[AT] Backpack leaf blower

Sat Dec 11 08:37:20 PST 2021

I got a dozen bottles of the 'silver' oil with two Stihl purchases.  But
with the wide condemnation of using pump gas in small engines, I use my
premix very sparingly and with a blend of the canned Stihl premix fuel.
Yeah, a gallon can is $10? I don't even recall as my yard tools get less
use as the yard becomes less and less with drought and synthetic grass. I
don't let them sit idle with premix only in the tank, always sure to have
some canned Stihl fuel in there.
I've had a few small engine repair shops say even a single drop of pump gas
can cause problems. We have a 21" Husqvarna string trimmer with a Briggs (4
stroke) that if it sits for more than a month or so I won't start. Same
refrain, pump gas. I don't know how much canned gas for small 4 strokes is
but that can add up. Thankfully the rider is a 455 Deere diesel.
Along the lines of the blower only running for a few after having straight
gas, I have an Echo hedge trimmer that is a pain to get going. I can pump
the prime bulb, choke, and it will fire. run nice at idle, but pull the
trigger and it bogs and dies. It will go through those gyrations a dozen
times or more and I'll give up. If it sits a few days, the next attempt it
may fire right up and run like a greased ape. New plug, air cleaner, fuel
filter, all the usual suspects with no improvement. Does anyone have ideas?
It has always had only premix or canned 2 stroke fuel.

On Sat, Dec 11, 2021 at 4:09 AM Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Mike:
>
> Sounds like a reasonable conclusion.  Between getting work done with a new
> one, and farting around experimentally with the old one, you made the call
> that's right for you.
>
> Have you played around with piston rings much in the past?  They are quite
> brittle to begin with. I'm not sure whether overheating would make them
> even more  brittle, but, maybe.  I think if they were seriously affected by
> heat, they might be discolored too.
>
> Another good call with concern about other internals.  Specifically,
> bearings.  Mains, conrod, and piston pin are all lubricated by that tiny
> bit of oil that's carried in with the gas mix.
>
> Hey,  while we're here, I'll put in a plug for synthetic 2-stroke oil.  I
> am a Stihl guy (Stihl vs Husky is like JD vs Farmall or Ford vs Chevy!) and
> Stihl packages 2 different products.  Little orange bottles are the
> regular, "perfectly OK" stuff, and for more money you get silver bottles
> with the synthetic oil.  I use silver bottles.  What I have noticed over
> time is that (a) the gas doesn't go stale (b) very little smoke or smell
> (c) I have never, and I am not exaggerating, NEVER purchased a spark plug.
> I've got a saw that's probably about 15 years old now, a weed whacker must
> be going on 20, and a hedge trimmer that I got at auction, who knows how
> old.
>
> Best regards,
> Steve O.
>
> On Fri, Dec 10, 2021 at 1:50 PM Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
>
>> I did tear it down further and removed the piston, When i tried to remove
>> the upper piston ring it snapped and was very brittle, I assume from over
>> heating. I bought a new blower, the exact same model, and will keep the old
>> one as a parts machine. One concern I had with just replacing the jug and
>> piston, is I don't know what internals might be damaged.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Mike M
>>
>> On 12/9/2021 7:59 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>>
>> Hi Mike:
>>
>> I didn't get any picture with this note.  Maybe it got stripped due to
>> excessive image size?  There's a limit.  I think below around 350K (working
>> from memory) is good to go.
>>
>> Steve O.
>>
>> On Wed, Dec 8, 2021 at 7:26 PM Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Steve,
>>> Here's a better picture of the scoring, this piston is literally the
>>> diameter of a silver dollar. my reason for the first pic was to figure out
>>> how to get the piston pin out. I may have to send this in separate posts.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Mike M
>>>
>>> On 12/8/2021 6:40 PM, Mike M wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Moe,
>>> Here's a shot of the piston and the retaining pin, not really sure how
>>> to get the pin out since the retaining clip appears to be a washer not a
>>> cir clip. I can order a new cylinder, piston, pin, washers and and gaskets
>>> for about $40, a lot cheaper than a new blower. Thanks for any advice
>>> anyone can offer.
>>>
>>> Regards, Mike M
>>>
>>>
>>> On 12/2/2021 6:39 PM, Moe Fretz wrote:
>>>
>>> So what's the cylinder inside look like?
>>> Can you save it?
>>> Husqvarna trimmer is well worth the repair costs.
>>>
>>> On Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 3:11 PM Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> So I pulled apart my leaf blower today, and looked at the exhaust port,
>>>> as was suggested. Heavy scoring on the piston. So you were right, she ran
>>>> it with straight fuel.
>>>> Mike M
>>>>
>>>> On 11/27/2021 7:20 PM, Moe Fretz wrote:
>>>>
>>>> No, engine has experienced a lean seizure.
>>>> Lack of lube is another way to put it.
>>>> No quick fix.
>>>> The engine will need a piston and rings at the least.
>>>>
>>>> Pull off the muffler, look in at the piston, you’ll see the piston
>>>> scored on the exhaust side.
>>>> If you’re lucky the cylinder isn’t damaged, you’ll have to
>>>> pull the cylinder to check it.
>>>>
>>>> Used to do 15 or 20 of those every year.
>>>> One quick error, sometimes, can cost a lot of money.
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Nov 27, 2021 at 15:33 Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> So my lovely wife was out blowing leaves the other day with my backpack
>>>>> blower, and it ran out of fuel. She mistakenly filled it with straight
>>>>> lawnmower gas, and after a bit it started to stumble and then quit. She
>>>>> came in to tell me about it and ask what the problem was. When I looked
>>>>> at the tank I noticed there was no blue tint in the gas, and I asked
>>>>> her
>>>>> what can she filled it from, and she pointed to the gas container I use
>>>>> for my zero turn. I told her that was straight gas, and she needed to
>>>>> use the 2 cycle mix, that is in another red 5 gallon can, honest
>>>>> mistake. She claims I told her to use that fuel, when I know I did
>>>>> not.
>>>>> I used it today and it will run for about 5 minutes and then sputter
>>>>> out
>>>>> and die, like it's running out of gas. It will restart, but then the
>>>>> same scenario starts all over again. Is their any chance of saving this
>>>>> engine? Maybe a higher oil/gas ratio? Thanks in advance.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>> Mike M
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
>>>>> https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> AT mailing list
>>>>> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
>>>>> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Moe Fretz
>>>>
>>>> L’Orignal ON,
>>>> Canada
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> AT mailing listAT at lists.antique-tractor.comhttp://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=icon> Virus-free.
>>>> www.avast.com
>>>> <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=link>
>>>> <#m_-1495197277458105887_m_67337487501866985_m_-6732378645486057809_m_-6621742764183329675_m_7071621722044865976_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> AT mailing list
>>>> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
>>>> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AT mailing listAT at lists.antique-tractor.comhttp://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AT mailing list
>>> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
>>> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing listAT at lists.antique-tractor.comhttp://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.antique-tractor.com/pipermail/at-antique-tractor.com/attachments/20211211/c12f7912/attachment.htm>