Harbor Freight Generator

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racer12306

racer12306

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A coworker had a little 800W 2 stroke generator sitting around. It used to work fine, but lately he wasn't able get it started so asked if I wanted it. I'm a little more mechanically inclined than he is I believe, so I took it home yesterday to see if I will be able to get it running.

Should be a fun project this weekend.
 
It's the fuel shutoff.

The one on mine doesn't work 100%. If I leave it off for more than a week with the fuel "on", it won't start unless I pull the plug and clean it off. And spray in some starting fluid.

OR ... the fuel is shut off and you are trying to start it. Mine will run with the fuel shut off ... but won't be able to get enough fuel to restart.
 
Known issues include crummy original spark plug, fuel line degradation and fuel shut off valve failure.

These things should be addressed even on new machines!
 
80% of the time it's a dirty carb due to ethanol and failure to treat the gas.
I had one bad spark plug once in a Honda that threw me for a loop because that never happens until it did.
 
I'm not a fan of Seafoam in a modern auto engine, but for this project I think you should consider using it. Drain the tank, add fresh gas with the Seafoam in it. Then try getting it running. In addition to some lube and cleaners, the IPA removes water and seems to give small engines an octane boost.
 
There is a bolt with a 10mm head that holds the bowl onto the carb. take it and the bowel off. then poke wire through the jets etc. That and get ride of the chinese spark plug.
 
Like any cheap Chinese import OPE, the plastic and rubber parts are the weakest areas. Replacement carburetors and recoil assemblies are cheap and easy to mail order. Check the spark plug on it too. It's probably the original no-name piece of garbage. Replace it with a name brand, try fresh pre-mix and give it a go. Luckily these are pretty simple and cheap enough to keep a new one in the box for when you need it. These little 800-1000w guys are nice to have. They're fairly quiet and fuel efficient for a 2-stroke.
 
Originally Posted By: racer12306
A coworker had a little 800W 2 stroke generator sitting around. It used to work fine, but lately he wasn't able get it started so asked if I wanted it. I'm a little more mechanically inclined than he is I believe, so I took it home yesterday to see if I will be able to get it running.

Should be a fun project this weekend.


If it has reliable spark and reasonable compression Clean the carb.and the exhaust. Also replace the spark plug if the spark isn't there or weak.
 
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
80% of the time it's a dirty carb due to ethanol and failure to treat the gas.
I had one bad spark plug once in a Honda that threw me for a loop because that never happens until it did.


Stangely enough, I had two recent incidents with spark plug failure. My Jonsereds 630 chain saw wouldn't fire so I swapped out the plug from my 670 and the 630 fired right up.

This spring, my 2006 Arctic Cat 500 failed to fire after sitting all winter. I changed the plug and it fired right up. Considering my decades of experience with dozens of pieces of equipment and only one previous spark plug failure some 30 years ago, I found this to be very unusual. To make things even more perplexing was that both plugs were NGKs.
 
Minor update, haven't had a bunch of time work really dig in, but I have done a couple diagnostic things that lead me to believe the carburetor needs a good cleaning.

I drained the tank and dumped some TruFuel in it and it will start and run on starting fluid but won't run on it's own.
 
Avoid using starting fluid in a 2 stroke. Since there is no oil in it like there is with 2 stroke mixed fuel, it is basically like running the engine with no oil.
 
Like mentioned in other threads on this, a whole replacement carb kit with new hose, clamps, etc, included is under $15 shipped to your door. I'm not against opening the carb up to see what you can do, but I prefer to just replace them and then use that OEM carb as a workable spare if possible.
 
I see a lot of recommendations to just buy new carbs, and sure, if the old one is actually bent or corroded it is the only real solution. But I think that people here are more prone to actually do things themselves and the joy of rejuvenating an engine by hand is just huge. It is often just some dirt, one or two holes to free up and youre done. You will be up and running in like 20 mins compared to waiting for the part. And, if you find out it is shot, well, then only like 15 minutes lost.
 
I used to buy carb cleaner until I tried CRC throttle body cleaner on the tiny carbs …
 
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