this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2025
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AssholeDesign

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This is a community for designs specifically crafted to make the experience worse for the user. This can be due to greed, apathy, laziness or just downright scumbaggery.

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The cover for the airbox on this Honda generator hinges open to the left, but the frame rail is directly in front. The airbox is also bolted to the engine from inside (behind the filter).

I've throughly looked over this and there is no way to open that airbox unless you unbolt the engine from the frame, or perhaps modify the lid hinges with a saw so it doesn't have to swing as far to come off.

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[–] Hubi@feddit.org 43 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Cut the hinges and zip tie that sumbitch. He's clearly asking for it.

[–] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 days ago

Yeah this and not saw through the metal frame and weld it back cuz that’d be stupid which is why it never crossed my mind and I wouldn’t mention it

(I don’t do much hardware stuff)

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

Those hinges could be resecured with some L shaped pins not to different from how Chevy truck headlights are fastened or trailer hitch pins. Gravity will keep them in place during normal operation.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago

Honestly, I might just do that.

For now it's mostly just being ignored. Occasionally we jamb a compressed air nozzle in the cracks.

It's a generator, it doesn't collect nearly as much dust as the other tools (like a plate tamper for example); and it really doesn't go out very often or very long (rental).

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago

My first thought was ‘I would grind off the hinges before I would fuck with moving the engine’.

Depending on how hot it gets right there they may be able to use the self clinging velcro tape. (The kind with the hooks on one side and the loops on the other that people use for wrapping cables)

[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 20 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Would not expect this from Japanese design... whoa

[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 31 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Engine is designed for multiple applications. Generator may be aftermarket builder.

[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 12 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I kind of realized that after I commented, I don't think the cart is original

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The orange cart its sitting on is just for moving it around. The generator itself is built/branded Honda, not just the engine.

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

Yeah i would be surprised to see a Honda branded engine in some third-party generator since they sell generators themselves.

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

had an issue with Japanese design 2 weekends ago, sister asked me to replace the oil pan of the Honda CRV, i said ok no problem, after working for 90 minutes realized removing the subframe was required

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 days ago

I had three scooters that I used for my restaurant delivery. All 3 were piaggio but one of them was from a Chinese joint venture with piaggio. I'm going to assume that Piaggio made the engine and the Chinese the frame, body and assembly. This scooter from hell has the spark plug blocked by a strut. You need to drop the engine to replace. The other two have extra nice access, with cutouts in the plastic parts for easy access, etc.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago

Obviously some idiot let the car design guys do a little overtime in the generator division.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

What model generator is that? I love figuring out things like this, I'd be happy to dig around and see what I can find.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

pretty sure it's EP2200CX

multiple posts online of people bitching about the same problem, visually looks the same as well with the box being blocked by the framing.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/677509/Honda-Ep2200cx.html?page=41#manual

page linked to the filter removal. 41

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 10 points 3 days ago

This one looks most promising.

For anyone who's having the same problem, undoing the two mounts underneath the frame at the air cleaner end will give you just enough play to push the engine away from the bar and open the cover just wide enough to push the hooks through the setting pins. You'll probably need two people.

So ... yeah.

Edit: If you don't have a second person, you can probably pull the engine back with a ratchet strap after unbolting the mentioned mounts.

[–] zr0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Just let the engine run in reverse - problem solved.

[–] grueling_spool@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This also refills your fuel and extracts toxic pollutants from the air!

[–] LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

"American planes, full of holes and wounded men and corpses took off backwards from an airfield in England. Over France, a few German fighter planes flew at them backwards, sucked bullets and shell fragments from some of the planes and crewmen. They did the same for wrecked American bombers on the ground, and those planes flew up backwards to join the formation.

The formation flew backwards over a German city that was in flames. The bombers opened their bomb bay doors, exerted a miraculous magnetism which shrunk the fires, gathered them into cylindrical steel containers, and lifted the containers into the bellies of the planes. The containers were stored neatly in racks. The Germans below had miraculous devices of their own, which were long steel tubes. They used them to suck more fragments from the crewmen and planes. But there were still a few wounded Americans, though, and some of the bombers were in bad repair. Over France, though, German fighters came up again, made everything and everybody good as new.


When the bombers got back to their base, the steel cylinders were taken from the racks and shipped back to the United States of America, where factories were operating night and day, dismantling the cylinders, separating the dangerous contents into minerals. Touchingly, it was mainly women who did this work. The minerals were then shipped to specialists in remote areas. It was their business to put them into the ground, to hide them cleverly, so they would never hurt anybody ever again."

[–] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 days ago

I assume it also sucks heat and noise from the environment. If you have a bunch of these devices around you, it should create a bubble of ice cold silence. Should be perfect for the hot summer nights when your bedroom is too hot.

[–] DaGeek247@fedia.io 7 points 3 days ago

You could also modify the frame to have that pole blocking things be removable; cut it off and weld on a pair of bolts to put it back when you're done.

[–] noride@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Honestly from the second angle it really looks like with the right side undone and opening part way, you can pull off that whole front cover by pushing the clips through on the left.

Photos can be deceiving though...

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago

I tried quite a bit; I'm a tool tech in a rental center, it's my job to go over these tools cleaning filters, assessing damage, and completing repairs.

This one's just a PITA.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago

Oneplus 9 fits in this category too. And good thing curved glass backs are falling out fashion.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I can't tell from the photo. Is it possible the airbox is installed upside down? As in, if you were unbolt the frame once, could you unbolt the airbox itself, flip it 180 degrees and would it mate to the surface the same what allowing the airbox be able to open with the frame in place?

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 days ago

No; it bolts directly to the carburetor. If it was flipped upside down (vs the current orientation) it would be running into the fuel tank/upper frame rail. Then it would hinge open in the other direction, but still hit the frame and be stuck shut.

[–] TheKracken@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Looks like all 4 tabs release and you can pull it forward then out. Not sure if there is enough clearance though still. Doesn't look like it swings.

[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Clips on the right, half-hinges on the left. It swings open about ~110° before the whole lid can be removed from the rest of the airbox. It's a pretty common mechanism for airbox lids on small tools; Echo uses them a lot on trimmers and brush cutters.

That lid cannot be removed with the frame right there.

[–] HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

remove pole

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago

I don't have the model in front of me to confirm, but that looks about right.