Why is my motor running like this?

See video I loaded below. You guys know why it is running like that? Motor has been sitting in garage since January. I cranked it a few times over the summer, but now it is running like this. Could it be old gas?

http://s46.photobucket.com/user/FishingG...ivrybd.mp4.html

Slowly pinpoint it! Gas is cheap drain it! New plug! And go from there! Sounds like mine does when choke is on!

Sounds like bad gas, did you use a stabilizer in the gas when it was stored, if not drain the gas, it will separate over time if not used much.

And run some sea foam threw it You buy it at Walmart

Ethanol is the devil for small engines.

Intimidation from the mud buddy.

Sounds to me it is fuel related. Take everything fuel related off the engine. Clean or replace all of it. Put back on. Fill with fresh gas and A FUEL ADDITIVE LIKE I TOLD YOU 2 YEARS AGO.

Dont add it when you store after season, always run it. I use Stabil red and blue. Red for the fuel, blue to combat alcohol in fuel. I also add a lubricant such as marvels mistery oil to the fuel. Putting it in when you store it is like closing tje barn door after the cow gets out.

more than likely the carb needs cleaned. If it only wants to run on choke that means the pilot jet is clogged.

Yep. I got some of this stuff, it is helping. Supposed to get better and better the more I run it.

Fuel , fire, or air. I remember that Wayne!

If your motor has a rev-limiter, try disconnecting it and see if the motor runs more smoothly.

I went to Richardson Saw & Lawnmower, showed them the video, they said carburetor gunked up, they said try that carburetor cleaner I got. It's running much better, still not perfect... I'll give this a chance to work..

The problem with additive fixes is they can leave you stuck like Chuck. So the mechanic in a bottle clears that little itty bitty piece of gunk in the pilot jet. Runs great! The bad part is it won't happen until you are 30 miles up a creek they call dookie. Thats when the corners of the fuel tank release the gunk they were holding after being softened by the mechamic in a bottle.

I'll send this bit of advice one more time. You are not doing the right thing with an easy fix like Mechanic in a bottle. Take everything fuel related off, clean everything, replace what is needed and put it back together. It is a whole lot easier to do it in the driveway than to suffer a break down on the water.

I have found a few places that sell non ethanol gas here recently. When the boat needs filling up I usually bring extra cans and get as much of the stuff as I can. I then add vp racing fuels octane booster to it. Brings it up to 95 octane. I use it in all my small engines. My mudmotor in particular has run like a top since doing this.

I can't do all that in my driveway. I could take it all apart just fine , putting it back together would be the problem.

I may take it to shop and let them get it all fixed up. I was starting it few times a month during the summer and it was running fine. Here at the end of summer it might have gone a long stretch not being cranked up. The manual just says to turn the gas valve off to prevent this. What if you turn gas valve off, then burn all the gas off, will this prevent this issue? I guess you still get the build up in the tank.

Heck I may try and take it apart and clean it myself, and I will probably end up having to take it to the shop in a box so they can put it back together, and this would not be the first time this happened!!

I agree with wal1809

My father in law was corporate pilot who got his start as an A&P (airframe/powerplant) mechanic. He has fixed every small engine I've ever put in front of him and the process is always the same:

- drain fuel tank
- blow debris out of fuel tank
- check fuel filter
- blow out fuel line
- check/clean spark plug
- spray outside of carb with carb cleaner. Blow dry with compressed air
- disassemble carb and spray cleaner inside. (You can see the varnish and verify that it is removed.) Visually inspect and blow jet with compressed air.
- reassemble, test run, adjust carb as needed.

One thing I've observed from watching is he uses about 5x as much carb cleaner as I would think to use. This stuff is pretty potent. Hard to imagine a fuel additive having the same results.

We have a little Nissan 5 HP 4 stroke outboard for our 2 man Bass Buster. I am convinced that nothing is going to counteract the effects of Ethanol for a motor that sits. We now just clean the carb at the beginning of each season as a preventative. My FIL uses "ethanol shield" in all his lawn equipment but then again it is all run every week.

I get it Wayne, I need to run that stuff in it all the time. I remember you told me you put that in your motor 2 years ago, but I did not even have a boat then and did not get it.

Hey I can fix that for ya. But I'll need through Sep 28th to make sure I got it right...

I want to make sure you are clear. The stuff you have promises to reverse bad fuel. The stuff I am talking about is to stop it from going bad. Stabil blue and Stabil red is what you need to run all the time. that along with a lubricant in the fuel.

The stuff you have in your hand on that picture is what will get you in a pickle. What I mean is there is not one little peice of crap stuck in the pilot jet. More than likely you can put that stuff in and clear that out. But there will be more "Varnish" material in there, be it in the tank, the carb bowl, fuelk line, gas tank. Fuel doesn't go bad right at the pilot jet, it goes bad everywhere. Unless that stuff will completley disolve the entire stuff in the fuel system, I would not use it for a fix. It is way to easy to remove, clean and rebuild the carbs.

I learned the hardest way possible. I let the 2 carbs on my 4 wheeler, the one on my wife's 4 wheeler, my 2 stroke motor on my bay boat, 4 chainsaws and my Go Devil motor go for a season. I had to remove and clean every fuel system on every one of those items in a 6 month period. Never will I leave a carb unprotected from today's fuel. Never will I rely on a quick fix for a carb. Alcohol is the devil to these fuel systems.

What is even more of a pain in the A, is when you take a carb off a 4 wheeler. Clean it and you think you have it ready to go, put it all back together, only to find you have to tear it down again. Somewhere in there was a little piece I missed. The last time I did that I remember using compressed air through all the little holes on a 4 wheeler carb. This was the third time I had torn it down. I heard a little pop and then free flowing air. It was the varnish that made a plug in that hole and it popped free. Ran like a raped ape affter that.

I know what y'all are talking about

I fixed a lawnmower 4 times a few years ago for the same thing. Hired a lawn service when I got lazy, the mower sat in the shed a couple years. Fuel gunked up. Got laid off, had more time than money. Cancelled the lawn service, mower wouldn't run. My fishing buddies gave me a hard time for spending so much time fixing it when you could go to wally world and get a new mower for $150, but this mower was better built, maybe "worth" 3x.

In the end I ended up ordering some parts (simple carb rebuild kit) off the internet. Total outlay on my part was like $20 and several hours.

I am not "mechanically minded" Guy, but I had done a lawnmower in high school and knew I didn't have all the tools I might need but the problem was going to be carb.

Took it apart, took lots of pictures. Laid everything out like an exploded parts diagram. Cleaned everything and put it back together. After the initial priming pulls, was able to mow my lawn-- shutting it off and restarting on the first shot several times.

Week later I needed to mow again. Mower wouldn't start. Etc for a few shots. If I had done the whole fuel system I wouldn't have had to go through it all

I got real good at rebuilding that carb in an hour though!

A man yanketh the cord over and over again, learns to be a good carb mechanic

That foam wont completely clear it if the jet is clogged that bad... take the bottom bowl off the carb then you will see the jet tube going strait up into the carb assembly.(Taking the whole assembly off and apart is not needed 90% of the time!). depending on what motor (since I cant see the video only herd it) you should be able to back the main jet out with a small flathead... spray carb cleaner through it and run a fine piece of wire through it also then spray once more before you put it back in... very simple to do and IF its the carb it will fix the problem... I would also check your fuel lines.. if they are getting dry rotted it could be sucking air into the system.. its starving for fuel somewere that's for sure... could also be in the fuel shut off or inline filter.. maybe even the tank outlet if its gathered enough gunk... Fuel line is cheap and can get it by the foot at napa..also can get the inline filter... dosnt need to be an exact brand just need to fit the fuel line.. and new hose clamps... all this can be done in your drive way... very cheap very easy. Drain the gas and put 93 octane back in it... then you wont have to worry about all the foams and additives. New spark plug also. Did all this to mine the other day cost about $30 and took about an hour.

Here's the motor. Thx guys..

Subaru Robin - 7 HP EX21

Oh running the motor once a month at least will help also.

The guys at Richardson Saw & Lawnmower called it "surging", they said it is doing it because carb is not providing a steady stream of fuel. I hunted/scouted 2 different lakes yesterday, at the end of the day it was not surging while giving gas, just when idling. This was a big improvement, it would not idle at all before. It would start easy tho, with the choke on.

Cool Cool. It is possible that your valve is out of adjustment but that is last case scenario and you would notice it while its cranking... the engine would have to much resistance or it would feel like it had no compression.. Very minute chance on one of those type engines even my chitty brigs hasn't went out yet.

pull the jet out and clean it.... would be the first thing id do. im trying to find an old carb in the shop right now and ill break it down and give you an idea of what im talkin bout

Actually this is my motor...

Subaru Robin - 7 HP SP210

I am going to cut copy and paste this in "The Guy file". I know what your thinking as your posts elude to an inevitable end. Tick tock is all I am going to say, for now.

Well I have no carbs that small here blah. but either way should be a small screw/bolt on the bottom of the carb bowl... take it off and the bowl will pull off the bottom of the carb.. will be full of gas... then you should be able to see the jet port.. if its not able to be screwed out just unhook your fuel lines going to it and spray carb cleaner in the inlet and then put an air hose to it... it will push the cleaner through the jet and clean it out that way

Funny (er not so funny) is my newer lawn (2nd season) mower sort of sounds like that now. I was almost finsihed with the front yard and started to run normal. Used to crank with one pull now takes two. It's had Stabil since being a newborn.

Has me thinking...what's the best way to preserve the ole GatorTail?

A Chinese motor + Old 10 %Ethanol Gas =

any progress?

No, but I appreciate your post and might try what you suggested for the fun of it. But my thought was to just take it to a pro and let them do it.

I asked that Richardson Saw & Lawnmower shop if they would give me a quote on breaking it down and cleaning all fuel related parts on the motor like wal suggested, but they said they really do not work on Subaru motors, they are not a Subaru dealer. They told me another shop to call, so that is my preference. I may try what you suggest, put I do not have a air blower to blow out the jet. And I really do not want to pull the carburetor off. The fuel line is in a hard to get to spot, and I do not feel like messing with that, unless I find some time to kill.. Right now where I keep my momarsh I'm getting a concrete slab poured, so today I need to stay out of their way. I been wanting to go out there and crank it up, because it seems to be running better day.

I'm pretty busy this week, and this weekend I'm getting my gatortrax, so I will be busy with it this weekend.

Ok since you nudged me, I took the bottom bowl off, so that gold thing in the jet port?



So I will see if I can screw it out and clean it. I should probably look at the manual.

Yes that's it. Set up different but still is a jet. You will be able to hold it up to a light and see through a perfect circle once it's clean. You may have to put a very fine wire to push the grind out just be easy and don't scratch anything. Make sure there isn't another one up inside the tube... Won't hurt to shoot some cleaner up there also.

You'll be fine.. Just be easy taking it out and put it back in till it's snug don't over tighten it

Ok, I'll give it a try tomorrow. Funny when I pull to start it, starts first pull, and runs perfectly with choke on. Then as it warms up, I take down the choke and starts the "surging". It does idle, but not very good.

Yeah having to pull the choke means it's starving for fuel somwere.. Usually it's the main jet which is what you found. Pretty cool I was able to just look up the parts manual on the website you put a link to. On Fig. 640 you can see the main jet 210-22. And then while the jet is out you'll want to spray into the main nosel 210-20 which is inside the aluminum port the jet is screws into. There is also a pilot jet that looks to be setting on top of the carb. (210-5) wouldn't worry bout that till after you try the main.

Motivation

My daughter is a high school cheerleader, watched 2 high school games tonight, just got home, been there since 5:30.

I found fig 640, took off bulb (210-16), un screwed jet (210-22), squirt carb cleaner all through, looked clean to me. I could see through it, but I did not have air hose or wire brush small enough to clean in the hole.. squirted carb cleaner all up inside. get it all back together, it idles a little better but still surging. But now it is leaking gas from the bulb, I tried putting it on a off couple times, still leaking, not sure what I'm doing wrong. But I'm done messing with it tonight.

There is an oring around were the bowl bolts up to check it for any damage. Also the float could be stuck depending on were the leak is. In the pic I see a split in the oring seat looks like it is warped but could just be the pic. Have you changed the spark plug?

No , I have not changed the spark plug. But I took it off last week and showed the guys at the lawnmower shop, they said it looked fine. I'll mess with the bowl again tomorrow.

Are you talking about 210-17? I thought that look fine, I was thinking it was leaking at the top of the bowl, is there on o ring there, 210-18? I did not see one..

Yes you can see it in this pic. 20-18 is the oring. It usually stays up in the seat unless you pull it out.


what im calling the seat is the slot its sitting in. Very possible the oring was sitting wrong when you put the bowl back on... happens alot

The float needle 210-14 is sitting on top of that big white float were it hooks up to the carb... all you have to do to check it is push the float up and then let it back down... if it goes up and dosnt get stuck when you let the float back down its good.

You may need to replace your priming bulb? I had one go bad once...on the ramp. Luckily there was a store nearby that sold them. But that sucker wouldn't start for NOTHING. I forget how we figured that out.

It shouldn't have one if the tank is on top of the motor.

210-22 is primary jet, since it runs good, but not idle, it's not that one, but always good to remove & clean (spotless)
remove 210-5 by looking @ diagram, that should be idle jet, should a couple small holes on side & very tiny hole in the very end (tip) clogs easy, take a single bristle from wire brush & clean out all the holes & blow out w/ air. that jet being clogged is what causes idle surge. when engine starves, governor will bump & brings in fuel from primary.

Yeah, that's what it's doing. Thx!

Guess I gotta get me an air compressor....

Still loping?

I have not done any work on it since my last posting 9/19 when it was leaking. I need to check the oring (210-18). I'm worried it may have fallen out and got lost. It looked like that is where it was leaking, and I did not see oring before, I need to look again.

I also bought an air compressor and got a wire bush to cut a bristle off to clear out the port jet like LB suggested. I'm first going to try cleaning jet port 210-22 correctly and put back together and see if I can do that with out it leaking. If I can do this with success, and it is still not running right, I'll try and clean some other jet ports as suggested. I'll post another video when I run it next time. BTW, the first video when you click on it, you have to scroll down to see it.

Thanks for all the advice, I'm gonna try and fix it myself. If I actually fix this myself will be a miracle.

Been really busy lastly and have not had a chance to work on my momarsh. But yesterday I see this quote:

“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.” Lloyd Alexander

So it inspired me, so after kids went to bed last night, I made some time for this little project, I stayed up to 2:00AM working on the carburetor. And what I learned is that I suck as a mechanic.

So today I took it to the shop, let some professional grease monkeys do it.