Posted: 7/15/2014 4:13:40 AM EDT
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Welp, hit up Menards over the weekend and found a 2000 watt Steele Generator on clearance for 95 bucks. The sticker on it had a handwritten note that said "needs adjustment", so I thought what the hell and asked the manager if they would take 80 and they did.
http://steele-products.com/portfolio/sp-gg200/gallery/generators/ Here is what I got: -Generator starts when cold and choked every time on the 1st or 2nd pull. -It will run flawlessly with choke off and do its thing. --IF you turn it off, even after only 5 seconds of run-time, it will not start back up. Here's what I have done: -Checked fuel line/float bowl, etc. -Cleaned carb from top to bottom -Flushed the system and put in 89 octane - Adjusted the valve lash from .020/Exhaust .015/Intake to .005/Exhaust .005/Intake with no change. Then Set them both to .010 and left it. -The carb has NO adjustment screws for mixture, only brass plugs. -Adjusted the ONLY 2 generator adjustment points, the Minimum throttle butterfly valve screw, and the governor screw which seems to set the RPM at which the unit actually runs, thus effecting AC frequency output. Last bit of helpful info: -If I manually close the throttle butterfly valve when starting after its warmed up, I can get it to start and then slowly increase the throttle over about 3 -5 seconds, then it will start and run every time. FTLOG any other thoughts aside from using this as an anchor? 
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If you shut it off and then try to re-start it immediately, you say it won't start. Does it have to cool down and then it starts just fine again??
Makes me think that there might be an issue with the ignition system. NORMALLY an electronic ignition system either works or doesn't. However, I have seen ignition systems that will run under ideal conditions but don't make a hot enough spark when hot and when turning at slower than normal speeds (like when you are trying to pull start it). |
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If you shut it off and then try to re-start it immediately, you say it won't start. Does it have to cool down and then it starts just fine again?? Makes me think that there might be an issue with the ignition system. NORMALLY an electronic ignition system either works or doesn't. However, I have seen ignition systems that will run under ideal conditions but don't make a hot enough spark when hot and when turning at slower than normal speeds (like when you are trying to pull start it). Well it will start and run just fine at a very low idle if you manually close the throttle butterfly valve which leads me to believe its not a weak spark.. It does have to "cool" down, even after running for 5 seconds. I've never worked with a governor system on a genny before, so any idea if the butterfly valve should close when the engine is off? Right now the throttle opens all the way when the engine isn't running, so in my mind it would be like trying to start your car with your foot pushing the throttle to the floor. |
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so 2 thought/questions
if you full choke it (assuming it is manual) does it start? because that should work like the butterfly's being closed manually. can you see what is causing them to be held open? might be a bent bracket or something hanging it wide open after the throttle lifts off. |
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so 2 thought/questions if you full choke it (assuming it is manual) does it start? because that should work like the butterfly's being closed manually. -Nope, choke does nothing when it is fully closed after the initial cold start. can you see what is causing them to be held open? might be a bent bracket or something hanging it wide open after the throttle lifts off. -Well I have very limited experience with governors, so although nothing is hanging up and it will adjust rpm according to load, I dont know if its normal to open the throttle butterfly all the way when the unit turns off. |
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-Well I have very limited experience with governors, so although nothing is hanging up and it will adjust rpm according to load, I dont know if its normal to open the throttle butterfly all the way when the unit turns off. Quoted:
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so 2 thought/questions if you full choke it (assuming it is manual) does it start? because that should work like the butterfly's being closed manually. -Nope, choke does nothing when it is fully closed after the initial cold start. can you see what is causing them to be held open? might be a bent bracket or something hanging it wide open after the throttle lifts off. -Well I have very limited experience with governors, so although nothing is hanging up and it will adjust rpm according to load, I dont know if its normal to open the throttle butterfly all the way when the unit turns off. It's normal. When the engine shuts off on governor equipped engines, the governor will open the throttle wide open. Could also be a bad carb. When the engine won't start, is it being starved of fuel or flooded? Crank it 5-6 times when it won't start and then look at the plug...is it wet or dry? |
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It's normal. When the engine shuts off on governor equipped engines, the governor will open the throttle wide open. Could also be a bad carb. When the engine won't start, is it being starved of fuel or flooded? Crank it 5-6 times when it won't start and then look at the plug...is it wet or dry? Quoted:
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so 2 thought/questions if you full choke it (assuming it is manual) does it start? because that should work like the butterfly's being closed manually. -Nope, choke does nothing when it is fully closed after the initial cold start. can you see what is causing them to be held open? might be a bent bracket or something hanging it wide open after the throttle lifts off. -Well I have very limited experience with governors, so although nothing is hanging up and it will adjust rpm according to load, I dont know if its normal to open the throttle butterfly all the way when the unit turns off. It's normal. When the engine shuts off on governor equipped engines, the governor will open the throttle wide open. Could also be a bad carb. When the engine won't start, is it being starved of fuel or flooded? Crank it 5-6 times when it won't start and then look at the plug...is it wet or dry? -Its not flooded, if anything I think it may be too lean.. Ill check the plug after trying what you suggested tonight and report my findings. |
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-Its not flooded, if anything I think it may be too lean.. Ill check the plug after trying what you suggested tonight and report my findings. Quoted:
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so 2 thought/questions if you full choke it (assuming it is manual) does it start? because that should work like the butterfly's being closed manually. -Nope, choke does nothing when it is fully closed after the initial cold start. can you see what is causing them to be held open? might be a bent bracket or something hanging it wide open after the throttle lifts off. -Well I have very limited experience with governors, so although nothing is hanging up and it will adjust rpm according to load, I dont know if its normal to open the throttle butterfly all the way when the unit turns off. It's normal. When the engine shuts off on governor equipped engines, the governor will open the throttle wide open. Could also be a bad carb. When the engine won't start, is it being starved of fuel or flooded? Crank it 5-6 times when it won't start and then look at the plug...is it wet or dry? -Its not flooded, if anything I think it may be too lean.. Ill check the plug after trying what you suggested tonight and report my findings. Plug looked dry. In fact, if I kill the engine by choking it, wait 10 seconds, disengage the choke and then give it a yank she will start. However, if I kill it with the choke, open the choke, wait 10 seconds and then pull, she wont fire. Makes me think it's too lean. Too bad I cant adjust the mixture. 
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Plug looked dry. In fact, if I kill the engine by choking it, wait 10 seconds, disengage the choke and then give it a yank she will start. However, if I kill it with the choke, open the choke, wait 10 seconds and then pull, she wont fire. Makes me think it's too lean. Too bad I cant adjust the mixture. Quoted:
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so 2 thought/questions if you full choke it (assuming it is manual) does it start? because that should work like the butterfly's being closed manually. -Nope, choke does nothing when it is fully closed after the initial cold start. can you see what is causing them to be held open? might be a bent bracket or something hanging it wide open after the throttle lifts off. -Well I have very limited experience with governors, so although nothing is hanging up and it will adjust rpm according to load, I dont know if its normal to open the throttle butterfly all the way when the unit turns off. It's normal. When the engine shuts off on governor equipped engines, the governor will open the throttle wide open. Could also be a bad carb. When the engine won't start, is it being starved of fuel or flooded? Crank it 5-6 times when it won't start and then look at the plug...is it wet or dry? -Its not flooded, if anything I think it may be too lean.. Ill check the plug after trying what you suggested tonight and report my findings. Plug looked dry. In fact, if I kill the engine by choking it, wait 10 seconds, disengage the choke and then give it a yank she will start. However, if I kill it with the choke, open the choke, wait 10 seconds and then pull, she wont fire. Makes me think it's too lean. Too bad I cant adjust the mixture. You can absolutely adjust the mixture. I bought a husky log splitter from tractor supply 4 months ago or so. Very VERY hard starting even after warm. Then massive surging under all conditions. I removed the bowl on the kohler engine ( identical to cheap harbor freight predator engine with a non adjustable mixture carb) and then unscrewed the brass jet from the center of the barb. I took a toothpick, chucked it up in a dewalt 18v drill and dabbed some toothpaste on the tip of the toothpic. Then i proceded to deuche the hell out of the brass jet until the tip of the toothpic became dark which indicated polishing of the brass jet, which indicated removal of a minute amount of brass in the jet. Then i did it again with another toothpick. Reassembled, and now she starts well. I have to do it one more time as it should start a little easier, and i can still ever so faintly hear a stumble and see the governor adjusting to compensate. Try it. Worked for me. |
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the problem is, that when it runs it runs fine.
if you richen it up, then it will run rich when it runs. I am confused that the choke doesn't work the same as the butterfly's. in theory they should both do the same job. but perhaps it is some other issue. you should not richen it up just for starting. you could try to prime it for hot starts but I think your overall problem is the butterfly's being stuck open after hot shutdown. |
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Plug looked dry. In fact, if I kill the engine by choking it, wait 10 seconds, disengage the choke and then give it a yank she will start. However, if I kill it with the choke, open the choke, wait 10 seconds and then pull, she wont fire. Makes me think it's too lean. Too bad I cant adjust the mixture. Quoted:
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so 2 thought/questions if you full choke it (assuming it is manual) does it start? because that should work like the butterfly's being closed manually. -Nope, choke does nothing when it is fully closed after the initial cold start. can you see what is causing them to be held open? might be a bent bracket or something hanging it wide open after the throttle lifts off. -Well I have very limited experience with governors, so although nothing is hanging up and it will adjust rpm according to load, I dont know if its normal to open the throttle butterfly all the way when the unit turns off. It's normal. When the engine shuts off on governor equipped engines, the governor will open the throttle wide open. Could also be a bad carb. When the engine won't start, is it being starved of fuel or flooded? Crank it 5-6 times when it won't start and then look at the plug...is it wet or dry? -Its not flooded, if anything I think it may be too lean.. Ill check the plug after trying what you suggested tonight and report my findings. Plug looked dry. In fact, if I kill the engine by choking it, wait 10 seconds, disengage the choke and then give it a yank she will start. However, if I kill it with the choke, open the choke, wait 10 seconds and then pull, she wont fire. Makes me think it's too lean. Too bad I cant adjust the mixture. I bet if you pull the brass plugs you will find your mixture adjustment screws under them. The plugs are to prevent people from changing the factory settings. |