see if I can sell it for parts.

A friend of mine gave me this generator and a Honda EB3500. He works for a landscape contractor and they were going to dispose of both of them. The Honda runs good and produces power. I included a pic of that too. It did not look like that when I got it. Must have been used by painters because it was covered in overspray. I took it all apart and painted it up.


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## jjsinaz (May 24, 2021)

I received the new cap today, installed it and still no power output. Tried the drill trick - no luck. Just going to see if I can sell it for parts


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## jjsinaz (May 24, 2021)

So I played around with this thing again today (Just don't want to admit defeat ). I applied 12v DC to the excitation field and still get nothing. The voltage across the excitation field is about 3.3VAC with the cap disconnected and 4.3 with the cap connected (engine running). I am thinking the rotor is shot, I noticed when I had the rotor out of the machine it looks like the iron core stack is slightly twisted. I'm wondering if the thing stopped very abruptly, (which would explain the broken fan) and this is what caused the core to twist. I'm not sure how the rotor circuit works. Looks like there are two windings and each winding has two diodes connected in series across the winding. There does not appear to be any continuity between the two windings, but each winding has continuity Also does not appear to be continuity between either winding and the core (which I would think there should not be).


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

throw a new head on the gen.


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## jjsinaz (May 24, 2021)

Where would I buy a new head? I've been searching but can't seem to find any brushless heads that would appear to fit. I don;t think parts are available from the mfg anymore either


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

what is the make and model of the engine?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

what you are looking for is some thing like this
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200395476_200395476


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

or take a look at this site
Brand New Engines


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

or even at this one
Search Results For "Generator Head"


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## jjsinaz (May 24, 2021)

Paul, thank you for your trouble getting me those links. I have been away from this for a while but I have another question. I found another generator with a bad engine that I could buy cheaply. It is a Briggs and Stratton 3500w (4375 starting). The configuration of how the head mounts onto the engine looks very similar to mine (at least judging from the picture in the offer up post). Is there a standard for mounting configurations for generators/engines? I noticed the one from the Northern Tool website mentions a J609A engine adaption. I believe the engine on the ETQ is a Chinese clone of a Honda GX160


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

jjsinaz said:


> Paul, thank you for your trouble getting me those links. I have been away from this for a while but I have another question. I found another generator with a bad engine that I could buy cheaply. It is a Briggs and Stratton 3500w (4375 starting). The configuration of how the head mounts onto the engine looks very similar to mine (at least judging from the picture in the offer up post). Is there a standard for mounting configurations for generators/engines? I noticed the one from the Northern Tool website mentions a J609A engine adaption. I believe the engine on the ETQ is a Chinese clone of a Honda GX160


there can be a difference on the engine mounting.
just measure the shafts and mounting bolt pattern. if they are the same including the taper on the shaft you are set.

honda to honda or clone you should be ok if they are the same hp.
b&s could be different on taper and the pattern depending on the exact engine.


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## jjsinaz (May 24, 2021)

I think I am just going to scrap it. I just offered the guy 50 for the one with the bad engine and he said no and increased the price to 125. Said he had a lot of other inquiries. Been on offer up for 3 months and now everybody wants it BS! Another guy had one for 100 that I know would have fit, but he didn;t know anything about it (recoil starter was missing). I offered him 50 and he declined. Turns out he had also inquired about mine, since I was trying to sell it on OU for parts so I guess he figured I really needed his and stood firm on the price. Some people can be such A$$holes!


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

lol i hear you!
yea you are better off on a new gen set...

and then there are those who are totally out of the loop on prices.
I had a guy who wanted to pay $400.00 usd for a new honda eu2200i gen set...
calm I just said the honda was better than the low cost unit he was looking to buy at the box store..
i got the last laugh..
he bought the low dollar gen set... that was in jan 2021.
the cheap gen warranty was 90 days!
lost his tv and computer in the last weeks outage.
looks like insurance will not cover the damage loss due to a bad generator!
the insurance adjuster guy told him he should to have spent the money for the honda!


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## jjsinaz (May 24, 2021)

Karma is such a beautiful thing!!! Well I do have a good running Honda EB3500 so I am okay there. Thanks again for all of your help Paul.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

any time!


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## robscp (10 mo ago)

jjsinaz said:


> I was given a ETQ TG3000 generator. It has two problems
> 1) does not produce power, but I think the capacitor is bad. It tests okay with the uf setting on the multimeter ( 15uF cap tests at 14.7uf). I've torn the generator apart, pulled the rotor off and tested the diodes. All seems good there and there is no signs of any physical damage or burned coils. My question is, can the cap test good but still be bad somehow internally?
> 2) Whenever I pulled the alternator apart noticed that the cooling fan blade is broken in two. I'd like to find a replacement for that. Any suggestions? Looks like ETQ sells the whole rotor with the fan blade as an assembly. I've found some fan blades on ebay but they are not quite the same. Anybody have any suggestions for a substitute (with minor mods).
> 
> I know it;s not a top of line gen, but it was free so I'd like to see if I can get it working


Do this. Start the generator, be sure the breaker isn't tripped, plug in a corded drill (110v) make sure the drill is in fwd. Then while depressing the trigger (on switch), rotate the drill chuck (the part that spins) in Reverse, and be prepared for it to power up and start rotating on it's own. 
Often times the magneto in a generator will lose its charge or draw after being stored or unused for lengthy periods of time. Even when brand new. By manually reversing an engaged electric motor of some kind. (A corded drill being the safest option) the magneto in the generator motor is replenished and rejuvenated and back to producing electricity. 
You may have to do this a couple time again whenever starting your generator depending on how long it's been inactive and magnetically depleted.


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## robscp (10 mo ago)

jjsinaz said:


> I was given a ETQ TG3000 generator. It has two problems
> 1) does not produce power, but I think the capacitor is bad. It tests okay with the uf setting on the multimeter ( 15uF cap tests at 14.7uf). I've torn the generator apart, pulled the rotor off and tested the diodes. All seems good there and there is no signs of any physical damage or burned coils. My question is, can the cap test good but still be bad somehow internally?
> 2) Whenever I pulled the alternator apart noticed that the cooling fan blade is broken in two. I'd like to find a replacement for that. Any suggestions? Looks like ETQ sells the whole rotor with the fan blade as an assembly. I've found some fan blades on ebay but they are not quite the same. Anybody have any suggestions for a substitute (with minor mods).
> 
> I know it;s not a top of line gen, but it was free so I'd like to see if I can get it working


I've woken up dozens of generators that were thought to be dead this way. The reverse drill trick I described above. Large ones, small ones, really old ones even a handful of metal brand new ones.


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## sdowney717 (12 mo ago)

old thread, but here is some advice.
does it have BRUSHES?
if a gen sits a long time, corosion can insulate th copper ring from brushes, and then you get no power.
I fixed a gen by removing brush holder, starting engine and with it running pressed fine sandpaper lightly against commutator rings. 
Then put bush holder back in and yeah, was again putting out AC power.


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