Your last generator Maintenance Run

PILOON · Dec 29, 2015

Thanks to this site I decided to do a test run as we are predicted to get 30-40 cm of snow which often equals power outages.
Well the gen set simply balked. Must be gasohol as I did add wrong octane last time.
Much easier to trouble shoot when power is there, no panic!.
Cleaned plug, squirted same raw gas into carburetor and voila, burped a bit and then ran smooth.
Thanks guys for reminding me.

3930dave · Dec 29, 2015

DarkBlack said:
Your thread is about "generator maintenance", of which I do, with a backup power source with a 100% perfect track running record. Transfer switches are Covered on many other threads.
If you look at my past years posts, you will see I have some tips for maintenance irregardless of, if you run a transfer switch, or not.

Fair enough DB.

I'm not interested in playing Thread Policeman...... and, truth be told, I do enjoy many forms of thread drift - we've touched on wood heat/cooking, old cars, and a few other things in this thread - no foul by me. Not that I consider Transfer Switches drift..... they directly relate to the thread.

Most days (here, and in the real world) I roll along with a reasonable amount of patience and humour. This morning though, the Lucy, Charlie Brown, and the football routine that was starting up again caught me the wrong way.

Like a lot of people, I gave up on TV quite a while ago. I'd hate to see TBN turn into the Springer Show - my hope in that regard is that if people want to butt heads, they can either do it privately, or in a forum that most people avoid - Friendly Politics.

Then again..... I've always been a bit of a dreamer.....

Rgds, D.

3930dave · Dec 29, 2015

PILOON said:
Thanks to this site I decided to do a test run as we are predicted to get 30-40 cm of snow which often equals power outages.
Well the gen set simply balked. Must be gasohol as I did add wrong octane last time.
Much easier to trouble shoot when power is there, no panic!.
Cleaned plug, squirted same raw gas into carburetor and voila, burped a bit and then ran smooth.
Thanks guys for reminding me.

That's a way easier fix with the regular ceiling lights on :thumbsup:

I've recently come across some NGK crosses (BR2-LM), for the Champion plugs I usually use in small stuff.... may try those @ next service. Automotive OE Replacement and Performance Parts - In Stock for Your Tune-Up!

Had about 10cm here, then freezing rain/rain....... heavy snow load, so far so good though.....

Rgds, D.

cqaigy2 · Dec 29, 2015

Did maintenance last month. Put new spark plug in, cleaned carburetor, replaced fuel line and changed oil. Started up the generator and ran a 1500 watt heater for 1/2 hour.

A week later we lost power and i pulled the generator down to the house, fired it up and it ran for at most 15 seconds and shut down. I tried a few different things to start it, spark was good but fuel seemed to be the problem. I've since dissembled the carburetor and found it full of junk. My assumption is that junk buildup inside the metal fuel tank, that got shook lose when i pulled the unit down to the house.

3930dave · Dec 29, 2015

cqaigy2 said:
Did maintenance last month. Put new spark plug in, cleaned carburetor, replaced fuel line and changed oil. Started up the generator and ran a 1500 watt heater for 1/2 hour.

A week later we lost power and i pulled the generator down to the house, fired it up and it ran for at most 15 seconds and shut down. I tried a few different things to start it, spark was good but fuel seemed to be the problem. I've since dissembled the carburetor and found it full of junk. My assumption is that junk buildup inside the metal fuel tank, that got shook lose when i pulled the unit down to the house.

Definitely a difficult one to predict.

For sludge type junk, I'd favour Seafoam.

On my small equipment metal-tanks, I've gone to using Stabil 360 Protection, to hopefully head off top of the tank corrosion issues.

STA-BIL® 360°? Performance

Looks like it is now being marketed as 360 Performance.

Rgds, D.

Ivan49 · Dec 29, 2015

3930dave said:
Definitely a difficult one to predict.

For sludge type junk, I'd favour Seafoam.

On my small equipment metal-tanks, I've gone to using Stabil 360 Protection, to hopefully head off top of the tank corrosion issues.

STA-BIL® 360°? Performance

Looks like it is now being marketed as 360 Performance.

Rgds, D.

Does your tank have to be full the first time you use this so that the surface above the gas gets coated

3930dave · Dec 29, 2015

Ivan49 said:
Does your tank have to be full the first time you use this so that the surface above the gas gets coated

I think you are asking if you have to overfill or invert the tank, for liquid contact to work/initiate the protection.

The original site they set up when this product was first out did a better job of explaining; try the video in the link I just posted - it may still cover the mechanism.

Short answer - it is described to work with the transfer taking place in the vapour/vapor above the fuel line.

That's what caught my eye - as in "Hey, it's about time". For a variety of reasons (safety for one), you can't totally fill a tank, so I view this approach as realistic and useful.

No, I haven't had the time/energy/$ to do a controlled test on this, but as the product is put out by a long established company that has a big reputation riding on what they are claiming, I've spent the extra few $ that 360 costs to use it in my small metal tanks. That, and altho Chem 301 was a long time ago, I recall that properly executed vapour deposition can work.

Rgds, D.

cqaigy2 · Dec 29, 2015

3930dave said:
Definitely a difficult one to predict.

For sludge type junk, I'd favour Seafoam.

On my small equipment metal-tanks, I've gone to using Stabil 360 Protection, to hopefully head off top of the tank corrosion issues.

STA-BIL® 360°? Performance

Looks like it is now being marketed as 360 Performance.

Rgds, D.

Thanks, i'll be giving that a try!

grsthegreat · Dec 30, 2015

The pacific northwest has been hammered with winds and snow this year. Saturday i was out repairing a whole house generator when a jet ranger helicoptor flew overhead at tree top level. He was blowing snow off of the trees and powerlines to help prevent damage to powerlines. Pretty cool to watch....cept he blew snow all over me and my truck.
Ive been working 6 days a week ...10 hour days for over a month setting up generators and transfer switches. Some areas were without power for 5 days last month...and again for 5 days this week. Im getting 3-5 calls per day to give bids on whole house systems.

Getting pretty tired of looking at generators right now. Ive installed so many this year im starting to get loopy. I was hoping for a few months off, but thats not going to happen any time soon.