Weed Eater Blower Vac Not Starting

l008com

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I bought this old leaf blower for $35 on craigslist because I wanted something cheap that could vacuum and chop up leaves. It ran well at the time, except one of the exhaust bolts was stripped. Well it turns out it was the engine block that was stripped, not the bolt. But I was eventually able to get the hole re-tapped and use bigger bolts to get it on there. So I finally had the thing running well. Then, as soon as I got it running well, suddenly it wouldn't start at all.

VTgvfD1.jpg


So I pulled the cord till my arm fell off, but it would not run. It was running perfectly, then suddenly not at all, so it doesn't sound like it would be a dirty carb (but who knows). To me it sounded like a fuel line issue. When I took the cover off and pumped the primer, it didn't pull up much gas. So I figured its either the bulb or the lines, might as well do both. I did them today and it sure looked like the lines. The in-tank filter had fallen off and the lines in the tank looked like they had crumbled a bit. So after fighting with this thing for a couple of hours, I was able to replace both fuel lines and the primer bulb. But alas, no change in starting.

And lets back up a bit... I WAS able to get it started before off of starting fluid. But once it ran out, it would sputter and die. All the more reason it seemed like it was old rotted fuel lines not sucking up the gas.

Did I mention it was a 1998 model blower?

Well today, I couldn't get it to run at all. Not off gas and not off starter fluid. I actually thought I was going to be successful with this project, but nope.
So any thoughts on what might be going on with this thing?

Here is a picture of the carb before I took the lines off. Can you tell which is the fuel line and which is the return line? I thought the fatter one was fuel, and it sure looked like that was the one previously attached to the in-tank filter. But when I primed it, I could see air bubbles going down that line, into the tank. After a while, I finally gave up. I'd think even if I had them on backwards, it would still probably work, it would just be sucking in un-filtered gas? But just to be safe, I switched the lines. No difference with the lines switched. I am officially stumped.

ZVtuxYc.jpg
 

bertsmobile1

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Walbro have an excellent web site, go there and read yourself rich.
Regardless of the brand, they all work the same way.
The carb will not work if hooked up backwards unless you made the return line go deep into the tank.
And the thick line is the return, the thin is the supply and it has to be heavy walled tube or it will collapse under the influence of the fuel pump.
The carb has an internal filter which from what you have said will most likely clogged
 

ILENGINE

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May not hurt to pull the plug out and shine a light into the cylinder and look around Especially check around the port for the exhaust for scoring and other damage. Broken fuel lines and clogged filters can cause lean running leading to cylinder damage.
 

l008com

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Ok I poked around with this a little more today. I wanted to fully clean the carb first. But this little cube carb is nothing like the lawnmower carbs i've worked on. This was as much as I could break it down. It looks pretty clean actually. Any tips on how to clean this?

bZtfxPo.jpg


Moving on, I was really concerned that it seemed I had stripped the threads in the engine block, where the carb attached. That's what happened to the exhaust and I was able to get it retapped, but I also had to drill out the holes in the muffler a bit. This didn't seem like something that would work for the carb though. When I took it apart today, I discovered that the carb screws into this plastic bracket, and that bracket screws into the block! That's great, because now I just need to replace this plastic piece and I should be good to go!!

Well except for one little problem. This thing is from 1998 and that part is discontinued EVERYWHERE. There may be one on ebay, I'm waiting to hear back from the seller to see if he can post pictures you can actually see. But beyond that, I may be out of luck. I hope I can get this part, this blower ran really well WHEN it would run!
 

bertsmobile1

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As said previously, read the Walbro service manual, it is as good as you can get.
The tiniest bit of crud under the pump diaphragm and it won't pump and we are talking barely visible crud.
Cube carbs are simple to work on but because of all of the very fine holes can be a bugger to clean as most of them are blind and blanked off.
 

l008com

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As said previously, read the Walbro service manual, it is as good as you can get.
The tiniest bit of crud under the pump diaphragm and it won't pump and we are talking barely visible crud.
Cube carbs are simple to work on but because of all of the very fine holes can be a bugger to clean as most of them are blind and blanked off.

Do you have a link to the service manual you are referring to? I'm on their site and I'm not finding anything but new carbs I can buy. Nothing about servicing 20 year old ones. Unless I'm looking in the wrong spot?
 

Ronno6

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You have not mentioned the existence of a spark.(unless I missed it somewhere..)
Is there spark?
Also, check that the muffler is not plugged with carbon.........
Try pulling the starter cord with the muffler off using starting fluid.

That model, I believe, has the flywheel key cast into the flywheel.
It is soft and easily sheared.
Give it a look.
FWIW
 

bertsmobile1

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Do you have a link to the service manual you are referring to? I'm on their site and I'm not finding anything but new carbs I can buy. Nothing about servicing 20 year old ones. Unless I'm looking in the wrong spot?

From the main page , Walbro.com click on the words "Parts & Service" in the top navigation bar.
From the Parts & Service page (walbro.com/parts-services) go to the bottom of the page and there is an embeded video called "Walbro Carburetor Service Video" watch it then to the right corner you will see 3 boxes.
Click on the one that says "SERVICE MANUALS"
Download the HDA or WA which will be the most similar to your carb but they all work the same
 

Ronno6

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As the machine will no longer fire using starting fluid, I have to wonder if the carb is not the issue....but that's just me..
 

l008com

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As the machine will no longer fire using starting fluid, I have to wonder if the carb is not the issue....but that's just me..

Well it's definitely *AN* issues now, as the plastic adapter plate is stripped so I can no longer bolt it on nice and flush to the unit. Once I get that piece replaced and the carb put back together, then I can go from there.
 
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