Onan carb rebuild

[grinder613]

There is a seller on ebay selling rebuilt onan carbs for $162. Name is xmasjeff out of Mesa AZ. Has anybody bought one of these carbs? And was it worth the savings over a new one. thanks

[j-d]

So once the carb is dismantled, it's simply put in the bath and the machine does the work. I'd wondered if there was a way to use the ultrasonic action to address specific places in the carburetor casting. I know you'd said Iso Propyl Alcohol. But that was last night. Today IPA was India Pale Ale, and that gave me two thoughts:

1. Never would have thought of that!

2. Waste of good IPA!

[fourthclassC]

How's this done on a small carburetor? Is it simply a "Soaking" over a period of time with the cleaner running?

I dis-assemble the carb. Carefully without damaging the gaskets if possible, and simply soak the parts in the bath with IPA for about an hour. Remove and allow to dry. Blow off with compressed air. (air that dosen't have moisture or debris in it. ) then re-assemble.

[fourthclassC]

How's this done on a small carburetor? Is it simply a "Soaking" over a period of time with the cleaner running?

I dis-assemble the carb. Carefully without damaging the gaskets if possible, and simply soak the parts in the bath with IPA for about an hour. Remove and allow to dry. Blow off with compressed air. (air that dosen't have moisture or debris in it. ) then re-assemble.

[edatlanta]

I know everyone doesn't full time and can't do it, but I'm running my ONAN 5500 DVAP right now for it's every first day of the month one hour run under load. I use only non-ethanol fuel (and if I do have to use ethanol fuel I make absolutely sure I run the tank dry before I fill it back up with non-ethanol), add StaBil Marine formula with every drop of fuel that goes in the tank, but the main thing is the monthly run under load.

Right now I have 389 hours on my Onan using the above procedure and it has never ever failed to start easily and works just like new. 50 minutes more and I will be back on shore power.

[j-d]

Very interested in ultrasonic since there are inexpensive small units available. How's this done on a small carburetor? Is it simply a "Soaking" over a period of time with the cleaner running?

Gotta say, for our small engines, I get 89 octane ethanol free ValvTechT gas at the marina. It contains a stabilizer as well but sometimes I add StaBil. No further issues with small engine carbs. My Honda pressure washer engine was awful about gumming the carb up, and no more.

For our ONAN 4KY, I now add stabilizer to Every Gallon of gas (cheap 87 octane E10) that goes into our 55 gallon main tank. Between that and exercise, the ONAN is sure fire reliable. And, I think our highway gas mileage is a little better. That stabilizer must be keeping the gas or the system a little cleaner.

[fourthclassC]

Couple thoughts here. I use a jewlery type ultrasonic bath with drugstore Isopropyl alcohol to clean my small engine carbs. Works great. Often I am able to reuse all the gaskets. The bowl gasket is usually most delacate. The throttle shaft and choke shaft can wear out (actuall the holes in the body) If those shafts are tight all else should clean up fine and be usable.

[crasster]

Think about a carb. Not a ton of things to wear out except for rubber parts which were probably replaced. I'd go for it.

[j-d]

femailyetti wrote:
...reassembled with a gasket kit...

Getting a gasket kit can be a problem. I was lucky a few years ago when I needed an ONAN carb cleaned. I've done lots of small engine carbs too, and this one wouldn't clean up. The shop I found didn't have "kits" but they had enough of a "parts" selection to be able to pull the job off. Said they had to clean it ultrasonically. There was hardened gum inside. I replied with an "Aw Shucks" kind of answer, knowing there was a blockage somewhere that I couldn't dissove, blow out or punch through with tag wire. I think I paid around $60. VERY well spent. It went from running about 30% right to about 90% right. Still hunted a little. Governor Spring was a ways down the decision chart, but for about $3 I got one and that brought the genny to 100%.

So my bottom line recommendation is: Go ahead, take a shot at cleaning it up. If you can't, find a shop that has ultrasonic cleaning. In other threads, it seems that some small engine shops do. I think I'd spray the carb several times with WD-40, trying to soften the gasket bonds with the parts hoping to be able to re-use them. If it's sealed in places with welch plugs and lead beads, those should be available.

[femailyetti]

I 2nd Travelin2. I rebuilt a lot of carbs in my day. Soak it in a bucket of carb cleaner over night will take most any thing clean, and be ready to be reassembled with a gasket kit.

[Travelin2]

If yours is just varnished up, why not just clean yours and then you know what you have?

[romore]

Considering the price of an oem it might be worth looking at. I wonder where he gets the cores, they might be offshore clones which may or may not work.