Who can fix generator

[billb1201]

Powermate 5500, runs fine, low hours but lost its spark from too much time off. I need to get the juice rebooted. Any help? Thanks in advance and aloha

Aloha b.b.

[Tink]

Don't know how mechanically inclined you are, but first, bypass on/off switch to see if that is your problem. Disconnect wires in and out of the switch and use multi meter to check if switch is bad. Take apart if you can and clean, re assemble, or buy a new one.

If switch is good and still no spark, pull the flywheel cover assembly with the pull start mechanism intact, if possible. If it seem to hang up so where, you will have to pull the rope coil assembly, being careful of recoil spring winding to remember tension if it slides off wrong.
Pull flywheel by loosening nut, but not removing, to be flush with shaft end. Put pressure behind flywheel with pry bar using knee on bar, and tap the end of the shaft with a hammer and hardwood block. Flywheel should pop of relatively easy from impact shock.
Once off, take 120 grit, or fine sandpaper and sand corrosion off of inside flywheel edge magnets, and the coil ends that coincide with diameter of flywheel. Re assemble and should be good to go.
Have fun!
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Community begins with Aloha

[Jeffhale]

quote:

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Originally posted by billb1201

Powermate 5500, runs fine, low hours but lost its spark from too much time off. I need to get the juice rebooted. Any help? Thanks in advance and aloha

Aloha b.b.

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gasoline/ethanol OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CORNED GAS. If you've been using it on small engines without adding a stabilizer when storing for months or years, your carburetor is clogged. tiny holes inside the carb got glue like substance in em. Chemtool b12 has worked unbelievingly for me yet, if not, ya gotta take it apart and stick Carb Jet Cleaning Tools. It's a set of various sized but small rods for cleaning the holes and jets in your carb.

Poke out every hole ya can find and then because, there's always one ya missed, poke the holes you didn't.

I just did this to my pressure washer I'd let sit for a few years, but worse was that the danged ethanol had dissolved the stupid! {Who makes that? ethanol dissolving primer bulb for small engines!! @$#$##@!} primer bulb. Worse because it appeared perfectly fine until I pushed it in and came out with molten rubber muck all over my fingers. Which, even after replacing the bulb, and giving it a good air blow, down the holes, that junk got sucked into the carb anyway so, I had to take it apart again and poke it. usually though Chemtool does the job for me. Albeit I never had a danged melted primer bulb before, dried, cracked yes but melted? errr. Otherwise ya got this to get: "Oh, you didn't stabilize the gas before storing?" Briggs & Stratton carb # 591378
$70-100 buck-a-roos

[birdmove]

Most likely it's a plugged carb jet. But, does it have spark at he spark plug? Pull the plug, ground the threads on it to metal, like the cylinder head, turn it over and you should see a spark. Smell then plug for gasoline. In a generator that you may need to use in a storm, I'd use ethanol free gas only, AND use a fuel stabilizer too. The stabilizers that work on ethanol free gas don't work on ethanol/gas mixes. Ask me how I know.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[kalakoa]

The stabilizers that work on ethanol free gas don't work on ethanol/gas mixes. Ask me how I know.

I'll bite. What stabilizer works best for ethanol-free? Seriously: I actually had problems with ethanol-free ... although I did have to leave the tool gassed up for the better part of a year.

[birdmove]

I do't know. But, I once used Stabil on a scooter that had ethanol/gas in kit. And the pilot jet merrily plugged itself up. Stabil may have a product designed for use in ethanol/gasoline. I found this by googling:

http://www.motosport.com/product?psreferrer=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252F&pssource=true&segment=badger&key=STABIL-Ethanol-Fuel-Treatment-Stabilizer&cc=us&adpos=1o4&creative=93575775025&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&product_id=STA000J-X001-Y001&gclid=CIrw64X6mc4CFUGSfgodkCIPDA

Just don't assume a regular fuel stabilizer will work on gas/ethanol blends.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[Mr nice guy]

How do you know it is the spark?

[pahoated]

Ethanol is distilled fermented corn sugar. It should be pure ethyl alcohol but it can depend on the distiller. Also, gas turns into varnish in about 3 months, left undisturbed. It seems the heat here can make gas turn to varnish in 1 month, had it happen several times with nearly full gas cans in the garage. Good gas engine practice years ago was totally drain your fuel tank and lines before leaving idle for a month or more. I have had some hard starts become easy starts after draining what looked like good gas, put in fresh gas and the engine will start right up, usually after clearing the lines of the gas sludge. Considering all the gas here is either Tesoro or Chevron, kind of wonder how good is their distillation quality?

*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*

[terracore]

There was a rumor that STA-BIL was just kerosene, and this is how the company "debunked" the rumor:

"Myth #4: “STA-BIL branded products are just kerosene.”

Here’s our official answer, direct from Chief Chemist and V.P. Of Product Engineering Mike Profetto:

“STA-BIL brand additives use a highly-purified petroleum distillate to deliver our additive package to the fuel. This solvent allows the additives to quickly blend completely into the fuel. The additives themselves would be too concentrated to blend easily, especially in cold weather. Use of more flammable solvents like gasoline would make shipping and storage too dangerous. The addition of the recommended dose of STA-BIL product to fuel has always been safe. Dozens of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have confirmed this by testing and recommending our products.”

Huh? They never said "No it's not!"

Anyways, the military uses PRI-G. It's a better value (one quart treats 512 gallons) and at the end of the year it provide protection, you can add another dose and stabilize the gas for another year (allegedly you can do this for many years).

http://www.kansaswindpower.net/PRI%20lab_tests.htm (claims PRI-G can restore 15 year old gas)
https://www.amazon.com/PRI-Fuel-Stabiliz...005JP16TA/

[hilodiver]

If your generator runs well but doesn't put out any juice, you might be able to re-energize, or "flash" it with a corded drill or angle grinder. out some of the videos on YouTube... https://youtu.be/sYBZrjeaDVc

Aloha!