OT: That no good, stinking Sears leaf blower....

[trader_4]

OK, so to recap, here's the story. This Sears blower is about

8 years old. It always had one issue, which was that it ran better on half choke, faster, than it would with the choke off. More recently, it got more fussy, and finally would not start at all. Investigating, it was not pumping gas, pushing the priming bulb would not make gas flow, the bulb fill, etc.

So, I got a Chinese carb for $16 on Ebay. Replaced the carb and the hoses. It started on the first pull. Ran great, ran with the choke off, seemed at least as fast, maybe faster than ever before. Used a whole tank of gas. Two days later, refueled it. This time it was harder to get started, I think it might have started finally on full throttle, but I got it going and it was fine. It had been idling just a little slow, so I did turn the idle stop screw in one or two turns to make it idle a little faster. Used it 15 mins. Went to start it again, won't start. It has spark. Tried starting fluid, no go. Let it sit overnight, plug out, tried again today, no go. It won't fire even once. I also tried it with a new spark plug.

OK, so here's the question part. I put my finger over the spark plug opening and cranked it. I can feel a little suction, but never any pressure. That sounds like trouble, yes? I'm not as experienced with two cycle engines, but I would think when pulling the cord, it should try to blow my finger off on the compression stroke, yes? Valve stuck? kaput? just get a new one?

[gfretwell]

Maybe a reed valve. Are you sure you have spark?

[Muggles]

I just use my Ryobi 18v battery powered blower. It usually takes one to two batteries to get either the front or back yard leaf blown, and they re-charge in about an hour. It's lightweight, and has an option to use a plug-in to electricity option, but I've never needed to use it.

[trader_4]

Yes, I had the spark plug out, grounded with a jumper and I see spark when I crank it. Am I correct that there should be some pressure trying to push out when I crank it? I can feel some suction pulling in, but nothing trying to push out. Not sure how those 2 cycles work, they have the exhaust port open for part of the upstroke to push the exhaust out, but then it's supposed to close for the latter part of the up stroke, right? I never tried checking for compression with my finger, but seems to me that it should be trying to blow my finger off and it isn't. Can those valves get stuck? I guess I'll look for a video on how they work and come apart. Can't be too much there.

[Art Todesco]

Had similar problems with my 2 cycle leaf blower from day one (I think, Homelite). I even built a special tool to adjust the carb which got me through several years of use. Finally it wouldn't go at all, so off to the store. I bought a 4 cycle Makita. This was last fall. it's fantastic, light weight and starts easily. A few weeks ago my wife wanted to use it for the 1st time since last fall, so she brought it to me to start. It started on the 1st pull with last year's gas. Amazing! I really hate 2 cycle crap.

[trader_4]

I even built a special tool to adjust the carb which got me

And there's a big part of the problem. The hippies have made it so you can't adjust the mixture screws anymore. I had issues with mine from the start, I remember trying to decide whether to take it back. At times, it would run better on half choke, start to die out with the choke off. It did it right from the beginning, to some extent, got worse after a year or so. If I could have adjusted those damn mixture screws, a simple adjustment would likely have it running proper. So it ran that way for years, and I'm thinking running with half choke probably contributed to more gunk forming in the cylinder.

Just for reference, the cheap Chinese carbs are exact duplicates, I thought maybe they would have screws you could adjust, but they don't. There must be some penalties that even the Chinese are afraid of. Yet, there must be tools for the repair shops, no? Where do they get them? Do you have to have a license, photo id, and go through a background check to buy them somewhere?

And then there is the irony that the hippies must think that everyone is going to go screwing with those screws to make them pollute more, when they don't have to. Actually, IDK of anyone who will screw with it, unless it's already not running right, So, they prefer you let it run screwed up, polluting more, instead of adjusting it so that it will run right and cleaner. Go figure.

Finally it wouldn't go at all, so off to

Thanks for the tip. I may be there soon too.... Sigh....

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few weeks ago my wife

[gfretwell]

If this is the standard Walbro carb there are 2 adjusting screws but they have a funny D shaped head and you need a special tool to adjust them. On the old chain saw that I nursed along far longer than I should, I cut slots in those screws with a small hacksaw. Later I just bought the $5 tool.

[trader_4]

Have a Walbro and the Chinese knockoff of Walbro. Looks like they are very fine male spline, definitely not D shaped. I'll take a look on the web and see if someone is selling them, but I suspect the hippies have the usual legal routes shut down. But it isn't the problem right now. That Chinese carb worked great, until it wouldn't start and if I fix the compression issue, should be A OK on the carb. Or it could be going in the trash if I can't fix the piston ring issue.

[Ralph Mowery]

There are several of the "special" screw heads. Susppose to keep just anyone from adjusting them to meet the government polution standards. some you can buy the tools for , for one type I could not find a place that was selling th tool, so took my Dremal tool and cut a slot in it for a regular screwdriver.

[Art Todesco]

Well, today or even last year, you can't just buy the tool. I looked everywhere both on line and in store. Just plain stupid.

[trader_4]

Update. I took it apart, all the way down to the piston. That piston ring sure was stuck in the groove. I removed it, used a tiny screwdriver to scrape the ring groove clean, cleaned the gunk off the piston with steel wool, cleaned the ring. Put it back together and it started right up! I ran it for about 5 mins, will use it to blow leaves later today or tomorrow.

I thought I was doomed when I stripped the nut that holds the blower wheel on. I had to saw it off and that further buggered it. There were no threads left where the nut had been on. But I got luck, there were threads further out on the shaft, enough to fill up a nut. So, I found a scrap nut that was one size large, used that as a spacer, so the holding nut goes on further out. Worked like a charm.

Unless you hear otherwise, assume she's fixed and working!

[gfretwell]

Maybe you should be running a little ring free or techron through it.