Small Engine Problem - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

vanblah · 10-12-2005, 11:53 AM

So while I was away last week my wife loaned our neighbors the tiller. It's basically a lawn-mower engine with tiller blades.

The thing is she also loaned them gas (which I don't usually do anyway ... let them get their own gas I say, but that's for a different forum).

The really bad thing is she loaned them my can of 2-cycle gas (even though it's clearly marked "2-cycle"). The neighbor filled up and of course the thing started choking.

Does anyone know any way to fix this? Drain ... replace fuel filter ... replace spark plug ... maybe the fuel line itself?

Thanks

Doug

Charlatan · 10-12-2005, 12:10 PM

I think if you just drain it and change the plug you should be OK. Changing the filter would be good but probably not neccessary.

pixelbend · 10-12-2005, 12:27 PM

Was the mix very oil-rich? If not, I'd agree with Charlatan.

DEI37 · 10-12-2005, 04:57 PM

Just drain. I accidentally used 40:1 in my lawnmower, and it didn't care one bit. Offered up a little bit of blue exhaust smoke under a big load, but it ran just fine.

cyrnel · 10-12-2005, 05:21 PM

Yep, unless it's nasty old dino at 15:1 the plug will burn clean quickly.

JStrider · 10-12-2005, 06:50 PM

i've done that a few times with the lawnmower... never even batted an eye about it...

now when my little brother put the regular gas in the 2 stroke blower...

Thorny · 10-15-2005, 02:33 PM

...and if you have trouble getting it to start initially after changing gas, you could always pull the plug and flame the end a bit to cook off any residue.

There's a very slight chance they gooped up the valves really good, in which case gumout/carb & choke cleaner will be your new best friend. I'd only expect this if they ran it for a very long time (weeks).

(It's going the other way and running straight gas in a 2-cycle that causes some serious pain)

denton · 11-09-2005, 01:27 AM

At least it wasn't the other way around. My wife put straight gas in the 40:1 snowblower (first winter) and I had to replace the piston and hone out the cylinder. Never ran the same, though.

apetaster · 11-10-2005, 06:55 PM

I sure am glad all my uses of the wrong mix have just yielded the blue grey smoke and nothing worse - I need to label those cans someday

Hank Jr. · 11-14-2005, 09:10 PM

if i were you i would drain what is still in the tank, then filler up with streight gas (for best result in this approach preimium is suggested).... prime it the amount suggested by manual and then give it a pull. Whats in the line should quickly burn out and be replaced with "the good juice" as we call it here in diesel country.

denton · 11-14-2005, 11:29 PM

yes, apetaster, that is when I began labeling all my gascans!
We ended up buying a much better snowblower so it's all good now.

Plaid13 · 12-14-2005, 12:02 PM

those little 4 stroke engines are bulletproof i abuse the hell out of the ones i use and they all work flawlessly even if every few years i need to dump some carb cleaner through it. i still have a push lawn mower that has to be close to 40 years old now. every year my dad says it will never start. every spring with 5 min of a little tlc and i get it to start and then it starts 2nd pull all year. i love those little engines.

Get it some new gas drain whats in it maybe change the oil and clean the spark plug and spray some carb cleaner through and into every hole on the thing and it should be fine again. small engines never die unless they blow up.

10-12-2005, 11:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
vanblah Junkie	Small Engine Problem So while I was away last week my wife loaned our neighbors the tiller. It's basically a lawn-mower engine with tiller blades. The thing is she also loaned them gas (which I don't usually do anyway ... let them get their own gas I say, but that's for a different forum). The really bad thing is she loaned them my can of 2-cycle gas (even though it's clearly marked "2-cycle"). The neighbor filled up and of course the thing started choking. Does anyone know any way to fix this? Drain ... replace fuel filter ... replace spark plug ... maybe the fuel line itself? Thanks Doug

10-12-2005, 12:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I think if you just drain it and change the plug you should be OK. Changing the filter would be good but probably not neccessary. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

10-12-2005, 12:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
pixelbend Too hot in the hot tub!	Was the mix very oil-rich? If not, I'd agree with Charlatan. __________________ But I don't want ANY Spam!

10-12-2005, 04:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
DEI37 Go faster! Location: Wisconsin	Just drain. I accidentally used 40:1 in my lawnmower, and it didn't care one bit. Offered up a little bit of blue exhaust smoke under a big load, but it ran just fine. __________________ Generally speaking, if you were to get what you really deserve, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

10-12-2005, 05:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	Yep, unless it's nasty old dino at 15:1 the plug will burn clean quickly. __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

10-12-2005, 06:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
JStrider Poo-tee-weet? Location: The Woodlands, TX	i've done that a few times with the lawnmower... never even batted an eye about it... now when my little brother put the regular gas in the 2 stroke blower... __________________ -=JStrider=- ~Clatto Verata Nicto

10-15-2005, 02:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
Thorny Upright Location: Ohio	...and if you have trouble getting it to start initially after changing gas, you could always pull the plug and flame the end a bit to cook off any residue. There's a very slight chance they gooped up the valves really good, in which case gumout/carb & choke cleaner will be your new best friend. I'd only expect this if they ran it for a very long time (weeks). (It's going the other way and running straight gas in a 2-cycle that causes some serious pain)

11-09-2005, 01:27 AM	#8 (permalink)
denton Crazy	At least it wasn't the other way around. My wife put straight gas in the 40:1 snowblower (first winter) and I had to replace the piston and hone out the cylinder. Never ran the same, though.

11-10-2005, 06:55 PM	#9 (permalink)
apetaster Insane Location: P.R. Mass.	I sure am glad all my uses of the wrong mix have just yielded the blue grey smoke and nothing worse - I need to label those cans someday

11-14-2005, 09:10 PM	#10 (permalink)
Hank Jr. Tilted	if i were you i would drain what is still in the tank, then filler up with streight gas (for best result in this approach preimium is suggested).... prime it the amount suggested by manual and then give it a pull. Whats in the line should quickly burn out and be replaced with "the good juice" as we call it here in diesel country.

11-14-2005, 11:29 PM	#11 (permalink)
denton Crazy	yes, apetaster, that is when I began labeling all my gascans! We ended up buying a much better snowblower so it's all good now.

12-14-2005, 12:02 PM	#12 (permalink)
Plaid13 I want a Plaid crayon	those little 4 stroke engines are bulletproof i abuse the hell out of the ones i use and they all work flawlessly even if every few years i need to dump some carb cleaner through it. i still have a push lawn mower that has to be close to 40 years old now. every year my dad says it will never start. every spring with 5 min of a little tlc and i get it to start and then it starts 2nd pull all year. i love those little engines. Get it some new gas drain whats in it maybe change the oil and clean the spark plug and spray some carb cleaner through and into every hole on the thing and it should be fine again. small engines never die unless they blow up.