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Honda gx340

ak diesel driver

ak diesel driver

6.5 driver
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Location
alaska
OK guys I need some ideas. I have a dewalt generator that started giving me issues a couple of years ago. Don't normally use it much. Initially it started and ran fine and wouldn't restart hot. Then the next time I went to use it about 1 year later, it started fine and then when I turned it off hot it wouldn't restart and hasn't run since. That was about 2 years ago. This spring I needed to use it for a job and thought I'd fix it. So I assumed it was the ignition coil and bought a new one. Put it on and It acted like it was bad bought another and still nothing, went back to the first one I bought and actually got it to run. Ran normal til I shut it down and now no start again.
Thought maybe it had sheared the key on the flywheel but when I got it apart it was fine. Talked to a couple of friends and they thought I should check the compression, I did and only got 85 psi, so I squirted some oil in the cylinder and no change. Turns out it has a compression release built into the camshaft. I pulled the engine apart to check the compression release wasn't faulty, it was perfect along with everything else inside. Put in new rings just because I had it apart, and lapped the valves. I'm sure it didn't need either, not bad for a small engine with around 2k hours on it.
Had my nephew ( who is a master tech at a polaris shop) look at it while I had it apart and he seemed to think it was possible the gears on the crank might have spun and messed up the cam timing. Couldn't find any good enough pictures to verify alignment so I bought a crank. Got it but it didn't look any different, Put the new crank in just in case but no luck. Still acts like it is a timing/ignition issue. I'm considering buying a new flywheel as that's the only part of the ignition system that's left to change.

I am open to any and all suggestions
 
If it was me I would start over looking for stupid simple type stuff. Maybe you have already performed these checks but might be worth re-checking?

Is it actually getting spark? Is it getting fuel? Could there still be old fuel in the lines? Carb gummed up, even from possible use of ethanol fuel? When you crank it over and it won't fire is the plug wet when you pull it out? Have you replaced the plug? Like Precision stated above have you looked into the oil pressure sensor system?

It sounds like the engine is mechanically healthy otherwise.
 
I would look into the low oil sensor like said above if it's got one. My dad had to replace his on his Motor home when we were at yellow stone national park because it wouldn't stay running very long.
 
By passed the low oil sensor, new spark plugs, won't even start on ether, used one of those neon in line spark checkers and it appears to spark fine.
 
hasn't been on since I started working on it. Spraying ether directly in the cylinder seems to make it sputter/ pop the most.
 
Clean with emery cloth the part on the flywheel that signals the pickup for the coil before replacing it.

It has been a few years since working on one of those. iirc The coil is a complete package to the plug from the pickup above the flywheel. But I can't remeber the power circuit. Can you do some pics?
 
Check the magnets on the flywheel as sometimes they loose their field. But, if you got a spark it should fire on ether - if it doesn't and has 110+ PSI of compression it's likely flooding out. Lately seen lots of floats fail with the new gas formula - they simply don't float enough and flood to the point gas runs out of the carb. This is after a complete carb rebuild...

Replace NGK plug with something else. Seriously NGK's die in this engine often. Plug wet when it's not starting?

This have an auto choke that's flooding you out?

Valve clearance going away when hot?
 
This ignition system has no power to it. It's simply produced by a magnetic field. I can totally disconnect anything that would ground it out and no change. The magnet on the flywheel seems good (has pretty strong pull). But that's why I am leaning towards another flywheel. I also put a new carb on it.
When watching the spark when you pull it over the first spark is the strongest and seems to fade from there.
 
My dad had a generator that got a leaky float and would flood out.... So I second WarWagon comment on that. If you shut off the gas will it fire on ether? (I saw your comment on new carb... but maybe bad replacement?)

You could probably just pull the connectors off of the kill switch because they usually just short the coil to ground, so if you had a bad switch you could check it by disconnecting it.
 
I suppose the new coil came with a new spark lead.. How many coils can go bad in a row? Air gap? Need somebody not so old to pull the rope, or what?:)
 
ak diesel driver said:
Yes new lead trust me there's been plenty of pulling :)
Click to expand...

There was an old cartoon in our paper one time.......Two guys were working on a chain saw, one said to the other "If we worked as hard at clearing trees as we are at starting this chain saw we would have a hundred acres cleared"

What you need to do is hook that pull rope up to the input shaft on the generator and forget about the stupid engine.
 
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