Honda 2000 generator and starting fluid
 

I've got a Honda 2000 small gasoline generator that does not get used much. When it does, it requires a lot of pulls to get it started. Yesterday, I pulled at least 20 times and it didn't run. Finally, I loosed the air cleaner, squirted in some starting fluid and it fired right up on the first pull. So I'm thinking of drilling a small hole in the plastic air cleaner directly across from the throat of the carburetor and putting in a self-tapping screw which can be removed in order to squirt in a shot of ether. Anyone have an opinion on the long term effects of the use of starting fluid to avoid the strains of repeated pulls on an old man's shoulders?

It has always seemed to me that the more you use starting fluid, the harder to start the engine becomes...

Have no proof of that, and have never used ether extensively on anything that wasn't already hurting on a number of fronts...

Strange to hear of a Honda which doesn't start easily, that is one of their trademark attributes.

Maybe a simple tune up could return the engine to it's easy-start Honda ways.


Hey, there is a recall on Honda 200 generators.... maybe you can get a nice new easy to start one for nothing.:D
CPSC - American Honda Recalls Portable Generators Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

The smallest squirt possible to start it shouldn't harm the engine.

I usually see people drowning the engine in starting fluid and that where a lot of the damage comes from.

It does sound like ethanol has gummed up the fuel delivery system.

Perhaps ethanol has caused problems. However, it runs fine once it starts. Even after I shut it down, it fires up again on the first pull.

The recalled generator looks identical to mine. I'll have to check the serial number.

Ether will eventually dry out the cylinder walls, not a big deal on an engine like that with a cast-iron cylinder. It would be better to substitute a shot of gasoline if necessary. What you should do is get into the habit of shutting the fuel off when finished with the generator and allow the carb. to run out of fuel. Honda's also have a drain provision on the carb. bowl so that they can be stored completely dry, which facilitates the next start. If this is one of their newer models that combine the fuel shut-off with the ignition switch, you can turn the switch almost to the "off" position, as that will shut of the fuel before it grounds the ignition.

Ether scares the hell out of me. I don't even want to have it around.

When I have a small engine that doesn't want to start (for example, first start of the season) about a thimble full of gasoline directly into the carb usually gets it going. Works much better if it is fresh gas, not gas that is 3 or 4 months old.

I have a small glass bottle which has a nozzle with a 90 degree elbow that I keep around for this purpose, so I can get the gas into the carb without rolling the mower on its side.

That's a very useful tidbit of info. It does have that combination switch.

Good idea.

is it worth pulling the carb off, apart, cleaning out what you can see (maybe replace some rubber bits?) then re-assemble and check ? I've done this on a few small engines and never made one worse - most of the time made it better.

this might be something you can do in a warm basement/shop as opposed to car repair that requires time in a cold(?) garage.

-John

Maybe but apart from being hard starting after sitting for six months it doesn't exhibit any other problematic symptoms.

clean the carb. hondas are pretty easy, you may get away with just taking the bowl drain plug out and spraying carb cleaner in through there. once its all fixed, pick up some fresh gas, and some stabil with ethanol treatment.

Be forewarned that on some Honda's, the governor arm must be disengaged from the shaft to remove the carburetor. Failure to perform a static adjustment will result in a runaway engine and the governor weights going over-center. This will require removal of the generator from the engine to disassemble the engine and reset the governor. Shouldn't be an issue on an inverter unit, as they have electronic speed control.

We have a fleet of these at work. They are great machines and we never have issues, even when sitting. Prime, switch to start, choke back and they fire up on the first time. There have been times when they would not start because someone forgot to turn the switch to on. Not that I would ever do that.... :)

How do you prime it? That's exactly the problem I'm experiencing--no way to prime it.

Under the access cover where the filters are, etc. If they get used enough, they never need priming though.

Check youtube.

Probably time to replace diaphragms in the carburetor. If you find the OEM number (maybe Walbro for ex) for the carb you can get the parts cheap, rebuild kit. Through honda they will cost more and be more of a pain, one part at a time.

Check the fuel and air flow first.

Thanks. Here's an interesting one:

Honda EU2000i Fuel Problem - YouTube

I haven't used the generator much. I doubt I have 5 hrs on it.

Notice the drain line on the bottom of the bowl that I referred to. All this poor guy has to do is drain the carb. after each use.

For engines that you don't use much like weed eaters, lawnmowers, etc. try running them on aviation gas. It doesn't have the additives and ethanol that pump gas has. Even if you run your equipment dry before putting it up there is always a drop of fuel that dry out on the end of the tube that goes from the bowl to the venturi. I had this problem with my outboard engine.

Where do you buy aviation gas?

At airports that have civilian/light airplane service. It is about $4.5 a gal. but will save you tons of time and headache in the spring when you are trying to bring a recalcitrant week wacker back to life.

You could also use Coleman fuel to purge your fuel system, but it won't work under a load as its octane rating is very low.

After hurricane Gloria on LI, I prepped a friend's old Winco generator for storage by completely draining the fuel system and oiling the cylinder. One of his employees needed a generator after Sandy, and borrowed this one. It started in two pulls- 28 years later.

My guess as to what was/is going on with mine is that the fuel evaporated out of the carb during storage since I didn't drain it. For some reason, the fuel pump wasn't pumping enough fuel to the carb while trying to start it. Or, some small piece of varnish or debris was stuck in the jet and got blown out once the engine fired up. I say this because once the engine got the ether it fired right up and then ran fine.
I did have Stabil in the fuel but obviously, that didn't stop this problem.