Some of you might remember the scooter. I picked it up as a non-runner, fiddled with it on and off through the summer until I eventually got it to the point where it still wouldn't run.

I do believe that it will run again, but I also believed that I wasn't going to be the guy to get it there. I had simply lost interest, and pushed it into a heavily trafficed corner of the garage, where I found it to be in my way almost every day for a couple of months.

Yesterday morning, I decided to try my luck with Facebook Marketplace for the first time. I advertised it as "complete, but will not start". Minutes later, my phone started pinging like crazy. The first response sounded a little Craigslist Scammy, but the next guy asked if I would be interested in trading it for a Honda generator plus some cash. I already have a generator, but it sounded interesting enough to consider. I asked if it was actually a Honda generator, or just a generator with a Honda engine. He confirmed that it was actually a Honda and sent a video of it running. I was intrigued, so we set up a time for early afternoon.

My phone continued to ping all morning with various offers, in three languages and at least two alphabets, many of which seemed legit. Most were lowball cash offers that I probably would have taken anyway. One guy from the next town over offered a running two stroke Honda scooter, but I had already decided that I was done with scooters, at least for a while.

He showed up, nice guy, looked at the scooter and confirmed that it wouldn't start. I looked at the generator and confirmed that it would. We haggled a little and made a deal.

I now own a Honda EB 4000, of undetermined horsepower.

It does run, but really needs a new carb, as the entire choke assembly is missing. He started it using a squirt of fuel from a spray bottle and two pulls of the rope. It fired right up and ran smoothly on two year old gas.

Again, I don't really need another generator, but we lose power around here all the time. I look forward to cleaning it up, swapping in a new carb, and then selling it or trading it for something else that don't really need.

^This thing is Berkeleying heavy.

This is probably a version of the Honda G400 engine.

https://www.engine-specs.net/honda/g400.html

The Honda G400 is a 406 cc (24.8 cu.in.) single-cylinder air-coolled 4-stroke internal combustion small gasoline engine manufactured by Honda Motor Company since 1978 for general-purpose applications.

The Honda G400 engine has a slide valve (L-head) design and camshaft driven by a single row chain driven by the crankshaft. The engine has an electric or recoil starter, horizontal carburetor with butterfly valve and transistorized magneto or contact point breaker (CDI) ignition system.

Cylinder bore and piston stroke are 86.0 mm (3.4 in) and 70.0 mm (2.8 in), respectively. Compression ratio is 6.5:1 for G400 and 6.8:1 for G400K1. The G400 produced 10.0 HP (7.45 kW) at 3600 rpm of maximum horsepower and torque was 22.5 Nm (2.3 kg·m) at 3600 rpm. The dry weight of the Honda G400 with electric starter engine was 33 kg (72.7 lbs.).

General information

Cylinder Block and Head

Maintenance data

Tightening torque specs

Now I understand where those casters that you bought at Harbor Freight without a coupon went to. 

How loud is this thing when running? Is it quiet like most Honda gensets?

Ive messed with quite a few small hondas and didnt know of these flatheads. Cool. 

I looked into buying a non-running old honda generator at auction. Decided not too as the engine parts were quite expensive and i think some were NLA. Id rather have honda but these craftsman/troybilt ones are so cheap and easy, 

Is it too much to ask to check with the new owner and pass along the cause of the no-start???

jfryjfry said:

Is it too much to ask to check with the new owner and pass along the cause of the no-start???

I filled him on all the details that I knew of and he said that he will send me updates as they become available. 

Slippery said:

Now I understand where those casters that you bought at Harbor Freight without a coupon went to. 

How loud is this thing when running? Is it quiet like most Honda gensets?

Good call on the casters!

It is not as quiet as the modern Honda generators, but it has a governor on it that drops the idle based upon demand (or lack thereof).

This is almost exactly the same as the generators that we used to have on the firetrucks. Modern trucks have them built in now.

In reply to TJL :

China seems to be filling in the gaps on NLA stuff these days.