After decades of flawless operation, including this summer, my trusty kicker refused to start. Not even a sputter. I pulled plugs and found them dry as a bone....no fuel! The fuel filter had become somewhat detached and I found black plastic or rubber debris inside. I disassembled the carburetor, and found some of this debris inside, as well as a suspicious looking fuel pump diaphragm. After completely flushing and cleaning every port in the carb and installing a new diaphragm, I purchased a new fuel tank, new connection hose, new fuel tubing, and new filter, trying to eliminate the source of the debris.
I then trial-pumped fuel into the system via the primer bulb, pulled the filter housing, and once again found debris, although it had been stopped by the correctly installed new filter. The only thing I had not replaced or examined carefully was the connection receptacle which is on the engine itself and which receives the tank hose connector. It was apparently dissolving inside, and generating the black chunks! I installed a new one, pumped fuel, set starting settings, pulled rope and voila! She fired right up, ran for about 45 seconds, and then quit. It would not start again.
I had already checked the plugs, and got fire in them both, but the plugs were now wet after it failed to start. Baffled, I installed new plugs. No sputter or start. I exhaled and completely re-did the carburetor cleaning, although there was no evidence of debris or blockage. Still not even a pop when trying to start.
Exasperated, and not knowing what to do, I went to other basics. I loosened, cleaned and re-tightened every wire connection from the switch assembly (about six connections), although none appeared corroded, set to start, pulled the rope and she immediately fired up and has run like a champ again ever since!
I am not smart enough to know what function of the electrical switch assembly was not apparently getting the juice it needed, but thought other forum members might somewhere benefit from this experience.
I then trial-pumped fuel into the system via the primer bulb, pulled the filter housing, and once again found debris, although it had been stopped by the correctly installed new filter. The only thing I had not replaced or examined carefully was the connection receptacle which is on the engine itself and which receives the tank hose connector. It was apparently dissolving inside, and generating the black chunks! I installed a new one, pumped fuel, set starting settings, pulled rope and voila! She fired right up, ran for about 45 seconds, and then quit. It would not start again.
I had already checked the plugs, and got fire in them both, but the plugs were now wet after it failed to start. Baffled, I installed new plugs. No sputter or start. I exhaled and completely re-did the carburetor cleaning, although there was no evidence of debris or blockage. Still not even a pop when trying to start.
Exasperated, and not knowing what to do, I went to other basics. I loosened, cleaned and re-tightened every wire connection from the switch assembly (about six connections), although none appeared corroded, set to start, pulled the rope and she immediately fired up and has run like a champ again ever since!
I am not smart enough to know what function of the electrical switch assembly was not apparently getting the juice it needed, but thought other forum members might somewhere benefit from this experience.
