Repairs Toro 51956 won't idle

poorengineer

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Ok, this trimmer won't idle anymore. I have to keep enough gas to it that the head spins almost full speed to keep it from dying. I think I've had it about 4 years. It has a simple 1 SCREW IDLE, no high low to adjust.

I'm at the end of my rope on this thing after the new carb part# 308480001......here is what I've changed.
- new carb (even disassembled and cleaned the old one with no blockages just maybe the diaphragm and check valves worn)
- new fuel lines
- new fuel filter
- cleaned air filter
- cleaned muffler and spark arrestor is clean
- new spark plug
- new two cycle liquid and gas
- put thumb over spark plug hole, pulled rope and pressure pushes thumb out of way
- checked fuel port at piston head
- new primer bulb
- cleaned gas cap vent and even ran with gas cap loose to prove no vapor lock issue

Can you all think of anything else I'm missing?
 

Arwing64

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There are a few things you can do. You can do a compression test to see if the engine is even healthy. You will need a compression tester if you don't have one. Get a basic one, you won't need anything fancy.
Check if the coil is even working. See if there is spark coming from the coil when you turn it over. It might be a dead coil or a short in the kill wire. The switch to turn if off could be bad. I would test it with a multimeter to confirm.

To be quite honest, it might be better just to get another trimmer.

Toro trimmers and their other 2-stroke items are not very good at all. They just aren't made well and are probably a rebranded trimmer made by some other manufacture. And a carburetor that doesn't even have fuel adjustment screws is pretty useless, and they don't add it to a lot of newer carburetors mainly because of emissions, but also so that you can't attempt to fix it to make you buy another one.

It might be time to call it quits and get another trimmer. I would recommend either getting a Stihl or an Echo. They are very good quality units. They are a little expensive, but try to get one that meets your needs and your price range. Echo is slightly less expensive as Stihl, but Stihl is by far the best on the market. AVOID GETTING ANYTHING AT A BIG BOX STORE! Everything else is cheap rebranded Chinese junk.

If you are only using it around the house, I recommend either a Stihl FS-55 or Echo SRM-230. They have plenty of power to get the job done.
If you prefer flex shaft trimmers, I recommend either a Stihl FS-45C or Echo GT-225. They are decent units but the Stihl is a bit more powerful.
If you are going to be using it commercially or cutting down brush or tall grasses, I recommend either a Stihl FS-90R or an Echo SRM-266 or SRM-280. These are going to cost a bit more but they will have a lot more power.

The next time you get a trimmer though, try using ethanol free gas if you can. I use it in all of my 2-strokes or smaller engines and haven't had a problem since. I put regular pump gas (with Sta-bil or Seafoam) in all my other equipment mainly because it is cheaper and I run them often. I know ethanol free gas is expensive but it is worth all the trouble of dealing with malfunctioning equipment. You can either get the premixed cans or seek out a gas station that sells ethanol free gas and mix the oil yourself. If you don't want to use ethanol free gas, just make sure the engine is run frequently to keep the fluids moving. If you don't plan to use it for a while, it is best to drain out the remaining fuel and run it out of gas.

2-strokes alone are very finicky so using good clean fuel and using good quality brand units should prevent a lot of problems.
 

poorengineer

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I appreciate the response, that was perfect. I was going to ask about the Stihl and Echos but you even beat me to that. I plan on going that route as I'm being burned living out in the country with big box store equipment.


You know, my non technical wife, said "what if it's the kill switch or something simple like that?". I'm gonna die if that's it. lololol


Thanks again!
 
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I appreciate the response, that was perfect. I was going to ask about the Stihl and Echos but you even beat me to that. I plan on going that route as I'm being burned living out in the country with big box store equipment.


You know, my non technical wife, said "what if it's the kill switch or something simple like that?". I'm gonna die if that's it. lololol


Thanks again!

No not the kill switch you are running the engine so you are getting spark....... Do you have the 4 stroke model ???
 
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The reason I ask if it's a 4 stroker you don't have the cube carb on yours you have the rotary carb and most of those are 4 strokes....

Yes 2 strokers use the rotary carbs too......
 
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