QuestionHi Ben,
My father has a 10HP Briggs Stratton Mulcher (204412 0276ei)
Last year he accidentally added gasoline+oil mixture for a 2-stroke engine to this chipper. Needless to say it didn't like that at all. I think he just left it there for the entire season and now he wants to use it again and surprise surprise it won't start. "It doesn't even sound like it wants to turn over" is how he describes it.
My theory is that A- gasoline breaks down over time and should be removed from an engine for long-term storage or can cause engine problems and, more importantly B - especially if you put the wrong fuel in it in the first place.
He changed the air filter, oil and spark and I believe he can get sparks with a crank but the engine won't turn. This to me sounds like a clogged carb - especially if whatever oil was in his mixture had detergents.
Does this sound reasonable and if so is this an easy fix? I've never rebuilt a carb before on any engine - can you give me some guidance on where to start?
Thank you for any help you can offer with this admittedly limited amount of information.
regards
steve
AnswerSteve
When you add a oil/gas mixture to a 4 stroke engine you will mess up the carburetor,air & fuel system,by gumming it up. Your best solution is to remove the carburetor and rebuild/replace it sometimes replacing it is better.Because if you rebuild it and it still has problems you will then eventually will have to buy a new one.The reason it may not want to turn over could be a few problems, clogged fuel line bad starter not enough spark the plugs are probably fouled. Start off with new fresh fuel in a clean tank if you have to remove the tank to clean it do so, you can use hot soapy water to clean the oil,then let it dry completely.Install new spark plugs make sure the air filter is not full of oil residue that will cause problems also. It is better to replace what you don't know that can be bad then to have problems for the next season.
