Frustration!!

Cleaning, fixing, using, repairing, best and worst of your mechanical aids in the garden...

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Tel
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Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:39 pm
Location: North Oxon..

Hi All,
Trying to help a fellow plot holder who is finding the soil very difficult to break down for sowing. I offered to go over her half plot with my rotovater(MT titan 5hp) but can I get it to run?
I thought I knew Merry tillers inside out after rebuilding a few over the years
but this one has me puzzled. It fires when a little petrol is poured into the carb(pulsa jet) but it won't keep going. The plug if fine/I've changed the diaphram/used new petrol/checked the needle & jet/blown out all the carb. orifices/checked the fuel tank inlet tubes. I'm sure it's a fuel prob. so where do I go from here?
Over to you Clive?
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Clive.
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Hello Tel,

One of those times when looking at an engine may be easier than e-speculation..

If you are sure all is well with carb....

A weak ignition can sometimes lead to false carb' like effects. An engine with a weak ignition may only manage to fire just once or may start and run at tickover only and cut with greater load when throttle opened...or some give a false rich mixture effect if it manages a run. Aside frorm things tarnishing over winter.. the points plunger can stick on machines with low useage like tillers. If it turns out to be electronic fitted then this last thought doesn't apply.
..and a spark plug can look fine but can play up....they can last years but then just as easily give up..

In short..not sure.. :oops: :wink: ...but the when an unknown engine came into the workshop the way forward was always to work through all aspects ..rather than just stab in one direction.

All the best,
Clive.
Tel
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Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:39 pm
Location: North Oxon..

Thanks Clive for your speedy reply.
I'll have another furkle tomorrow & try another plug. I'll also check the plunger if I have to (as a last resort) as it's a pain to get the engine on the bench (always full). I may be able to remove the flywheel insitu which will be a first!
I'll keep you posted.
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Clive.
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Sometimes an over wintered engine can be got away with a couple of drips of oil into the spark plug hole just to effect a greater seal given a little tarnish on valves..but only with an otherwise healthy engine. ..and not too much oil though...but perhaps worth a check.?..ahead of working meticulously through all aspects...The only real way.

Clive.
sally wright
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Location: Cambridge

Dear Tel,
have you used fresh petrol and more to the point is the fuel tap in the on position.
Regards Sally Wright.
Tel
KG Regular
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:39 pm
Location: North Oxon..

Hi Clive,
Well, I'll go to the bottom of our stairs!
Tried it this morning & the same, runs for a few seconds & then stops when the petrol dose in the carb. runs out. So I screwed the main jet needle valve home and undid it 2.5 turns/another petrol dose & away it went!
A little adjustment to the valve to smooth the running & off I went to sort
my fellow plot holders soil. :D
Ran like a dream, strange when you don't change anything from the year before isn't it?
I find that probs. usually have simple origins but locating the little b***ers keeps you on your toes. :evil:
Many thanks Clive.

Yes Sally, as I stated, fresh petrol was used & no, there is no fuel tap on an MT. Thanks anyway. :wink:
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Clive.
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Pleased it is back to health ok....we have a couple of machines at work that always play up a little regards their idle settings for the first couple of uses after winter...I have put it down to either a bit of white corrosion or some hardened fuel gum...both, touchwood, usually come right...

I got to look at a colleagues old Mountfield M4 today with 1977 B&S 4hp....apparently I last looked at the points on it 17 or 18 years ago....bit of an oily wreck. :oops: ..but with condensor side cleaned up and a s/h but better moving side of the points it lived again...plunger was gunged up too and very slight oil passing into the points chamber.... It apparently eats its sump oil a bit quick and gets topped up each run with ex Skoda oil change s/h oil.....

Clive.
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