Help me get a 2.8KVA Petrol generator Started

DJMK4

DJMK4

DJMK4

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Not sure if this should go in here or motors tbh, but oh well, I have a petrol generator ala http://shop.smallplantrepairs.co.uk...Path=/Shops/es106741_shop/Products/3000petrol

It used to run fine, hasnt been started in about a year and 2 months, 4 months spent covered in the garden (protected from rain) and the rest in a lock up facility.

We cant seem to get it started, have tried the usual, make sure there is fuel, checked the choke settings, apparently the oil has been checked, only thing that hasn't at this point is the spark plug, I am going to pick it up this evening take it home and check the plug.

When you switch it on and try to do a pull start it sounds as if its going to start, coughs a bit then dies.

Considering its not been started for a while do you think it just needs some TLC? any tips on getting this started? I am going to trawl through google when I get a sec later.
 
Was the fuel drained when it was stored? Odds are it's evaporated and varnished up the carb.

Stripdown time.
 
SB118 said:
Was the fuel drained when it was stored? Odds are it's evaporated and varnished up the carb.

Stripdown time.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the tank was drained before it was stored, weather there was a tiny bit in there somewhere I dont know :(
 
Take air filter off soak and wash in petrol
Make sure your petrol is fresh and not contaminated with water
I'd plump for a new plug

Make sure you have a spark at the HT cap and then the plug
Pull off the HT cap and spin over a few times take plug out and see if wet

If you have a wet plug and a good spark there should be no reason for it not to start.
 
Makes sense, never heard of the air filter being soaked and washed in petrol though? :confused:

Petrol is fresh, was purchased yesterday.

Will let you know how I get on over, will probably have a tinker with it tomorrow as I dont get home till late tonight, need to get it up and running before I sell it.
 
Above the air filter there is probably a choke, close it up when starting, then be ready to open it before the engine dies.

Check the spark lead is OK by shorting it to the case as you crank it (stuff a screwdriver down the rubber hood to reach the contact), you should get a small spark. Wiggle the lead when refitting to get a good contact.

Under the carb there is probably a little bowl, mine fills up with petrol if started too many times. Open it up and tip out the petrol, retry.
 
Have you tried some easy start? Or spray some carb cleaner and see if it splutters when you try to start it, if it does, it will be fuel that's gone off, or fuel delivery problem, if it doesn't splutter, it will be a spark problem.

The air filter when cleaned in petrol should be lightly soaked in oil afterwards.
 
When our Generator has trouble starting, trying it with the choke fully open often gets it going, especially when it's very cold.
 
Took the filter out, gave it a clean, waiting for
It to dry so I can pour some petrol on it (is this best or oil?)

After fighting with it for abit I managed to get it strarted with air filter out and choke
Fully open for about half a minute and it died, just trying to bring it back again.
 
Think I may have spotted the issue, although not sure, there is a pipe coming from the air filter which has splits down it, and it's just hanging there, just across the way there is the engine head near the spark plug, there is a hole on the side of the head, should this pipe be going in there? Iv repaired the pipe by wrapping in electric tape.
 
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clean spark plug and dismantle and clean the carb and drain old petrol from the tank, filling it with fresh..
not sure what that pipe is, maybe its the crankcase breather.. to burn oil vapour.
 
zipp0r said:
clean spark plug and dismantle and clean the carb and drain old petrol from the tank, filling it with fresh..
not sure what that pipe is, maybe its the crankcase breather.. to burn oil vapour.
Click to expand...

Yeah tried cleaning the spark plug a few times, the first time I cleaned it it kicked it over and chugged, then died, but each time then, nothing really apart from a couple of backfire's

I will be trying to clean out this carb bowl that I keep hearing about.

This is the pipe I am on about, sorry didnt get a pic today but here is my amazing diagram in paint :), ill get a pic tomorrow

You can see "AF" is the air filter, "SP" is the Spark plug, "H" is the head and the black circle on the head is a round hole, the pipe coming off the air filter is left hanging there, and not sure if its supposed to be going in to that hole or not.

diagram.jpg
 
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you've done the plug so it probably isnt that.
the float bowl is only one of the things that will need cleaning. theres the float valve what lets petrol into the bowl. the main jet and needle which has the fuel sucked through it. and i would think it maybe has 2 more jets.. the idle jet and choke jet. and the throttle itself, it will probs be a piston rather than a butterfly.

urm that pipe wont go into a hole. rubber pipes usually slide over a metal pipe with a bulge near the tip. it might be meant to go nowhere and just be a vent for overflow of the float bowl or a breather for the crank case.

have a google for carb dismantling & cleaning guides, you might find a guide/video for cleaning generator carbs like yours!
 
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