Homelite ST175 String trimmer parts?

That COULD be part of the problem. If that cyl is very near the bottom you may be hammering against the crank and it's not going to go anywhere. Perhaps if you could get that one rod off the crank, you might be able to hammer on the bolt ends (with nuts installed, of course) and drive the piston UP. Just a thought.

Jim

That's what caught my eye about the Weed eater 1400 I splurged ($2) for on Saturday - A horizontally mounted cylinder, 3" dia. x 4 1/2" long with the gas cap centered topside. The only way to describe it is "CUTE" - see:

As Jim Chandler said, you very likely will not be able to move the piston down with the crank near BDC. Either drive it up or cut the connecting rod. A suitable driver under the crown of the piston is much better than trying to drive the rod upward. The piston is undoubtably not salvageable already so I would try to break it loose or apart from the bottom. A long extension on an air hammer would be my tool of choice. Be careful to not ding the crankshaft bearing surface (and not bend the rod if you want to salvage it).

Don Young

I stuck a hardwood dowel into the bottom of the piston and did my best to smack it upwards, though with limited clearance of the machine base..couldnt put a lot of Smack into it. I didnt beat on the exposed skirts of course....

Gunner

"Confiscating wealth from those who have earned it, inherited it, or got lucky is never going to help 'the poor.' Poverty isn't caused by some people having more money than others, just as obesity isn't caused by McDonald's serving super-sized orders of French fries Poverty, like obesity, is caused by the life choices that dictate results." - John Tucci,

Since you can get to the bottom of the piston here is another thing to try. Make up a piece that will allow you to put even pressure on the piston. Now take a small hydraulic jack and put it in there. What I usually do when I try this is to put the jack on the ground or arrange it in such a way that the weight of the engine will be held by the jack lifting on the piston. Jack it up so there is some pressure on the piston. Now use a weed burner to heat the block. Then let it set. they usually break loose in a couple days. Then jack the piston out.

Your best solution might be a weed whip if they still make 'em. This scythe-like implement is the manual ancestor of the weedwhacker. They're incredibly effective if sharp, once one learns the technique. It's all in the wrist. It's actually less fatiguing than hanging onto the weight and vibration of a gas weedeater, and they're very quiet. They don't do as good a job on borders as a weedwhacker, though, as when holding it sideways to route out a groove while driving sand and green s*it into the shins of your jeans.

There is an idea!

Thanks!

Gunner

"Confiscating wealth from those who have earned it, inherited it, or got lucky is never going to help 'the poor.' Poverty isn't caused by some people having more money than others, just as obesity isn't caused by McDonald's serving super-sized orders of French fries Poverty, like obesity, is caused by the life choices that dictate results." - John Tucci,

Also called a "grass whip":

Good out in the open, not so good for trimming close to things. Hard to find one with good steel in the blade, so many are permanently dull and thus hard to use. Older units are better, and cheap at flea markets. Simple enough to home-brew one.

Joe Gwinn

On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:03:59 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Don Foreman quickly quoth:

I have one of those, passed down to me from my father. They work quite well and it's very easy vent your frustrations while using them.

I got bored of using it, though. It's quite tiring to repeatedly yell "FORE" before each stroke and each backstroke. ;)

I found a better use for it up here in Oregon. I taped the sharp edges off and used it to toss the debris out of my gutters before blowing them clean. I just wish it was a foot and a half longer.

-- Smokey the Bear's rules for fire safety should apply to government: Keep it small, keep it in a confined area, and keep an eye on it. --John Stossel in _Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity_

Larry Jaques fired this volley in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

FAR better uses are found in La Florida. Them thangs's called "snake sticks" 'round these parts.

Y'kin trim yer grass, and pin a Massagua with the same tool. Got me 'bout a 18-inch-er a couple of months ago -- right up by the front porch.

(No, you don't cut the snake in two with 'em, you pin 'em, and pick 'em up fer study and/or lunch!)

LLoyd

Its been at least 25 yrs since Ive seen one of those things. Not gonna be fun trimming between the cactus.

"Confiscating wealth from those who have earned it, inherited it, or got lucky is never going to help 'the poor.' Poverty isn't caused by some people having more money than others, just as obesity isn't caused by McDonald's serving super-sized orders of French fries Poverty, like obesity, is caused by the life choices that dictate results." - John Tucci,

I guess that a cutting torch or C-4 are your only alternatives now.

Jim

On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:24:47 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, Gunner Asch quickly quoth:

For 'tween-cacti trimming, you need one of the HF 93918 floor scrapers, mon. It's 6" wide and 4' long, so it makes a dainty and lovely shovel.

-- Smokey the Bear's rules for fire safety should apply to government: Keep it small, keep it in a confined area, and keep an eye on it. --John Stossel in _Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity_

I dont want to dig anything up..just wack it off

Ive shade cloth under the dirt in the cactus gardens, so much of the weeds etc dont grow between the plants, but up through and around the cacti

Gunner

"Confiscating wealth from those who have earned it, inherited it, or got lucky is never going to help 'the poor.' Poverty isn't caused by some people having more money than others, just as obesity isn't caused by McDonald's serving super-sized orders of French fries Poverty, like obesity, is caused by the life choices that dictate results." - John Tucci,

Im gonna try to move the con rods off the crank when I get some time. If I can do this...Ill smack the piston with a BFH and a block of wood. At the worst..if I can turn the crank, I can turn the genset to get the bolts out and pull the engine..then take it to the seller and let HIM fix it. He offered....

Gunner

"Confiscating wealth from those who have earned it, inherited it, or got lucky is never going to help 'the poor.' Poverty isn't caused by some people having more money than others, just as obesity isn't caused by McDonald's serving super-sized orders of French fries Poverty, like obesity, is caused by the life choices that dictate results." - John Tucci,

That sounds like the most logical plan to me.

Jim

On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:51:04 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, Gunner Asch quickly quoth:

I tend to slide the shovel about an inch down in a flat skimming motion. That takes some of the root, too. Then rake it back over the weed mass and it rolls out. Bag it and dump it.

-- Smokey the Bear's rules for fire safety should apply to government: Keep it small, keep it in a confined area, and keep an eye on it. --John Stossel in _Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity_

An easier/faster way is goto a hobbyshop that does a lot of RC aircraft sales, look for Sullivan S489 or S485

soft brass tubes and compressible rubber stopper. use the other tube for venting, since the bottlecap probably won't be vented :)

Add Dubro 161 and thats a clunk of sintered bronze for fuel pickup and you have a custom system for not much effort