Robert Reznikoff wrote:
Frequently, my gas engine dies and I have trouble restarting. The problem
is, I am not sure if the engine is starved for gas or is flooded. Obviously
I don't want to choke the engine if it is flooded, but on the other hand if
it is starved for gas it needs to be choked. How do I determine which is
the case? This is in reference to 4 cycle engine, but I think the same
holds true for a 2 cycle engine.



Why don't you get it fixed so it doesn't die?

To answer your question though - It depends on why it died. If it died
because the load was too great then it should not need to be choked. If
it died from fuel starvation then it should be choked.

When in doubt try starting without choking first. Then apply choke only
if not successful. It is difficult to clear out a flooded engine and
sometimes the only way is to wait it out or remove the spark plug and
spin the engine a few times.

--
Art