Wacker concrete saw does not start

"Won't start" has multiple causes. First thing to do is to figure out why it won't start. A good starting point is to squirt a bit of gas into the intake and she if it tries to start. If it does try, then you clean the carb. If it doesn't try to start then check to see if you have spark.

That covers 99% of the no start problems on portable gas engines. For specifics there is a Canuk on U-tube that does a really nice job with a bunch of videos you can watch. see:

Roger Shoaf

Model number?

Spark, fuel, air.

Pull the sparkplug, lay it on top of the head with the wire attached and confirm you have a nice fat blue arc when you pull the starter cable. If you don't get your spark, you can have a look at the magneto or whatever ignition system it has. Ignition is a very popular failure mechanism in small engines.

If you do get a nice fat blue spark, look at the plug. Is the tip black and wet with gas or dry and light tan in color? If it is just gas fouled, you could yank the cord a few times and dry out the cylinder via the sparkplug hole. Dry the plug, clean and gap. Try again.

Is the air filter clean? If you get a spark and the plug looks OK, consider shooting a little gas into the carb. If it starts, you may have a plugged jet. A carb rebuild is probably in order.

--Winston

Spark, fuel, air, compression,

Everything that Winston said, but if you get to the end of the "check this" list and things still aren't working make sure that it draws air in the intake during the intake stroke, that it exhausts air on the exhaust stroke, and that it has compression. In other words, make sure that there's still rings, and that a valve isn't stuck open.

I used to own a lawn mower that ran great, except that if you left it not running for over a few weeks you had to whack the head with a 2x4 a few times and try extra hard to get it to start. I'm pretty sure it was a stuck valve (and a really lazy owner, to not fix same).

Presuming it's a gas engine a gummed up carb would be my first suspect. Check for spark and compression first, but after that it's likely time to teardown the carb and run it through the ultrasonic cleaner.

It seems everyone is going with cleaning the carb, which may or may not be true. Your question is vague. Is it a 2 stroke or 4 stroke? You are receiving answers for both which may not be correct. Before you try anything that has been posted here, give more info or you could be making the problem worse.

It could also be as simple as being flooded.

Hank

In my experience, the vast majority of the time it is the carb because many of these home gas power tools are used once in a blue moon, put away with gas in them and it winds up gumming up the carb. Or the fuels today with alcohol attract water which then rusts up the needle valves, etc. I'm wrestling with that exact problem now with a Stihl chainsaw. If i used it every couple months, it would start fine.

But I agree, he should not rule out other causes. I would have asked the seller if

A - Iit was running OK and then the same day it would no longer start or quit while running

or

B - It was put away for two years and then would not start.

B - points to high probability of carb problem, A to something else.

Your question is vague. Is it a 2 stroke or 4 stroke?

If it's 2-cycle, then the problem is very likely the carb. Re-build kits are less than $20. Walbro is the dominant carb maker. Service manuals at

The major problem is that he bought a non-running saw. He has no idea what is wrong with it. Now, the question is...... is it worth fixing. :-)

If he likes to tinker, he can learn alot. But he better find out more info before beginning.

Hank

Yes. That too. :)

Beware that a compression test on a small 4 cycle motor may read 'low' and yet be perfectly within specification. The cam on some has a 'compression release' feature to ease starting.

--Winston

Does Iggy like to tinker? You're new around here, I guess.

If it's a 4-stroke, you could try shooting some starting ether or propane in the intake and see what you get. It's easy enough to check for spark (and make sure the spark plug isn't soaked with oil or gas), and as stormin' said, if you turn the motor backwards, you ought to feel some compression.

But two-stroke or four, it's probably a fouled carb, and you can probably fix it by soaking in gumout or methyl chloride.

We would really need to know if this is a hand held, probably 2 stroke engine, or a walk behind, probably 4 stroke engine.

A few things to try:

1. make sure that the fuel shut off is open
2. make sure that the ignition is on. Many pavement saws have more than one.
3. Choke
4. Fuel

If it is a 2 stroke saw, it is very easy to have too much oil in the mix. It will NOT start if the mix is not correct, especially if it has a too rich mix.

It never ceases to amaze me the prices that you pay for things. A decent brand hand held cut off saw is over a $1,000. If it runs at all it will bring several hundred.

Best one I head was sending the newbie all round the shop looking for a box stretcher. Finally is sent up front to the manager's office. He comes back a moment alter, embarrassed, followed by the manager, who then reams the employees for sending him after the box stretcher. "After all, we scraped the broken one six months ago!"

tschus pyotr