# Generator help needed !



## chemikle (Feb 16, 2015)

Hello everyone , I have a generator at home from the 90s , it hasn't been turned on at least 10 years , I want to see if it's working (there was nothing wrong with it back then) 
I want to start it , fix it if needed and have it prepped full with gas and have some more at home 
I believe it is the Robin r900, I'll provide pics if needed
Can you tell me what to do and how to do ? Thanks


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

I am NOT a mechanic, but heres what I would do. Assuming that it is not locked up, meaning the pull rope still works.
Drain any and all gas.
Drain and clean the float bowl, and any valves associated with fuel.
Check for spark, by inserting a new plug into the boot and pulling the pull rope.
If you have spark, then proceed to putting in a quart or less of fuel.
Check the oil.
make sure the switch is off, not generating power, then work on getting the engine running.
Starting fluid helps, but also dries out piston rings..
If you get it started, then play around and see if it has output.
Good luck, I have found that the older stuff works better.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

And change the pull rope, as its probably rotten


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

Very important to get the gunk out of the fuel system and carburetor. As long as you have the spark plug out, squirt a few drops of oil down on top of the piston and turn the engine over by hand to insure the rings are free and lubricated.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Any engine sitting for that long will likely need a carb cleaning, as Deebo mentioned.
Don't forget to check your oil level. Might want to clean out the old and add new, just in case.


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## chemikle (Feb 16, 2015)

So I should put few drops of oil in the gas tank ?
What oil should I use?


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## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Do not put oil in the gas tank. He meant in the cylinder through the spark plug hole. No offense but maybe you should look into paying a qualified technician. Based off your questions it seems like you are not mechanically inclined and you can end up doing more damage than good.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

chemikle said:


> So I should put few drops of oil in the gas tank ?
> What oil should I use?


No, no oil in the gas tank.
You're running a 4 valve internal combustion engine, right?
There has to be an oil inlet and "pan" somewhere.
Do you see a symbol similar to this anywhere on the generator?









It will normally be on a small plug or cap covering a small tube that leads down to the lower parts of the engine.
On mine, it is on the side, looks like a yellow "wing nut" for easy gripping, and has an o-ring seal on it when pulled out to fill.
It doesn't normally take much oil on these small engines, but it certainly will take some.


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## chemikle (Feb 16, 2015)

phrogman said:


> Do not put oil in the gas tank. He meant in the cylinder through the spark plug hole. No offense but maybe you should look into paying a qualified technician. Based off your questions it seems like you are not mechanically inclined and you can end up doing more damage than good.


Yeah I have no idea , but noone is born knowing this stuff yes? I prefer to fix it myself and learn on the way so that for future or when I need it I will know how to, I don't like to depend on others , I like to fix everything by myself especially home.


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## chemikle (Feb 16, 2015)

So there is a little dust or something in the gas tank , how can I clean it and how do I drain it?
What do all of the plugs and stuff do? There is some oil in it , should I try to spill it out and put new? Also removed the spark plug looks quite beat up should I change it ?
Sorry if I don't understand everything right away I have to translate all the names to understand what you are talking about


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

chemikle said:


> So there is a little dust or something in the gas tank , how can I clean it and how do I drain it?
> What do all of the plugs and stuff do? There is some oil in it , should I try to spill it out and put new? Also removed the spark plug looks quite beat up should I change it ?
> Sorry if I don't understand everything right away I have to translate all the names to understand what you are talking about
> 
> ...


Gasoline itself can clean out the gas tank, just don't let the dirty gas go through the engine. Add some, shake it around a bit, and pour it out.
Obviously gas goes in the spot covered by the silver cap.

Oil will go in the opening covered by the small black cap near the bottom of the unit, under the labels. When you pull that cap, it might have a dipstick to test the level. This should also give you the ability to check the quality of the oil. If it's black, dump it out, add some new, shake it around, and bump it again. Then fill with new oil. Do NOT overfill. Use the dipstick, if it has one, to find the right level.

That spark plug has seen better days, and should be replaced. You could clean it and redo the spark gap, but the post where the boot connects is worn out and possibly corroded. Best to replace. Get a spark plug gapper tool, and try to find the normal gap distance for this plug and this use. (Google should help)
You should be able to find that same part number, or a newer equivalent. Make sure the new one is an exact match to the old one.

The two large round plugs will be your main Alternating Current power sockets. The unit is rated with a maximum of 700 watts peak power, but can sustain 600 watts. If you plugged up both of those large AC power sockets, you should avoid exceeding 1.5 amperes per plug. This will keep you under that 700 watt rating.
The lower sockets are for 12 volt Direct Current power, but I'm not familiar with those socket styles. As indicated on the label, do not exceed 8.3 amperes on the DC side.

When you do finally add some gas, put oil in it, and have a good spark plug installed, do NOT have anything plugged into those power plugs when you start the generator. You should let it run for a while to reach a steady temperature and engine speed. Then you can begin to plug items into the power plugs.

Good luck with it!


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Drain any fuel, clean the carb--disassembly may be required.
Replace the spark plug, change the oil.
Start, let it run awhile and put on a load and let it run for an hour.
No problems-- GTG


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## 0rocky (Jan 7, 2018)

Attention @chemikle Just revisited this thread and noticed on attachment 72546, what looks like a rating of *50*cycles/Hz. Assuming my eyes do not deceive, you may have trouble running motors, fluorescent lights.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

220 volts, 50 hz is standard in many parts of the world.


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## preppermyA (Aug 19, 2017)

It looks like he is in the OTHER Georgia.
Would explain the voltage and hz markings.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Where he is 220V @ 50HZ is the standard.

Nothing they use is 110V 60HZ.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

The plug is definitely trash.


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## 0rocky (Jan 7, 2018)

Thanks @Chiefster23 @PeppermyA and @SOCOM42 for pointing out my geographic shortcomings :sad2: I obviously paid more attention to the generator photo than the original poster's geo loc.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

FWIW, The US incorporated 60 HZ in the beginning, mostly for motor control, 

The 60 was a function of AC generator RPM which was kept low a 130 years ago.

stayed with it as standard because everything AC was then based on that cycle rate.

Even today they run at lows speed in places such as the Boulder Dam site.

There is nothing better between them, European manufactures set 50 to hinder US sales there.

The US Navy generates 400 cycle for their electronics, 

less problems in conversion to DC, power supplies were reduced by half in size..

Power generators (utilities) are real anal about keeping the 60 CPS output and the sine wave form, 

any variance could wreak havoc in machine timing.


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