Fix my blower

[jeepwm69 6,561]

Have a Husky 350BT backpack blower I got about 4-5 years ago. Has worked great until I pulled it out last week.

Always use ethanol free gas, and it's never given me any problems. Probably doesn't have 20 hours of run time on it.

Fired up after a few pulls, and ran for about a minute, then died suddenly. Would not restart.

Took it and poured a little premix in the plug hole, fired up, ran for a few seconds, then died. Wouldn't restart.

Poured out gas, put in fresh premix, even though gas smelled and looked fine. No change.

Figured it was the carb. Took it off, took it apart, blew it out, everything looked clean, put it back together. Same thing.

Ordered a carb, put it on, fired right up, ran for a few seconds, then wouldn't start back, so no change.

Sometimes it won't start even putting gas in the plug hole, so either I'm flooding it, or I'm getting an intermittent spark issue.

It seems to start, runs about 15 seconds, then won't do anything for a few minutes. I'm going to try a new spark plug next.

I see a lot of issues about this on Husky backpack blowers, but nobody has posted the solution/ what the problem was.

Anyone have any ideas?

[TBRider 1,389]

Might have a plugged spark arrestor in the end of the exhaust, had a new spacing saw do that to me with about 20 hrs. Just take it out and use a torch to burn the screen clean.

Edited April 8, 2020 by TBRider

[01RUBY500 1,184]

Had a similar problem with a TroyBuilt 4 cycle weed wacker few years ago and it was a dirty Carb. Since you already tried that I was going to suggest new spark plug, but your already getting one. Hope that helps you.  If the new  plug doesn’t help trace the plug wire back looking for a damaged cracked or cut wire. 

[Fishfiles 16,950]

what about the hoses , maybe the pulse hose is deteriorated or the pick up tube cracked 

 

[_Wilson_™ 5,837]

I'd drop a line to @Misterclean i had an issue with a (given to me) echo weed eater .... after advise from him... she's up and running like a champ...  but  ...  I'm a Stihl guy.... always treat gas (for use in a carb power plant and tank topped off) with stabil no matter if it's ethanol free , or not ...  are there any signs of mice chewing on the wiring ? 

[TRX Student 145]

I wanna say if its been sitting for 4-5 years with little use, maybe fuel/pulse lines have dried/cracked?

[oldmxrider 69]

I have repaired quite a few small two stroke engines used in leaf blowers and lawn equipment, if Your fuel lines are good !     Check to see if Your cylinder bolts are tight the darn things seem to vibrate loose and they start sucking air at base of the cylinder sometimes it has blown the base gasket and  that will need replaced .   Just a thought and it is definitely something that I have run into many times with these engines.

[jeepwm69 6,561]

Given me some good things to look at. 

 

It is used infrequently, but it doesn't sit more than a month or two between uses, and I don't normally have fuel related issues with any of my small engines since switching to ethanol free all the time.  I did put fresh gas in it just in case, when i put the new carb on, and no change.

 

Stored in my shop.  LInes look good, are flexible.  No sign of mice or other critters.   Thing looks like new honestly.  I haven't checked the spark arrestor.  I'll do that next, along with the new plug, which I had to order because my FNPS didn't have the proper NGK for it.

[Misterclean 400]

Check the fuel supply hose. some of them are a hose inside of a hose. The inner hose will collapse with no outward signs. Next i would check the ignition coil. With a spark tester hooked up to the plug run it until it dies. If it was sparking when it died it's got to be fuel except for a one in a million bad spark plug.

[LedFTed 1,032]

just wanted to add fuel filter in the mix. "fuel line is is my guess though". i couldn't see the leak it was there though, let air in. i think line was yellow. was on my husqvarna 55, 1999 model. been running ever since. still starts like a Harley. has kick back or something.

i had a bad primer bulb once or twice also. that little white thinggie, some kind of vent, from gas tank.

Edited April 11, 2020 by LedFTed

[shadetree 5,407]

39 minutes ago, LedFTed said:

just wanted to add fuel filter in the mix. "fuel line is is my guess though". i couldn't see the leak it was there though, let air in. i think line was yellow. was on my husqvarna 55, 1999 model. been running ever since. still starts like a Harley. has kick back or something.

i had a bad primer bulb once or twice also. that little white thinggie, some kind of vent, from gas tank.

that little white thinggy in the tank is the fuel filter.

[_Wilson_™ 5,837]

one problem is easy to cure ...  ethanol resistant fuel line .... I started to update to .... but being its  $9 +  a foot ... I'll just stick with stabil ....I've  had not a single small engine issue in years ... 

[Steviejim 34]

Got a coil in that one Jeep???

[LedFTed 1,032]

1 hour ago, shadetree said:

that little white thinggy in the tank is the fuel filter.

not in the tank, believe it or not, i know what the fuel filter is. i was talking outside the tank. some kind of vent.

[Misterclean 400]

2 hours ago, LedFTed said:

not in the tank, believe it or not, i know what the fuel filter is. i was talking outside the tank. some kind of vent.

Fuel tank vent......popular with echo. never seen one on another brand.

[_Wilson_™ 5,837]

yeah... i agree.... my o39 stihl has one ... but she's the only out of all my others 

[jeepwm69 6,561]

Well....it was the spark plug. 

 

Old one looks fine, but I tried a new one and it ran great for about 45 mins. 

 

You’d think I would have learned to do the cheap/easy stuff FIRST by now.

[LedFTed 1,032]

never too old

[57Tim 1]

My small engine guy told me to drain the fuel out everytime I am done using a small engine that doesn't get used often even if you use ethanol free fuel.  Works for me. No trouble since then.

[_Wilson_™ 5,837]

some will advise to drain.... but .... i never have ...ethanol free (if you can get it) along with stabil (green) is what i use ..plus keeping the tank COMPLETELY  TOPPED OFF!! .. I haven't had one single issue in more then ten years !!  someone posted ... you can get ethanol  free gas at  some marinas. stihl o39 chainsaw stihl fs-250r brush cutter featherlite leaf blower echo curve shaft weed eater weedeater hedge trimmer , just to name a few... 

 

https://atvhonda.com/topic/375-two-year-old-ethanol-still-good/?tab=comments#comment-8510

 

[Fishfiles 16,950]

On my blower , weed eater , chainsaw and anything that burns 2 stroke gas mix , if I am not going to use it in the next week , always non-eth'fuel and I dump the fuel out the tank , start it up and let it run dry , seems to be working 

[Chevymec 473]

Never once drained any gas out of my stuff. 

 

[57Tim 1]

1 minute ago, Chevymec said:

Never once drained any gas out of my stuff. 

 

Ok, I was just passing on some info from a guy that cleans bad gas out of customers carbs because they leave the gas in it.  It takes 2 minutes to prevent a $60 bill every year your stuff wouldn't start.  He makes a darn good living on bad gas.

[Chevymec 473]

34 minutes ago, 57Tim said:

Ok, I was just passing on some info from a guy that cleans bad gas out of customers carbs because they leave the gas in it.  It takes 2 minutes to prevent a $60 bill every year your stuff wouldn't start.  He makes a darn good living on bad gas.

Oh, I understand. I've been a mechanic for 20 years and know that I should, I just decided not to.

[jeepwm69 6,561]

https://www.pure-gas.org/

 

I only use ethanol free gas in everything except my newer cars.  I've always run my outboards dry when I leave the lake unless I know 100% I'm going to be running the motor again soon (like during duck season), but for the rest of my stuff I just make sure I run the stuff every now and then.  I use my chainsaws, blower, weedeater, hedge trimmers, truck bed air compressor, mowers, and 4wheelers at least once a year, and I haven't had any problems with any of those as long as I use ethanol free gas.

 

I do run my generator dry when I crank it up.  Never know how long I'll go between runs on that so it, like the outboards, gets run all the way dry.