How to Clean a Generator Carburetor

Wondering why and how to clean the generator carburetor? Well, you’ve just come to the right place! Our article contains complete information about cleaning a generator’s carburetor so continue reading!

Before diving in, it’s important to note that for any generator to perform smoothly, it does require good care and maintenance, both in terms of its usage and cleaning.

For a generator that hasn’t been used very often, maintenance is even more required for it because it would have been sitting for a period of time and now before you use it, you’ll need to properly clean it for a smooth working.

Also, to clean a generator carburetor, you’ll remove the carburetor first and then do the rest of the cleaning. Our article contains steps on how to remove the generator carburetor as well. When you’re done, assemble it back and your generator will be all clean, all good to go again!

Why Do You Need to Clean Generator Carburetor in the First Place?

For any generator to work efficiently and smoothly, it does require some maintenance and cleaning, specifically a crucial part of it. What happens is, the Ethanol fuels inside the generator’s carburetor draw moisture to themselves which means when the moisture stays in there, it may cause the fuel tank and the carburetor to corrode.

Also, because fuel evaporates over time, if it’s there in the fuel tank and isn’t being used, the ethanol evaporates and by the end of it, a sticky residue remains. As a result of this, the carburetor becomes clogged and doesn’t work properly. And now, it requires cleaning to get back to working smoothly.

You might want to read: How to Clean a Generator

Clean Up Your Generator’s Carburetor in a Few Easy Steps

Before we move on to the steps, here’s a thing you need to know. If you intend to perform the carburetor cleaning without removing it, you can use a carburetor cleaning product like Gumout or SeaFoam Motor Treatment. They’re pretty much effective in performing the cleaning of generator carburetors.

Clean Up Your Generator’s Carburetor in a Few Easy Steps

However, in our opinion, removing the carburetor and then doing the cleaning is best. It would require more effort, but it would also clean up the carburetor thoroughly.

Tools You’ll Need!

Here are the tools you should make sure you have with your side when you’re ready to clean up your generator’s carburetor.

  1. Flathead screwdriver
  2. An adjustable wrench
  3. Pliers
  4. Thin gauge wire
  5. Carburetor cleaner

Steps to Follow!

Follow these steps now.

REMOVE THE CARBURETOR FIRST

  1. First of all, turn off the fuel-flow valve. Consult the instructions manual for this purpose.
  2. Unscrew the drainage screw to drain the carburetor. Again, consult the manual for your specific product.
  3. Next, you need to disconnect the fuel intake line from the carburetor. With the pliers, remove the spring clip from the intake port of the fuel lines and remove the fuel line. In some cases, fuel lines are clamped using small Phillip’s head hose clamps instead of the spring clips.
  4. Also, know that fuel lines stuck in the fuel port can be pried from the fuel port using a flathead screwdriver.
  5. Now is the time to disconnect the carburetor. The carburetor is connected to the engine by through-bolts, which you can now unscrew with a 10mm socket wrench. If you’re not sure which bolts need to be unscrewed, consult your product manual for an exploded view.
  6. Then using needle-nose pliers, gently remove the springs and wire tensioning cables from your carburetor.
  7. Remove the carburetor by pulling gently but firmly. Disconnect the carburetor drainage tubes if any.

CLEAN THE CARBURETOR NOW

Now that you’ve removed the carburetor, here’s how to clean it.

  1. You might see a lot of dirt and debris all over the carburetor bowl. Take a brush or use compressed air to clean it all up.
  2. When you’re done with cleaning the bowl, clean the jets now. Because the jets are small and narrow, you’ll need to clean them with a small wire brush or needle. Be gentle though. Make sure you do not damage them. Here’s a detailed related post that might be helpful for you.
  3. Now reassemble the carburetor, and connect back the fuel lines and the drainage tube if there are any disconnected.

How Do You Know that Generator Carburetor Needs Cleaning?

Here are some hints showing that your generator’s carburetor demands cleaning.

How Do You Know that Generator Carburetor Needs Cleaning

  • If the generator doesn’t start, it’s probably because the carburetor is dirty or clogged. So, a cranking or turning-over engine that won’t catch or start is one of the signs that you need to clean the carburetor.
  • If the generator is running roughly and is producing black smoke, it means the fuel is unsuitably rich or lean, which is again an indication of a carburetor requiring cleaning.
  • Clogged or dirty carburetors can lead to overflowing fuel, and wetting spark plugs as it exits the carburetor bowl vents. As a result, your generator won’t run even if it starts up. This is also a sign that you need to clean up the carburetor.

Here’s How You Can Prevent Carburetor Issues!

Abstention is better than treatment! And so, there are some things you can do to prevent your carburetor from having issues in the first place.

STABILIZE YOUR FUEL USING STABILIZERS – Stabilizing the fuel helps to clean carbon deposits and improve fuel economy by reducing carburetor problems caused by ethanol fuel.

NEVER STORE FUEL IN THE GENERATOR – Empty the carburetor and fuel tank after the generator cools off during the off-season. Do not let the fuel stay in.

Tip: Run the generator until the generator’s fuel tank is empty if the carburetor doesn’t have a drain.

AVOID USING OLD FUEL – Best-case scenarios include cool temperatures and great gas cans to extend fuel life. Your fuel’s life span is reduced by hot temperatures, while it is increased by stabilizers. Ensure that the fuel you use in your generator is not old.

How to Clean a Generator Carburetor – FAQs

Can you clean a carburetor without taking it apart?
Yes, you can. Different carburetor cleaning products could be used to clean the carburetor without taking it apart. Many of the carburetor problems can be fixed without requiring it to remove from the generator.
Can you use wd40 as a carb cleaner?
Yes, you can. Your generator carburetor can be cleaned with WD-40 within minutes. You will get a clean and healthy machine in no time using the powerful liquid that uses a solvent formula to break down the carbon contamination in the carburetor.
Where do you spray carburetor cleaner on a generator?
Simply spray the cleaner onto the carburetor, through its opening. Watch the video below:

 

Conclusion

The most important thing for the good working of your generators is to use high-quality fuel only. Low-quality fuels not only decrease the life span of the machine, but they also contribute to accumulating dirt and clogging more often.

Other than that, it’s extremely important to keep the carburetor of the generator clean as we’ve described above.

Concluding this piece of information here, hoping that we’ve been helpful to our readers through our article.

Leave a Reply