Gary Fowler
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2008
- Messages
- 11,917
- Location
- Bismarck Arkansas
- Tractor
- 2009 Kubota RTV 900, 2009 Kubota B26 TLB & 2010 model LS P7010
Recently my brother in law was trying to start up his small generator and it would start and run for just a second or two then die just like it was starving for fuel. After exhausting his abilities, he took it to a repair shop but they couldn't do anything and suggested that the compression was bad. This genset hadn't run more than an hour or two in the 3 years that he had it. Internet videos suggested the carb was bad so he ordered a new carb and installed it. Same problem. Next suggestion was a bad low oil sensor which he also ordered but still the problem remained.
While rolling it around to get the best position to look as something or other, I noticed that the sunlight was shining directly into the muffler and something white was inside it. If you said dirt dobber nest, you would be correct. I poked the dirt with a wire and broke thru but still couldn't get the whole nest out so I removed the muffler. Pulled the starter cord and the generator fired right up. I then took the muffler to a hydrant, filled up a tub with water and dunked it in a tub of water several times which dissolved the dobber nest. I could then freely blow air thru it. Reinstalled the muffler and it was just like a new genset.
I just wanted to post this in case someone was having some issues with a small engine starting but immediately dying. Check for muffler restriction before investing dollars in other issue.
While rolling it around to get the best position to look as something or other, I noticed that the sunlight was shining directly into the muffler and something white was inside it. If you said dirt dobber nest, you would be correct. I poked the dirt with a wire and broke thru but still couldn't get the whole nest out so I removed the muffler. Pulled the starter cord and the generator fired right up. I then took the muffler to a hydrant, filled up a tub with water and dunked it in a tub of water several times which dissolved the dobber nest. I could then freely blow air thru it. Reinstalled the muffler and it was just like a new genset.
I just wanted to post this in case someone was having some issues with a small engine starting but immediately dying. Check for muffler restriction before investing dollars in other issue.