Replacement Carb for Onan generator

VetPartTimer · 10-02-2018, 08:15 PM

Anyone have experience with the non-OEM replacement carbs for Onan generators?

I normally stick with OEM on this kind of stuff, but if the gas is going to gum up my carb and require a replacement every 2-3 years, might as well go with a cheaper carb.

Mine coach/gen is only 2.5 years old. I've kept clean gas going through the RV (and gen) and have run it every 3-4 weeks when stored and it still managed to go bad on me and gum up the carb. I supposed I could have been more consistent with fuel stabilizer, but with using the RV so often in the last 6 months I didn't think the fuel would even have a chance to go bad.

Anyway, just curious if anyone has experience with the non-OEMs

cpmath · 10-02-2018, 08:19 PM

Run some seafoam through it and see if that doesn't clean it up.

Bob Denman · 10-02-2018, 10:11 PM

I agree: give it a got long drink of Seafoam... and work on remembering to put fuel stabilizer through the system.
Cheaper carburetors will give you nothing but "trubble".

Long & Winding road · 10-05-2018, 01:12 PM

I always use a fuel stabilizer (unless we are on a trip - then I put it in the last tank full before it goes back into storage).

You cold try and run the genny dry (run it out of fuel by blocking off fuel supply) then fog the carb for storage.

I would think the carb would last for 10 year minimum. But really more like 15 or 20 if taken care of.

How long do you let it sit without running it? I run mine every two weeks or so year around. So it really never has old fuel in it and if it does it treated fuel.

VetPartTimer · 10-05-2018, 08:55 PM

I'm real good about running the generator every 3-4 weeks. While I have not been putting stabilizer in for the last 6 months, I have been using the RV and putting at least a half tank of fresh gas in each month. In the last 2 months alone, I ran the gen probably 20 hours and ran close to 4 tanks of gas through the RV. So I'm kind of surprised that they are saying it's old gas and a gummed up carb.

About a year and a half ago, there was a 6 month period where I didn't use the RV and had not run the gen once for 6-7 weeks. All the other times I did run it every 3-4 weeks. After that period, I was afraid I would have trouble given that the gas was getting old, but the gen ran fine then and has up until now.

I think I'm going to stick with a new OEM carb and I'll plan to keep fresh stabilizer in it ALL the time. Hopefully that will do the trick.

cpmath · 10-05-2018, 10:27 PM

OK this is my opinion and only my opinion, I think you're running it enough and frequently enough to not need stabilizer in it, it's not sitting idle for 6-8 months at a time. I only stabilize if it's going to sit for the winter in storage for 5-6 months. If your MH engine is running fine then I would make the assumption that the fuel to the generator is okay. I forgot if you said you have been priming the generator before you attempt to start it but if you're not that could be why its hard starting. I have to go back over your original question.

VetPartTimer · 10-08-2018, 02:35 PM

All fixed (for now anyway)!

Removed the carb, float bowl and submerged the carb for about 12 hours in seafoam. It sputtered just a bit on initial restart, some white-ish exhaust for about a minute, then ran nice and smooth from there on out.

When I initially removed the float bowl, the gas in there looked perfectly fresh as did the inside of the bowl. All I can figure is that one of the jets or small orifices was clogged a bit.

Hopefully it keeps running clean from here on out.

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