Westerbeke generator not starting

[Pair-A-Dice]

My Westerbeke generator will crank but will not start. If I prime the carb it fires up until the prime is used up.
I pullled supply line to carb and fuel lift pump is working. I also pulled off carb and cleaned and looked for blockage, but it looks ok. I also verified there is no fuel coming out of carb jet, yet the bowl has fuel. Any ideas?
Thanks!

 

[Pack66Dad]

I had a bad fuel shut off valve. It gave me fits and the same symptoms.

 

[Happy Hour IV]

Pouring fuel down the carb to get it to run indicates a fuel problem yet you say that the carb bowl has fuel in it. Do you know that the bowl
is filled to the proper level ? If not then the the fuel is not being delivered to the carb.

When you say that you pulled the line off the carb and the lift pump is working, did you mean that you had fuel squirting out when you cranked it?

Most of the shutdown controls on these gensets simply remove power to the fuel when there is a problem (low oil, overheat, over rev etc).

When you are cranking these controls are bypassed so you will get fuel. Once you release the start switch the controls takeover.

With these thoughts in mind look for a fuel delivery problem.

 

[Lady Ashley SR560]

Fuel pump

 

[Pair-A-Dice]

I removed the top section of the carb and verified there was fuel in the bowl of the carb. I don't know what the proper level of fuel was, but the bowl seemed to be about 1/2 full of fuel. I also removed the fuel supply line to the carb, placed a container under the fuel line, and manually flipped the fuel pump switch, and a good volume of fuel was pumping out of the fuel supply line. When I reassembled the parts and tried to crank it, no fuel is being squirted from the carb jets into the intake. It is bone dry. I also removed the carb and ran a tiny wire through all orifices to ensure they were not blocked. They were clear.

Pouring fuel down the carb to get it to run indicates a fuel problem yet you say that the carb bowl has fuel in it. Do you know that the bowl
is filled to the proper level ? If not then the the fuel is not being delivered to the carb.

When you say that you pulled the line off the carb and the lift pump is working, did you mean that you had fuel squirting out when you cranked it?

Most of the shutdown controls on these gensets simply remove power to the fuel when there is a problem (low oil, overheat, over rev etc).

When you are cranking these controls are bypassed so you will get fuel. Once you release the start switch the controls takeover.

With these thoughts in mind look for a fuel delivery problem.

 

[electricaldoctor]

When fuel rises in the float bowl, the other end of the float pushes up on a needle valve that will then stop the flow of fuel. This needle and seat valve may just be stuck. This would be consistant with the float bowl only being 1/2 full. Take the carb apart again and free the needle and this may just solve your problem.

~Ken

 

[Pair-A-Dice]

I will try that. I did move the float up/down when the carb was disassembled the first time, and the needle valve appeared to be moving freely. I will dis-assemble the needle valve this time and look for obstructions. Thanks Ken.

When fuel rises in the float bowl, the other end of the float pushes up on a needle valve that will then stop the flow of fuel. This needle and seat valve may just be stuck. This would be consistant with the float bowl only being 1/2 full. Take the carb apart again and free the needle and this may just solve your problem.

~Ken

 

[electricaldoctor]

Hopefully that will work for you. You say that your pump works, yet your float bowl does not sound like it is full, so the problem sounds like it is somewhere between the pump and the float bowl. Do you have an in-line filter that may be clogged?

 

[Pair-A-Dice]

No in line filter between pump and carb. When I disconnect the fuel feed at the carb and manually run the fuel pump the fuel flows freely. I placed a container to catch the fuel coming out of the fuel line to verify this.

Hopefully that will work for you. You say that your pump works, yet your float bowl does not sound like it is full, so the problem sounds like it is somewhere between the pump and the float bowl. Do you have an in-line filter that may be clogged?