Questioni won a lawnboy 2 cycle snow thrower and its not starting i check the sparkplug and it seems that there is no gasoline flowing on the engine because its dry. i started doing the priming of the engine and that seems not to help
AnswerNilo
First check the air filter. Is it getting air and gas? If not lets find out why.
1. Air Filters; There are 2 types. One is made of paper and the other is made of foam. NOTE: (Whenever you lift your lawnmower for any reason disconnect your spark plug and ground it.) NOTE: Do not run your engine or any engine without the air filter, it will RUIN the motor. When lifting your lawnmower on its side, always lift it with the carburetor up. A little oil may come out, but not enough to hurt anything. If you lift your lawnmower with the carburetor down oil & gas will go everywhere. If your air filter is made of paper the oil & gas will ruin it. If not you will have to clean your foam one.
a. Paper filters cannot be cleaned with gas or any solvent, you can only use compressed air to blow the dirt out. If it's very dirty, it's best to replace.
b. Foam filters can be cleaned with dish washing liquid and water and dried with a rag. Then very liberally, work new engine oil throughout the air filter and squeeze out excess. The oil in the filter is what traps the dirt. If your foam filter is deteriorating or coming apart replace it, it can ruin your engine. Clean every 25 hours under normal conditions. Note: Use the same type of engine oil you use in your small engine to lightly oil your filter.
2. Check your gas cap. The gas cap is a source of ventilation for the fuel tank. If your gas cap is clogged it will make your fuel tank vapor lock, and you will have no gas flow. To check and see if the gas cap is bad, loosen the gas cap and see if it will run longer than before you loosened the gas cap. If it continues running, you need to replace the cap, if it does not continue running check further in this troubleshooting guide for more information.
3. Is the fuel line clogged or partially clogged? Example: when you disconnect the fuel line from the carburetor and the gas is steadily flowing there is not a problem. But if it only drips with a full tank of gas replace it after checking the gas cap.
4. Do you have a fuel cut off? If so, is it cut on?
5. Do you have a gas filter? If so is it clear? If not, replace it.
6. Is the gas flowing in to the carburetor? If not you could have a piece of trash in the needle & seat. The needle & seat controls the gas flow that starts & stops the gas. You will have to clean or replace. It’s best to replace.
7. The float controls the gas level in the carburetor. If any of these signs occur, the carburetor is overflowing out of your air filter or out of your primer. If you have gas in your oil, you have carburetor problems. NOTE: Drain the oil if there is gas in it, if you don’t it can be dangerous. You need to check the needle & seat to see if it has trash or is bad. Is your float bad? To check the float pull the pin that holds your float in place, shake the float and if there is fluid inside of the float, replace it. Don’t forget to set the float level.
8. Carburetors with primers represent a large majority of lawnmower and small engines today. They have primers to push or force air in the carburetor and in turn force gas through the center jet to make starting easier. Then look to see if the primer is pumping gas in to the engine.
9. Things to check for if the primer is not working. This applies to several different types of engines. Check for holes or tears if you have a carburetor that has a diaphragm. (A diaphragm is a gas pump located in carburetors that have the gas tank and carburetors assembled together.) Replace the diaphragm if the diaphragm has a hole or has hardened or slightly slid over to one side, or if the engine will not run correctly and is skipping, not priming, or will not run at all. If you have a float type carburetor, the bowl gasket may not be sealed properly and air will leak past the bowl gasket and will not prime. If you have a air assembly primer box where the air filter box is connected to carburetor, your gasket may not be sealing correctly. If there is a tear or a hole in the gasket, air will leak past it and will not force air in the carburetor which will not force gas through the center jet. Also your air assembly box may have a crack and will be warped because it was over tightened. If so, replace it.
10. Some models have chokes. Chokes are used to draw gas through the center jet to run. If the choke is not working properly and it is not closing all the way the engine cannot draw gas through the center jet and will not crank.
11. The throttle cable is what operates the choke on some models and the primer on some others, but it works the speed of the engine. To adjust the throttle that works the choke you need to loosen the throttle and open the throttle all the way, then push it until the choke is closed all the way. To adjust a "speed only" open the throttle all the way and make sure that the engine speed will be all the way open and then tighten the cable back up on the engine. Make sure if you have a kill switch on the throttle cable, that it works when you lower the speed all the way. If not, adjust again. Carburetors: Carburetors are the cause of 99% of all small engine problems. Carburetors are the easiest thing to repair on small engines.
