# Weed eater won't start



## Toothdr (May 20, 2017)

I have a Troy bilt weedeater that won't run well. Last year it did good. I had replaced the fuel lines. 

This year it would start but die quick . I thought it would be the carb. So I just sent it to the shop. Didn't want to mess with it. 

Reoair guy said it was the carb an $60. I said no because local store has one for $68 and maybe just need a new one and I don't do a lot of heavy trimming. I got it back and cleaned the carb. Wasn't very dirty looking. It started easier but still died. 

So I was looking at the fuel line and the line was corroded and no gas was going thru the line.  That explains it would start and die within 2 seconds. 

So replaced the line. 

This weed eater has a lever that you put in the number 1 position. Hold the throttle. Pull 5 times. Move to the number 2 position. Pull. Then move to number 3 position. 

So after replacing the fuel like and cleaning the carb. In the number one position. I adjusted the high and low pins to one turn each. 

It will start. And continue to run. When I move it to the number two position. (Still holding the theottle) it will die. When it starts to die I can move it back to the number one position and it continues to run. The head isn't spinning in the number one position. In the number two position it will soon but not much power. 

So I read about the spark preventor on the muffler could be the problem. Took the muffler off. No spark preventor. Tried starting the weed eater without the muffler. Same results just louder. 

What do I do?


----------



## Wizmo (Apr 3, 2011)

*This is typical of small engines which had remaining fuel in the tank or lines that became gummy over the winter. It usually will clog the jet passages in the carb and cause this symptom.

The only way to cure it is likely to soak the carb in a cleaning solution with the mixture screws removed (also the diaphragm and any other rubber or plastic parts). The cleaning solution will often destroy the soft parts. Once it has been thoroughly soaked, use compressed air to blow through any of the orifices that may be clogged with gum. Be careful not to inhale or get the solvent in your eyes!! :wink:

Allow the carb to thoroughly dry and re-assemble it and mount it back. It is a good idea to replace all the rubber or plastic tubes in the fuel line feeds. Often there is one inside the fuel tank that gets overlooked! It can get dried out and kinked and prevent proper fuel flow.

Best practice is to remove all fuel from the item prior to storage in the "off season" and treat at least the last fueling with "Sta-Bil" or similar fuel treatment, which decreases the likelihood of degraded fuel gumming up the works.

Before I found this preventive sequence I was buying new equipment every year! :sad:

Best of luck with this one! :grin:

*


----------



## AVB (Nov 28, 2014)

Even here in my shop I don't usually repair these low cost unit simply because of the repair costs.

Though I agree with some of what Wizmo said. The soaking of 2 cycle cube in carburetor cleaner is a no no here in my shop. It's the delicate check valves in the carburetor and hidden o-rings that can be damage by the cleaner. Also using pressurized air can damage these as you can only lightly blow dry them.

Here I use an ultrasonic cleaner with soap and water to clean. The installation carburetor repair kit is usually necessary as the diaphragms are often stiffen, the internal filter usually clogged, and other general clogging. Sometime I can get by just install a new filter screen and the metering diaphragm after cleaning but not always. 

You can't expect to simply throw in a kit and hope it works. Often the new metering lever is not set properly. Something to note on the internal filter screens. Depending the style used they can look clean and still be clogged.

As for the initial mixtures screw(s) setting they are usually set at 1-1/2 turns CCW from lightly seated and tuned to final settings after warm up.

Also from your description of how it is acting I am thinking the metering diaphragm is stiffen and not opening the needle valve. Also make you installed the carburetor to intake adapter gasket correctly as if wrong the impulse port may blocked. The reason it works on choke is that there more vacuum to pull in the stiffen diaphragm.

It very possible you have a Ruixing carburetor as many cheap trimmers sold today have these Chinese cube carburetors and their are usually no repair kits available but many of the Zama individual parts are be used to make up a kit but this requires a shop that does a lot 2 cycle work to do and then they they to see the original parts to match them up.


----------



## Wizmo (Apr 3, 2011)

*Hi AVB,

I will bow to your superior experience in this. The Poulan (Craftsman) string trimmer I had kept going for about 15 years after I did the initial "cleaning," then took proper precautions every pre-winter season with fuel treatment, followed by thorough draining. When I moved to the Caribbean 25 years ago, I sold it (still working) to my neighbor at the yard sale. So yeah it was quite a while ago! 

I have since encountered a few here with gummy fuel issues that were corrected by a good soak and blowing out. I agree with you completely about the cheapie Chinese carbs on the newer models. eBay often has a replacement that goes for $25-$30 that has worked for me once or twice with newer models. Some I have had to simply give up on after that didn't work... :sad:


*


----------



## Toothdr (May 20, 2017)

Thank you for the advice. I'm going to try a couple things and then trash it. 

Did something happen last few years? My carborator in my newly lawnmower also had problems. 

I had a lawn mower for 15 years. Never did anything to it. It always started within a few pulls. Now all of a sudden my weed eater and mower both have had to have work. 

I'll let you know of the weed eater starts up or ends up in the trash.


----------

