This is a bit of a saga... I have a Coleman 6500 watt generator with a Honda GX390 engine on it. It has only about 150 hours on it and I have maintained it over the years (oil changes, etc). It has always started on the first (easy) pull. I had a power outage today and at about 6am decided I would connect up the generator. I rolled it outside and pulled and it wouldn't turn at all, like it was seized. Fuel began dripping out around the exhaust. Thought it was odd because it ran great when I changed the oil and put it away at the end of last summer. I pulled the oil plug to just to make sure the oil looked good and a very large deluge (a couple gallons!) of brown fuel comes blasting out. WTF... I'm thinking.
I did a little searching online and immediately found out that what happened is that I forgot to close the fuel switch last time I parked it and because the tank is above the engine, fuel drains down through the float valve in the carburetor and fills the engine and crankcase. Apparently this isn't all that uncommon. So, I drained all the fuel out of the engine, pulled the spark plug, removed the carburetor bottom and valve cover, and let it dry out all day. I bought some new oil and a new spark plug. This evening I refill oil, (gap) and put in spark plug, fill up the fuel (fuel is a 6-7 months old but has Honda brand stabilizer in it). I pull and vroooom, starts right up.
Let it warm up a bit, putting away the tools, cleaning up ... and it dies. Huh? I can't restart it. It backfires, never done that before. I play with the choke a bit, let it cool a bit and start it again and it starts right up. Runs like perfect for about a minute or less and then dies. It smelled a bit like gas but no leaks or anything. I took the spark plug out thinking perhaps it was flooded, but in fact it looked dry (too dry perhaps?). I put the spark plug back in and start it again and it starts, runs and dies in 30 seconds again. Then I can't get it to start at all. Finally was playing with the choke and with the generator idle control (when On it idles the engine if no current draw). It started again and would surge but then dies again after a minute.
Does this sound like a fuel problem? It runs so nicely and then just stops - it doesn't sputter and stop, just stop. Could that be fuel? I though maybe the float and/or float valve might need to be replaced (after all that is what initiated the big drain). Could a sticky float valve exhibit this behavior?
I have several youtube videos of it running and dying as well as some pics of the float valve (see below). The last is with the generator idle switch on (surging).
I am an engine novice but not afraid attempt to solve this myself before taking to the guys who make boat payments from my business. But I'd like to better understand the symptoms and what causes them before I just replace stuff willy nilly...
Thanks,
-Tom
Videos:
IMG 2447
IMG 2446
IMG 2456
Pics: IMG_2444
I did a little searching online and immediately found out that what happened is that I forgot to close the fuel switch last time I parked it and because the tank is above the engine, fuel drains down through the float valve in the carburetor and fills the engine and crankcase. Apparently this isn't all that uncommon. So, I drained all the fuel out of the engine, pulled the spark plug, removed the carburetor bottom and valve cover, and let it dry out all day. I bought some new oil and a new spark plug. This evening I refill oil, (gap) and put in spark plug, fill up the fuel (fuel is a 6-7 months old but has Honda brand stabilizer in it). I pull and vroooom, starts right up.
Let it warm up a bit, putting away the tools, cleaning up ... and it dies. Huh? I can't restart it. It backfires, never done that before. I play with the choke a bit, let it cool a bit and start it again and it starts right up. Runs like perfect for about a minute or less and then dies. It smelled a bit like gas but no leaks or anything. I took the spark plug out thinking perhaps it was flooded, but in fact it looked dry (too dry perhaps?). I put the spark plug back in and start it again and it starts, runs and dies in 30 seconds again. Then I can't get it to start at all. Finally was playing with the choke and with the generator idle control (when On it idles the engine if no current draw). It started again and would surge but then dies again after a minute.
Does this sound like a fuel problem? It runs so nicely and then just stops - it doesn't sputter and stop, just stop. Could that be fuel? I though maybe the float and/or float valve might need to be replaced (after all that is what initiated the big drain). Could a sticky float valve exhibit this behavior?
I have several youtube videos of it running and dying as well as some pics of the float valve (see below). The last is with the generator idle switch on (surging).
I am an engine novice but not afraid attempt to solve this myself before taking to the guys who make boat payments from my business. But I'd like to better understand the symptoms and what causes them before I just replace stuff willy nilly...
Thanks,
-Tom
Videos:
IMG 2447
IMG 2446
IMG 2456
Pics: IMG_2444
