How about this one: Shindaiwa hedge trimmer, little 2-stroke. Will run all day long - as long as you don't shut it off! If you do, it takes AT LEAST a half-hour of cooling before it will fire up. But, it will not shut off on it's own. While trying to restart: Tested spark plug - good, strong spark, but it won't burn ether. Carb, lines, tank, filter, cap, gas mix, - all super-CLEAN! Exhaust port and muffler clean and clear. How in the heck can you have a spark and not burn ether? Also, the flywheel is square on the shaft in alignment with the key. Cylinder leak-down test in the green. Pulled the jug - rings and piston, etc. look good, one small burn mark on the piston skirt, cylinder has no scratches and is still smooth. I DON'T GET IT!
Help Support SkidSteer Forum:
It may spark, but may not be hot enough? Small engine shops should have a tester for these. They can tell you if its a little weak. Still, it does start and run, but not if you shut it off...
I always thought of vapour lock in the fuel system.
What happens if you get some fuel and dribble it in through the carb? Does it kick or anything?
I always thought of vapour lock in the fuel system.
What happens if you get some fuel and dribble it in through the carb? Does it kick or anything?
Thanks, Tazza. I think I'll take the coil and plug to a shop and have it tested. As for dribbling gas into the carb, I shot ether into it in lieu of pouring gas. I figure it's the same. It won't even burn ether, so I didn't bother with gas. I'll let you know what I find.....
I would have expected the ether to pop too. Hopefully is something simple, but finding it....
Does it have electronic ignition? i know i have saws that use a small electronic module to fire the spark on 2 stroke engines, it may be heat sensitive? Just a few possibilities.
I'm going to find out about an electronic module inside the coil. Perhaps the heat throws off the timing? But what really baffles me is the fact that it won't shut down on it's own!
It does lean towards the coil more and more if it won't shut off when the switch is turned off. Hopefully the shop can check if its working properly.
I think I mis-spoke. It will shut off when you hit the switch. What I meant to say was that it won't just shut off by itself when the malfunction arises; it just keeps on going. It's after you manually shut it off with the switch that you have to wait so long for it to fire up again. I did check the ground wire and it's good - no shorts. Like you, I do lean toward the coil. I didn't get a chance to take it to a shop today. I'll try tomorrow and keep you posted.
Problem solved! Not the coil, but related to it. I found a combination of a weak spark plug and a severely corroded plug wire terminal end where it connects to the plug. Got a new plug, new terminal end and cut off the corroded end of the wire. Put it together and that did it. Like you said before: something so simple and yet so difficult to find sometimes! Thanks for the advice, Tazza!
Great to hear you got it beat!. Its just weird that it only wanted to start when cold, it must just be one of those things.
SkidRoe
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2009
- Messages
- 1,885
I ran into a similair situation with an old 400 Yamaha twin that somebody brought to me. Would run great for a while, and then start to cut-out, but it would always start. Turned out to be the HT connections at the coils were badly corroded. I ended up swapping the coils and wires with a good used set that I had, and she ran like a top.
Funny how our first instinct is to go for a complicated solution, when usually the problem is a couple of simple things.
SR
