Figured out why gen wasn't running great

wnjj wrote:
Actually, not having an air cleaner will likely lean the engine enough to cause a surge. On motorcycles you usually have to increase main jet when you improve airflow. Any chance someone took the filter out and forgot to replace it?

Interesting concept on the surge related to no air filter. Re filter being removed, absolutely no chance. Another wondered if a backfire could have ignited the foam, I see no evidence of that nor do I believe that happened but interesting thought for sure.

My sense is,the gen has been sitting since I purchased it in appx 2005 after losing power for a week due to a hurricane. I ran a Honda eu3000 for those 7 days but it was dad,s rv gen. I loved it but was too pricey and too heavy for portability I wanted, hence the yamaha 2800. In 12'years, I have used it 2-3x for light use and started it 2-3x just to run it pre hurricane season. Prior to this hurricane, it had only 12'hours run time. After Irma, it now has 30 hours. Oil, filter and plug are original. Still cranks on first pull but has slight surge which is what started all of this. Fuel has always been stabilized , carb and tank run dry and a few drops of fogging oil directly into the piston. Besides that, nothing done gen sits in box waiting for a storm. Eventually expect to use for rving but hasn't happened yet

In my opinion, the foam filter is 12 years old, had factory oil on it and just rotted out and dissolved but maybe that isn't possible. When I pulled the old foam filters on my honda 2000s, those filters were still there but they were dry rotted and crumbled like ash when I touched them, that's why I'm assuming the yam dissolved, etc. easy fix, don't wait 12 years to ck your filter and replace it, lol.

Going into the carb today, had to do the same w the hondas a few years ago and they continue to run perfectly.