A little tip for all the generator problems poping up

[C-Leigh_Racing]

I dont know how to post a link, but google gas related problems on lawn mowers & read what it has to say.

Our gen set engines are no different from the twin cylindered engines on riding lawn mowers, carbs, fuel pumps, gas line hose & such, so most all of the fuel related problems on lawn mower would have the same effects on our gen set engines.

All from ethanol laced gas & the units sitting for a length of time.
Some of you that have had no problems or have used your gen set regular probably not having them because your using the unit regular & fresh fuel being used.
Neil

[427435]

1950panman wrote:
by all means...only...93% or 100% gas..no ethanol...ever..gumes the parts...you must crank gen 1 or 2 times a week..lane

??????????

What is 93% gas?

E10 will only gum parts if it is introduced into a system with lots of previously built up varnish------------which will lead to problems anyway.

[2gypsies1]

Bottom Line - generators are made to be used. We run ours 1x/month for one hour under load. Most often it's used a lot more than that because we stay in public parks with no electric.

[BobR]

frankdamp wrote:
Since the on-board generator runs off the MH gas tank contents, it gets what the V-10 gets. There's a gas station about 20 miles away that sells ethanol-free gasoline, but a 40-mile round trip at 7 mpg to buy gas that's 75 cents a gallon more than the tribal Chevron doesn't make much sense, particularly since we very rarely use the generator. At 11 years old (an '02) it only has 54 hours on the Hobbs, and I've put 6 hours on it in three years, all doing the monthly exercise.

I'm fighting the gummed-up carb issue at the moment because I was incapacitated for a few months after cardiac surgery last year. The generator wasn't exercised during that time and hasn't run since.

Reading the operator's manual, I discovered that there's a screw that allows the float-bowl to be drained, so I'll try using that to dry out the carb. On my mower, I shut off the gas as I'm finishing the yard, so the carb is dry in storage. It's more to avoid gasoline odors in the garage than to prevent gumming up. So far, I haven't found a simple quarter-turn gasoline shut-off valve for 5/16" hose to use on the RV genny.

When I had a gummed up carb, I disconnected the fuel line at the filter and ran a line from a one gallon can of gas with
Seafoam. Placed the gas can above the generator for gravity feed and ran for 30 minutes, rested it for another thirty and ran for another thirty. Cleaned the carb up!. Since you've had surgery, you might want to mix the Seafoam in the gas tank and run that way. Easier but more costly.

[RedG]

Berryman B12 is the best thing I've ever found for dissolving the gum from your carb.

[sc3283]

Frank, I have 1/4 turn ball valve shut offs made of metal with a teflon liner for the ball...but they have 1/4" nipples...I do know they will seal on 5/16" ID hose with a worm gear clamp.

[frankdamp]

Since the on-board generator runs off the MH gas tank contents, it gets what the V-10 gets. There's a gas station about 20 miles away that sells ethanol-free gasoline, but a 40-mile round trip at 7 mpg to buy gas that's 75 cents a gallon more than the tribal Chevron doesn't make much sense, particularly since we very rarely use the generator. At 11 years old (an '02) it only has 54 hours on the Hobbs, and I've put 6 hours on it in three years, all doing the monthly exercise.

I'm fighting the gummed-up carb issue at the moment because I was incapacitated for a few months after cardiac surgery last year. The generator wasn't exercised during that time and hasn't run since.

Reading the operator's manual, I discovered that there's a screw that allows the float-bowl to be drained, so I'll try using that to dry out the carb. On my mower, I shut off the gas as I'm finishing the yard, so the carb is dry in storage. It's more to avoid gasoline odors in the garage than to prevent gumming up. So far, I haven't found a simple quarter-turn gasoline shut-off valve for 5/16" hose to use on the RV genny.

[1950panman]

by all means...only...93% or 100% gas..no ethanol...ever..gumes the parts...you must crank gen 1 or 2 times a week..lane

[Michael_in_MN]

427435 wrote:
As for E10 causing problems, I'm still waiting for one from my "fleet" which includes:

I can't attribute E10 to any specific carb problems either. I've left it in small engines and big engines for years at a time and still didn't have any more carb problems than I'd have gotten with non-ethanol gas. If anything, the varnish problem with modern gasoline is less than what it was in the so-called 'good old days'.

Carburetors getting gummed up by stale gas isn't a new problem. In the early '70's, one of my first tasks as the new helper in my grandfathers repair shop was de-gunking the varnish in carbs that had been left full of gas over winter. It was a very common problem long before there was any E10.

Now days I leave E10 gas in carbs over winter all the time, with rarely an issue.

[cwit]

I'm glad some of you aren't having problems with ethanol but I have found small motors without fuel pumps are having lots of problems.

[cwit]

I'm glad some of you aren't having problems with ethanol but I have found small motors without fuel pumps are having lots of problems.

[Airstreamer67]

I threw my gas chainsaw away and bought an electric one. Life is too short to be frustrated so much over so little.

[sc3283]

a quick count...22 gas burning air cooled engines here...I can't think when last carb issue was with any of them. Most do get the carbs run dry prior to parking or storing...but some don't. My last issue was 7 or so years ago when I did forget to run the float bowl dry in my Honda 6500 genny. Some precautions need to be taken...but I like 427cu in, 435hp(yes I understand your Id ;))...I can not specifically claim the ethanol is causing any more issues than any of the other added "clean air" additives in our gas here. I use 87 pump gas in everything...STL as 10% minimum ethanol added to all our gas.

[427435]

As for E10 causing problems, I'm still waiting for one from my "fleet" which includes:

1. Three garden tractors that are 25-45 years old.
2. 1977 boat with a carbureted I/O engine.
3. 1967 Vette with 3 carbs.
4. 15 year old string trimmer.
5. McCulloch chain saw from the 60's.
6. Genset in my 2000 MH that spends the winter with its tank full of E10.
7. 1977 IH Scout.
8. 1994 Topaz with 233,000 miles (it has sat outside for the last 10 years).
9. Four newer vehicles with FI engines.
10. A 20 year-old 72" cut commercial lawn mower.
11. A pressure washer (Honda engine), but it's only a couple of years old.

[Jim]

Can't really equate a lawn mower to a genset. Most lawn mowers are gas, whereas a genset can be gas, diesel, or propane. Then the lawn mower doesn't have an electronic control board to check for low oil, over temp, or speed. Then there is the Voltage Regulator that a genset has that isn't included in a mower.

Although some of the conditions that affect a lawn mower negatively are the same as for a genset, there are many, many others that require a bit more research and study. But, a background with lawn mowers is certainly a help.

Here's probably the best place to start: Flight Systems Genset info...