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Fixed DanG Weed Whip!!! I think....

Started by CHARLIE, August 12, 2005, 04:09:59 PM

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CHARLIE

Tom was always the mechanical one in the family. I can do light stuff but just ain't too good making things run good when they don't want to.

My Homlite (don't laugh!) has been a good runner for about 5 years but now is giving me some problems running and I'm not sure where to look.  Any suggestions?

It will only run with the choke 1/2 on.  To me that means it's running lean but I don't know why. My chainsaw did that once and I found the fuel line was cracked inside the fuel tank. But on this weed whip, I don't see any air in the fuel.  Also, I have to barely touch the throttle trigger to keep it running. If I give it more gas (squeeze the trigger) it dies.  Sometimes it seems to just run out of fuel and quit. >:(   Any ideas are welcome.

I put in a brand new plug and the gas is fresh.  The air filter (sponge) is pretty DanG clean and the throat of the carb is clean.  It'll fire right up but will either quit real fast or will run half fast for awhile. It sure is hard whacking weeds with it right now.
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

beenthere

That's the way I run, half fast (for awhile).

Would the gas cap be cracked?  I tightened mine too tight and over time it cracked. Don't recall how it behaved but seemed similar to what you describe.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

shopteacher

Try taking the muffler off and cleaning any carbon out of it and the exhaust port coming from the cylinder.  I've had that happen a couple times with those small 2 cycle engines and that's what it turned out to be the cause. It's worth a try anyway.
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

fstedy

Could be a small piece of dirt in the needle seat. Try backing the needle out                ( remember the turns so you can get it back in the same position ) several turns and pull the starter thru several times then reset the needle. Had an identical experience on one of them weed thingys me self.
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Fla._Deadheader


If it has that little "Push Bubble" Primer thingy on the side of the carb, it may have a small crack in it. They won't leak, just won't run very well.  ??? ???
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Tom

I figure his extension cord is too short.  ;D

MULE_MAN

 :D  :D   :D  :D  Only Tom could come up with that one  :D  :D   :D  :D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDG25 with Simple Setworks, debatker, 580 CASE backhoe

ScottAR

Might be the fuel filter...  They're usually inside the tank. Take a piece of wire, put a little hook on the end and fish it out the gas filler hole.
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

Furby

Had that on a couple Ryobi's, tried everything and the only thing that I came up with was I couldn't get gas from the tank due to the filter being clogged. Tried everything to clean it, but no go. Can't replace it because it's built into the tank, glued in place. ::)
Gave up and bought a MTD 4cycle. Fried it during the first tank of gas.  >:(
Took it back to the box store and got a new one. So far no problems and I LOVE the 4 cycle!
Quiet and a lot more torque then the 2cycle.

Quartlow

I ahd a homelit comercial unit for a while ( someone liked it better than me  >:( )
I had the same problem when it was new turns out it was sucking air between the carb and the jug. check the carb and related bolts and make sure all is tight. If its getting air it will result in a lean run condition. another thing that could cause it is crank seals.

A good test to find a leak is find your self a smoker, remove the air cleaner and muffler. Rotate the piston to bottom dead center. open the choke, and the throttle wide open. Using a small hose and somthing to fit tight into the carb opening blow smoke into the engine. If you have an air leak you will see smoke where its getting in the engine

A cone shaped rubber plug with a hose through the middle of it works great to get the smoke in to the engine
Breezewood 24 inch mill
Have a wooderful day!!

CHARLIE

Thanks for all the input of ideas.  I'll be printing them out.....except Tom's.....and working on it this next week.

And Tom......I had already tried the extension cord thing but I only had a 150 footer and it was 2 inches too short. I could  not quite reach the weed whip.  Then I pushed it around the block a couple of times but couldn't get the clutch to pop. ::)
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

Ernie

Another good way to find an air leak between the carb and the engine is to get it running and squirt a bit of oil around the join and see if the problem goes away, if so, it's an air leak.
A very wise man once told me . Grand children are great, we should have had them first

CHARLIE

Great idea Ernie. That'll be easy to try.
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

SwampDonkey

Charlie, if it comes down to getting a repair shop to fix it....Consider getting an MTB (Garden Works) wacker from Wallyworld for $90 bucks. I've had one for 3 years now. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Bro. Noble

Charlie,

That thing acting up is probably just a sign from above that you need to lay it aside and go fishing--------maybe it will work better next week :D :D :D
milking and logging and sawing and milking

Furby

Just spent three hours straight last night using mine.
For some reason it started doing the half choke thing! >:(

CHARLIE

Swampdonkey, this one has given me 5 or 6 years of good service.  Of course, 5 or 6 years up here is like 2 years in Florida, cause they have to use their's year around.  We only use ours 3 months a year. Anyway, I can't give up on it yet......;D

Noble, I've already tried that and was a lot of fun but the weedwhip didn't get any better while I was having fun. >:(

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that it's starving for fuel.  What is irritating is...I can't get to the fuel filter.  How in the cathair did they get that thing down in there? That is something that always irritates me when a manufacturer designs something that the customer can't get to.  Next, I'll pull the muffler and clean the ports.  The needle jet has a block on the screw so I can't back it out. I can only turn it 1/4 turn either way.  So I did that several times.   
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

Buzz-sawyer

Charlie
They feed the tube through the hole with extra length, then hook the filter and pull it back....get yourselfa length of tube.....I will be glad when you figure this out cause I have 5 of em in the same shape....kinda thinkin its inside the carb.
    HEAR THAT BLADE SING!

Engineer

Can't help you on your problem, but I've gone the cheap weedwacker route and it's not cheap in the long run.  Get a commercial grade Echo, or Stihl.  Don't buy it from the big box store, get it from a local servicing dealer.    I use my weedwacker (a new Echo 251E) about as much as my chain saws (2-3 hours a week) and I don't see myself ever getting a cheap POS chain saw, so why do the same with any small engine?  It will just cost more in the end.   I just got a brand new weedwacker this spring, after having a straight-shaft Echo for five years, I just couldn't get used to the CCW rotation of the head, so I went back to a curved shaft model.  My dealer had a waiting list for used commercial grade trimmers for the local landscape and lawn service companies, and I got myself into a brand new commercial-grade curved-shaft trimmer for $70 out the door and trade-in of my old one (list price was over $300).  Try that with a Ryobi or Homely-lite.

I have a few small engines that aren't top-of-the-line, and I always have problems with them.  A Homelite water pump, a Tecumseh-powered auger, and a Sears-Crapsman leaf blower.  They all use odd fuel mixtures and are unreliable.  Next tag sale we have, they're out the door.

I'll get off my soapbox now.   ;)

ohsoloco

I'm still using the same Homelite weed whacker that my dad bought at least twelve years ago, and it's probably older than that  ;)  I've had the same problem with it as Charlie describes.  I think I've been running it on half choke for eight years or more  ::) :D  It was running good for a while last year, and I think it was when I was using the saw gas in it (don't know if it really made a difference or not).  The only thing we've ever put in it was a spark plug or two, and a new head.  My biggest problem with it is the fact that it's a curved shaft.  I'm 6'2" so I have to hunch over to use it, and after a little while it kills my back  :(

shopteacher

I fixed that problem of all the different fuel-oil mixtures.  I use 89 oct and sthil oil mix  for my sthil saws in them all.  Haven't had one fail yet.  Homey hedge trimmer, McCowlick weed wacker, and 3 chain saws, one mix.  ;D
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

isawlogs

 I do the same ... 40/1 mix in them all ... I have not had one  blow up and if it did i would just get me another , and try again  :)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

CHARLIE

Well, I pulled the muffler and the port and the spark arrester screen were in good shape and not carboned much at all. I cleaned them anyway.  I put it back together and fired it up with no difference.  So now I'm to the carberator.  I was told today that here in the northland, gas might sit in that carb over winter and varnish the insides. So he's betting the carb needs cleaning.  He's said to pull the carb and take it apart to clean it.....but.......

What would happen to the 2 cycle if I pulled the fuel line and squirted carb cleaner into the gas inlet tube, rehooked up the fuel line and started the engine to get the cleaner into the carb real good.  Maybe do this several times.  Would I burn up the 2 cycle engine?  I'd love to do this instead of taking the carb apart.  What do y'all think about it? ::)
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

sawguy21

You will be taking the carb apart  for sure. Carb cleaner is murder on the diaphragms and the viton seat for the inlet needle. 
It  is not complicated. Lay out the parts in order on a white cloth,(not the missus' dining room table cloth if ya know what's good for ya) being  careful not to drop anything on the floor,  and gently clean the little passages with carb cleaner and compressed air. The carb kit is not expensive so don't re-use the diaphragms and gaskets.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Tom

Charlie,

Put a couple of sponges on this fellows feet and give him a bucket of soapy water.

http://www.mekka.com/log/2005/01/researchers_cre.html

;D

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