tiny 2 cycle question

[arbarnhart]

I was given an old dink motor; an air cooled 2 cycle 1.2 HP Sears that was actually made by Tanaka. Story is - "ran when I put it away, but that was a few years ago". Anyway, it doesn't work for me now. So I check the plug and see it sparking. I spray some carb cleaner down into the hole while the plug is out and when I put it back in, it cranks and dies quickly thereafter. So I am thinking the problem is fuel, not fire. I unscrew the trap and then when I turn on the gas it trickles in. I put the trap back, take the hose off going into the carb, turn gas back on and nothing comes through. So I think I need to replace both those hoses and clean the trap (including inflow and outflow). That is, unless the system depend on "suck" from the engine to move the gas. It does make a different sound depending on the gas adjustment when I try to crank. Spraying cleaner (pretty much same as starting fluid) into the choke of the carb also turns it over for a few revolutions. So, what would you do next? I think I should replace the hoses and clean the trap.

[rg500]

carb is probably plugged up. Remove it, take it apart, clean all the jets, back together and it will run. This comes from many years of 2 stroke bike experience.
good luck

[danjarch]

Clean every thing. carb, hoses, trap, fuel petcock

[pirateofcapeann]

Yep, the “jets” the small holes and passages in the carburetor are “varnished” and clogged. Take it off the motor and take it apart then hose it down with carb cleaner, paying special attention to the passages. Make sure you remember how it came apart so you can put it back together right. Take pictures! There should be some adjustment screws, one for the idle mix and maybe another for the high-speed mix. Gently screw these in until they lightly seat, counting the turns, somewhere around 1&˝ will be likely and make a note of this so you can reset them in their original positions.

[Sailormann]

You remembered to mix oil (2-stroke) and gas together in about a 45 or 50 to 1 ratio right ???

**********************

There is something called "Seafoam" that will help. The fuel that was in there has proably coagulated and turned to shellac. You can get Seafoam in a regular can and in a spray. Get both. Spary everywhere that might have come in contact with the gas/oil, and then use the stuff in the can to soak any tubes/hoses/springs in.

You need to leave it for at least 24 - and preferably 48 hours. After that it will run like a charm.

http://www.seafoamsales.com/

[arbarnhart]

What I am using is Gumout Carb and Choke Cleaner, which is a spray. Highly volatile; it works like starter fluid. I will start with the shuttlecock and hoses. I suspect the carb will need work also, but until it gets delivered gas, it is hard to say. I pulled out a mower a month or two ago that had not been started in over 5 years; changed oil, sprayed Gumout and fired it right up. I am sure it had varnish from old gas, but between the Gumout and new gas, it cleared away.

Yes, I mixed 2 stroke oil (and yes, the kind for air cooled engines) in the gas. I have a "Miser Mixer" oil syringe so I can accurately mix small amounts.

[arbarnhart]

OK, I ended up tearing apart the carb. The bowl was nasty! anyway removed gunk all throughout. Put it back together and the bowl stays dry. There is gas coming through the new hose from the shuttlecock; I checked that.when the float arm is down, I can spray cleaner into the gas line nipple and it comes out below where it should be filling the bowl. I am pretty sure the float is staying down when I assemble it. Thoughts?

[danjarch]

I'm not saying you did, but is it possible that the float arm was put in upside down. The only other thing I can think of is if there is a vacum forming in the tank. Is there a vent or something that might be closed on the tank.

[arbarnhart]

I actually never took the float arm out. I cleaned with it in place. I tried blowing through and it is open when the arm is down and closed when it is up. I keep thinking maybe I jam the float somehow closing, but that seems unlikely.

[danjarch]

If its not to much trouble, you might take the bowl off again, then spray the float arm pin and the needle valve with a little wd40. I had a bike that I cleaned up the carb on, when I put it all back together, the needle valve stuck open. It hadn't been lubed and it was still sticky from the cleaner