What are the Odds...?

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Cloud Dancer wrote:
Do carburetors really wear out? Really?
I always simply take them apart and use a specific chemical to dissolve the gummy varnish that is left over when you let the gasoline dry out of the carburetor. This hard varnish is hard to get out of the important passages.
But, there's a procedure that works. Beats paying for a new carburetor.

Yes, they do wear out. But there is only one part (maybe 2) that ever does, and that is the throttle shaft getting loose in the carb housing, so much so that it will suck air, (and dirt) and cause a poor idle, I'm not familiar w/ onan carbs, so they may not even have a throttle shaft and valve, some carbs don't. But that is the only reason I have ever needed to replace a carb on a small engine. mostly Kohler.

I just worked on my 94 Onan Emerald Plus.

To clean the carb I ran 4C cleaner through the air filter intake. pumped 4C into the bowl and let it sit for a few hours. Cleaned the idle air passage. Then ran seafoam through it for an hour...from an external tank.

My chock was stuck when it took 45 seconds to start. It acted like a fuel line problem, it was just a dirty choke.

It runs like a champ now.

Some have had good luck using seafoam. I have use it on boat carb's to winterize them. Worth a try before taking everything apart.

What's the Model number of the gen ? What is it doing when you try to start it ? Just had a another guy on smokstak go through carb , fuel pump , Coil, and it turned out to be the magneto . Those little 4.0 kys are hard to diagnose . I may have the service manuals and parts manual just need the model.
As others have told you its not to hard to take the carb off probably the fuel cutoff solenoid is the hardest to get by its self with out removing the carb. But probably best to clean the carb and try it.
On fuel pump put a clear lawn mower filter in line so you can see if its keeping gas to the carb. The clear filter will not stay full but should be pretty full.
Throwing parts is pretty hard.

If you've rebuilt carbs before I'd go that route. Sit down when you see the price of the rebuild kit. Have someone standing by who knows CPR when you get the new carb price.

I would think hard starting would be some choke adjustment. I am no ONAN mechanic.

I don't like blindly trusting another's diagnosis and doing the repair myself.
Either I do it or mechanic does it start to finish.

Do carburetors really wear out? Really?
I always simply take them apart and use a specific chemical to dissolve the gummy varnish that is left over when you let the gasoline dry out of the carburetor. This hard varnish is hard to get out of the important passages.
But, there's a procedure that works. Beats paying for a new carburetor.

I replaced mine. The service manual suggest removing the entire manifold, not just the carb, when servicing the carb. It was relatively easy as the manifold is only held on with about 4 bolts. You have to disconnect the carb linkage and lines and remove a piece or two of shrouding but it really was not to difficult. I think the service manual is availble free online. Try a search or check this link.
Onan Technical Info