What size is the generator?
If it were me I'd either
1. troll Craigslist for a replacement similar to what you have for a
fraction of the new price
2. Buy a "Champion" brand from FLAPS or Tractor Supply or whatever. We
have one at camp, we've had it, I forget, 6 or 7 years and its been
great. Cheap too.
3. Buy a Honda and be done with it. While the Honda will be 2x$ option
#2 it will last you the rest of your life and be MUCH quieter,
probably use less fuel too.
If I needed a generator for home I'd go for option #3. Luckily I have
a Fred who gave me a generator which currently lives at my in-laws
house. I attribute it (ie being prepared) to why we haven't lost power
this year...
-Curt
On Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 12:48:18 PM EST, Larry Turner via
Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote:
Hi Guys,
Finally had the weather and inclination to work on the generator.
following your suggestion to check the fuel, I removed all fuel from the
tank and let it air out, then hooked my battery charger to the battery
and then cranked and check for spark. I got zero spark while cranking
and decided to check out the coil thinking it might be bad. At least
that was a cheap option.
What I found when I pulled the cover with the recoil starter I found one
of the pedestals that hold the coil/magneto assy near the magnet had
completely broken away! As I removed the broken pieces I could see a
hole in the crankcase where the pedestals was formed. The 2 pedestals
are a integral part of the case BTW. I 1st thought I was seeing the
piston in the hole, but as I turned the engine by hand I noted I must be
seeing a sleeve rather than the piston as the part I could see thru the
hole was not moving as I turned the engine.
So it appears I will have to find a replacement motor which are avail
for $400-$500. IOW, about 1/2 of my original investment in the
generator. I could probably close the hole in the case with JB or such,
but would have no way to mount the coil and set the air gap consistently.
It strange that this part would break away from the engine; I didn't
find anything loose that could cause this kind of damage but it is what
it is. I don't think I ran it for more than 30 -36 hours. I contacted
Troy-Bilt and B&S but both just restated their 1 year warranty and went
no further. No joy in Mudville.
I'd love to find a case for the 420cc B&S engine but so far my search
has turned up empty. Anyway, lots of people gave me suggestions about
what to look for when I was troubleshooting.
Thanks again to all who helped...
LarryT
On 01/12/2019 11:10 PM, G Mann via Mercedes wrote:
> Check the carb float bowl for water. Your post says engine speed
increased
> or sound changed before shutdown...
>
> Water in fuel migrates into the float bowl... and accumulates in the
> bottom, as water level increases, less and less fuel can pass
through the
> main jet in the center of the carb just above the fuel bowl... finally,
> water level rises to the point where the main jet gets no gas, and
water,
> being heavier than gas, shuts off the flow of gas to fuel jet.
Engine dies,
> restart doesn't happen because engine is "out of gas" at the main
jet...
> fuel in tank can not over power water in bowl.. dead engine..
>
> Put a can under the carb bowl, remove the bolt at center of float bowl,
> drop bowl, with contents into can.. Inspect for water.... Bet that
is your
> problem..
>
> Ethanol gas is hydroscopic.. it draws moisture and absorbs it .. said
> moisture then condenses in to carb in droplets.
>
> On Sat, Jan 12, 2019 at 6:31 PM Mitch Haley via Mercedes <
> mercedes@okiebenz.com <mailto:mercedes@okiebenz.com>> wrote:
>
>> The old way to manage the 'oil alert' shutoff was to short out the
>> ignition like an ignition switch does.
>> Some generators have a solenoid on the carb operated by the oil level
>> switch, usually through a control box.
>>
>> If the engine note changed before shutdown, the shutdown wasn't purely
>> electrical. Switching off the ignition just results in the engine
coasting
>> to a stop and quickly.
>> But it might involve a fuel shutoff like is found on the
carburetors of my
>> Subaru generator and the Briggs engine on my Trail Mower. The
mixture would
>> go lean and then the engine would cut out when it got too lean to
sustain
>> fire.
>>
>> But if it is the oil alert, is it because the oil level is low, the
switch
>> is bad, the wiring is bad, or the 'black box' is bad?
>> I'd say step one is to make sure the oil level reads maximum.
>> Step two, shut off the fuel, take the hose off at the carb, put the
end of
>> the hose in a container, and turn the fuel back on. Does the gas tank
>> supply fuel to the carb?
>> Step 3, put the plug wire on a loose spark plug and hold it while
the wife
>> pulls the starter rope. If you say "yeow" and drop the plug, the
ignition
>> is good. I used to use #3 as a last resort in my youth when working on
>> motorcycles and lawn mowers, but it's a fast and effective test.
>> After step 3 it gets less simple to diagnose.
>>
>> Mitch.
>>
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