Ask Me Help Desk - Featherliteplus won't start.

I had a Featherliteplus that I fixed last year in the summer time. The handle messed up with me, I got discouraged and left it by my work bench in the yard. Fire ants came and made a home in it and then this year I ran them off to work on it again. I've completely taken it apart and cleaned every part that it has. I've fixed the handle and replaced the gas lines that the ants ate up. I've taken the carb. Apart and cleaned it completely. Now I can't get it to start. Everything is together the way it's supposed to be, coils are strong enough to make a spark almost an inch long on the coil tester I have. The gas is fresh mixed 40:1. I've tried to crank it with the mix screw at .5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 turns. That's usually the amount of turns for this small of engine. The primer is larger than usual, but I pull it several times with each setting. My arm is getting tired of pulling. Any suggestions?

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The gas is fresh mixed 40:1.

Are you using med grade gas or better? Also is the oil a TCW 3 ? Check the manual. Sounds to oil rich to me on the get go. Today's 2 cycle oils are different then before. So much so there is a cycle oil that's been out for some years and you use 2 ounces from 50:1 to 25:1 and its still the same amount of oil.

Hears a quote from another site on the Web reflecting what I'm saying. I do the same thing

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All two stroke engine will use a 50 to 1 ratio using today's two stroke oils. I once used an old chainsaw probably from the 1960s, that had a sticker on it that said to use a 25 to 1 fuel/oil ratio, but that would have been using two stroke oils of the time the chainsaw was manufactured. In that chainsaw I used 50 to 1 ratio with no problems. Today's two stroke oils compared to yesteryears are more efficient at lubricating. It is like comparing today's synthetic motor oil to motor oils of decades ago. All the equipment I use in landscaping, anything from a weed eater, leaf blower, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, use 50 to 1 ratio, and I use all types of makes and models, Stihl, Homelite, Husqvarna, Shindaiwa, and Echo, Sears. I mix up a 5 liter fuel can and use it in all of the equipment for my customers and for my landscaping. To calculate the ratio is simple. For instance , if you have 1 gallon of fuel it is best to break it down into smaller units, like ounces

That said. Did you put any gas directly in the carb and try it? Also there is a check valve in the primer bulb and it can give you a false positive of it primed.

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The primer is larger than usual

That may be a check valve problem.. and no gas primming to carb.

Do you know if you ran any gas in it before that had ethanol in it? If so that may very well be the problem here. Weeks ago I ripped cycle boat carbs apart 2 times and use standard carb cleaner. The motor is only a few years old. Wouldn't run without hitting the choke every few seconds. Found out through My boat dealer they were having a heck of a time and the same problems. They have rebuilt carbs come back in two weeks, It's the Ethanol. I used can of "Sea Foam". It cut the Ethanol residue and it was night and day. Also there is an additive to treat the gas tank if Ethanol is all you have in gas there. I would take carb off / apart Sea Foam it. When/while it runs spay the rest of the can directly into carb while running it.

I'll get back to you about how well this works... thank you for your reply

Hi,
I agree mostly. Hard to find fuel without ethanol; best places is an airport.
The last few years has had the EPA making everyone scramble to make ignitions and carbs that can pass. The chance of the check valve within the main jet sticking has gone up exponenetially.
With better living through chemistry having formulations of some commonly used items (for me) adding to it. I commonly use spray carb cleaner on two cycle carbs, but on I use added acetone. That worked better than the old one at removing deposits, but caused sticking for another reason. So I had to start following it with a spray lubricant (I use PB Blaster, but WD40, CRC, etc. work) to make sure it stays free during the time it takes to assemble.
Mixture screws generally adjust to around 1 1/4 these days, but that is changing. The carb manufacturers are starting to go with very fine threads and even then the adjustments do less.
BTW, if you get a "drool" of fuel from the throat of the carb after purging, the main jet check valve is stuck open.
Peace,
Clarke

I took the carb apart, again, and checked every little thing. I checked the primer bulb's efficiency by pressing the bulb without it on the carb but on the rest of it and it works fine. I then put it all back together and primed until there was no air in the lines. Then I filled the carb with gas until it ran out and for added measure, I put some gas in the spark plug hole. Nothing still. Will keep you updated. Right now I'm too frusterated with it to continue and I smell like gas. Btw, does anyone know a link to get diagrams for the engines so I can get part numbers and order parts for other weedeaters also?

Weed Eater Instruction manuals are available for download from:

InstructionSheets.com - Weed Eater Instruction Sheets

Good luck

All right, thank you all for your input and suggestions. I worked on the engine today (I'm a busy guy usually) and found that the piston was still on it's up revolution when both sides of the coil was with both magnets of the flywheel. This model uses a wedge key that's built into the flywheel. I had to turn the flywheel so that it was centered with the coil when the piston was at the top. I think I missed the mark just a little, however, when I put it back together and tried to crank it, it backfired a small pop. It did this several times thereafter and I was just too tired to continue. I will try again tomorrow when I think I have more time to work on it and I will let the piston come down just a hair before centering the flywheel. Perhaps that will solve my problem. Again, thank you all for your input.

Hi,
With the key cast into the flywheel, it has probably failed; happens on Stihls which have used it on some models for years.
Peace,
Clarke

That's what I'm thinking. I took and filed the key down to where it's smooth with the rest of it and turned the flywheel a little. On this model, the key gives a little extra support to the flywheel but, the bolt/sleeve that goes over it and connects the motor to the shaft, is the main thing that holds the flywheel in place. From what I've learned of it anyhow. I'm hoping this little bit of engineering works.