This generator was given to me after a few people tried to fix it, new carb, ignition, plug, low oil shut off, none of it worked, now its our turn.

Hey guys how's it going, we are at mike's place mike contacted me about a generator that he thought was a great deal off of craigslist and um. He brought it home, he said what wouldn't run or i wouldn't run it. It runs, but then cuts out after about 10 minutes, so he thought no problem. You paid what a dollar for it.

You said dollar and he said i'm going to put a carburetor on it. It'll fix it, no problem, yeah, it didn't work, a new carburetor new spark plug all the all the new parts i knew how to deal with, but it still does the same thing so that person knew what was a problem sold it to you. You tried and then contacted me yeah. So now it's going to be our turn to try to give it a shot and see if we can fix it.

It's a good looking machine, it's a decent size. It doesn't look like a cheap unit, neither so we're gon na go through that in the truck we're gon na bring that back to the shop and we'll fire it up and we'll see if we can figure out either what's causing it and hopefully possibly fix it. But if not, we really want to try to figure out what the issue is thanks mike it's your thing all right, well, you're welcome to make your guesses. If you want to take a second and write it down, i have no idea what's causing it uh.

I have some ideas, kind of the typical things that go on like he said he did the. I think he did the cdi. The carburetor plug fuel filter, all the kind of normal stuff that you would go and check, but it would run for. I think he said 10 15 minutes and die, and the other guy had the same issue.

Give it a quick look over and see if there's anything that pops out at us right away. One thing i do see is the height of the carburetor, which is we'll call level with that tin and i'm looking at the gas tank where the gas hang picks up. It's almost on the exact same plane, it's right there. So we'll call it right here and the carburetor is maybe a half inch below that.

So that's not very good feed going to it. Fuel filter looks like it's clean and filled. I think this is the cdi where it's the low low oil shut off, not sure see a bunch of wires hanging off. That's probably a light for a low oil shut off.

I'm not sure where the pickup is. It should be a a probe coming out of the engine somewhere. Let's see we got foil on it. Oh it's probably this one right here, that's! I would call that overfilled all right and that's common i've seen that on you like a regular, regular generator that just has the probe sticking out of the side of the block, and i think it just grounds out the coil and shuts it off.

It won't have the light on it. It doesn't really let you know what's going on, but i know they're real sensitive. It's you want to be still to the very top or they can have an issue shutting off. So i would think it's either going to be spark chatting off or fuel starving.

One of those two things could be some other stuff too uh. He already did the carb in the fuel filter and i think he said he ran it with the gas cap off and it still continued to do the same thing. Uh. Some of the things i'm thinking of too is possibly maybe valve adjustment.
Maybe the valves when it's getting warm, they are losing compression and shutting off, and i don't know if it has a coil underneath the tins just like your typical coil or if it has some kind of electronic ignition, not sure on either one of those. So i figure either sparks cutting out or fuels cutting out, so maybe we'll pop it back over on the cart and pull it out by the door and we'll run it. Let's educate ourselves on this panel, a little bit okay. So let's just shut off just flip! This right out of our way - and what's this: what's the difference between that one and that one engine switch engine switch okay? Well, you know what check this out is that oh yeah, that's like a little remote check that out, let's go for a cable on it! So that explains pull that away a little the extension cord look at your hat.

I was looking at the extension cord saying: why does it have a trailer plug on it? So what that does that cord plugs in you probably take this whole panel right off and you could use it remotely yeah, that's pretty nifty any signs of mice. In there it looks pretty clean. Let's uh get the gas light we'll pop up in the gas cap and take a peek inside there see what the tank looks like. I see what it has for a vent like the center of it, but where does it i'm going to blow through that blows through probably exits up around there somewhere? Maybe that is right there, the other half of the vent.

No, it's fueling it. I say we probably should drain that right out of there. It's pretty clean, a little booger here and there we'll drain that right out, whatever is left in it, we'll put fresh stuff in we'll see if it has a little bit of water in it. Something and the base of it right there might have some water.

That would do it too. Let's see we get check out our flow. Don't look bad that definitely looks like it might have some water in it. Though i'm gon na stay, i don't see a restriction.

The gas caps on we'll keep an eye on that. What he said like 10 minutes, run time right, so how much gas will get used in 10 minutes, i'm thinking like a vapor lock. You know you hold your thumb. You take a straw, you put it in your drink, you hold your thumb over, you pull it out and it holds it there kind of semi same idea for the gas.

So that's not going to change at all. I'm going to go! Dump that out. Let that settle for a second okay: it's got some uh. No, you would see in the very bottom of the cup, there'd be a different color floating around in it other than the dirt.

It looks pretty good all right. Let me go dump that we'll keep going till the tank goes dry. I wonder if we hold it just at the height, that's the height would go over. I was wondering if i had to go like uphill a little bit and back down.
I say that looks pretty good, though huh yeah, we'll just let that go, and we think it would drain the whole tank out and maybe what we'll do next we'll pop the float ball off. Real quick just get an idea, make sure there's no water inside there that we're starting with something clean and see. Can we get that off of there without taking the air cleaner off? I think so get that one. It's like a 14 millimeter.

Let's go pop! That air cleaner off we'll wait for that to drain. I don't want to shake the machine up too much, while it's sitting on my piece of wood over there, yeah i'm starting to think valve adjustment looks good nothing. I don't see anything soak with oil or she's. Still peeing nice color huh morning, pea, yellow.

Well, it's been draining out of there for about 10 minutes. I said it's probably about an hour hour and a half worth of runtime of fuel seems like it's still flowing fine, no restrictions, man she's pretty, yellow huh. I have to get rid of that my neighbor's car when they're not looking, let's stop flowing, let's go crack that gas cap and see, if anything happens, nah just drained all the gas out of her. Let's set a little bit so that right there see that on the bottom, that's water! That's how it'll look if you let it set over time.

Sometimes it it'll get a little bit greater too, especially it's been shaken up and if that's in the carburetor that will get you because the water is thicker, probably the best way to put it than the fuel, and it has a hard time trying to draw it Up so there'll be a little puddle. That's in there it'll cause an issue of it run and not run as that little puddle of fuel kind of gets in front of the jet and then as it vibrates, and moves around it kind of works in there sucks. It up the machine shuts off it'll flow away from it it'll suck gas up again when you fire it up and then we'll kind of get in front of the jet clog it again we're going to find out. We pull that bowl off, though, if there's any of that that cup's cleaned out, hopefully we capture everything, let's see where our alignment is there yeah we got it we'll.

Let that pee out we'll see what it has for a volume is one thing so we'll see how you have the float level set right and then we'll see if there's any water, that's in there. We're still gon na take that bowl off. But i i want. I'm trying to troubleshoot what's happening so each little piece of information i get as they go along kind of tells the story so that went and you know pretty much - ran for two seconds and stopped and we could have said hey.

That's uh, not enough fuel in that float ball well, they're after us. Let's see we get, i don't see any water, let's drop that bowl real, quick, make sure it's clean inside there's no issues going on with conjunctivitis or something. Yes, it's got a lot of dragon on it. Yeah.
I don't think that's going to come out of there. I think it's going to hit the tin right here. Let's see you got ta make it uh. I don't know by getting it back on there.

Well, i would say that is definitely clean, so we have any problems there and then the uh, the bolt nut, is the jet too. That looks pretty good, i'm going to blow air through that. I'm going to blow air through that, anyway. Just to make sure those passages are clean, it looks pretty decent, it has drag because it had an o-ring on it.

All right, we'll put that back together. Let's fill it up with the fresh stuff about a gallon gallon, a half in there, probably about the same as what we took out so we'll. Let that refill, i'm looking down real quick make sure i put the fuel line back on yeah, we're good, we'll. Let that do its thing, i'm talking about the plug at it yet, but i think we'll put an inline spark checker on it and what we can do is if we see the spark cutting out when it starts cutting out.

You can see odd spark and then i also have a pair of needle nose vice grips, and what i'll do right when it goes to cut out, will crimp the fuel line and whatever fuel is in the bowl, we'll see if the bowl is running a little Low on fuel kind of try to isolate what it is all right, let's go fire it up, see how she does. I've got a big old heat gun too that we're going to plug into it and put a little bit of a load on it supposed to be able to see if it works right. All right, which way is choke that waste joke guess i'll give her a second to fill the float ball up, see how she does on the cold start. These are just momentary, right, yeah, they're, both momentary didn't run at all.

I see the spark firing. So, let's try giving some of the choke. Let's go put a screwdriver on that real quick, make sure we got fuel to the carburetor, see if it pees a little yep all right. Let's go pull that plug real quick being up on the bench doesn't help much.

Neither you don't get a good angle on the pull start. I know he said he changed the plug, i'm sure the first guy did the same thing too doesn't mean it's not right there right, it looks pretty dry a little on the hot side too. It's a little burnt, it runs a little lean. Let's go it's always a chance.

Our spark checker isn't working either right. Let's go try to set that up to the plug gas spark. Oh yeah, the plug got spark. I can go dump a little bit of fuel down the intake or down this plug hole, see if it'll fire off we'll give her a little.

That should be enough to get her going. Let's back you up, i'm going to go open. The garage door run a little bit of venting out, we'll just keep an eye on that light, put a load on it, 40 hours on it, sorry get ready. Ten minutes.

That was about one minute, yeah that wasn't even a minute at all, with a different car. All right, i got that uh fuel line shut off right when it died. Let's go uh crack that ball up and see what we get for fuel coming out of it. I haven't dumped it out yet, but that's what the amount of fuel that was there from the first time we emptied the bowl, so that should be about how much we get right now, yeah, i didn't have time to open a garage door.
See we get. There was no fuel in the car, but it ran out of gas. That's weird huh and the flow seemed like it did so good oops, sorry, so we're doing dealing with a fuel issue, hmm - and that was quick too. We checked it after the valve when we were doing it.

We had the valve off. So it's not like there's a restriction, nothing's saying that there's not a restriction in the car or in that fuel line going down. Let's go crack that fuel line open because there's nothing, that's nothing. Let's see what we get when we crack it open wow seems like a that would be plenty enough to keep it going right.

It was definitely fuel related, huh, all right, let's just for shifts and giggles. Let's just go reset it one more time, we'll fire it up and we'll just make sure that's what's happening. I wonder if, when the machine is vibrating that is causing a float issue, so open that up, let it flow back through. Let me get you popped in to stand again.

Let's go get our jar out of the way we need our vice grip. Good see what happens fuel's on we'll give her some out halfway midway, you're, all the joke. I'm gon na try giving it a little. No, it's not gon na.

We know it ran out of fuel. You got me, it's been running for 45 minutes and it has not skipped a beat. I had a load on it. Uh 65, with the two uh heat guns cruising i don't know well.

We know it first time with star for fuel, but it seemed like possibly that was an anomaly of running all the gas out of it and filling it back up and it getting like an air space trapped in here. But it's starting to look that way, because this is the factory location for the fuel line and again i'm looking at the height of the the bowl, the height of the bowl, and that fuel tank is not very. It is higher, but not much i'd, say two inches inch and a half. We also got to figure.

The fuel right is probably up to here, so it has the pressure of the fuel pushing behind it. It's not like it. This point has to be lower than the carburetor as long as the, but you know the tank is filled up to here. It's got 10 inches of gravity pushing down on it, so i decided to let it shut it off.

Uh, we're probably gon na run out of gas, and maybe, while it's hot, we'll pop the valve cover off real quick, we'll take a look at the valve clearance and if we see that they're very close to being tight, that's possibly a scenario what it was, i'm Starting to think that it has something to do with this setup right here, i wonder if that's the factory fuel filter or not i'm also kind of wondering, maybe inside the fuel line somewhere, there's a piece of fuel line, that's deteriorated or busted or broken, and it's Flapping down and blocking the passage only other thing i could think of if it's fuel fuel related, is that the float the neat, the needle and seat on the float got stuck in the closed position. It just used up whatever fuel was in it because it it had zero in it, which seemed really odd. I wish it did it again, but that's the nature of it. I didn't want to run it with the crappy feeling, because that was just going to add.
On top of it, and this thing's been taken apart, carburetors have been changed out. You know it's not like them. Screwing with the fuel lines and me screwing, with the fuel lines and changing fuel out should make a difference in what it was, because all that stuff's been done in the past. It said two owners have had it and two owners have run into the same issue.

So while it's hot, let's go get that valve cover popped off of there we'll take a quick look at the valve clearance got some heat to it. I want to kill the gasket half the gas gets stuck to the valve cover half of it's yeah gasket took a oh, well, all right, let's go and we got to get it. I could already feel that one's got plenty of play. It is not a valve clearance problem, both of those feel like they have at least five thou.

If one of those was tight, i would suspect it, but both of those have some decent clearance. So it's not a valve issue. I don't know if you can try running it. You know if it was sparked that kind of crapped out, if the spark checker or you know, is the boot arcing across to the body or something that's.

The only other thing that we changed on it right is that, but i kind of want that on there to go, see all right, i'm gon na go get some sealer, we'll put the valve cover back on it. The valves are not an issue we'll goop, that back up any ideas, i'm starting, i suspect, the pitch of that fuel line coming up and dropping back down again just trapping air. Possibly this stuff is awesome. I've been using it for all this kind of stuff.

So now we know that it's broke it's going to give a little bit there, where the two brakes are actually i'll. Probably take my finger i'll rub it all over it, but that'll stop it from leaking it's good about coming back out. Let's just fire it up! Real quick see if she uh comes back to life and see if it does anything, i guess still seems to be fine. I'm gon na get rid of the spark checker.

I do think it's fuel, but let's put that back in i'm going to let that run in this normal state, so everything's back to what it should be. Let's let that run see if anything happens, that one started all right, but you got me: it's got over a hour run time. It's gon na run out of gas. Pretty soon i did hear it.

I go outside when it's running, so i'm not by the fumes. You got a fan, drawing it through the room, but i don't want to be next to it. So i'm listening to it and once in a while, you hear it go whoa whoa they can kind of like just a little bit of a bounce. I don't know if you know it's a heat gun, cycling or something i figured there'd be a fairly even load on it and again 65.
It's that, but it's just not doing anything um. I don't know what you think, i'm kind of wondering if it seemed like a good gas flow, though the whole time coming through, possibly something rolling around inside the gas tank that kind of blocks where the port goes. We can look at that. I'm thinking possibly inside this fuel line somewhere there's a piece of something that kind of like a flap of the internal, the fuel line that kind of blocks the passage back and forth in the valve.

Maybe because this all looks like it's original, i don't think they replaced any of this. You know it looks like it's the uh, probably the stuff it came with. Is it riding on this one too nope? So maybe this is original fuel line. Maybe this was replaced because it doesn't match what's over here, maybe in the valve and again possibly the float chicken, but it's a different carburetor completely.

So if two of them having the same thing, not saying that it can't, but that's highly unlikely, i just think it gets possibly air trapped inside it. So what i'm gon na do i'm out of gas it's late. I don't want to run it outside for the noise. I think i'm gon na go get some more fuel, we'll probably fill it up too.

I don't know - maybe you know probably right about here and we'll just put it on the back of my truck we'll. Let it run outside we'll see if it kind of does anything if not maybe we'll slice the fuel line open, we'll kind of cut into this stuff see, so you can find something, that's possibly causing a trap on it, something to trap or block the fuel. So it's the next day and uh getting ready to pull the machine outside and run it, and while i was still inside, i figured i wanted to take a look inside the gas cap. I was thinking like what can cause it on that very short period of time.

We know the gas cap if the gas cap's not vented. Like. I said you hold your, you know your you got a straw, you put it in the drink. Put your thumb over.

You pick it up fluid stays there. It won't come out until you, you know you release the pressure on top and then it can drain out, but that would take a while switching on a tank that size. You know it's what's that a six gallon tank and it's got a lot of air space in it, so it would take a while before that vacuum would hold up like an hour. It would be my guess so, it's kind of thinking, possibly maybe there's something inside the gas tank that keeps rolling over see.

This is where the gas is going out. You know something that keeps kind of rolling over and plopping over the the hole, and then you stop running it kind of falls away and you fire it back up, gets sucked back into the hole because it's the lowest point on it. So i was peeking in there. I can't see anything quite yet, but i figured we'll look at the gas cap, real, quick and just see what it has for venting.
I blew through this, but the air is just traveling right through here. I'm not quite sure what it uses for a my guess would be that little spot right there. You can pop that seal out of our way. I would also think over time is like the seal gets corroded.

It wouldn't hold as much of an event. Let's try. I mean that's the hole, i'm thinking of right there. Let me take an air gun, maybe we'll blow in through here we could probably put a little bit of something in there.

How about gas put a little bit of gas in there we'll see where it oozes out? We'll know if that passage is open. Yeah, it's coming out the sides right there. Okay, so we know that passage is open. I don't think the venting of the gas gap is an issue.

It looks like somebody took a a piece of tape. I want they drilled a hole in the center. No, it just has a piece of tape on it. I don't know what the deal is with that that'd be a way out of it too.

You know you can kind of drill a hole in the center. Only problem is when they're full. They have a tendency to uh kind of dribble out there a little bit. All right, so that's not our issue.

Let me even get a little camera down inside there and just take a peek over by the gas fill uh the gas output. I would call it yeah that going in you can't see much anything crap right there. What's that, what is that? I might do it. Let me see if that moves, that would definitely do it.

Huh like a piece of silicone or something hmm, it's cool. Oh this part of the so where's the float. The floats got to be there somewhere too. There's something else right there, it's a bunch of crap in there there right, there's the there's where it picks it up right there, that is the pickup tube which welded into the tank, see some crap there's something right next to it right there.

You see it right at like. I don't know three o'clock trying to do this without to wherever that thing is right. There yeah there's something some junk in there surprised we may have to take that tank off. What we're gon na go do we'll, let it run for a while outside put it outside, we'll, let it run and we'll see if anything acts up.

If not we're gon na go pop the tank off and we'll shake out any crap. That's in there i'm curious what that thing is. If you can get closer, you see that it's going to turn the white as i get closer to it, though see, if you can do this, what is it almost looks like a bug? It is a bug. It's a b, i think it's a b.

I know it's shaky as hell huh shouldn't that coffee and there's a b did a b stop it, and what is that, next to it a spider? I mean what is this: it's like jacques cousteau we're under we're in gas right now: dude we're under the liquid; that's a spider next to it, there's a spider and a bee, and what's that another spider holy, i wonder if we can uh that's right below the Gas gauge - i don't know if we can pop the gas gauge out, looks like it's in there pretty good and then we'll have a straight shot down to it, because there's real, really no other access. That's because that's way, here's where the valve is right here. So that's where we're looking and straight down from that, because the problem is a lot of these gas caps do. Is they have a lip? Yes has got it hold on? It's got the lip.
Also zoomed in it's got the lip inside here, so you can't really get everything out of it because it when you flip the tank over, it's got not once a shoulder on it. I think we'll end up breaking that trying to get it out of there. Let's go pry on that, a little bit we'll just be gingerly about it. Might i should probably get two of them uh, something on each side of it.

Yeah. Let me go eat something else for the other side that feels like it's gon na break there we go, let's see what we got, what a funky seal that is, i don't know it's like the seal to our part. Oh well, we have a casualty, but now we can look inside. Let's go see what we got we're going in boy.

They looked a lot bigger on the camera, didn't they, but that whatever, that is that bug is sitting right in front of that valve. I don't know if that would be able to. I can't see him, i don't know if that would be able to plug it off altogether, trying to get it with lights, not so bright. Let's see if i can bend her a little indirect lighting move lighting.

If you will yeah wants to focus, got little bugs in it focus down below focus in on the the lip right up here. Let me get that out of the picture how's that there you go they're gon na go, take my little claw and dig them out of there. I'm gon na take a peek around the rest of the tank too see. If i see anything else, foreign in there yeah they look a lot bigger on the other camera, i'm going fishing so big, i can't even see around it.

Write your own jokes, get them yep, you don't know what that thing is. I think i'm gon na take a that would definitely plug up the line, though there's the kinda looks like a mosquito now we're down there. Looking like a big spider, i think i'm gon na take like a turkey baster and try to drop the little bit of debris. That's around it get some.

I got some legs, that's how i got some legs have all them get in there, though you know yeah. I'm gon na go take a little bit of time, i'll pick away at some of the crap, that's around there yeah. What is that kind of bug? Is that one of those pinchers that's what it is if he was stuck in the if he was stuck in the fuel line, he's kind of hard? Now you know like how i could see his body up to here, maybe fitting in there. If he was standing straight up, i kind of shot him out of there.
Don't know, let's go let her run for a while see what we get all right so got the spark checker on it. It's gon na be a cold start and everything else is pretty much left exactly the same as what it was gas gauges back in it. Kinda and i have the two heat guns ready to go - see how she does on a cold start still, nothing see if that doesn't so. That's been about 20-25 minutes and is not doing its 10 minute shut off uh, i'm thinking possibly.

Maybe we can recreate what happened in the beginning, we'll pinch off the fuel line and we'll see about. Maybe i could take air and i'll blow air back through it. Let this empty out leave it on the angle that it is and we'll open it back up again and we'll see if air gets trapped, maybe inside the fuel line and caused yeah sort of like a vapor vapor lock is from heat, but you get a spot. That's full of air and it just can't push the air through the system.

So let's go close, that off we'll take air gun. Have a penny we'll take an air gun and um push the all the fuel back out of it, we'll let it fill up, see if it repeats itself and what it did that first time, we'll drain that everything that we did the first time we'll just let The gas strain out of the bowl in the line crack open the gas cap, so here can go back and we'll push all that right out of there go totally dry close the valve, put it back together and again just open. The valve up looks like i filled it right back up again, we'll try one more time, we'll see if it does anything and if not we're going to bring it back in the garage - and i don't know, take a quick peek around. I maybe take the valve apart see if there's anything that was kind of in there plus i just blew it out.

If we could look back in the tank, if anything popped out, it would have popped out in the tank right all right. Let's fire it up! Choke on well, it's been a good hour and it is not wanting to falter. I think one thing i'm going to try doing just in case i'm going to take the spark checker out of the way, because i have a feeling that may change the resistance on the coil and the spark plug setup and possibly that causes it to overheat. So there's a little bit of fuel still left in it i'll.

Let that run we'll see what happens and if i start to hear it die i'll clip the fuel line off and uh yeah we'll see if it starved for fuel and if not, then it would spark that cut out. You know if it's getting ready to die and i cut the fuel off, we take the bowl and the bowl is full. Then we know it was sparked so i'll pop that out of there going to run it back a little bit more and if not we're going to bring it back in the garage and give it a final. I can't say autopsy: it's a reverse of an autopsy.

She lived so i'm wheeling the bet, it's the coil. I think you probably caught it and yeah. I think the spark checker changed the resistance of it and caused it to do what it's doing. Let's go take quickly.
If i have a screwdriver out here, i think i do let's go pop, that fuel vent open. I got it clipped off, see how much gas comes out of it, which piece out that wasn't very much. It might be out of gas too, not sure the fuel filter's still full yeah. I wasn't very much guessing.

Let's go. Try it one more time see what we get. It seems funny that soon, as i took the spark checker out that wasn't even whole five minutes in it did it. Let me take a quick peek in the tank.

The gate says empty, so yeah i still got gas, not a lot. It's got gas in it, see what it does all right. Let's see we get out of it for fuel and what we're gon na do. If we got fuel in here, we're gon na go put that spark checker back in and see if it goes away.

That's not much gas. Okay, i'm gon na put spark checker back in it and we'll let it run again and see if it does it just try to home in what's happening, whether it's starving for fuel or if it's the coil back up again spark checker is on always needs choke. To start so so all right that spark definitely stayed going till it died. But again i think we are so low on fuel.

Let's go pop the fuel line off and we'll see what kind of flow we get coming out of it. It was kind of my original thought was how close those two are together. I still think there's about two inches left in the bottom of the tank, but you definitely would think that so we get and hold it right at the height there's really no height difference that looks like it has a good flow. Wait a minute we're petering out.

Nope, that's definitely enough to keep up with what the generator uses and if the gas tank was holding vacuum, i think that would have showed up right now. Let it fill the whole cup up, but that took forever to happen. So it's not spark. We know it's not spark.

I watched it until it died and sparked kept going that whole time see how high we go. Four shots off. That's not much of a difference so that right there is how much fuel's in the tank right there. What shuts off! That's the height of it all right, so, let's go bring her back in the garage.

I'm gon na dump that gas back in the tank and uh do a little bit of homework. Actually, i'm gon na put more gas in it and see if it repeats itself. If it's just the level of the fuel or something actually just kind of screwing up, if i put a bunch of gas in it - and it goes away, it's just gon na be can't keep up. It's just so close.

Give it a good gallon just seems weird as soon as i did, that spark checker, there's also the fact that i shut it off too so maybe didn't get out of here. Without making a mess, it's showing a quarter tank right now, that's even more than we started with the first time. Everything going, i think, we're all hooked up turn the gas back on um. Please spark check around.
It died with a spark checker, and so i just got a bunch of gas in it. It's nothing's happening one more time, we'll take this park checker out. I think we pretty much got it down to fuel. I think it was just kind of coincidence, but i want to make sure so we'll fire it up.

One time make it run for a little while bring her inside all right, probably gon na edit out a ton of just video running and so i'll i'll. Do a quick, uh synopsis on what happened? That's right word review. Let's go with that! So checked at first, the fuel was dirty, didn't have any water. It's kind of the first thing i was thinking of, and i was thinking either it was dying for spark.

It was dying for fuel, so they put a spark checker on it. Watch it the whole time never saw a spark, really kind of falter. So the very first time we went to go fire it up. There was nothing in the float ball.

It ran fairly quickly. I think it was what two minutes. Maybe i think that's i i don't know if that's enough time just to burn up the fuel, that's in the float bowl by itself without being replenished at all or shortly thereafter, but it wasn't very long period of time. Uh then i just let it run and run and run with a spark checker on it.

I let it run for with fresh fuel in it about a gallon and a half for an hour. No problems with it whatsoever took we looked into the valve adjustment when it was hot valve clearance, looked good. I was kind of thinking, possibly if a valve got hot, it would start to lose compression and cause it to cut out or not run correctly, start oscillating and cut out. That was not the case that looked fine.

A new carburetor was already put on it. A new controller, i think this is just for the low oil shut off. I can unplug it from the system and it doesn't do anything. So i think if this grounds it sees the ground, it would probably grind out the system or season open, it'll ground out.

The system and ground out the coil, i believe, that's where this wire goes. I unplug it. It doesn't shut anything off. So i think that's how that is operating again.

That was replaced too. The plug was replaced, i kind of thought. Possibly. The resistance of the spark checker may have changed the load on the coil and not causing the coil to overheat.

If that was a problem did not seem to be the problem. I checked the removable panel up top pulled that out, pull the plug in and out of that see. If there was, you know something causing on that that if you unplug the that remote that comes out of there would that cause it to shut off. I unplugged it plugged it back in it stayed running the whole time, didn't make any difference, and then we just got to the point where i started, letting it run low on fuel.

It probably had about two inches or so in it, and just so happens at that time. When i took the spark checker out of the circuit - and i fired it back up it almost immediately or a couple of minutes afterwards started oscillating and shut off pinched, it off saw it had no fuel in it, but it's a little questionable put spark checker back In it, i think it did the exact same thing all over again, we pinched the fuel off there wasn't much fuel in the float ball took the fuel line off right here tried to maintain the level of it and it seemed like it was okay, but if You were to lift this thing up about an inch. It would shut the fuel off, so i think it was starving for fuel. I think the problem all along is it's been starving for fuel.
We checked the vent cap. The vent cap seemed like it was okay. We found that little bug that was inside there um was that causing an issue. Not i really don't think so.

If it was really close to the i i shouldn't say that and there's also a little piece of red thing. I haven't been able to fish out of there too, but that was pretty far away from where the gas neck is outlet is so i don't really see that either of those being the case. So here's my opinion - and it's just my opinion, here's what i think is going on. I think the fact that this fuel line routes goes uphill and then back downhill.

A little bit causes it to starve for fuel at times, especially when the fuel starts getting lower. The vent cap, i said it was working, he ran it without the vent camp and it did the same thing. So that is the line i'm thinking of generally. I've had problems before when you see this kind of fuel filter with a paper filter in it.

I've had problems with them before, where there's a slight resistance in them that causes them to that's, probably the best way to put it hold air like you'll, see fuel on one side of this, so the fuel comes in. It depends on what direction the filter is, but generally you want the fuel coming in on the outside. We can see the contaminants it goes through the screen and then out through the fuel line is generally how you set those up. So you can see any contaminants that are happening.

I did shoot through that with air. That kind of opens the little pores of the the paper up a little bit and allows fuel to kind of go through it. It'll look like it's okay, but generally. If, if i have something that has a fuel filter, um does not have a fuel pump on it, where you know, probably like four or five psi.

It'll pull through these no problem. Gravity feed especially gravity feet that close together to the to the height of that. I'm not a big fan of these a lot of times, you'll, see on, say, like lawn tractors that have a little gas. Can the gas tank's right above the carburetor, but it's still about a six inch drop to the carburetor.

The only filter, they'll use is those little tiny red ones and if you look inside them all they are is a piece of screen, one single filament of screen that goes across it's not a paper filter, so i'm kind of gon na blame it on that. I don't think there's anything in the fuel line. That's like a little flap kind of blocking and unblocking. I i don't think that's the issue.
I think it's just a poor design is my guess. What i'll do is in the future. It continues depends on when you're. Looking at this video in the future, if something happens, where i find something else, i'll i'll write, a comment and i'll pin it in the comment: it'll be right on top, so you can go see: okay! Well, that's what it was, but for now i think what i'm gon na do is probably run new fuel line.

I'm gon na relocate that fuel line. I don't know we got ta, maybe right here, it's okay to go downhill and kind of back up again, but to go up above a level and back down again it's sometimes it's hard to get it up over that hump, especially when there's a little bit of Drag in the filter, that's what i was trying to recreate when i pushed the air back through it and into the tank, but again it only showed up when it finally getting got low on fuel. It probably had about two inches of fuel in it. I was hoping for something better than that, but you know it's just sometimes it's the way these things roll right.

I don't plan them. I just try to get something. That's got an issue and let's see if we can solve it, and i don't get to pick and choose what that outcome is so that's what this is. You guys are more than welcome to go write.

What your opinion is, what you think is causing it. What you think uh i screwed up on or agree or disagree, feel free, and if i see something that's uh, you know really stands out. Somebody points on there i'll try to pin that to the top too or hard it or i don't know something. That's right.

You can only pin one comment, so the other thing is to do is uh. With these generators. Low oil shut off is a common thing, and what that is is probably this probe coming out of the block. It's got a little sensor, just kind of looks to make sure there's oil there all the time and they could be very sensitive.

I think that was the first thing we did. We popped the cap off. We actually saw that was slightly over full. They can be very sensitive, you'll you'll check the oil it'll, look like the oil is okay, but you add like two ounces oil to it, and the problem will go away.

Some other stuff is like that too. I think uh like walk behind leaf blowers. Some other items have that same issue and it just kind of grounds out the coil and shuts it off, but yeah. I don't see that being a problem, because the the spark stayed on all the time someone's getting on it all right guys with that.

I think we're gon na go sign off i've had it. I've watched this thing run for a couple hours and uh. My ears are vibrating from just listening to it feels like the power went out at my house. It's an idiot all right guys.
Thank you for hanging out with me have a little bit of fun a little bit of ranching trying to troubleshoot. I wish it had a more definitive outcome, but i think uh, i'm i'm gon na give myself a 70 uh that i'm correct on what the issues are all right till then later.

By Mustie

14 thoughts on “$1 gen set, they gave up, but can we fix it?”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Andreas Pettersen says:

    I was thinking airlock in the fuel line when I first saw the setup with fuel line over the engine. Do an update when you reroute the fuel line underneath and up please ๐Ÿ‘.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Dan W says:

    Looking at that unit on the back of your truck, the bottom of that fuel tank is waaay too low. If it's not perfectly level, or the 'handle side' of the unit is raised even a little bit, it's going to starve for gas before it ever drains the tank. I'm thinking you're dealing with a serious design flaw. Every generator I've ever had, the petcock on the tank was at least 4 in. or more above the carb. I don't think the outlet on that tank is more than 2 in. at the most above the carb, when sitting level.

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars J. P. says:

    I noticed that you were working with gasoline in an enclosed garage, or so it seemed. If you could see the vapors coming out of that bowl, cup, carburetor, fuel tank, you would be amazed at how quickly the concentration builds up to explosive levels. And since the vapors are heavier than air they sit on the floor so you don't smell it. It's no fun replacing a roof, windows and skin when she goes boom. Please be EXTREMELY careful when working with gasoline.

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Thomas Grunwald says:

    The mystery bug is what's known as an "earwig". Strange sort of thing to find inside the gas tank!
    And… that's NOT the original fuel filter. It should be one of the smaller red membrane ones, as you surmised.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Michael's Corner says:

    The unanswered question for me is: What is the mechanism that caused the throttle to cycle up and down during some of your diagnostics? I saw that happen a few times, and wonder what system or condition drives the throttle to change.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars rwhunt99 says:

    The bug is an Earwig, pretty common, actually caused my air conditioner to fail because it got fried between the contacts. I live in Northern Indiana. I'm the kinda guy that downloads the manual and goes to the problem section in the back the very first thing, then I go on line and check the complaints section and see how they fixed their issue (if it's similar to my issue. Those forums on the vendors website do tend to give you a lot of information to work from.

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars oldman 570 says:

    It could be the use of ethanol fuel has caused the rubber fuel line to get brittle and is creating a floating blockage in the fuel system. Many manufactures of motors have stated that their motors should only be used with Non-ethanol fuel.

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Greggg57 says:

    The bug is called an Earwig. And you should put spacers under the fuel tank mounts to get it higher above the motor. As is, if it is oriented the wrong way on even a slight incline, it will starve for fuel. 1 inch spacers will do the job.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Mike Bonk says:

    I have found in the past, that a vacuum occurs as the fuel cap is usually not vented correctly, quick testโ€ฆleave cap loose. The larger the tank the longer it will run before fuel cannot flow.

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Mike Rowley says:

    Instead of rerouting the fuel lines, I would just raise the tank. The way the line goes up from the fuel tank, made it my first thought of what was wrong. Great video as always.

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars DontBanMeBroDontBanMe! says:

    You're not 70% correct. You're 100% correct! I have this exact same generator. IT IS GREAT! Got me through 5 straight days of no electricity, both after Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. HOWEVER, they all (I have two of them; one with the electric start, one with the pull start) have the same issue: the fuel flow to the carb slows down once there's less than 2 gallons in the tank. It's an 8 gallon tank. So it's simple: during power outages, I fill up the tank and set the timer for six hours. Six hours come? I go out and fill it up again. The tank won't be empty. Doesn't matter! I fill it up to the top every six hours and I never have an issue with it.

    Search the internet and everyone that has this generator will tell you the same thing. I never knew why. I assumed I didn't have it on level enough ground. Your video explained it. Basically, there's not enough of a height difference between the tank and carb and when there isn't much fuel left, it's not enough to keep up!

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Robert Livingston says:

    Fuel tank venting! To prove, run with a loosened gas cap. Stuck flapper vent blocks replacement air as fuel is displaced. Could be in the gas cap or from a hose at the top of the tank. Some units even have a charcoal filter box leading to the carburetor to burn off excess tank vapours and they also have a flapper valve. Problem is when over-filling the tank and fuel runs down the line. The weight of gas in the vent line matches that going to the carburetor and none will flow … augmented by carburetor vacuum. Solution with these units is to remove the charcoal filter box and attach to an aquarium pump to slowly evaporate the excess saturating fuel. Been there … done that. Just be careful not to overfill the tank!

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Moe Horowitz World says:

    Those side shots showing the fuel line really looks like it's going uphill toward the carburetor. I've only watched about a third of the video though
    No I've got an old John Deere tractor and it was always giving me problems and I changed the fuel pump but as it turned out it was the fuel line between tank and pump that had me scratching my head ..for a while I could blow through it everything was fine but.
    After an hour it would stop I put a new gas line on it it's been good for years
    I even drilled a small hole in the gas cap straight through that didn't help that was before I figured out the problem

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Patrick PK says:

    ya, as others said, first thing is the fuel line…not enough slope. raise the tank, looks like the easiest option. or prop up the back wheels and make sure the gas doesn't run low

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