Small engine guys??

[WNYBill]

My small generator has been sitting for a year, maybe two. It should have no ethanol gas, but grandson may have put ethanol gas in it, with a dash of Sea Foam. He didn't run it out of fuel. It starts on the first pull/choke but will not rev up. It idles and backfires and quits when you stop choking it. Gave it a shot of ether and it does the same thing. Don't understand why it won't run on ether. I am going to drain the fuel tank and carburetor and start over but I really don't see how that will help. Any other ideas.

 

[Sprint 6]

Low oil shut off?

 

[scootergmc]

Is the intake clear? air filter? Oil level?

 

[chvet73]

Small engines don’t like me. But one thing I have learned is that all the issues you describe are caused by a plugged up carburetor. You will not solve them except by cleaning or replacing the carburetor. My last fight was with my 20 year old Honda mower. It was cheaper and faster to get a cheap carburetor and pop it on. Runs like new now.

 

[thdrduck]

What flavor engine?

 

[urbancase]

Some on here may not agree but in put a few oz of ATF in every time I fill my tank on zero turn, log splitter, pumps etc. and have not much problems since. Zero turn has over 700 hrs on it.

 

[504]

Weed whacker wouldn’t run this year without a lot of choke. I trimmed about an hour, double dosed with SeaFoam and choked it till it died. After setting for a week it ran a lot better. After the next job I did the same thing, choked till it died. It ran great last week.

 

[JIM MN]

A dose of ATF at the gas fill is a good idea! Upper lub? I will add, use 91 oct gas, no ethanol, is spendy; but engine starts great, long shelf life, engine runs great! No more ethanol! Sea Foam is good stuff, too. Put good dose in the gas run, but then let sit, to soak.. It will clean things up. Next time all will run great!

 

[T.R.K.]

From experience, It sounds like you need to either clean your carburetor or replace it.

 

[Stan Coryell]

Some on here may not agree but in put a few oz of ATF in every time I fill my tank on zero turn, log splitter, pumps etc. and have not much problems since. Zero turn has over 700 hrs on it.

I have also had good luck with ATF in carburetors that are a touch gummy.

 

[UncleTom]

Gas gets old. 2 years old gas is a long time. Im almost sure the main jet and emulsion tube is clogged up. I would clean it or have someone do it. I do not like Amazon Chinese replacement carbs. I use 100LL aviation fuel in my equipment that doesnt get run much such as my generator. It is always ready to go that way. I just drain the fuel thats in it and add the 100LL and run it till its in the carb. I dont have carb problems. Aviation doesnt go bad.

 

[miangus]

Since I started using REC gas with Husky oil in my 2-cycle stuff I have had no trouble with carbs. When I am trough using a generator, I pump out the regular gas and refill with REC gas, run the generator a short time and shut off the fuel and let it burn the fuel in the carb. It is a bit of a pain and does cost extra, however I have had no generator carb issues. You may try a couple of quick fixes, drain the fuel bowl and spry some carb cleaner into the drain hole or remove the carb bowl and spray the actual jet with carb cleaner. Since it is running, I would dose it with Sea Foam. The actual fix is to remove and disassemble the carb and run it in the sonic cleaner.

 

[showcrop]

It could be a very easy fix. The generators and snow blowers that I am involved with have a drain on the carburetor float bowl to drain the water out. you will find it at the bottom, it may be a slotted screw or something like a 10mm bolt head, just loosen it and drain the water and crud out and away you go.