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Old 08-20-2017, 12:56 PM   #1
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Champion Inverter Generator -- desperately need maintenance help!

OK, this is embarrassing.

I decided today to change out the sea level carbeurator jet for the high-altitude jet on my Champion 75537i 3100W inverter generator.

Apparently I disconnected some stuff as I was getting the carbeurator out and crazy as this seems, I can't figure out where a few things go.

I've got two clear fuel lines and for the life of me I can't find the nipples that they attach to:

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Furthermore, there's this black box from which fuel drained out when I removed one side of the cabinet, so I presume it's a fuel filter?

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As you can see, there's a plastic nipple at the bottom to which nothing is attached. Furthermore, one of the two hoses attached to the top heads back into the engine compartment and is attached to nothing:

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I feel so stupid, but can someone please tell me where these fuel lines and hoses connect???
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Old 08-20-2017, 01:06 PM   #2
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Well lesson learned... I always take pics before I remove items.

The clear hoses look like overflow tubes... one on the bottom of the float bowl is for in case float sticks open the fuel runs out to the ground and not splatter on the engine.
Same with the other one, but for the air intake of the carb.

That black filter looking is a smog device to collect fumes from the tank and return to the engine intake, same as a evaporator system on a car.

Should be a spot on the intake on the Air filter
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Old 08-20-2017, 01:08 PM   #3
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The line that comes off the side above the "float bowl" is your main fuel supply line to the carb and it should be connected to the fuel filter. Check out the picture in the jet install instructions (marked as "B")

http://www.championpowerequipment.co...stallation.pdf
The line off the bottom of the "bowl" with a screw next to it is, I believe, a drain hose and the screw is the valve.

I'd take a close look at mine but right now it's in the back of my Pickup in the garage and I've "Loaned" the parking space in front of the door to my neighbor as he's having a "off to college" party for his son and needed extra parking space. If you still need help I can get to my unit at least by tomorrow AM.
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Old 08-20-2017, 01:16 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by TitanMike View Post
The line that comes off the side above the "float bowl" is your main fuel supply line to the carb and it should be connected to the fuel filter. Check out the picture in the jet install instructions (marked as "B")

http://www.championpowerequipment.co...stallation.pdf
The line off the bottom of the "bowl" with a screw next to it is, I believe, a drain hose and the screw is the valve.

I'd take a close look at mine but right now it's in the back of my Pickup in the garage and I've "Loaned" the parking space in front of the door to my neighbor as he's having a "off to college" party for his son and needed extra parking space. If you still need help I can get to my unit at least by tomorrow AM.
Thanks. Apparently that black box in my hand is the fuel filter? I just connected the hose off the side of the bowl to that and fired it up -- it's running. It's odd, though, the hose connects inside of that black nipple, i.e. the clear hose is the "male" half of this connection, and it's not terribly secure. Have others found this connection to be loose?

I figured out the large black hose, it does into the air cleaner.
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Old 08-20-2017, 01:18 PM   #5
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Well lesson learned... I always take pics before I remove items.

The clear hoses look like overflow tubes... one on the bottom of the float bowl is for in case float sticks open the fuel runs out to the ground and not splatter on the engine.
Same with the other one, but for the air intake of the carb.

That black filter looking is a smog device to collect fumes from the tank and return to the engine intake, same as a evaporator system on a car.

Should be a spot on the intake on the Air filter
The black box definitely had fuel in it -- when I popped the end cap off the genny it leaked fuel. It's marked "Depurate DPT150cc" but Googling that got me nothing.
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Old 08-20-2017, 01:37 PM   #6
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The black box definitely had fuel in it -- when I popped the end cap off the genny it leaked fuel. It's marked "Depurate DPT150cc" but Googling that got me nothing.
If you follow the other hose on the evap filter you will probably find it attaches to the top if the fuel tank... so it could get fuel in it, but that is the whole purpose of an evap system, keeps the tank sealed, no fumes polluting the area, fumes then diverted to the air intake and burned!

Back in the day the fuel cap would allow air to be sucked into the tank, if it was totally sealed, the tank would create a vacuum as the fuel was used and fuel would stop flowing out. I have very old Champion 4000 watt, everytime I move it when it is full, fuel comes out of the fuel cap, i.e. why it is now not legal to have in California if you are caught in State campgrounds!

That nipple on the bottom is a check valve and only sucks fresh air in when needed.
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Old 08-20-2017, 01:51 PM   #7
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Champion Inverter Generator -- desperately need maintenance help!

This might help..
https://www.powerequipmentdirect.com...I%20Manual.pdf

The first video here has pretty good pics that might help.

https://www.google.com/search?q=7553...etting&tbm=vid
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Old 08-20-2017, 01:53 PM   #8
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I've got the exact same generator. If you still need pictures pm me your cell number and I will text the shots you need.

Bob
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Old 08-20-2017, 02:01 PM   #9
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I've got the exact same generator. If you still need pictures pm me your cell number and I will text the shots you need.

Bob
Bob, thanks for the offer, I'll definitely take you up on it! PM to follow.

I'm starting to wonder if both of those clear fuel lines are drains. In the video referenced by iwannacamp...:

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Originally Posted by Iwannacamp View Post
...both clear hoses appear in the video just going down to the bottom of the generator case, where there's nothing to attach to. Bob, can you confirm in your text? That's just insideof the removable main service panel.

I've had it running on full for 15m now without either of those clear hoses connected to anything.

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Yeah, I had that out earlier. Unfortunately it only shows the fuel line coming off the bottom of the float chamber (that we now know is a drain) and doesn't show it connecting to anything. It doesn't show the hose coming off the brass fuel male nipple on the carb at all.
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Old 08-20-2017, 03:25 PM   #10
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I just went out and pulled the side panel off my 3500 Champ inverter.

The two vinyl tubes basically just hang there and aren't connected to anything. One is tucked back under the lower bracket for the side panel and the other has it's end pointed out toward the handle end.

Here are some pic's. My unit is a Dual Fuel and the bottom of the float bowl has a fuel shutoff solenoid but other than that the disposition of these tubes should be the same.

I was wrong in my thinking the one would be the fuel supply. It's much larger.
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Old 08-20-2017, 05:43 PM   #11
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I just went out and pulled the side panel off my 3500 Champ inverter.

The two vinyl tubes basically just hang there and aren't connected to anything.
Excellent. Thanks for doing that TitanMike! That's the confirmation I was looking for.

That was the conclusion I arrived at earlier, and is why I didn't notice/recall them being connected to anything as I disassembled various parts to remove the carburator.

The jet is now switched out and it seems to be running normally.
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Old 08-20-2017, 05:59 PM   #12
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Excellent. Thanks for doing that TitanMike! That's the confirmation I was looking for.

That was the conclusion I arrived at earlier, and is why I didn't notice/recall them being connected to anything as I disassembled various parts to remove the carburator.

The jet is now switched out and it seems to be running normally.


Happy to help. Is your Inverter gas only? Or Dual Fuel?

I found out by accident that no modifications are necessary for the Dual Fuel units if running on Propane. Yes, there is the power hit for propane as well as the power hit for Altitude but for my needs (battery charging mostly) it's nice to not need to "jet swap".


Glad we could help and good luck.
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Old 08-20-2017, 06:06 PM   #13
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Happy to help. Is your Inverter gas only? Or Dual Fuel?
Gas only, although I positively adore the remote electric start feature.

I'm hoping to now need the generator only a little to not at all as I picked up a 200W solar suitcase this week, and testing today I was getting up to 11A off the panels. But the generator acted oddly while camping last week, cutting off power to the trailer momentarily at the start of a moderate load, i.e. microwave or coffee maker starting. It never did that before, and Champion's tech recommended cleaning the carb. However, it only has 116 hours on it so I had him send the altitude jet and I figured I'd just inspect the carburetor while I had it apart. Sure enough, no debris or varnish, etc.

Now this afternoon I've been testing it at home. No similar issues, not even running the A/C.
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Old 08-20-2017, 06:25 PM   #14
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But the generator acted oddly while camping last week, cutting off power to the trailer momentarily at the start of a moderate load, i.e. microwave or coffee maker starting.
That happened to me a couple weeks ago. Found that when I started the Microwave power dropped off. Checked all loads and sure enough, the Converter was charging both batteries and the water tank A/C heater was on.

Turned off Water heater and all was well in the forest
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Old 08-20-2017, 07:47 PM   #15
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Yeah, it was weird - the only other thing running on 110 was the converter. Now, I was at 9800 feet. I never had a problem before at similar altitudes, but that's one reason I changed the jet.
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Old 08-21-2017, 07:48 AM   #16
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Yeah, it was weird - the only other thing running on 110 was the converter. Now, I was at 9800 feet. I never had a problem before at similar altitudes, but that's one reason I changed the jet.
At that altitude the power output of the engine is reduced by 1/3. That becomes a 1,000 watt reduction in the generator/inverter's output. A serious power loss.

Re-jetting the carb won't return the power but the engine won't stumble as bad when the load changes due to an over rich fuel mixture. If you're going to use the A/C then start charging batteries early in the day so that load is reduced before the big load takes all the power.

I used to live in CO and when driving over Loveland Pass with my trailer I thought I'd have send the wife back to push the trailer just to make the last couple miles over the top. That was with a few hundred HP, just think what it's like with a 1 cylinder engine that only started with around 6.5 hp at Sea Level.

I'm considering the addition of one of these AC power monitors so I can see what my actual load is.


https://www.ebay.com/p/100a-AC-LCD-P...d=271952136069

Slip the current transformer (CT) over one of the AC input lines and you will have a handle on what kind of current is being drawn, even when hooked to shore power.

Certainly not expensive.
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Old 08-22-2017, 05:47 PM   #17
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I'm considering the addition of one of these AC power monitors so I can see what my actual load is.


[URL
https://www.ebay.com/p/100a-AC-LCD-Panel-Digital-Power-Watt-Meter-Monitor-Voltage-kWh-Voltmeter-Ammeter/1748394364?iid=271952136069[/URL]

Slip the current transformer (CT) over one of the AC input lines and you will have a handle on what kind of current is being drawn, even when hooked to shore power.
So how would you actually install this, particularly on a 50 amp input? Or does it take two of them following the splitting of the circuits?
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Old 08-22-2017, 06:20 PM   #18
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At that altitude the power output of the engine is reduced by 1/3. That becomes a 1,000 watt reduction in the generator/inverter's output. A serious power loss.

Re-jetting the carb won't return the power but the engine won't stumble as bad when the load changes due to an over rich fuel mixture. If you're going to use the A/C then start charging batteries early in the day so that load is reduced before the big load takes all the power.

I used to live in CO and when driving over Loveland Pass with my trailer I thought I'd have send the wife back to push the trailer just to make the last couple miles over the top. That was with a few hundred HP, just think what it's like with a 1 cylinder engine that only started with around 6.5 hp at Sea Level.

I'm considering the addition of one of these AC power monitors so I can see what my actual load is.


https://www.ebay.com/p/100a-AC-LCD-P...d=271952136069

Slip the current transformer (CT) over one of the AC input lines and you will have a handle on what kind of current is being drawn, even when hooked to shore power.

Certainly not expensive.
That is pretty cool. Would be good on my generator.
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Old 08-23-2017, 10:39 AM   #19
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So how would you actually install this, particularly on a 50 amp input? Or does it take two of them following the splitting of the circuits?
Put the Current Transformet (CT) on the neutral wire at the power entrance of the TT/MH.

All current will flow through the common neutral therefore only requiring one CT for both sides of the supply.
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