The gaskets in the carburetor have dried out. Get a rebuilding kit.

"KC" wrote in message
...
I've got an old leaf blower with a fair amount of use on it. It
always started easily until recently, but now will not start without a
squirt of starter fluid. Without the fluid, no amount of pulling the
rope will produce even a cough from it, but with a small squirt of
starter fluid it will start on the first pull and run fine.
What would cause this? My first thought was carb or compression, but
it runs fine once it starts. The fuel is from the same container I
use for my other 2 cycle engines and they all start fine.

KC