Surprise found in HF Predator 3500 Generator

[Astro_Guy]

I purchased this inverter generator back on June 30 and gave it a serious shake down due to the very limited 90 day warranty. By that I mean hooking it up to the transfer switch on our home and running some and later all of the target loads. At the end of the warranty with 15 hours on the machine, I dropped the initial M1 10w-30 HM and filled it with T6 5w-40. Then I ran it another three hours with the target loads, just to make sure it got along with the oil. It was loaded to 2800 watts for a while while the dishwasher ran a sani-cycle with heated dry.

That was a month ago; fast forward to today when I replaced the original plug with an Iridium NGK BPR7EIX. I was expecting either a Torch or no name brand Chinese plug to come out. What came out was a Bosch! This begs the question, was the Bosch also made in China, or has someone somewhere decided that the Chinese plugs aren't cutting it for this application?

 

[ammolab]

Made in China. Bosch has a big footprint in China with many manufacturing facilities.

 

[Chris142]

Counterfit plug? Or maybe they have had so many returns caused by bad plugs that they went to a more legitimate supplier?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Huh.

Was it a STD nickel plug or multi ground ?

Is that M1 HD still A3/B4 high HTHS?

I was going to use M1 0w40, but in my mind I hate it before even using it

Was running Valvoline VR1 10w30 Synthetic "pseudo-racing' oil with a oz of leftover Liqui-moly

that's has been a good sump. Runs like new after 7 years! same oil

Yikes!

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by ammolab
Made in China. Bosch has a big footprint in China with many manufacturing facilities.


^^THIS^^ 100%

 

[Langanobob]

Couple years ago I stopped at a Stihl dealer for a new plug. It was a Bosch, cost $9.95 and marked China. I don't remember if it was on the box or the plug itself. I told the counter guy that I was not going to pay $10 for a Chinese spark plug and he went back and returned with the equivalent NGK for $4. His excuse for trying to sell me the $10 Bosch plug was that it's the plug listed in the Stihl parts book.

So, Bosch does make plugs in China and the one that came out of your generator is very likely a legitimate and good plug.

 

[littlehulkster]

Originally Posted by Langanobob
Couple years ago I stopped at a Stihl dealer for a new plug. It was a Bosch, cost $9.95 and marked China. I don't remember if it was on the box or the plug itself. I told the counter guy that I was not going to pay $10 for a Chinese spark plug and he went back and returned with the equivalent NGK for $4. His excuse for trying to sell me the $10 Bosch plug was that it's the plug listed in the Stihl parts book.

So, Bosch does make plugs in China and the one that came out of your generator is very likely a legitimate and good plug.


NGK are better plugs anyway. Probably the best, in fact. Too many people get snookered by the German brand name and buy an inferior part for a higher price.

That said, I wouldn't worry about country of origin too much. They're all machine made anyway, and the machine performs exactly the same regardless of it it's in Shanghai, Berlin or Tokyo.

 

[Dinoburner]

The Chinese will build any quality someone will request, the Japanese pride causes them to mostly stay away from shoddy workmanship.

 

[The motor guy]

Does that mean all the bosch fuel systems out there are made in china?

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
Does that mean all the bosch fuel systems out there are made in china?

According to my co-worker....whose friend works on a conveyor belt in Germany...who is working for a BMW....they are installing everything with "made in china" stamp into BMWs...and they "germanize" that when they mount it into a vehicle...

 

[littlehulkster]

Originally Posted by Dinoburner
The Chinese will build any quality someone will request, the Japanese pride causes them to mostly stay away from shoddy workmanship.


The Japanese have made their share of junk, too. Not to mention they play the same outsourcing games as everyone else these days.

Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
Does that mean all the bosch fuel systems out there are made in china?


I'd guarantee that Bosch makes significantly more in Asia (I know they have factories in Malaysia too, not just China) than they do in Germany these days.

 

[marine65]

Originally Posted by littlehulkster
Originally Posted by Langanobob
Couple years ago I stopped at a Stihl dealer for a new plug. It was a Bosch, cost $9.95 and marked China. I don't remember if it was on the box or the plug itself. I told the counter guy that I was not going to pay $10 for a Chinese spark plug and he went back and returned with the equivalent NGK for $4. His excuse for trying to sell me the $10 Bosch plug was that it's the plug listed in the Stihl parts book.

So, Bosch does make plugs in China and the one that came out of your generator is very likely a legitimate and good plug.


NGK are better plugs anyway. Probably the best, in fact. Too many people get snookered by the German brand name and buy an inferior part for a higher price.

That said, I wouldn't worry about country of origin too much. They're all machine made anyway, and the machine performs exactly the same regardless of it it's in Shanghai, Berlin or Tokyo.


True but the quality of the metals and such can vary.

 

[sw99]

Interesting info thanks. I'll have to check mine to see if its the same. I have about 60 hours on mine now.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Was it a STD nickel plug or multi ground ?
It was a standard copper/nickel plug. See photo and explanation.

These are the factory original plugs from three Chinese powered machines. From left to right, we start with the Bosch brand plug taken from the HF Predator 3500 after 18 hours of use. It had been run for two minutes without load, so don't read anything into the condition of the tip. There were no issues with this plug, but I replaced it with an NGK BPR7EIX anyway.

At center we have a no-name brand F6RTC taken from an Ariens Deluxe 24 snowblower with 254cc LCT motor. Note the similarity to the Bosh plug. This plug had at most 5 hours on it. That machine refused to start again after every session unless the plug was removed and cleaned first. You can read anything you want into the appearance of that one. I replaced the plug with an NGK BPR6EIX at the beginning of last season, and problem solved.

At right we have a Torch brand F6RTC. This plug gave 30-35 hours of reliable service before being replaced with an NGK BPR6EIX.

 

[FastLane]

Those Torch plugs are horrible.

 

[bubbatime]

I run the Torch plugs until they dont run any longer. Which is forever.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Looks like a Champion would be fine in there.

My Go to 21mm nut plug would be a W20epr-u denso or bosch W7DC or Champ RN9YC

I have found std Nippon Denso to be the better Japanese plug - at least in Subaru and Toyota.
NGK saved themselves with the IR plug that perform well.
The extended tip NGK used in the 90's were horrendous with fast eroding ground straps.

All looks like the generator(s) were running very rich.

Over oil filter element? Premium fuel? Wet intake?

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
.

All looks like the generator(s) were running very rich.

Over oil filter element? Premium fuel? Wet intake?


OPE carburetors are mostly pre-set...you can not fiddle with them these days...

Never saw a sparkplug of proper colour in any "modern" OPE...

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Ah! Set rich for a poor man!

You pour some Wódka Wyborowa in the tank to lean it a bit.

then good!

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted by bubbatime
I run the Torch plugs until they don't run any longer. Which is forever.
Torch plugs have a very bad reputation here on BITOG, but the one at far right in my photo is the only one I've ever encountered. That one gave me no trouble at all and could go back in tomorrow after a cleaning.

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
All looks like the generator(s) were running very rich.
Two of these plugs, far right and left, were pulled after brief exercise runs without load. Don't read anything into them. The one at center is the problem child, and it sure looks as if it rolled of the same line as a Bosch.

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Ah! Set rich for a poor man! You pour some Wódka Wyborowa in the tank to lean it a bit.
So for three years now I've been trying to treat or eliminate ethanol laced fuel, and now you want me to dump in Vodka? How about we save the Vodka for the operator after the work is done!