OT, Sort of - Honda Generator Motor

SkiFletch

SkiFletch

New member
So much for Honda reliability... I bought a generator with a 9hp Honda (GX270) motor last year with 60 hours on it off an estate sale. Figured, sweet deal, cheap, Honda motor, low hours, great. Thing pull started right up when I bought it, piece of cake. Go out today to check it out, load it up with gas, check the oil, looks good, choke, full throttle, pull, pull, pull, pull, you get the idea. No dice. It has a battery electric start option too, so I hook it up to my car batt, flip electric start switch, it turns over plenty, but no fire.

So, take the spark plug out, looks pretty black, but the gap is fine and it doesn't look worn (hell it shouldn't with only 60 hours). But what the hell, plugs are cheap, go get a new pair (n+1 ;)), drop the new one in, turn it over, no fire still. Figure well, lets see if we're even juicing the spark plug. Take the cap off, meter it and yes, I'm getting voltage to the spark plug. Take the air filter off for giggles, that looks fine and dandy, drop the fuel sediment cup, that looks fine too. Sigh.

That leaves me with two things left as far as I can come up with: Carburetor, and/or Valve problems, neither of which I can fix today. Anybody else have something else I might be able to try? Really not looking forward to heading into this storm with only the inverter... :(
 
I have an old Sears generator. The gas sits in a float and goes bad while the gas in the tank is fine. I have to drain the float and start clean if it sits for more than 3 months.

You may need to put some fresh gas into the carburetor.
 
Thanks Chris, with this model, when you pull the fuel sediment cup, you basically drain the carb at the same time... It might be worth trying though before I try and buy a new carb, although at just $20 or so, I might just order it anyways.
 
Make sure u are getting fuel to the spark plug. Sometimes there is a gas shut off valve. Sounds stupid but I have done it before
 
Thanks Keith. There is an electrical shutoff for low oil lvl, but I've verified that with a meter, it's closed, AND the getting voltage at the plug makes me pretty sure that's not the issue. Haven't really checked the throttle valve though, so you're right, it might be busted and I'm not getting gas to the carb, or perhaps just not ENOUGH gas
 
Did you try to get it running with starting fluid? If it starts for a second and quits again you aren't getting fuel. Also, the fuel might be bad in it if it sat for a while untreated.
 
acdraindrps said:
Did you try to get it running with starting fluid? If it starts for a second and quits again you aren't getting fuel. Also, the fuel might be bad in it if it sat for a while untreated.
Click to expand...

Yep. Get a gallon of 93 gas and run carb cleaner through it. Never store w/o Sta-Bil. I learned the hard way with a mower in a summer home... The fix should be less than 5 bucks.
 
Thanks guys, hoping I don't need any of this tomorrow, but you never know... Gas did not sit in it though, I stored it dry
 
I had a problem like this with the snow blower this winter turned out I must have gotten crap gas and it was all water had to drain the old and put new in and spray the heck out of the carb with cleaner and starting fluid
 
jfl14609 said:
I had a problem like this with the snow blower this winter turned out I must have gotten crap gas and it was all water had to drain the old and put new in and spray the heck out of the carb with cleaner and starting fluid
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I'm going to have to do if power goes out today! :debi:
 
Yeah, I hear that Justin... So far so good, but it's startin to stick and it's that thick heavy wet business. Hoping my fears are unfounded
 
Instead of using a meter to check voltage, take the spark plug out, connect it to the wire, ground the electrode to the metal on the engine, and pull the rope. Watch for a good spark. If you have spark, try putting a few cc's of gas down the carb. If it tries to start, you have a fuel issue, which would be my guess. Sometimes the diaphragm fuel pump goes bad, and sometimes the carb get gummed up. You can thank the ethanol in the fuel.

I highly recommend that everyone runs an additive that helps combat the effects of ethanol in all their small engines. Something like this: http://www.goldeagle.com/products/productA16B.aspx
 
redrider911 said:
Instead of using a meter to check voltage, take the spark plug out, connect it to the wire, ground the electrode to the metal on the engine, and pull the rope. Watch for a good spark. If you have spark, try putting a few cc's of gas down the carb. If it tries to start, you have a fuel issue, which would be my guess. Sometimes the diaphragm fuel pump goes bad, and sometimes the carb get gummed up. You can thank the ethanol in the fuel.

I highly recommend that everyone runs an additive that helps combat the effects of ethanol in all their small engines. Something like this: http://www.goldeagle.com/products/productA16B.aspx
Click to expand...

Man up -- hold the plug palm closed tight and pull as hard as you can. You'll know instantly if you have a good spark.
 
Could always use brake clean and spray it into the carb when you are cranking it over... If it is just a problem of it not getting fuel it will run off the brake clean. At that point you know you have a fuel issue. If it still does not start and you are confident it has plenty of spark, I would check compression.
I strictly use Honda equipment that use small engines....have proven to be reliable for me. I have a lawn mower that is 28 years old and I have never cleaned the carb....starts first pull every time.
 
If you narrow it down to a fuel issue, I can bet the float it sticking. make sure it moves up and down...soak it in carb cleaner for a wile and hose it off with brake clean. Reinstall the bowl and prime it.
 
If it was stored completely dry you may have gotten a small amount of corrosion in the Carb. Just a thought.
 
Well if anyone is still reading this, I had another whack at it today, this time with some starter fluid at hand. Popped the air cleaner off, squirted some starter fluid, choked her up and flipped the switch. Chug Chug, Vroom, Vroom, Vroom, bleh. Tried a couple more times, same result. It catches for bout 5 seconds till the starter fuel is out, then it putters to a stop. If I hit it with starter fluid repeatedly, it purrs nicely. So I'm pretty sure I can rule out compression and valve issues and go straight to fuel.

I turned the throttle down to stop fuel, drained the basin under the carb, plugged it back up, and turned the fuel line back on. Left it for 30 secs, turned the fuel/throttle back off, and checked the carb basin again, and it was indeed full. So I'm getting gas to at least the bottom of the carb, but it's not getting sucked up into the air mix. With the carb basin off, I double checked this. Held the float valve up, opened fuel line, no gas. Let it drop, boom gas, so I'm clearly getting fuel to the basin of the carb, it's just not wicking up into the middle for the fuel/air mix.

Running out of time, I tried for giggles draining the little bit of fuel that was in there back into a jug, venting the line, adding fresh, and re-filling the line. Re-assemble, still no dice, but still good fire with starter fluid in the fuel/air mix.

The carb looks clean as a freaking whistle, but of course I can't see the really tiny hole the fuel is supposed to vacuum suck up into the mixing chamber itself... I was also running out of time/light at this point, so I decided to bring it into work tomorrow and see what I can't dissect about it at lunch. Maybe a run through the ultrasonic cleaner as well for good measure. If that doesn't work, time to ask Dr google for a new one

And a quick edit, I smell like gasoline :D
 
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