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Old 13-08-2009, 12:39 PM
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Default petrol strimmer help

Hi.

Im new here and i am in need of some help!!

I come to start my petrol strimmer today and it starts but it struggles to tick over. it splutters and coughs trying its hardest to stay alive but then sadly dies. I took the spark plug out and noticed some black grainy residue on the bottom and it seems to be all over the piston, is this doomed or can i save it from the scrap heap its only 14-15 month old!!

It's my fault i left the petrol in it while storing it maybe thats the cause i dont know.

Oh its a 33cc spear and jackson brush cutter from argos.

any help truly appreciated thanks
andy.
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Old 13-08-2009, 05:43 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default petrol strimmer help

andy23 wrote:

I come to start my petrol strimmer today and it starts but it struggles
to tick over.



Sounds like the spark plug is covered in soot and needs cleaning. Just
use a wire brush or bit of emery paper to clean it off between the spark
gap. To get heavily sooted in the first place maybe you put too much oil
in the two stroke mixture?
Another thing that can happen is the spark plug ceramic cracking - that
happened to mine (different make) and gave me the same symptoms.
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Old 13-08-2009, 06:45 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default petrol strimmer help


"andy23" wrote
Im new here and i am in need of some help!!

I come to start my petrol strimmer today and it starts but it struggles
to tick over. it splutters and coughs trying its hardest to stay alive
but then sadly dies. I took the spark plug out and noticed some black
grainy residue on the bottom and it seems to be all over the piston, is
this doomed or can i save it from the scrap heap its only 14-15 month
old!!

It's my fault i left the petrol in it while storing it maybe thats the
cause i dont know.

Oh its a 33cc spear and jackson brush cutter from argos.

any help truly appreciated thanks


The piston crown should not be black and sooty, and that combined with the
erratic running...
1. sounds like it's running rich, too much petrol coming through somehow,
perhaps the choke is permanently on. Check the manual and see if there is a
mixture adjustment and weaken the mixture.
2. if it's a 2 stroke have you put too much oil in the petrol? Husqvarna do
small mixture bottles that are one bottle to 5 litres so you can't over oil
the petrol.
3. empty out the petrol tank and refill with new "petroil mixture".

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London




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Old 13-08-2009, 07:23 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default petrol strimmer help

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:39:19 +0100, andy23 wrote:

I took the spark plug out and noticed some black grainy residue on the
bottom and it seems to be all over the piston, is this doomed or can i
save it from the scrap heap its only 14-15 month old!!


Well it tries to run so it ain't dead! Clean the plug and try some
fresh fuel/oil mix. The soot would indicate that perhaps there is too
much oil. Engines do vary most seem to be 50:1 but my Ryobi strimmer
take 20:1 but does smoke a bit, I might try reducing it.

Also how you use the throttle might be influencial, it's an on/off
switch not really a variable control.

--
Cheers
Dave.



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Old 13-08-2009, 11:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Liquorice[_2_] View Post
On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:39:19 +0100, andy23 wrote:

I took the spark plug out and noticed some black grainy residue on the
bottom and it seems to be all over the piston, is this doomed or can i
save it from the scrap heap its only 14-15 month old!!


Well it tries to run so it ain't dead! Clean the plug and try some
fresh fuel/oil mix. The soot would indicate that perhaps there is too
much oil. Engines do vary most seem to be 50:1 but my Ryobi strimmer
take 20:1 but does smoke a bit, I might try reducing it.

Also how you use the throttle might be influencial, it's an on/off
switch not really a variable control.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Thank you all for your input much appreciated.

So as this maybe down to too much oil which is the 50:1 ratio, do you think it would be wise to run a tank with just petrol and no oil.
As i did clean the spark plug and put it back that didnt help and when i took the plug back out it was full of the soot again.

so would this be wise to run 1 tank full on petrol to try and i dont know maybe clean the piston.

sorry as you can see im not really too clued up on the engine side of things.

thanks again ppl


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Old 14-08-2009, 02:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andy23 View Post
So as this maybe down to too much oil which is the 50:1 ratio, do you think it would be wise to run a tank with just petrol and no oil.
Sorry its not a 50:1 its a 20:1 mix and now i come to think of it, it is giving out abit of smoke at the minute.
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Old 14-08-2009, 10:00 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default petrol strimmer help

andy23 wrote:

So as this maybe down to too much oil which is the 50:1 ratio, do you
think it would be wise to run a tank with just petrol and no oil.


If you run it without any oil you will destroy the engine! Without the
oil for lubrication the piston will seize.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.
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Old 14-08-2009, 03:36 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default petrol strimmer help

andy23 wrote:
Hi.

Im new here and i am in need of some help!!

I come to start my petrol strimmer today and it starts but it struggles
to tick over. it splutters and coughs trying its hardest to stay alive
but then sadly dies. I took the spark plug out and noticed some black
grainy residue on the bottom and it seems to be all over the piston, is
this doomed or can i save it from the scrap heap its only 14-15 month
old!!

It's my fault i left the petrol in it while storing it maybe thats the
cause i dont know.

Oh its a 33cc spear and jackson brush cutter from argos.

any help truly appreciated thanks
andy.





Have you tried Bradex Easy start ?...Any m/cycle shop will have it..
A quick squirt into the carb and my Ryobi will start first pull...
Think there are other makes of 2stroke starters but this is the one
I use...

--
Regards
Ted Wager
Using Ubuntu Karmic Linux
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Old 14-08-2009, 08:38 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
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Default petrol strimmer help


"andy23" wrote in message
...

Hi.

Im new here and i am in need of some help!!

I come to start my petrol strimmer today and it starts but it struggles
to tick over. it splutters and coughs trying its hardest to stay alive
but then sadly dies. I took the spark plug out and noticed some black
grainy residue on the bottom and it seems to be all over the piston, is
this doomed or can i save it from the scrap heap its only 14-15 month
old!!

It's my fault i left the petrol in it while storing it maybe thats the
cause i dont know.

Oh its a 33cc spear and jackson brush cutter from argos.

any help truly appreciated thanks
andy.


Sounds to me like it has been stored too long with fuel in tank. Petrol
evaporates and leaves a high oil content which will block fuel lines.
Drain off whatever residue you can from the fuel tank.
Add some 50/1 mix and give it a hard workout. This should clear oil residue
from the innards.
Don't use ordinary car engine oil for the mix.

As an apprentice I was told to NEVER use a wire brush on a spark plug as
this can damage the ceramic coating.
Use a fine abrasive paper or tape to clean the contacts. Then reset the gap.
Always worked for me.
Mind you, spark plug technology may have changed in the last 40 years.
I think it good practice nevertheless.
Don't run a 2 stroke on neat petrol unless you have some intention of saying
goodbye.

Good luck
Francis


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Old 14-08-2009, 11:42 PM
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Ok thank you very much i shall do that tomorrow and hopefully my garden will get the much needed trim.

Thank you all again much appreciated
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