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7.0BCGC genset surging after e-10 fuel switchover???

captain_ed

Regular Contributor
My generator has not been started for 2 years. It was properly winterized and fogged before storage. I had to replace my fuel tanks due to ethanol 10% fuel. I have brand new tanks and a-1 rated fuel lines. The generator ran great on non-ethanol fuel before it was stored.

After repeated attempts, the generator would not start. Finally I sprayed carb cleaner in the air intake and it ran as long as I was spraying the gumout,then It would die. My primary fuel water seperator is new and full of fuel. I took off the fuel filter on the generator and it appeared to be clean. There was no paper fuel filter as pictured in the manual. There instead, was a metal/brass colored filter. I could not get it to unscrew.....it turned but never unscrewed. I sprayed it down with gumout, filled the bowl with gas and fired it on gumout spray. This time it continued to run.

I thought all was fine, but the generator surged in r.p.m. as it ran. I found that if I hold the "on" switch (fuel pump switch) it will run smoothly. When I release the "oN" switch it begins to surge again?????? This happens with or without a load on it. There is no smoke and it runs smoothly while holding the switch.

Can the E-10 fuel cause this??????? It ran great on "real" gas.

The manual talks about a "gain" adjustment on the controller of the electronic governor.It says the gain adjustment affects the reaction time of the actuator to the generator/engine load changes. Would this need to be adjusted after switching to E-10 fuel?????(note in manual)- "A high gain can induce an oscillating of the actuator producing a hunting mode."The manual says this is mounted in the instrument panel??? I don't know where this is??? Is it under the panel holding the "starter" and "on" switches???

Any suggestions or help will be very much appreciated!

Thanks!
 
Finally surging got so bad that putting an air conditioner load on it did not smooth it out. Cabin lights would get bright and dim with engine speed.

I pulled the carb and unscrewed all of the jets. I used micro drill bits to clean out all of the tiny holes in the jets by hand. They just scraped the ethanol crud out. The engine now starts and runs perfectly!
I tested the generator and now all of a sudden it does not put out power! I did not touch any of the electrical stuff. If I rev up the generator by manually advancing the throttle, the cabin lights will go on for a second, and then the governor will rev the motor until the high speed cut out kills the engine? It was working before I cleaned the carb out. I can not find any wires that I knocked loose. Breakers and fuses all checked out.

Any ideas?

Any ideas?
 
Westerbeke mechanic said one capacitor was dead and the other was half power. I am told that they are replaced and it is running now. $600 seems awful high to me. Does that price sound right?
 
I just rebuilt a 5.0BCG

The capacitors are around $85.00 each.

$600 parts and labor if they came to you, is not too bad.

For future reference, DO NOT REV YOUR GENSET ENGINE PAST 1800RPM. It will be over shortly if you do.
 
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