Cleaning Gummed Up Generator

I have an Onan 5500. Carb gummed up and I refused to pay for a new one. I took the carb off, stripped off all the plastic parts and anything with screws, didn't drill any plugs, didn't get the jets out. I let it set for three days in a can of Berryman Chem-Dip, rotating it every day to make sure there was no trapped air. Blew it out with compressed air, put it all back together and she fired right up.

Thank you for all the great input and advice.

I always thought you could take a carburetor apart "fairly easily" and clean it. I didn't realize they are sealed.

1) get a can of carburetor parts cleaner Link
2) Take pictures or make mental notes on how the linkage, choke and wires are attached.
3) remove carb and if possible, gaskets.
3.5) plug intake manifold opening with a clean rag or bag.
4) remove all screws and such from the carb. The goal is to disassemble as much as you can.
5) These carbs have staked-in plugs. You need to drill out the plugs to gain access to the jets. A very small drill bit is needed. Use a hooked tool inserted into the hole you drilled to remove the plug. You will reuse the plugs upon carb assembly.
6) get a can of spray carb cleaner and spray the jet passages.
7) place all metal carb parts in the basket provided with the carb parts cleaner and soak them for one day. Do not soak plastic, gaskets or any other non-metal parts, clean them by hand.
8) after soaking, dry off with lint free cloth and then rinse with hot water. Use compressed air to dry the parts off after rinse.
9) reassemble carb.
10) re-stake plugs using a small punch. Apply some jbweld to the holes you drilled to plug them. Use gravity to insure no jbweld gets into the passages through the hole.
11) protect your eyes, cleaner can spray out and get you. and it hurts.

lincster wrote:
To the OP, probably time for a new carb. Once you get it running, the best thing you can do to a genny, and to stop the gas from going bad, is run it for at least 30 min/month under a load.

Yes it is, and the station pump also. Use it or lose it.

To the OP, probably time for a new carb. Once you get it running, the best thing you can do to a genny, and to stop the gas from going bad, is run it for at least 30 min/month under a load.

Eyetattoo wrote:
If it will still run, even if for just a moment, add SeaFoam to the fuel. It does a great job of cleaning out gummed up gas.

X3

X2 Seafoam is great stuff. New carb is almost $300. I just paid $433 out the door. And I R&R'd the gen and took it in. Mine was beyond cleaning. The trailer had sat for 4 yrs. Also had to replace the gears in the station pump. That was a piece of cake. Kept the old ones to sand & keep for spares. This is a common problem. When they swell they will drag down the motor and blow the fuse. Very seldom do the motors burn out. This is why I run mine once a month. Don't let them dry out.

If the gas is old and in the jets in the carb. You can clean it all day and still will not run. But its worth a shot.

I've found u tube has a vid for about any fix

Also on the fuel station more often dont need replaced just takin aprt and cleaned up. The gears need smoothed out.