Fix my Generator

[SteveHGraham]

My portable generator is driving me crazy. It keeps leaking fuel through the carb. It's gravity feed, like all Chinese Honda clones.

I know the float needle is sealing. I fixed that. I also cut the piston thing out of the fuel shutoff solenoid. My understanding is that if they malfunction, they cause fuel to leak. I didn't know what the solenoid was for, and then I found out it's to prevent the generator from backfiring when you turn it off. You don't really need the solenoid, and they cause problems when they go bad.

Who here has the answer?

Really annoyed with this thing. The crankcase is full of gas, and it will not work. I even replaced the carb, and no joy.

I'm actually buying a second new carb, on the theory that spending $40 on new carbs is better than paying a shop $100.

[John Hasler]

Why not just put a shutoff in the fuel line?

[spro]

I'm not sure that is going to work anymore. The "piston thing" ,when was cut out, could allow unholy amounts of fuel. It was the equivalent to a fuel shutoff valve. It was a solenoid, no? It racked the piston to open ports or closed. These things are useful no matter what size garden tractor that can be flipped over. There are other things too by those switches and preventing the engine to start. Deck engaged, in gear, brake isn't on, you're not even sitting on it. Stuff like this is important.

[SteveHGraham]

The generator came with a petcock. The generator leaks while I'm trying to start it.

[warmstrong1955]

Either your needle & seat is leaking, your float level is set to high, or your float has sunk.
I just repaired a generator my friend has, and the tab that operates the needle was MIA. It was laying in the bottom of the float bowl. He had another old carb, so we had parts to replace it.

[SteveHGraham]

I didn't change the float height because it worked before I had these problems. I might as well try it.

[warmstrong1955]

The only path for the gasoline is thru the needle & seat....barring some weird casting flaw or corrosion caused pin hole in the carb body between the fuel inlet and the needle & seat.
I say weird, but I have seen it once.

[Bill Shields]

does the float have a leak...and may be partially full of fuel?

old motorcycle problem....

some of these floats don't like alcohol in the fuel...i eats through the 'joints', causes a slight leak, and the float becomes a bit of a sink.

remove the float and give it a shake....

[SteveHGraham]

That happened to my Harley. I put fuel injector cleaner in the tank, figuring it would work just as well on a carb, and the float sank.

[SteveHGraham]

Well, it's not the carb. I finally know that. There may have been a problem with the carb, but I am now on my third carb, and I'm pretty sure there is nothing wrong with the one I have now. No fuel leaks out when I'm not cranking the engine, but it will dribble out for a second or two right after I stop.

I think there were two reasons fuel was coming out. First, I think the first carb was screwed up. After that, I think gas came out because I was cranking the motor with an electric drill and sucking fuel into it. The fuel is not burning for the most part, so it exits back through the carb. I think. I don't know much about engines.

I am getting little puffs of smoke, but the generator doesn't really fire. I know I have spark. I checked the gap. I tried a new plug. I don't know how strong the spark is, but I can see it when I put the plug against a metal part. Can't figure out why the engine isn't catching and burning off the fuel. I tried cranking it with the choke wide open.

The crankcase had a pint or more of gasoline mixed in with the oil. I believe it got in there while the generator was sitting around with the petcock open, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I changed the oil, and I also disconnected the low-oil sensor. No change.

This would be less annoying with no hurricanes on the horizon.

[John Evans]

Several things 1 has the spark timing slipped? 2 compression good? ,stale fuel makes varnish which sticks valves. i doubt this engine has a timing chain or belt so valve timing should be OK. Ignition points or electronic? Points system could have a bad condenser.

[SteveHGraham]

I think this thing has to be all-electronic, since it was made in 2017. I don't even know how a distributor would work on a one-cylinder engine.

There has to be a coil in there somewhere, doesn't there?