Non-Bicycle: dang weedwhacker quit!

[DougC]

This is not a bicycle 2-stroke but maybe someone can suggest something useful to try:

I got a weedeater (the actual brand), about eight years old, ran quite well up until now (a couple weeks ago). Now it won't start. It will run continuously up to about the halfway-throttle mark with the choke in the full-choke position, and it's not supposed to do that at all--it's only supposed to kick over. It will not kick over at all in the half-choke or choke-off positions at all now. If it's running in the full-choke position and I move the choke to the half-choke position, the engine revs way up and then dies.

Also I noticed now that the little primer-pump thing is easy to push down, but pops back up v-e-e-e-r-r-r-r-y slowly, where before it popped right back up pretty much. I took the air cleaner off to see if that was clean or it made any difference, and it was clean, and removing the filter didn't make any difference at all.

The spark plug wire was tight, but I didn't look at the spark plug yet. The throttle and throttle cable appears to be working normally, and isn't bent or broken.

I don't use it much but it sits a lot with the fuel mix in it. I'm guessing it might be gummed up inside the carb but what do I run through it to clean it out? ...If spraying some carb cleaner into it might help I would do that, but I don't know if I'd bother to take the thing apart much, I'd just trash it and buy a new one instead.
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[hill climber]

had this same prob on mine this morning. check the fuel line at the tank. it just pushes through a hole in the plastic and it likes to break at the pinch point. worth a try

 

[s_beaudry]

Same here with my troy built I had.....

Fuel line cracked and would only run at full choke at idle!

 

[skyl4rk]

I am working on a weedeater motor and it was having problems running for 20 seconds and then dying. After a while it would start OK and run for a while but then quit.

I was told to do was replace the fuel line and the filter in the gas tank. I have done so and it seemed to be running better although I don't have the carb tuned up correctly yet. Total cost about $5.

 

[Mountainman]

Yes - sure sounds like a carb or fuel problem. Always good idea to pull the plug - tells us a lot in regards to what's going on - running rich or lean ? Running with the choke on - usually fouls the plug.
Ride That Thing - Mountainman

 

[DougC]

It was the fuel line.
And there's no place that sells replacements open today (labor day) so my lawn is still half-finished.
Oh well.
[edit--added]
-And it was the primer bulb too (had a little crack I had never noticed before)...
So I replaced that and then the fuel still wouldn't pump through it right.
-And so the carb had to be sprayed out with carb cleaner too.
Seems to run normally now tho'.
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[DougC]

I did notice something else while this was going on.

During the effort of pouring the fuel out of the weedeater's gas tank, I needed something to temporarily pour a bit of fuel in while I was fishing the bits of fuel line out of the weedeater tank. The only thing around I had that was metal & empty was the MSR fuel bottle I had.

I had stopped using this because I wanted to carry more fuel but also because if fuel was stored in it permanently, the cap seemed to swell up making screwing and unscrewing it difficult--as I noted in this thread:
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=7926&highlight=msr+bottle

Well that MSR fuel bottle had been sitting empty all this time (6 or 7 months or so) and when I went to unscrew the cap, it came out like it was supposed to. The swelling had gone back down. <8O
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[Esteban]

I NEVER leave 2 cycle gas in any engine at all, unless I am going to use it the next day, or so. I do not keep 2 cycle mix stored an length of time, in a gas can. For my weedwhacker, I pour in what gas mix I think is enough to do the job. I always use " Stabil " in my gas. I put just a couple of drops of carb cleaner in the tank every time I use it, as well. If there is any leftover fuel, I turn the machine off, pour the leftover fuel into a steel can, restart machine & let it idle til it dies. The old fuel in the can is poured into my car or 4 cycle lawnmower . [ no it runs fine ] This procedure must be working well, because & am still using an early 1980's Robin-Subaru weedwhacker .