BUSTED! Customers Try to Hide the Damage They Caused... But the Engine Told the Truth!

Did your small engine 2 stroke get too hot and lock up? Try this repair before you throw it away! You might get lucky!
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Chickanic
PO BOX 22062
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My name is Bre. I took two years of small engine repair at the local college. When I left school, I fell into a wonderful job at a local small engine shop where I worked the counter for a couple years. In 2010 my husband and I opened up our own small engine shop in central Arkansas where I am able to work alongside my family and best friends. We saw over 2,000 pieces of small engine equipment every year, and answer 1,000's of small engine questions. We specialize in brands such as Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Echo and Shindaiwa, but work everyday on MANY other brands like Stihl, Husqvarna, Honda, Craftsman, Remington, Red Max, Troy Bilt, Scag, Bad Boy, Hustler, World Lawn, Poulan, Mantis, Etc.. Hopefully, my experience I share, will save you Time, Money and Frustration in the future!
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Although very informative, these videos are for entertainment purposes. Please use all possible safety precautions when repairing and operating your small engine equipment.

[@Chickanic]

Thanks So Much For Watching! Find all my MUST HAVE tools and accessories HERE! ➡ www.amazon.com/shop/chickanic?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_WXMWTK563FG0TWG9PQMN

[@doc2529]

I live on a small farm and do all of my own repairs from diesel tractors to chain saws. I got hooked on your how-to videos last year and watch them, some times over again, every time I hit KZbin. I pride myself on fixing small engines but boy have I learned a lot from you. Thanks for your dedication to helping others and please keep those videos coming.

[@Chickanic]

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm glad you find my videos useful!

[@walsakaluk1584]

You too? I really enjoy learning from Chickanic. Lots of tips and "tricks". Free one on one mentoring... priceless!

[@elviraraff6809]

I spotted the dark fuel in the tank as it looked darker than it should be and then the clear primer bulb before you mentioned it. It shows how much your lessons are teaching us. Thank you for all you do for us.

[@Jim-fe2xz]

A major turning point in life is to learn to recognize you screwed up, admit it and focus on solving the problem!

[@haneyoakie14]

Amen!

[@MonkeyJedi99]

So many self-repair fails are laid at the feet of "The Other Shop" (inc.) particularly with vehicles.

[@Snargfargle]

I stopped loaning out equipment years ago because the people I'd loan things to would "drive it like they stole it." The worst time was when Dad loaned his brand-new 2-stroke mower to a kid and it came back with a bent driveshaft and a blown engine. The kid had not only decided that he didn't need to mix oil with the gas as instructed, he'd also mowed over a pipe. He lied about both things and said that he didn't have any idea what had happened. He was so stupid that he actually returned the oil Dad had sent with the mower unopened.

[@matthewprendergast7032]

Went back to look at the locked up saw video you referenced at the end. 2 of my saws went under water in a flood😮 I did as you did on the saw that fell in the lake, only I flooded the carb side and exhaust side with WD-40 to disperse any water in the lower. Kept doing sow while turning flywheel nut with impact gun. Treated next with 2 stroke oil. Put them back together and fired right up. Still running strong. Moral, take care of the issue right away to prevent the lockup.

[@colingale]

i would be in denial if i did not admit i come here to read the comments from people who have never worked in the repair industry. I started in small engine area and retired in I.T and i've still not seen them all.

[@JoeJordan-t8h]

We had that happen so many times at skookum they finally locked up the fuel shed and only allowed one designated guy to fill the saws.

[@OutdoorswithJRonnie]

Hi Bre, i have been watching for about 1 year, and i keep on coming back!!! Thank you so, so much for all the helpful information, tips and tricks Bre!!!!!

[@partsdave8943]

“No I didn’t run straight gas. The oil is just separated.” 😆 Thanks for sharing Bre!! Have a good weekend.

[@Chickanic]

Bwahahahahaha!

[@martykath4427]

If you use castor based oil with petrol after 12 hrs the oil settles out. (Some comp kart engines use this oil)

[@kevinkalivoda3442]

​​@@martykath4427100% but from my experience castor oil is more for constant high rpm, high heat race use. Had a friend swear by it in his cr250 race bike. I use Maxima series K synthetic 2 stroke oil for my dirtbike since I dont race. Takes a very long time before it separates out.

[@timraber6575]

I stopped loaning out my 2 cycle tools after my dad borrowed my chain saw and locked it up. He always would mix the fuel a tank at a time. After that, he had to take my pre mixed fuel with the unit. I miss my dad………

[@timothy8742]

Princes Bride, Miracle Max "There is a big difference between mostly dead and all dead". Great trick to try to resurrect a straight gassed saw.

[@stevepelino5986]

Love your “can do” spirit!! Can’t hurt to try an easy fix on a potentially broken unit. Thank you for sharing your experiences

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

The machine doesn't lie!!!!!!! Thanks!

[@markkeyser]

When we were kids (I'm 74 years old now) dad bought a 2-stroke Lawnboy mower we seized that poor old thing up a bunch of times and kept resurrecting it! What a machine that was!

[@mikechiodetti4482]

If you get the unit freed up that's a plus for you. You need to charge more for what you know. I had that happen to my brand new (in 1971) Yamaha 125 Enduro. The oil pump cable was not adjusted right when it was assembled. Luckily a friend showed me what to do and the bike continued to run another 8200 (front wheel speedo/odo) miles more. Thank you for this video.

[@2pugman]

My local shop charges $98 when you drop the machine off for repair. If you don't want it repaired after diagnosis, they toss it.

[@jonpalmer2766]

Great video, Bre.

[@Chickanic]

Thanks Jon!

[@williamhenderson9535]

Very informative! Thanks for the tip for us homeowners who do their own yard work.

[@ELCare86]

When I drop my stuff off I'm honest about it. I did forget to put the mix in my fuel. They saved me money by telling me the repair would almost be the cost of a new unit.

[@BearE9090]

I did notice it in the video, but I never knew to look at a machine that i have repaired. Thanks for the great tip.

[@kareno8634]

Sadly some shoppes give reason to check After repair, if not, time comes you learn why One has Lack in Trust. _said only due to my failures to still look_ [why?] now try fixing issues, guess not my forte', yet. lol

[@weps2097]

I always admit my bone head mistakes, it sometimes works out to be a learning experience for me. Sometimes I only get the eye roll or the deadpan "you're an idiot" stare, but as long as my stuff gets fixed. I don't take it personal. Love your channel!

[@charleshill3789]

Great video and yes they will downplay their part in the destruction lol. Would love to see some lawn tractor vids or a few more of them.

[@jerrygeorgopolis8015]

Excellent ! Thanks !

[@geyser3445]

$15.50 diagnosis fee? Sounds like a price from the 1960s.

[@Michael_Ellicott]

my stihl fs 55 is over 10 years old..only things done have been the sparkplug replaced, bump knob replaced and the spark arrester cleaned .. still gong strong great unit

[@JoeMarrott]

You are so fun to watch. It is crazy how people try to hide their stupid actions only to be discovered anyway. I alway admit it up front when I screw up. I guess now they expect it. LOL... Thanks for the education love your vids.

[@Chrisgpop]

There's always a Fibber McGee to look out for. I'm a shade tree bike mechanic. The things I see on people's bikes and the stories they tell are often a hoot. Just smile and nod. ;-)

[@Rock-fx5wi]

I had a pretty new Craftsman leaf blower that was locked up. I asked the guy if he put straight gas in it, and he said no. That was a lie. I took the spark plug out, and stuck a wood dowel in the cylinder and tapped a few times, and it broke loose. Put some PB Blaster in the cylinder and worked the piston up and down a few strokes, blew the PB Blaster out, and stuck the spark plug back in. I put my mixed gas in it, and it fired right up. Ran great. Told the guy to come and get it. Well in the mean time he went and bought a battery operated leaf blower and told me he didn't want , that I could have it. I didn't think it was that hard to mix gas. That thing actually has more power than my Stihl.

[@kareno8634]

the *Power of Knowledge is Wealth* alone, and always serviceable.

[@kencurtis228]

TY for Sharing

[@TheOnespeedbiker]

Lying to your mechanic is not as bad as lying to your doctor, but also makes less sense, because it makes the diagnosis harder, but will likely be discovered just the same and if not its still broken. I mean we all screw up, so you might as well make it easier to fix the problem you caused.

[@ricksaint2000]

Thank you Bre

[@raymondg7671]

Thank you👍

[@lynnlutjen3819]

You are quite the investigator lol love your videos and spreading your knowledge ❤👍👍👍👍

[@lisaleeper9399]

Good video! Keep em coming!

[@Jim-Wade]

The 50,000 talk to others! Your tricks get shared more than you might guess. On those occasions I've screwed up, I used to try to find a way to blame someone else - shame on me. Older and wiser now, but I still screw up at times. Just 'fess up and take your licks.

[@chriswedgworth]

Thanks for the great info ✌️

[@d.noneyabusiness8523]

I purchased an echo Weed whipper from a garage sale for 10 bucks 1 day, got home and it was locked up I took it apart Little bit of mineral oil and Sanding And got it working and it's been running for 3 years now Strong.!! 👍👍

[@jimmyking8206]

Great Video, Thanks Bre 😊.

[@greatnortoni]

I like how you are straight up with telling how it is!

[@pythias9465]

I used to be in consumer electronics repair, and when LCD tv became the norm,people would crack the screens knowing dang well they did it, but we would be busy and take the set without inspection for hairline cracks. When come time to fix, of course, they said it was not broken when they left it. After a few of these we had to implement that we would not allow customer to remove set from their vehicle until we did an inspection of screen beforehand.

[@trucker85d47]

I been working on small engine off and on for fifty years don’t do to much because of health but I have a friend that works for a concrete contractor and they bring me stuff that there regularly shop won’t work on so they brought me a TS800 concrete saw that was only two years old so I found no compression and cylinder burn up cracked carburetor so they wanted it fixed so I ordered the parts and told them to pay for parts and I would only charge labor it took a month to get finished because of holidays shipping I found out they were mixing the fuel in the tank and was not using enough oil mix I don’t think the employees will do that again love your channel your teaching this old man some tricks 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏

[@chrisceykovsky]

First time in many months YT showed me one of your videos. Good stuff to see.

[@purdyboi807]

Lol Hey Bre...Happy Superbowl Eve! I just wanted to say 'Hi' & also politely point out (@5:09) that it's a _'valiant_ effort' you make to try & bring it back from the dead...and *not* a _galiant_ one. Anyway, as a long-time sub & a total fanboy of yours from Northern Cali...thank you once again for saving us _time, money & frustration..._ you rock!! 🤘😘🤘

[@joedonnelly9487]

Excellent as always!!

[@pyrog.c.c89]

Thanks Super G.

[@peterouellette3874]

Good tips, Chick, thanks

[@jimmydcricket5893]

Just bought a little whood chipper, cheap, still all original paint inside out, great compression, original new clean airfilters. Wouldn't run without choke, clean carby bowl n jet, runs like a dream.

[@markellis6886]

You rock Chickanic.

[@buddylove4882]

O really! They must have forgot! You taught them everything they know, not everything you know!

[@jimklein4066]

When i was in high school, I worked at a lawn and garden shop. One day, a customer and his son (about my age) came in with the clutch plate from their riding mower needing a replacement. I took one look at the wear patterns on the plate and said to the son, "Popping wheelies, huh?" His father chuckled, looked at his son, and said something like, "See, he can tell."

[@vm722]

lol Years ago I had a co worker who put straight gas in the chain saw.After hours he finally got the piston loose 😂. It started but it had a whine in the thing.He did a awesome job of both. F n Fiix😂

[@JR9979]

I used 30W four stroke engine oil in my saw as a gas/oil mix when I was 2 hours from the nearest town and forgot my regular oil back in the shop. Only a few tanks full but it worked....smoked like mad I will say. I only did this because I remembered an old timer mentioned in a conversation that back when he was a kid 70 years ago there was no special 2 stroke oil....just oil and you used whatever you had and mixed that up.

[@timtweet8149]

Better to be proactive and do the routine maint, then be reactive when you get a high repair bill for not taking the time. A little bit of time, money and effort will almost always save you the frustration and expenses of getting it fixed. Thanks Bre!

[@lbeliel4128]

Good morning!

[@Chickanic]

Ditto Kiddo!

[@mikeremski2102]

Straight gas: the biggest reason to never lend your equipment to a neighbor. Much better to take your chainsaw, fuel and bar oil and go help.

[@purdyboi807]

Right?? 100%!!

[@mike-oo8ok]

Never use fuel you did not mix. Always bring your own

[@PTmayotte]

When they bring it to you in pieces, I call it a "Humpty Dumpty". They couldn't get it back together again. I had one neighbor bring me his blower claiming "The pull thing didn't work" He had put straight gas in and seized it solid. I enjoy you videos!

[@ToddAdams1234]

Hello BRE! 👏🏼

[@stevemoore9951]

GREETINGS FROM THE PPRC GREAT VIDEO TODAY VERY GOOD INFO 🇺🇸🍺🍺

[@robertsmith7580]

Awesome video Brie !

[@PaulThomas-qo9vy]

Who'da thunk I was gettin' detective trainin' on a small engine repair show? Call me Detective Fife fer sure! Good lesson Bre, Thanks!

[@dpeter6396]

You're the best, Bre!!!

[@christophermaynard8375]

Customers just straight lying to my face drives me crazy knowing I'm going to be tearing it apart and fixing it.😂😂

[@onehappyfarmer3461]

I don’t know how you deal with the general public these days. So many people with zero common sense and never take responsibility for their own mistakes. So many people have no business owning anything with an engine.

[@ApexOutdoorPower]

Pistons actually don't get stuck in the cylinder, the seizing is actually on the wrist pin or crankshaft/connecting rod bearing. :)

[@buddylove4882]

Thanx! What if the mixture was too lean and it ran very hot! Couldn't the piston and oil residue stick together on the inner cylinder walls because of the excessive heat in binding them together after the unit is powered off!

[@ApexOutdoorPower]

@@buddylove4882 No because the residue will never stick to the sides of the piston and cylinder. Now rust on the other hand can do something like that. Residue is usually in the ports or top of the piston.

[@buddylove4882]

@ApexOutdoorPower Thanx💯

[@MrCelticatheart]

I needed a good laugh today, thanks Bre!

[@cycleguy666]

Diag 50 bucks if they do not have repairs done. 30 if they leave it for parts and don't want it back. Get it in writing!! 😂

[@mikespain8655]

$15 dollars is too low.

[@brebohol]

I have a mechanics background. But didn't finish my apprentiship back in the 80s. Retiredd now, I'm able to suppliment my income working for several landscape companies & a golf course. I regularly check your vids for helpful tips & repairs when I get stuck. Like re-lining a weed wacker gas tank.

[@larrya3989]

❤❤❤❤good morning ❤❤❤❤

[@davidhuffine5084]

Thanks for the info . I may need to try that . SEEYA

[@bobmcdoggish9659]

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I tried my hand at small engine repairs. A repeat customer brought me a chainsaw that he admitted he had locked up and told me to keep it for parts. I put a little oil in the cylinder, let it sit around for a few days (I never expected it to run again), dumped out the oil, filled the tank with a good mix, and the saw started on the second pull. The saw wasn't pretty, but it ran for years.

[@jakeschisler7525]

My neighbor in Illinois had a bunch of equipment sitting at the end of his driveway when I got home from work after midnight. I walked across the road to get a look with a flashlight and only thing I was interested in was a tiller. Pushed it home into the garage. Went to bed and next morning went out and tried pulling the cord. I couldn't pull it, so I took a big pair of pliers and I got the crank to turn. Pulled the plug looked fine, no gas in the tank put some in and checked the oil and it started. I used it for a couple of years.

[@phyllismulkey3778]

good info

[@JKwakulla]

My favorite, during my construction industry power tool salesman days, was the marina owner that brought in a battery drill for warranty repair. This was a company that 90% or more would warranty tools, even when they were out of warranty date. This one came back, no warranty, it's gotten wet. Lady walks in, insist the drill has not been dropped in water. 3 or 4 times. She finally grinned and admitted it had been dropped in acetone.

[@larryrussell4905]

Good video. I saw the clear gas in the bulb before you told us! Sometimes I surprise myself...

[@2reelyakrz481]

I've also used an impact wrench to try to free frozen cylinders when I couldn't get other methods to work. Score so far (I think): worked - 2 , broke it completely - 4 Full disclosure: This is over a period of about 25 years and was generally cheap equipment which I didn't lose sleep over

[@dennissteinerd1548]

Thus the battery powered craze.....Look around the neighborhood for gas powered equipment and you'll see less and less every Spring. They don't teach small engine repair in shop class anymore......They don't have shop class anymore. Small machines, tillers, chainsaws, blowers, mowers and outboards are kind of a hobby of mine. I'm the only guy in town who ArmorAll's the tires on his snowblower. Thanx Chick for the tip on Ethanol Shield. All I use now.

[@markadkins9290]

Great stuff

[@FreshEyeGuy]

Used to get many customers pick up their repaired 2 cycle equipment and come back a few weeks later with it locked up. After explaining why it was locked up, they would blame us for putting straight gas in it because we just worked on it. What do you think their reaction was when we told them "we put mixed fuel in everything we work on". . .

[@jerrydavis6832]

I love watching

[@rf7869]

some other people in Canada---thank you for the Info-----

[@Biokemist-o3k]

Repairing small engines is my hobby and I am debating on changing my occupation to small engine repair. It seems like the small engine repair business owners are retiring or moving to Florida..I have found that customers lie because they are embarrassed that they were not able to fix it themselves..They feel like lying will get them out of the shop and prevent them from having to admit they F@cked unusually everything....-John

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thanks

[@oldbonesbushcraftrodjackso474]

Very good info . thank you .

[@dennislamers986]

About 25 years ago I had a 8 horse Briggs on a older bolens 650. I ran it tight low oil. Put oil in the plug hole a day later tgen put a pipe wrench on the shaft and worked it free. Still have it and even if it sits for years 3 pulls and she goes. Mind you it doesn't have the power it had but it's a novelty tractor for tge grandsons.

[@raymonster55]

My boss dropped an Echo weed eater off to my shop. I assumed he wanted it fixed, since it looked pretty new. It was locked up, so I put WD40 in the combustion chamber, put a clean wooden dowel on the piston and tapped it loose. Then I worked it loose. I put it back together and it started and ran. I called the boss to tell him he can take it and then he told me it was trash picked from his neighbor for parts and assumed it was junk. We have been using it around the company grounds for the last 3 or 4 years.

[@dubehigh]

My favorite was, it ran last year, when the bowl of the carb is green 😂

[@craigjohnson3603]

Good video Bree, I have seen people b.s. about how long their motors sit like 1 yr and it's red and slimey from a huge overdose of stabil I can look and smell the carb and know it is 10 years sitting.😂 They don't realize stabil doesn't clean just goobers everything up! Then they want it fixed cheap!😊

[@matthewturowski8281]

I have a gas can for my saws that has mixed fuel one one side and bar oil on the other. Not paying attention when the fuel side ran low I put bar oil in it. Not sure how the saw ran, but it did and smoked a ton. As soon as I drained the fuel tank in the saw I knew what happenned, at least it wasn't straight gassed. Put the right fuel mix in the saw and it cleaned itself out and ran fine. That mistake cost me about half a gallon of bar oil though.

[@Tyroneguy77]

Chickanic your a super women love your videos you seem to love your job keep up the great work on those small engines.love from ireland

[@jasonwesbrock8735]

One thing I don’t miss about turning a wrench, “My buddy tried to….” Stop lying and just tell me which bolt you broke. 😂

[@thatdamnsamsquanch]

I'm a service writer for a shop. I can usually tell how much the customer actually knows they messed up their machine by how upset or offended they seem to get when I start asking questions. The more worked up they get, usually, the more they know how bad it is. Bonus points if they proclaim how long they've been working with chainsaws, trimmers, etc. I never intentionally try to offend them. But like you or any other person trying to get things working for people. You have to ask certain questions to know what might be going on. The more mad they get. They more they know how much they messed up. I currently have a saw in our shop. Its a bit older and used but otherwise seemed in decent shape. It starts very hard and doesn't stay running. I started asking questions and the guy got mad, calling the saw "junk" even though he bought it new and has used it for the past 15 years or so. Turns out when we opened it up, we found an almost new Amazon carb in it. And a hose coming from the oil tank that literally led to nowhere, but at least he put a filter on the end of it. When we called him to approve the repair bill he got all offended. Told us he's never put any carb in it or done any major work. "It must have come from the factory like that."

[@donfrank4429]

I did all my maintenance on my power equipment for Spring I do every winter. I do maintenance during the spring, Summer then do a good equipment check I the winter time

[@Chickanic]

That's the way!

[@donfrank4429]

@Chickanic cup of coffee, radio on in the warm garage taking my time

[@Ballroomblitz255]

I fix small engine equipment as a hobby, i do an initial assessment noting what the person tells me is the issue and anything that they may have done to try and correct. I then go into diagnostic mode and more times than i care to mention i find that they have misled (lied) to me on what they had done. Its sort of human nature to not put themselves into s situation to be embarrassed so i understand, in the end however i’ll figure it out and i will mention it but not gloat about it. Cheers.

[@donfrank4429]

Hey if a politician drops of a power tool for you to repair, they will never give you a straight answer!!!!!HAHAHA

[@Chickanic]

I have a story about a politician dropping his two chainsaws off... Arkansas state rep. He brought them in for service, NEVER PICKED THEM UP for 9 months. When he did, he couldn't get them to start. Took it to another repair shop, badmouthing me. The other shop (who I am friends with) said, all they had to do was put fresh fuel in. But yea, it's MY fault he let them sit for 9 months after I called him.

[@Chickanic]

Oh wait! I forgot, HE did not pick them up. He sent his wife!

[@jeffclark2725]

Or when there is a possibility for warranty, but you have to examine it first, go through the steps, and warranty is declined, thumbs up great video, to see that trimmer on your bench is a shame

[@paulmartens4963]

Iam in the same line of work as you, nobody ever likes admitting they didn’t mix fuel, ever! Some of my customers are farmers, so sometimes diesel fuel finds its way into gas tanks, but nobody, I mean nobody, likes to admit they did that either! Proof is always in the puddin though…

[@doublenickelbob]

Seen that before. F.D. said started broke, I said, motor seized, they claim "we only use mixed fuel", check tank, . took carb apart and "BLAMO" straight gas ! New piston and head, like new.

[@michaelsnell4034]

I wish I could do this with my Stihl MS 650. I had it ported and polished when it was brand new. I was milling with it. I think the strain from that was half of the problem. I put a new air filter on it. I think I unintentionally made it run on a lean mix until it destroyed the piston and bore. At some point, I want to rebuild it as it is way cheaper than a new saw.

[@JHruby]

Many people realize what they did, but by then it's too late. They're embarrassed and so they try to undo what they did. Human nature, people don't like to admit they screwed up to a stranger.

[@newsnowriversidesgtrock]

LOL This great!