some advice

larry@stinescorner

Well-known Member
A friend gave me some stuff,I posted it on T Talk ,She also had this generator
40074.jpg
It hasnt run in ten years.I got it going for her,,but the float sticks and the carb pours gas out.When I take the bowl off and lift the float,the gas stops flowing.What should I do next to fix this problem?I want to fix it for her and take it back to her.
 
Hello larry@stinescorner,

Its either the float pin sticking or the needle and seat have to be cleaned or replaced. If you had the
bowl off make sure it is in the same spot or the float may hang down, and then it can't come up to shut the
gas flow,

Guido.
 
If a new needle and seat don't fix it, That engine looks new enough that a new carburetor may still be available for it.
Be sure to put the rubber seat in with the grooved side upward. And make sure the float is level when the needle is seated.

Oh-and keep the fuel turned off at the tank when its stored.
 
Larry on the corner- I know I'll get slammed for this suggestion but, try a little Seafoam
in the gas to see if it may clean the carb. It is a easy experiment and might work. It has
helped me with some of my small engines that have sat over a few months.

If it does not work, it wasn't a lot of work to try.
 
Simplest fix is to buy a new carb. Float could have a hole in it, or it could be a replacement needle valve will fix it. But if you value your time, it's likely you will come out ahead just replacing the carb. Since it hasn't run for a long time, chances are the carburetor has more problems than just a bad needle & seat.
 
Larry, now dont tell anybody i told you this, i ll deny it. I worked on a friend of mines 301 jd tractor that sat for a long time. The odd duck carb
had no parts available. The needle and seat were pretty bad and stuck constantly. I took a q tip, chucked it in a dremel and used buffing
compound to clean up the needle and seat. It worked good. This message will self destruct in 10 seconds.
 
Good chance the float is sticking to the small rod that holds it in place. Carefully pull the rod out and clean it and the float where it goes threw it then see if the float moves freely. BTDT many times on old small engine
 
I'm glad someone else said Seafoam! I have been storing our generator with a little oil in the gas and it seems to keep better, used to have trouble with float sticking.
 
When the coop delivers gas to the overhead barrel I dump a gallon jug of seafoam in it. Everything around here that's gas gets that fuel. I don't ever have any carb issues or storage problems. I'm a believer in it.
 
Typical causes for a flooding carbs is a sticky residue left from evaporating gas, and trash coming down the fuel line.

Try removing the float and needle, cleaning up the bowl area and as many passages you can with spray carb cleaner. Being 10 years old, it is time for new fuel lines. The old lines deteriorate on the inside and can release pieces of rubber that clog or hold the needle valve open.

Look inside the tank for rust and dirt, remove and flush the old gas. There may be a filter in the bottom of the tank, or an inline screen. If there is, be sure to clean it. If there is not a filter, add one if there is room. Use a screen type for small engines, not an automotive paper one.

Before reconnecting the fuel line to the carb, open the fuel valve and let some gas flush the line before connecting to the carb.

If it runs well, with no surging, and pulls a load, all is well! But if it acts lean, surges, will only run part choked... There is something clogged inside the carb. Problem is there are passages that are plugged once the carb is in final assembly and are very difficult to clean. Replacement carbs have gotten very affordable, but you have to research and buy online, not from the dealer!

Once you get it running, it will probably go back into storage. You could drain the tank and carb completely dry, fuel it when it's needed. Or invest in some non ethanol gas and some stabilizer. Otherwise it will be in the same condition next time it is needed.
 

I fought with an 25 year old 8hp B&S for a day trying to solve the same problem and get it running again.. that nite found a new carb for 20 bucks on Ebay... two days later it's running like new... my day is worth way more than 20 bucks. also if you can, put an inline fuel cutoff (if it doesn't have one built in) and run it dry after each use...you'll thank me later... gud luck
John
 
Take it apart and clean it. Common problem on engines that have been sitting for awhile. Gets some spray carb cleaner. Soak the parts down and blow
them off with air.
 
This is genius!
The message didn't self destruct before I read it. I just love fixes like this, I wish I had found it sooner.

Thanks a million!

Larry
 
I'm going to add my vote for at least pricing what a replacement carb costs. The primer bulb had deteriorated on a walk behind mower of mine and the bulb itself was on the order of $5 and a whole new carb was $12. Made the old machine really run nice again. Had a very similar experience with a string trimmer this summer. You could easily spend half a day trying to mess with the existing carb and not be any better off afterwards. Now if you find that the only pricing you can find is $60+ maybe try to see what you can do. If you can find an original part number for the carb you might get lucky and be able to source it at a better price. That was my experience on the trimmer mentioned above, Red Max wanted ~$60 I found that it was actually a Walbro carb that could be bought as a generic unit for about $14.

Good Luck and let us know what you find,

Kirk
 
The possibilities are as follows:
Sticking needle and seat.
Float sank. For whatever reason, the float does not float. Brass ones can leak, foam ones can get soaked. Plastic ones are not immune to sinking.
Float could be sticking on the float pin, but this is unusual, and usually the result of rust/corrosion from sitting in a damp environment.

Getting a carb will most likely be an expensive proposition. Carbs for 2-stroke string trimmers and leaf blowers are readily available in the $10 range. Carbs for B&S 5.5 HP engines are not so "inexpensively" available. More like in the $60 to $90 range.
 
I did not see anyone mention that when a float gets real dirty from old fuel and corrosion that it will not float good nuf to shut the needle
properly -- get it clean ! good luck Dude !
 
(quoted from post at 12:50:14 09/06/16)
I fought with an 25 year old 8hp B&S for a day trying to solve the same problem and get it running again.. that nite found a new carb for 20 bucks on Ebay... two days later it's running like new... my day is worth way more than 20 bucks. also if you can, put an inline fuel cutoff (if it doesn't have one built in) and run it dry after each use...you'll thank me later... gud luck
John

I did the same except it was a 20+ yr. old 5 hp. Tecumseh engine on a chipper/shredder. Had the carb off three times cleaning it, never could get the float off, the pin was so gummed up it wouldn't move. Got tired of fooling with and and found that Amazon had a new carb for $14. Waiting for it to arrive this week.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top