In detail: do-it-yourself gas generator repair no voltage from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Gasoline generators, even if they are made in China, very reliable with proper care. However, during their operation, small problems can occur, which can usually be quickly fixed by hand. Serious breakdowns, if the owner knows the device and the principle of operation of the generator, will also not be able to disable it for a long time.
If you arrange the possible malfunctions of the gas generator in a kind of rating, you get the following list:
Failure or contamination of the spark plug: difficult or impossible to start, unstable operation.
Violation of valve clearances: difficult start, increased noise during operation.
Brush wear (on synchronous generators) - no output voltage.
Malfunction of the speed controller: floating engine speed, dips when changing the load.
Wear of the bearings of the crankshaft and the rotor of the generator - an increase in the noise of operation, oil leakage.
Wear of the cylinder, piston rings - difficult starting of a cold engine, excessive oil consumption.
It does not take into account breakdowns that are the result of a gross violation of the rules for operating the generator: for example, scuffing on the crankshaft journal due to insufficient oil level, burnout of the generator windings or voltage converter (on inverter gasoline generators) with frequent overloads.
Video (click to play).
In fact, malfunctions of a gasoline generator can be divided into three groups: mechanical, electrical and fuel/ignition system faults.
Difficulty starting the generator, which manifested itself suddenly and is not accompanied by an increase in the noise of the engine, is a clear sign of either deviations in the operation of the carburetor (too lean or rich mixture) or a faulty ignition system (weak or intermittent spark formation). Since the diagnostics of the state of these systems are interconnected, it is combined into one section.
Remove the spark plug and inspect the deposits on its electrodes.
Dense and dry black soot - A sign of a rich mixture (faulty carburetor, clogged air filter);
Oily black soot - a sign of severe wear of the piston rings, oil enters the combustion chamber;
White soot - a sign of running on a lean mixture, it is necessary to check the carburetor.
Brick brown soot - normal for carbureted engines.
Red, green-red soot - a consequence of working on low-quality fuel.
It is easy to check the performance of the ignition system itself because of its extreme simplicity: turn on the ignition, insert a known-good spark plug into the candle cap and, placing it with a skirt on the nearest metal part of the engine, turn the manual starter sharply. If there is no spark, disconnect the ignition switch and the oil level sensor in turn from the ignition coil: if there is still no spark when both elements are disconnected, replace the ignition coil.
If the spark is present and has sufficient strength (white or blue-white), remove the spark plug after several attempts to start. A spark plug flooded with gasoline is a sign of over-enrichment of the mixture, a dry one is a sign of a lack of fuel.
Sometimes, after long storage, the needle and float of the carburetor stick and do not allow gasoline to flow inside. A few times abruptly, but do not hit the float chamber cover very hard and restart.
The most common carburetor malfunction is its contamination. The ingress of dirt into the air channels leads to a re-enrichment of the mixture, in the fuel jets - to depletion. Dirt on the float shut-off needle leads to loss of tightness and overflow of the float chamber, which will be immediately noticeable by fuel leakage from the carburetor.
Consider the maintenance of a carburetor using the example of a Honda GX installed on engines - its design is typical for a gasoline generator.
Remove the float chamber cover (4). Wash it in gasoline or aerosol carburetor cleaner - dirt and deposits accumulate on its bottom.
Do the same with the gas cock sump (22).
Check if the gas valve is blown in the "open" position.
Remove the float shaft (3), remove the float and locking needle (2). Blow out the channel with air.
Blow out the fuel jet (25), emulsion tube (11) and all carburetor passages with an aerosol cleaner or compressed air.
Turn out the adjusting screw (5), blow through its channel. Then turn it all the way in and loosen it, depending on the type of air filter, by 2 (foam rubber, paper filters) - 2.5 turns (cyclone filters).
Assemble the carburetor.
The electrical system of gas generators is quite reliable. Most often, you will encounter two problems: no battery charging on generators with electric start or lack of voltage at the output of the generator.
The lack of battery charging is a consequence of the failure of the rectifier or low-voltage winding. Checking this system with your own hands is simple: connect a 12-volt light bulb in parallel with the low-voltage winding of the generator and start it. A burning light means that the generator itself is working properly, and the rectifier needs to be replaced.
The absence of voltage at the generator output is most often the result of brush wear. Remove them and assess the degree of wear, replace if necessary. If your generator is an inverter type, check if the voltage comes to the input of the converter by connecting a low-power 220 V lamp in parallel with it.
Video about the phased repair of a gas generator
One of the routine maintenance provided for in the operating instructions for gas generators is the control and adjustment, if necessary, of valve clearances. An increase in clearances in excess of the norm will lead to a decrease in engine power, an increase in noise during operation. The most dangerous is the decrease in the gap, since it is not audible during operation, but pinched valves, especially the exhaust, begin to burn rapidly. As a result, the engine starts to work unstably and when the plate burns out, it stops starting.
Valve Adjustment Procedure pretty simple:
Remove all components that prevent the removal of the engine valve cover.
Remove the spark plug.
Remove the valve cover.
Set the crankshaft to the top dead center of the compression stroke by the mark on the flywheel (if any) or by controlling the movement of the piston through the spark plug hole. Do not confuse compression TDC (both valves are closed) with exhaust TDC (exhaust valve closes, intake valve opens).
Loosen the locknuts of the adjusting screws and use a flat feeler gauge inserted between the rocker arm and the end of the valve to set the clearances by turning the screw. Usually, a gap of 0.2 mm is adopted for the exhaust valve, and 0.15 for the inlet valve (check in the operating instructions).
Tighten the locknuts and rotate the crankshaft twice to TDC. If everything is done correctly, at the next dead center both gaps will go away, after another turn they will take on the set value. The gaps that increased after the first revolution are a sign that they were adjusted at the TDC of the exhaust stroke.
Assemble the generator.
Manual starter malfunctions - perhaps most common mechanical problem. Either the cable breaks, or the starter refuses to reel it in due to a broken return spring, or the ratchet does not turn the crankshaft.
Remove the starter by unscrewing the bolts around the perimeter of its casing. By unscrewing the screw (1), the ratchet mechanism can be removed. Check its cams (4) and return springs (5). Then carefully remove the pulley together with the spring (7). Replace broken cable or broken spring, depending on what caused the repair.
When assembling the starter, care must be taken to ensure that the spring remains engaged with the casing and pulley while it is being reinstalled. The rope must be fully wound on the pulley. With the ratchet in place, check the cable travel and how the starter returns to its original position.
Overview and repair of the Einhell STE800 gas generator