I recently bought a generator that uses a Briggs and Stratton 17hp Vanguard engine. Before purchasing the generator, it had not ran in several years. The fuel was stale and the oil needed to be replaced.
My DIY experience is extremely limited but I decided to work on it anyways. After replacing all of the gasoline, adding fuel cleaner and fuel stabilizer, I ran the generator for 10 minutes. It ran beautifully. I turned the generator off and then changed the oil.
At this point, I wanted to use some carburetor cleaner that I was recommended. I asked my neighbor if he could give me a hand with this part.
I tried to run the generator the next day. It ran fine for four minutes and then died. I started it again and it died after about ten seconds. I noticed that gas was actually pouring out of the exhaust. After a few more attempts, I brought my neighbor over to have a look at it again. When starting the generator for him there was a lot of white smoke and the engine immediately died. After further inspection, he determined that what he thought was the carburetor, was actually the fuel pump.
My neighbor says I should replace the needle valve and the fuel pump. He also thinks that the oil was too high (thus causing the white) smoke. I ordered/replaced the fuel pump and needle valve and then checked the oil to find that it was way too full and smelled of gasoline.
My next step is to flush the oil by repeatedly filling/emptying until I do not smell gas. I also plan on replacing some of the fuel lines that are in bad shape.
So my question is: could there be something else wrong with the engine that I am missing? Do I need to replace the carburetor float as well? Any tips would be much appreciated!