Quote :

"first time i started it since the fall runs fine with choke engaged sometimes runs OK with choke engaged and full throttle (can use the choke as a 'throttle' but dies at about 1/3 open) will idle with choke half or fully open, dies with any throttle input at all even if its running with choke closed and full throttle obv no power. cutter head barely turning. fucking four stroke troy bilt shitbox this is what you get when your thought process ends at "my troy bilt lawnmower is great i want a matching weedeater," will any amount of carb cleaner fix this or am i rebuilding the tiniest carb ever?"

I have a troy bilt and have the exact same issue.

I've mitigated like 90% of it by running 100 Octane gas and letting it warm up via idle for like 5 minutes. That usually seems to do the trick.

5/10/2014 7:19:02 PM

You also have a partially clogged fuel line/ jet.

5/10/2014 8:34:54 PM

pulled the old 30 hp Yamaha/Mariner 2-smoke out of the barn today. ran e-free in it and disconnected the fuel line and let it run til the bowl was empty before it was put up about 2 years ago. dumped what little was left in the tank and mixed up a fresh gallon of e-free 50:1. started on the 4th pull.

5/11/2014 5:54:12 PM

Nice!

5/11/2014 5:58:45 PM

i kinda hate to sell the thing, but i never use it. i need to learn to be content with one boat.

5/11/2014 10:06:19 PM

Throw in a 16 ft Lowe jon boat, and there's my giggin' rig. Bring it, man.

5/13/2014 4:10:45 PM

it's on a 16' 1972 Ouachita. already has the deck up front at a trolling motor on the bow. the guy i'm selling it to plans to add lights and gig on it.

[Edited on May 13, 2014 at 4:44 PM. Reason : aluminum Ouachita, that is. thick gunwales full of foam. don't make them like that anymore.]

5/13/2014 4:43:59 PM

Hey it wasn't the gas that killed my leaf blower anyhow. The cylinder head was about to fall off.

Tightened the bolts, all good.

5/27/2014 10:08:45 PM

Hah! That'd do it!

5/28/2014 5:37:31 AM

When you guys have a small engine carb thats gummed up (aka my old man is horrible about winterizing anything) whats your normal SOP? It seems like 80% of the time the diaphragm is just stuck and not pumping and the remaining 20% is other issues (fuel line/bulb/etc). Most times I can just break the diaphragm loose and it runs fine, but I'm just waiting for the day one of the jets or ports get clogged. Carb cleaner bath? What else?

5/28/2014 9:21:43 PM

Poke some fine copper wire through the jets. Kink it up and pull the kinks through with some strong solvent. If you have an indexed small drillbit set and know the supposed jet size, drill it out with your fingers. Also replace the gaskets and o-rings. Make. Sure there are no air leaks. Clean and replace reed valves if applicable. Replace spark plug. If it has points, inspect them. Check the coil too.

5/29/2014 5:10:16 AM

After spending a day cleaning/ rebuilding one next time I will spend the $15-25 and replace it.

[Edited on May 29, 2014 at 8:17 AM. Reason : .]

5/29/2014 8:17:13 AM

I throw the shit in the "yard sale" pile and go buy another one. In the case of my shitty string trimmer, lets just say the weeds are getting up there.

6/2/2014 4:40:19 PM

So, I have been dragging my feet about buying the new string trimmer. I went to pour the fuel out of the old one (onto the weeds of course, how else am I gonna get rid of them) and the fuel filter fell out. Stuck it back on and the bastard works again.

7/4/2014 5:08:17 AM

Sacrilege, but I too use a battery powered one. It's been fine for around the house.

7/4/2014 6:49:42 AM

christfuck ive done everything ITT and it still wont run right.

Troy Bilt might have decent mowers (knock on wood), but this trimmer is straight garbage.

7/5/2014 3:44:16 PM

I just stick to Craftsman and Stihl stuff...shit works.

7/5/2014 3:55:30 PM

none of them are gonna work if you leave ethanol in them

7/5/2014 6:15:18 PM

Craftsman is usually mtd aka the same shit everyone else carries.

7/5/2014 7:55:44 PM

^^ my craftsman mower (briggs and stratton motor) does

[Edited on July 6, 2014 at 3:12 PM. Reason : ^ mtd?]

7/6/2014 3:11:31 PM

wlb420's Huskavarna does not.

7/6/2014 3:55:34 PM

the 4-cycle on your push mower handles ethanol a little better, simply because the holes and stuff are larger, but if you leave ethanol in it over enough winters, it will eventually get enough water in it to fail.

7/6/2014 7:06:59 PM

Yeah it normally starts up and runs rough on the old gas but eventually evens out with new gas...I did have to dump it once though. Maybe it depends on how late in the fall/early in the spring I use it. I usually run the 2 cycles dry but if I happen to leave gas in them I dump in the spring.


[Edited on July 6, 2014 at 10:01 PM. Reason : in short i'm lazy, but you already knew that ]

[Edited on July 6, 2014 at 10:05 PM. Reason : V Will do!]

7/6/2014 9:58:30 PM

just dump it at the end of the season, crank it up and let it run until it cuts off. as long as you're using it every week or two during the season, it should be good.

dumping before the season does no good. the whole point is to get the ethanol out of the fuel bowl and the rest of the carburetor so it doesn't separate and gunk them up.

[Edited on July 6, 2014 at 10:05 PM. Reason : vf]

7/6/2014 10:03:20 PM

If I've dumped at the beginning of the season it's because the shit didn't work at the beginning of the season

7/6/2014 10:34:36 PM

this is why I rent.

7/9/2014 11:17:53 AM