I have this generator that seems to run out of fuel every 15 minutes. I have a clear fuel filter inline with the hose that runs from the fuel tank to the carburetor. Its all gravity feed. Anyway when the generator sits the fuel filter fills up. Once the generator is started you can watch the fuel in the clear filter slowly go down over 15 minutes until the generator starts to surge and run out of gas. Once you turn the generator off the filter slowly fills back up with fuel. Does not seem to matter if the fuel cap is on or left off. I removed the fuel filter thinking it may be an issue causing a restriction but the generator still does the same thing. Its like the tank can supply the carburetor 90% of the fuel it needs and but cant keep up with demand. What should i check?
Help with generator fuel starvation stalling issue.
- Thread starter joegreen
- Start date
Replace the fuel lines, and try blowing low pressure air back up the fuel line to the tank.
no shut off valve. just a brazed nipple to the fuel tank
yeah I will have to try that
Check for a fuel pump also, they are cheap and easy to replace.
Is the fuel tank plastic or metal? I had an older generator that had a steel tank and it started rusting inside. I'm wonder if you have rust or debris partially blocking the port on the tank for the fuel line. It is clearly something with the tank and fuel line prior to the fuel filter.
Just my $0.02
Detach the hose from the tank at the filter. You should get a very free flow of fuel out of the tank. If not, try like others said blowing some air back into the tank, but be sure to remove the fill cap before doing that. If there is rust or other crud in the bottom of the tank, the air will move it away and restore flow, but that is usually only temporary before it blocks again.
I just worked on a mower where the rubber inside the fuel hose had swelled up and blocked it. If the hose out of the tank is black rubber also check it for blockage.
I just worked on a mower where the rubber inside the fuel hose had swelled up and blocked it. If the hose out of the tank is black rubber also check it for blockage.
^^^this.
Easiest thing to test to see if the fuel tank is venting properly. Loosen the fuel cap a couple of turns and see if it runs longer without stalling.
In the original post OP states the issue is present with the fuel cap on or off.
Just my $0.02
Today i bought a new 3/16 rubber fuel line to replace what was there even though the old line had great flow. I blew out the carb inlet and the nipple on the tank. The generator still had an issue with stalling. I took the carb apart and even though online it said to set the float parallel to the carb when turned upside down it just seemed like the float would deliver barely enough fuel. I adjusted the float so the needle would come off the seat sooner and that seems to have solved the issue. I ran it for 1/2 hour today.
Some carbs have a rubber seat for the needle. This can be seen by removing the float and needle and looking into the hole where the needle goes. The rubber swells up and restricts the hole that the gas has to flow through.
The other design with a rubber tip on the needle and a metal seat doesn't have that problem.
The other design with a rubber tip on the needle and a metal seat doesn't have that problem.
This has a metal seat and rubber tipped needle. Both are in good shape.
I'll tell you a problem that happened to me 15+ years ago. It's probably not what you are experiencing, but you might keep it in mind.
The company I worked for experienced some flooding, so the boss went out and bought a brand new Briggs & Stratton-powered V-twin two cylinder trash pump to get rid of about a million gallons of water. (We had to eventually get more pumps, but that's another story) These pumps had the gas tank right in the middle of the two cylinders. It was about 105° each day and somewhat miserable.
Anyway, we'd start the pump and it would shut off about 15 minutes later when the intention was to run until it ran out of gas several hours later. I soon suspected that the engine was having vapor lock. I unbolted the fuel tank and put about 25 feet of fuel line between the tank and the carburetor and had the tank a few feet higher than the engine, 25 feet away from the engine. It worked like a charm. The boss called the B&S tech line to tell them of the vapor lock problems we were having and, according to him, "they had never experienced anything like that on their engines".
Your profile says you are in NY and it's probably not terribly hot there just yet, but again, keep this in mind as something that could happen.
The company I worked for experienced some flooding, so the boss went out and bought a brand new Briggs & Stratton-powered V-twin two cylinder trash pump to get rid of about a million gallons of water. (We had to eventually get more pumps, but that's another story) These pumps had the gas tank right in the middle of the two cylinders. It was about 105° each day and somewhat miserable.
Anyway, we'd start the pump and it would shut off about 15 minutes later when the intention was to run until it ran out of gas several hours later. I soon suspected that the engine was having vapor lock. I unbolted the fuel tank and put about 25 feet of fuel line between the tank and the carburetor and had the tank a few feet higher than the engine, 25 feet away from the engine. It worked like a charm. The boss called the B&S tech line to tell them of the vapor lock problems we were having and, according to him, "they had never experienced anything like that on their engines".
Your profile says you are in NY and it's probably not terribly hot there just yet, but again, keep this in mind as something that could happen.
