Generator Issues

[SMarquez]

A couple hard hits to the family got me off my generator maintenance schedule so when I went out to try and start the gen I had a no crank issue. The terminal posts were pretty corroded so I cleaned those all the way up and still get a no crank.
I have power in the trailer. The batts are Costco 6v and are 3 years old. They still have water covering the plates and have 6.7 and 6.6 volts individually, 13.3 obviously together. I'm getting out of the heat for now but will test for juice at the starter later. It is a 4kw Onan Microquiet. Up until now I was exercising it monthly and had no issues. The last time I ran it was probably June.
Aside from what I have done so far does anyone have any other tips or anything else to consider when I get back out there?
Thanks

[klutchdust]

Baja Man wrote:
I'm in the middle of a similar issue with same genny. Going to start with replacing fuel pump and see what happens. It'll be from Amazon, as pumps are also on national backorder. Glad carb worked well for you right out of the box.

You have tried removing the fuel line at the carb and seeing if the pump pumps?

[Baja_Man]

I'm in the middle of a similar issue with same genny. Going to start with replacing fuel pump and see what happens. It'll be from Amazon, as pumps are also on national backorder. Glad carb worked well for you right out of the box.

[SMarquez]

wopachop wrote:
Eyedropper works pretty good too to squirt gasoline into the carb.

Trick my friend told me for a gas powered pressure washer that ran bad was to cover the intake with your hand a few times. Idea is that the extra suction caused by blocking the intake will clear out a clogged pilot jet. We got lucky and like some small motors the pilot jet pops out in seconds for easy cleaning. So i never tried that trick.

But its not a bad idea for the generator. If you can get it running try putting a piece of cardboard over the intake and kill the motor. Might get lucky and clear up whatever is clogged.

I run avgas and Maxima SuperM in 2 stroke power equipment and never had a problem no matter how long it sat. I have a vintage Suzuki 125 that clogs if I put even a quart of pump gas in I end up with problems. I have a Honda powered lawnmower that has never been affected by pump gas and it is 15 years old.

[SMarquez]

The China bomb carb from Amazon worked perfectly. It came with an in line fuel shut off. It ran with a surge at first but adding 10 gallons of fresh gas fixed that. I have not had any luck with fuel stabilizers. I think the shut off is the fix. I also pumped the gas out of the tank for use in the cars. I'll just put a couple gallons in to exercise the generator and not leave any crappy California gas in it anymore.

[wopachop]

Eyedropper works pretty good too to squirt gasoline into the carb.

Trick my friend told me for a gas powered pressure washer that ran bad was to cover the intake with your hand a few times. Idea is that the extra suction caused by blocking the intake will clear out a clogged pilot jet. We got lucky and like some small motors the pilot jet pops out in seconds for easy cleaning. So i never tried that trick.

But its not a bad idea for the generator. If you can get it running try putting a piece of cardboard over the intake and kill the motor. Might get lucky and clear up whatever is clogged.

[klutchdust]

wopachop wrote:
Yep like said above pull the fuel line off the carb and gravity feed in your own gas. Use a very high concentration of your favorite carb cleaner. Let it sit for days as you crank and run it periodically with starting fluid.

I personally use starting fluid only as a last resort. Ether is so dang dry it washes the oil off the cylinder walls. notice how the engine chatters when it runs on SF.

[klutchdust]

In small engines like my roto-tiller I have had excellent results using "mechanic in a bottle". If your carburetor is gummed up, why wouldn't

soaking it in carb cleaner or something to that effect work like we used to do back in the day.When the carbs I have get gummed I just clean them, I don't "rebuild" them.

I have used just about every fuel stabilizer there is and still gunk happens.

[wopachop]

Yep like said above pull the fuel line off the carb and gravity feed in your own gas. Use a very high concentration of your favorite carb cleaner. Let it sit for days as you crank and run it periodically with starting fluid.

[Dirtclods]

SMarquez wrote:
I suppose it could still be corroded battery wires. The posts and terminals are clean. I've seen corrosion creep up under insulation and cause problems. Too **** hot to mess with it right now.

Drain what you can of the old gas put in some new gas then dump in some Seafoam try to crank it a few times let the Seafoam sit over night try it again!


https://seafoamworks.com/

[Flyfisherman128]

My feeling is..$350 vs $50.. you could replace it 7 times and break even.. just don't use that thinking on things that could blow up

[SMarquez]

I got the generator to crank it won't start. Runs on starter fluid for a couple seconds. It's the stupid carburetor again. They aren't rebuildable and when they **** the bed they just get replaced. I thought I was doing good. I kept stabil in the gas but it just crapped out. Calling around, that carb is on national back order from Onan. I found a carb in town for $350 but I just can't see paying that much for a part that is what 2 RV repair places called "junk". I'm going to try a China bomb carb. If it goes bad in a year I'm only out $50.

[SMarquez]

I suppose it could still be corroded battery wires. The posts and terminals are clean. I've seen corrosion creep up under insulation and cause problems. Too **** hot to mess with it right now.

[SMarquez]

No crank at first, very weak incomplete crank now. My wife is out of town but reminded me when I called to tell her about it that it has been kind of cranky starting. Sometimes would clank and then hook up and crank after a couple stabs at the starter button. I think it might be the starter now that she reminded me.

[dedmiston]

I've had good luck jump-starting mine with a little portable battery pack directly to the gen (not to the batteries). Maybe that would help. you rule out a power issue.

Does it crank at all?