sorta-OT Small Engine stalling

Hi, guys:-

I have a relativley new Husqvarna 130BT 29.5 cc 2-stroke backpack leaf blower and it has a stalling problem- runs for some time (maybe 30 seconds or maybe 5 minutes) then slows down and (usually) stalls or sometimes speeds up again. It pretty much restarts immediately with a pull. Fresh gas properly mixed with 2-stroke oil 50:1 as recommended.

Cleaned the gasoline pickup, tried loosening the gas cap in case the vent was plugged.

Any ideas?

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There's apparently no manual choke (the usual primer bulb) but a lever that has open and closed on it- it really only runs continuously in one position (and the compression seems to be gone in other position). The manual (such as it is- it covers three models) is silent on what should be done with it.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany
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It certainly points to a plugged vent condition. Are you sure you loosened the cap enough to clearly vent the tank?

Loose carburetor screws might cause that. The flange could warp as the engine warms and cause a lean mixture and stall.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I had this problem twice occuring to a 4 stroke Ryobi weed eater. The problem was in the carb. In both cases I carefully took apart and cleaned the carb using the carb cleaner that comes in a spray can and has that litle red tube that is really good for blasting the cleaner through tiny passages. When I looked at the carb internals I could not see where or what the contamination was except that there was a sort of brownish residue coating various parts of the internals. All I know for sure is that in both cases the thing would start losing power and then die. I could do the restart thing a few times but then the engines would only idle, and would die as soon as I pulled the throttle trigger. Eric Eric

Reply to
etpm

Thanks, Eric & Larry-

I was afraid of that. Bad memories from working on lawnmowers. I'll take the carb apart and blast it with carb cleaner, prob next weekend. New carbs are too pricey to consider ($130+ with shipping).

Does it pump gas through the black hose (with filter attached) and return unused fuel through the clear hose that's just hanging in the tank?

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

That's the way most of them work . I've had pretty good luck finding replacement carbs on ebay for my small engines at around 20 bucks or so . Looked for yours , found only complete blower units and a couple of carb kits plus some misc parts . Before I took anything apart though I'd run some seafoam or B12 chemtool thru it . Sounds to me like intermittent plugging from gunk getting loose in the passages .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

We have mud dauber wasps around. They like to build their mud-nests in the exhaust, plugging it quite effectively. I tore the carburetor apart and cleaned it twice before it finally dawned on me that it didn't sound right when it did run. Felt really stupid when I spotted the mud-dauber nest. Poked it out with a screw driver. Got so I would leave something stuck in the exhaust port so they couldn't build a nest there.

Just something else to look for...

Reply to
Leon Fisk

Nice write up here on those little carbs:

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Reply to
Leon Fisk

Hey, great idea Snag, I have a can of seafoam on the shelf.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

Thanks, Leon. I'll read that before ripping it apart if it comes to that. Found an exploded diagram for P/N 504116101

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Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

If you really don't want to mess with it you could take it to a small engine repair place. Surely there's someone up there in the wilds of Canada that would do such work.

(We have two local places around here that are both excellent -- so I'm spoiled).

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Be sure to look at the gasket to see if it shows any signs of dirt being sucked in past any portions of it. Note if either of the screws was loose, too. G'luck!

Indeed.

Yup.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Through the years I've gotten away from ethanol for mowers and 2 stroke to ols....anything that may sit for extended periods. Some of the stations sel l 100% gas for a premium. Others I know use additives to overcome ethanol use. I've had the fuel and return lines deteriorate thru time to the extent the intank filter came loose from the line. A severe crack or break is pre tty evident...a smaller one could cause the intermittent problems you descr ibe.

Reply to
b.l.cavin

Zima carb? I think there is a replacement made by somebody else that is much better. I hear nothing good about Zimas.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Look on ebay.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

The local rental place only uses ethanol free gasoline in their engines and requires customers to do the same. Though I don't know how they would check. I switched to ethanol free about two years ago and have found that I have less trouble starting engines after they have sat for some time. And interestingly there is less stuff floating around in the bottom of the clear float bowl on my Gibson tractor. There used to always be a little rusty or brownish water in the float bowl but with the ethonal free gas I don't see this anymore. Eric

Reply to
etpm

Total novice here but the symptoms sound pretty close to what happend with my chainsaw earlier this year.

Does it have a spark arrestor and if it does, is the spark arrestor clogged with carbon?

Reply to
phorbin

A lot of the small 2-strokes use pressurized tanks, so loosening the cap is the wrong strategy with them.

Those that work that way often have a diaphragm pump that keeps the pressure on the fuel; sometimes part of (or at least acting as a base for) the carb. A sticky ball valve in that pump could cause what you're seeing. Some use flapper valves -- more likely to fail sooner and outright, but less likely to stick.

Lloyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

Spark arrestor, seconded.

Jim H.

Reply to
Jim Hornaday

Okay, I burned off the spark arrestor with propane torch (it was about

15% fouled), disassembled and cleaned every bit of the carburetor, and replaced the fuel with Shell's best grade with 0% ethanol (and 1:50 2-stroke oil, of course) and cleaned the fuel filter again and it runs like a top. The choke even does sensible things again. Thanks, all.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

A fair percentage of the time disassembling and blowing out the carb solves problems even though I don't find a visible fault. A few times I've found gelled gasoline clogging the main jet.

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-jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

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