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Westerbeke 7.0BCGC-speed surging-possible E-10 gas problem?

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!
 
Captain Ed.....this is a boat repair forum so i dont know how much luck you are going to have getting help....but as a generator owner i would not go adjusting the ''gain'' adjustment until i made sure the carb is clean after setting for 2 years...adding the gumout and the fact that it run better after tells me there is some more attention needed in the carb area.....is the gas tank vent open and that filter clean....forcing the fuel pump to run and overcoming the problem points me to a fuel flow problem..
 
Agree with Papyson - very likely a carb problem. Get in the Internet and see how to remove that bowl - that's where I would start. Likely has gum and grit in there. Then thoroughly clean the carb, especially the gas and air passages, and run some Sea Foam through it.
 
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