Generator Runs/Quits Running

I guess I'm thinking a generator is a tool, so posting here. Neighbor has a (small???) generator with rope start. It'd been running fine all day. He put in some blue gas (from Sam's Club). I tried to help him with it. It'd start fine and run 15-20 seconds then die. I think it is a fuel issue. I drained the carburetor but that didn't help. We siphoned the gas and put in fresh, clean gas. We also poured Seafoam into the carb, but still the same thing - runs, then dies. A seed floating in the carburetor? Ice floating in the tank? What could be the problem?
 
Pull the hose off the carb inlet and check the flow. Dripping -- no good running like a small soda straw good. if no good it is the tank. If good it is could be plugged at the needle and seat. It could also have a plugged up main jet. Jim
 
What old always says, take the drain plug out of the carb and turn on the gas, it should run a steady stream until the tank is empty. If it doesn't, find out why!
 
I have had several small 3500 to 8000 watt generators brought to me this winter. All had been sitting and not started for some time. I had to remove and clean the carbs on everyone of them. Jets had to be removed and cleaned. All repaired and back in service except one. Fuel tank rusted and leaking on it. New tank ordered and on the way. It was left sitting outside since last winter. Got it running off a lawnmower tank now. Most people never try and start a generator until they need to use one. They should be started and let run a few minutes every month if you want good service from them.
 

A few years back I had a honda gen that would run about 30 sec. then shut off. It would not fire right back up you had to wait a min then it would fire up. In the end It was the dagum SPARK PLUG.

I learned a a single cylinder engine to get a new plug a plug is not gonna break me... : )

If it were a fuel issue that would be ease to eliminate inject fuel in the throat of the carb...

https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=1369090&highlight=honda
 
Have you changed the sparkplug? I have a nice little Honda generator that got to where it would run exactly four minutes and then die. After about fifteen minutes it would start on the first pull and run another four minutes then die again. Consistantly. Fuel supply seemed good. Being a smart(?) guy, I was sure it was the coil breaking down. I put in a new coil, started it and it ran exactly four minutes and died. I put in a new spark plug and it has ran perfectly since.
 
There is a gas called turbo blue an is
blue there is a station in town that
sells it to the race car guys. Some
tractor pullers use it also.
 
When you say blue gas because there's a racing fuel that blue and if he put in there it's to rich for the motor and sounds like it's fouls the spark plug.
 

He said he got the fuel at Sam's Club.
I doubt they sell U.S. Government only diesel.

I also doubt they sell blue racing gasoline with lead or 100 octane aviation gas either.

Maybe the pump handle was blue which would mean E15 gas.

Or he bought a can of 2 stroke pre mixed gas?
 
Make sure the Micky Mouse fuel shut off is actually fully turning on. If he put Turbo Blue Racing gas in it it probably would not start. Racing gas has a high Reid Vapor number to prevent vapor lock and is designed to use in warm temps. When you switch to higher octane racing gas you need to use larger jets to get more actual gasoline in the engine, as it has a lot of additives to increase the octane level. If you don't believe me check the spec sheets for the various fuels.
 
I have had that problem with a Honda motor and it was the spark plug breaking down when it got hot. Acted just like it was running out of gas. Didnt run but about 30 seconds and shut down. Let it cool a few seconds and it would start right up.
 
Some of the smaller Hondas have a vacuum operated fuel pump. The carb bowl should have a drain plug. Run it till it dies and then quickly check the drain for any fuel left in the bowl.
 
I got tired of the portable thing, haul it out periodically to run it and keep it ready. When needed for a power outage, round up the gas cans hoping they are full, round up the extension cords, hope the battery is up, hope it still runs after your last periodic operate cycle, hope you got all the old fuel run out of it when last tested, load it up in the FEL and haul it over to the house and all that mess.

Bought a Generac permanent home generator and it automatically starts once a week and runs for 15 minutes and shuts down. Run it on propane with it's own 250 gallon tank. Plenty of fuel available and never a fuel problem with Propane; operation is automatic, what can I say. Bought it in Feb, 2014. Once a year I change the filter and 0W-30 Mobil 1. Have replaced the battery once and the OEM oil filter started leaking (a wee bit) at the crimp seam after a few years....killed the fire ants that love electrical things accessible from the ground, other than that, maintenance free.

Moral of this story is the comment about run it to keep it in the "ready to operate" mode when needed......great idea and apparently Generac folks think so too..
 

TexasMark1. Apparently you must be the one driving Generac stock way up lately. Somebody must be buying them.

Here we go again waiting for the OP to come back and tell us what fuel they used and how they got it fixed.
 

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