2 stroke starting problems.year 2017.

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Ricard with an H
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I had zero starting problems on all my five machines this year. In the case of two strokes this will be my third year of using Alkylate, in the case of four strokes I have used B&S fuel additive.

When these starting/running problems started I became committed to the idea that unleaded fuel was the problem, first remedial attempts were to buy carburettor service kits. A waste of time and money in my opinion. You can get a new carb direct from China for half the price of the service kits.

Some of you like me would be nervous about dealing with China, what do we do if they send us rubbish. My view after a few direct from China orders is that they have a system that takes a little more time because of geographic problems but they do want our business and want to look after the market.

£8 including postage for a complete replacement carb that worked straight away and has caused no problems is a gift, thank you China.

In hindsight, if we are all more careful about the fuel we use and more importantly admit to our mistakes and problems with two stroke machines we will all have less problems.

Caveats.

A close neighbour continues to use an old two stroke machine that always-always has old fuel in it and always-always works though he won't admit to starting problems he always manages to get it going.

So, ignore my advice.
How are you supposed to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle if it completely removes a wine lover’s reason to live?
Richard.
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Geoff
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I gave up, well my machine did, and bought a four stroke strimmer last year. Starts every time and I just fill it when it is empty so sometimes the fuel stands and sometimes it doesn't. Don't like the head much but haven't been brave enough to put my fancy one on it yet.
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Ricard with an H
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I almost bought a four stroke strimmer after the gardener who does most of the rented property gardens bought one and was singing the virtues. Not long after he was back on two strokes though I don't have a clue what happened.

He doesn't share or discuss so I have to guess and a clue is that he has lots of different machines.

I'm still convinced that four stroke machines are better but I have a lot of money invested in quality two strokes I bough years ago that now work flawlessly because of recent changes in my use of Alkylate fuel.

The B&S fuel additive for four strokes will probably create fuel stability for over a year if you accept to some degree the marketing hype of three years.
How are you supposed to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle if it completely removes a wine lover’s reason to live?
Richard.
robo
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The biggest problem with 2 strokes is not getting the oil to petrol ratio right it has to be spot on and cleaning the plug regularly is another must do
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Geoff
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When I tried to claim on the warranty of my 2 stroke they said the mixture was wrong, I always measured the petrol with a mixing bottle and added the oil using a measuring cylinder but they didn't accept that. I asked if oil brand could have done it but they didn't answer. It is one of the reasons I haven't used my preferred head as I wonder if it over-loaded the old machine and that was the real problem.
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richard p
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if you value your time a replacement chinese carb is a no brainer compared to fiddling with service kits.
wrong fuel /oil ratio is the standard get out of the claim reaction on any 2 stroke failure, impossible for the user to prove every fill has been correct.
im not convinced that super accurate mix is vital, though maybe too much oil will lead to harder cold weather starting.
there is a theory that modern 2 strokes are designed to run on the lean side to reduce emissions, any wear in the carb making it run leaner and youre into starting problems.
anytime i get tired of pulling the string i whip the air filter off and give it a squirt of carb cleaner or easystart, never fails.
the ryobi 4 stroke i aquired has a rubber timing belt, these wear and tend to run off the toothed wheels, the bodge is an oversized disc cut out of a milk carton and cable tied to the face of the camshaft pulley to stop the belt running off....aint google and utube wonderful.
robo
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I have a new ryobi strimer come multi tool that will not start with out a squirt of carb cleaner
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Ricard with an H
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All three of my two stroke machines that initially ran on a 50/1 unleaded/oil mix now have new carbs and run on the Aspen Alkylate at 50/1. A fourth machine I bought recently was working fine until,it was three years old then I put a new carb on it rather than fiddle with service kits and it works flawlessly now.

Two stroke carbs have ports you can't get at to clean unless you have one of those cleaning baths, I don't know how they work. Probably high frequency vibration.

As regards blaming the fuel oil mix, as Richard says, it's nonesense. Most people er on the side of caution and put too much oil in, some retailers will routinely advise a little extra oil during the warranty period and another emerging fact, certainly here in Pembrokeshire, no one knows what they are doing with these engines.

If you take a machine to a repair shop they might get it going long enough to get your money but they won't solve the problem in most cases in my experience so I do my own work.

If I started up a repair shop I would first get a huge stock of replacement carbs, I have never owned a machine that needed anything else doing to it even though I do strip my machines down occasionally.

I'm firmly convinced that unleaded fuel is the problem.
How are you supposed to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle if it completely removes a wine lover’s reason to live?
Richard.
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Geoff
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They said the machine failed for scoring of the bore. Are you suggesting it could have been the carburettor? Can't remember if I checked for compression.
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Ricard with an H
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Scoring of the bore ? Did you see the scouring ?

One thing I haven't mentioned is that the fuel and fuel-oil separate at some point. When any of my machines are not used for a few days oil leaks out of the carb. Not fuel-oil mix, just oil. If get a leak out of the rubber bung that carries the fuel pipes it contains fuel and fun-oil mix so if the oil separates from the fuel mix I suppose it's possible the mixture in the fuel tank has less than 50/1 ration.

I tried storing my machines in different ways and even regularly emptied the fuel tank but I always get oil in the carb filter and draining from the carb. I wonder what this means.

I once had a Hayter mower with a four stroke B&S engine that started to smoke so I sent it back on a warranty claim, the cylinder bore was scored they said and the engine was replaced under warranty. No one had the cheek to suggested I ran the engine without oil which would of-course be the most obvious cause. I hadn't run the engine without oil.

When we lay our engines up for the winter it is recommended to pour a little oil into the plug hole, I have never done this. Could a dry bore start-up cause scoring I wonder ? When I strip my engines down there is always evidence of oil everywhere, nothing ever looks dry and I always strip them during January/February after they hadn't been used for at least a month.
How are you supposed to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle if it completely removes a wine lover’s reason to live?
Richard.
robo
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I had over forty years mauling with two stroke outboard motors all except my last one was mix it yourself engines the biggest was 1400 cc when I said the oil to petrol ratio was the main starting problem it was not something I had been told or read it is from personal experience
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Ricard with an H
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~Yes, the quality of the fuel-oil and it's ratio do affect starting/running problems. If you talk to any foresters or seriously pro gardeners who use alkylate fuel, they seem to be the main early-adopters, they will all tell the same tale that they should have swopped over to alkylate fuel years ago.

One of my old carbs had an internal build-up of a crystalline-like formation that had eaten into the plastic surrounding the fuel-pump membrane. Even replacing the pump membrane didn't resolve the problem but a new carb did.

In hindsite I probably have as much experience on these machines as a registered dealer though I suppose if they had attended the works three day course they would be better informed but it cost money so they they don't.

Cynic showing up ? Eh ?
How are you supposed to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle if it completely removes a wine lover’s reason to live?
Richard.
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John
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Hello R with an H
I think what you are seeing on an oily carb is a fuel mx leak. The petrol is evaporating around the leak and leaving the oil.
I have a couple of Stihl 2 strokes - chainsaw and strimmer - and they are great. A few pulls and off we go - start well even when engine is hot. I always use the Stihl oil for the mixture with a dash of B&S fuel stabiliser.
Regards
John
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Ricard with an H
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Thanks for that John, sounds sensible.

I only have high end machines, the older ones are Kawasaki, I have a Husquvarna chainsaw and Stihl blower. The Stihl also needed a new carb after three years, the Husky is the only machine with it's original carb though the Husky has always been fed on Alkylate.

I have always used the Oregon red oil and because moving to the Oregon oil solved a few problems in the past I never ventured away from it.

All my machines start after 2/3 pulls, the 48cc Kawasaki brush cutter doesn't have a decompression valve like on the Husky chainsaw so I have to stand with a foot on the engine to start it. It's a right bastard of a pull but it does start.

Regarding the fuel leak, I replaced the rubber bungs with new ones twice but they never seal the fuel tank. Fuel leaks from around the bung rather from the fuel pipe and return pipe.
How are you supposed to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle if it completely removes a wine lover’s reason to live?
Richard.
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