Fixed - Stihl BR400 Leaf Blower Not Running Well - Stalling, Flooding Out, Won't Idle, Won't Rev-Up!

[@AW-Services]

A man who never gives up and goes all out to repair a machine. Incredible video and fault finding. Always transparent, humble, and genuine content sharing the highs and the lows

[@browsedeweb8834]

He's impressive for sure. I've learned so much from these videos. Best channel on KZbin...and no ads!

[@AW-Services]

@@browsedeweb8834 he definitely helps with brilliant starting and diagnosis tips for sure

[@russ22f]

That was a very good lesson in decision making for us novices. I wouldn't mind seeing more 2 stroke videos in the future. I really enjoyed this one.

[@jesterr7133]

My mom has a Husqvarna blower with well over 2000 hours on it. A few years ago when I was just getting into small engines, it started running horrible and had no power. She took it a couple of places and they couldn't figure it out. She ordered a new one, so I just tore it down. That's how I learned about the spark arrester. I cleaned it, and the machine ran like new. She canceled the order and put it back into service. It ran fine for a few months, and then started doing it again.To cut a long story short, I put three spark arresters in it over the next two years. I finally got sick of it and installed the spark arrester delete package. Five years later, it is still going strong, and she has never had another issue, other than having to put a kill switch in it every couple of years.

[@watermanone7567]

May be adding to much oil in the fuel mix. The new synthetic oil can be run 50/1 on older machines. But make sure your machine will run on that mix with no issues.

[@paulsullivan6392]

You get the "Bulldog tenacity award" on this one. Well done sir. I bet your heart nearly skipped a beat when that Model 400 revved up.

[@toxin911]

an old man once told me "Persistence is the most important skill" and you have that to spare...great job

[@johnnybgoode6466]

The older BR400 would still be my choice of machine - better build quality than the equivalent today. Once again great work Jim.

[@andybonneau9209]

Don't feel too bad. Your mistakes saves many of us a lot of time and trouble.

[@ralphgoings2120]

This is also hind-sight, I wonder if re-torque of cylinder bolts, with original gasket, would have solved problem? Have watched many of your generator videos and am always impressed with your logic toward a solution.

[@norbertwildhaber7240]

I was thinking the same thing. Especially since it passed the pressure test.

[@superfram81]

you can learn so much from this channel and he makes it very entertaining love it

[@nyquistsenior2634]

Happy Thanksgiving Jim and family...You had it right before buying another carb...I do the same thing often...Your videos are an inspiration! I have got all three of my Predator machines running again after a year of being down and my two chainsaws going again. Your videos helped me, so it "helped someone" as you always say!

[@mikemccoyrpt]

YES! This is going to fix my 30 yr old Stihl FS-76 trimmer! Almost threw it out a dozen times but stashed it in a corner as punishment, anxious to tackle it again with new info.

[@jimbrewer2893]

As to the clone carbs, my grandfather was fond of saying "you pays your money, you takes your chances". The other saying, which I'm sure you've heard, "if it had been a snake, it would have bit me". Two cycle engines are a very different breed when it comes to troubleshooting. I have had similar issues when I think, without a doubt, it's this. And it turns out it's not. Great job James.

[@melkiorwiseman5234]

The expression used by my father was "if it had been a dog, it would have jumped up and bitten me" when talking about something which in hindsight should have been obvious.

[@russelllmetcalf]

I’m 69 and I will learn something from you almost every time I watch. You could publish a book with illustrations and make a fortune. Call it the small engine mechanics reference.

[@james35546]

I went through all the same tiring troubles as this project but on a chainsaw of mine. Gave up on it for a year then revisited it with the same final fix. I just had to fix it for peace of mind

[@robertsimpson7113]

I noticed that you cleaned the pre-filter by blowing air through it from the outside in. That only pushes debris into the paper filter behind. Best practice is to remove foam pre-filter and blow it out!

[@PaulMack1249]

Jim’s instinct: 1 Test equipment: 0. We all learned a valuable lesson.

[@oldodger]

Great job. Let's face it....there is no other more annoying noise than a two stroke gasoline engine and there is no other annoying pull start anything in the world than a two stroke. You have the greatest patience level I have ever seen.

[@ericvaughn1126]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Jim! I just did 2 BR 400s and a BR 600 for leaf season down here in NC. Rebuilt one of the carbs and the other two ran great after some tuning and maintenance including air and fuel filters and cleaning the spark arrestors. The ONLY thing I would have done that you didn't would have been to torque the cylinder bolts and test it again before replacing the gasket. Surely can't go wrong with a new gasket, but I'm curious as to whether re-torquing would have made it run right too. Fantastic quality as always!

[@Roadkill7878]

The leak on the carb would not have helped but the gasket leak was clearly the issue. The oil everywhere was the smoking gun. Fantastic repair. That would have defeated me. Those pressure and vacuum readings must have thrown you off the scent for a while. Btw your videos helped me with my lawnmower. I fully serviced it for a fraction of the cost of taking it to a specialist so your videos do help

[@DeadKoby]

And here I thought things were pretty much done at the halfway point. Two stroke motors are fiddly... the smaller, the more tricky. Although I infrequently work on small engines, your determination is a great motivator. When it doesn't work, stop and THINK about it and try again.

[@benkanobe7500]

Excellent that you stuck with it and got to the real problem. Thanks so much for these as the difficult ones are where I learn the most from you!

[@amazing_bobson]

I'm amazed at your patience! For me with a gravel driveway and no garage I would have probably given up after 10 minutes. 🙂

[@jg6142]

You’re a determined person and don’t ever give up. Nice job.

[@ronkilman5968]

Great work and video. That's why I bought a battery powered leaf blower 3 years ago. It has started every time. Good throttle response. Quiter. Doesn't smell. Good power (60 volts). And I have more time to watch KZbin videos.

[@jesterr7133]

Thank you for cleaning that machine. It was driving me crazy, lol.

[@bobniehaus5053]

Love watching you work on theses machines. I have definitely been helped. Watching this one made me think it’s a good thing they didn’t bring in a BR-549! 😬

[@raymondhellberg3600]

Patience pays off and man, you do have some of it 🙂. When "running" the cylinder must have been liftet slightly from the base at each compression stroke, causing "puffs" of leakage. After those leak tests I really did not see that one coming, although all the oil seeping would indicate something like that. And yes, I really learned something here.

[@carlosmedina-ej2iv]

I was scratching my head just like many others trying to troubleshoot this one, saying it has to be the carburetor, the words clone carburetor, well, it made it suspect. The end was excellent. It did teach me a great deal. That is never give up. Thanks a lot. Im ready for my next video.

[@swallowinn4410]

Hello James Very good video. May I suggest the reason your tests did not reveal any issues is lack of vibration during the tests. When running the engine would seal and leak itermittently. That is why they can be so difficult to diagnose. Your stick to it perseverance paid big dividends and you found the issue. Keep up the good work.

[@boblynch7348]

That's what I call persistence! Nicely done James!

[@findingenoch101]

Best comprehensive explanatory video on the exact model I’m trying to fix. Thank you professor! Seriously!

[@prodkey]

I have the exact machine and it too does a great job. I did pull the spark arrestor (wouldn’t run with it) and keep the carb happy. Think I will check the jug bolts! As always - well done.

[@shoptalkwithbrett6572]

I have a BR400 I bought several years ago. Put around $40 into it for parts and I’m still using it to this day year around. Quite impressive for a 50+ cc engine on a blower over 30 years old. I did a walk around and demo on my channel a while back

[@steveb6371]

Watching this fight that you had with the BR 400 answers why my Troy Built string trimmer never worked right straight out of the box. I should have taken it back. I went through the exactly same steps that you did, but, after having the trimmer work one day and not the next for years, I eventually gave up and gave it away. The giveaway was when you said the crankcase gasket was leaking and ultimately fixed the problem. I remember my string trimmer was always full of oil and I couldn’t figure why it was like that. This episode explained a lot. Great job, as usual!

[@coaterdave]

James! You have so much patience! After pull #875, it would have been in the trash and I would be off to Home Depot for a new one. Great job.

[@Bsetzd]

I love people like you. Lol. Iv made a ton of money of you people. Lol. On garbage night I'll ride all over by the big yuppie. House s they throw away tons of this kind of stuff.

[@brianwood5220]

One word James. Tenacity, well done and thanks for sharing. Happy belated thanksgiving.

[@ron827]

Great sleuthing as usual. I wonder if just tightening the four jug bolts would have solved the problem? The fuel/oil mixture must first pass through the crankcase of a 2-stroke engine before entering the cylinder so the cylinder could not fill with fuel without the crankcase first being completely full of fuel. Therefore a leaking needle in the carb could not be the problem.

[@davidholder3207]

You have the patience that I don't James. A good job and the carbie spare box has been added to.

[@ProSaw70]

Some of these machines can really keep you up at night. Excellent diagnostic work and another great video.

[@dougwilson7530]

I couldn't believe that you didn't follow your instinct which are always great. Seems like you would have checked the bolts with all the leakage. But great video thanks.

[@danielconant749]

Wow talk about persistence and a wealth of information. I have a chain saw starting very hard if at all. Now I have more things to check out. Keep up the good work James.

[@Kenny-rn2xc]

The one that this video helped the most was probably you, You saw the problem early on and went went past it some how. The oil leaking was the clue. I wonder if you had just retorqued the bolts it would have fixed it. Great work. Keep it up.

[@AmosBHaven]

That's what I was kinda thinking also. Especially when he noted how loose the bolts were when removing 'em.

[@modest_wrenching]

I was completely convinced it was the coil. Thanks for the detailed videos and showing the results. You are the man and happy Thanksgiving!

[@hartex57]

I also work on two strokes, I enjoy watching your show you do very well at it

[@rgs4x]

Give James a thumbs up for figuring this out!

[@d1gardner]

I have had several problems with 2-cycle engines and a 4-cycle engine recently and having watched your videos for a long time I felt confident to trouble shoot them with very good results! I have yet to put one out by the street with a "FREE" sign after giving up on getting them to run, which is what I used to do!!! Hope you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!

[@RC-fu6hg]

On a two stroke typically you apply vacuum and pressure through the intake to check the bottom end seals. I think that could make a difference in readings.

[@pericavrucinic694]

I don't think it matters if the piston is at the bottom point,I perform tests in this way, making sure that the cylinder is always in the lower position.I think the problem is in the bolts on the cylinder, they were tight enough not to leak when the engine is not running, but they were not tight enough when the engine is running and making vibrations, then false air could enter. Jemes himself said that the bolts were very loose,although I'm not sure, at least that's how I think that was the problem

[@wildefox1478]

Great video, it was ultimately the cylinder base gasket the whole time, Stihl's 4 mix engines will also run poorly if they have any leaking seals. The 4 mix is a 4 stroke engine that does not have oil in the crankcase so it runs on 2 stroke mixed gas for lubrication, I have a Stihl BR600 backpack blower which has their 4 mix and I had to reseal the engine because it was running poorly. The 4 mix is probably affected like 2 strokes when the seals are leaking I'm guessing because the crankcase pulse has to operate the diaphragms in the carb. Excellent work James!

[@wllingtonsingh5080]

James of all the repairs I’ve seen on KZbin about Stihl products you are the first person i saw did cleaning the product.

[@richb419]

Hi a hard lesson for me was also a Stihl but a chainsaw with a lot of time on it. I was not familiar with 2 stroke stuff at the time. the problem was similar the give away was when you rev it fuel would spray out the carb but still run. the root cause was the piston to wall clearance was too great and allowing blow by from the crank case. the fix is replace the piston and cylinder set. Rich

[@WALLY065]

One of the best small engine video's I’ve seen yet. Thanks

[@CARLOSTREUIL]

Thank you for another great video. I could tell by the red progress bar on the video that there was more trouble shooting ahead. I appreciate the commentary as much as the video footage.

[@joeh2253]

Great video, so many times i've run into problems that weren't so easy to diagnose. You are very thurough and meticulous. i learned alot. Thank you.

[@danielparsons3995]

I've had so many issues with Stihl chainsaws not running right, one time I put a new carburetor Piston cylinder seals and still would run to lean I eventually gave up on it. Still have it and just sits under a pile of other crap I just didn't want to mess with anymore. You sir definitely have the patience I don't have.💪👍

[@markyoung7470]

I had this same problem on a HomeLight blower where the screws holding down the cylinder to the case came loose and after I torqued them down the blower ran like a champ. 2 cycle engines seem to Vibrate a lot more than 4 cycle engines causing those bolts to loosen up over time. Great video as always seems people just don't realize that repairs and diagnosis can be very time-consuming. And those skills are from the school of hard knocks and experience. We all learned a lot from this video! Thanks again for sharing!

[@scottnyc6572]

A leaf vacuum can be fun to use.I had one of those leaf vacuum/shredder however it was electric.Juggling and dragging a long extension cord really made it a production process though.

[@ghettsumm7949]

You Sir have endless patience! I would have given up on that one Days ago! I'm so glad that the manufacturer designed it to come apart easily.

[@superfram81]

he finds every little things stuff you would not even think of he is so smart

[@GNX157]

James, I have a Redmax 8001 and although there’s new models, this was and still is a beast of a blower, but heavy. I actually prefer wet/damp leaves because this is so strong I can blow them forward no problem and the dampness keeps them down enough from getting caught up on any cross winds. I also use mine for snow clearing on cars and driveways when it’s a light fluffy snow, up to 2-3 inches.

[@RuthlessMindset68]

Hi James. Just a thought that anytime a car engine has a split block. A dab of silicone should be used right on the joint to prevent a leak, either on intake or oil pan. So I would surmise that the split crankcase on this blower might benefit from the same treatment.

[@arthurrodesiler3109]

I knew it was the cylinder gasket. I have done a few of these. They have a angle on the inside the bottom of the cylinder so you can just use your finger to get the rings in the cylinder. I put Permatex Aviation Form A Gasket on both sides of the gasket .The oil leakage was the sign. Always check how tight your screws are first. You found it but it cost quite a few bucks and time. You won't make that mistake again. There is a lot of vibration on these that can make screws loose. They usually use silicon. I use the right stuff on the crankcase haves. They very rarely go bad cause there is no gasket there. Live and learn.

[@bertgrau3934]

I seen one of his videos where he was working on a chain saw and had to replace the crankshaft seals, a lot of work but it ran as good as new when he finished. That blower wasnt nearly as much work. Probably a little more than the average home DIY guy. As usual a great informative video

[@robertmorin6495]

That will be the day when something beats you James. Very good work by the master again.

[@davecarlson9350]

These are the ones where you begin to doubt your trouble shooting skills. When you finally find the problem...or sometimes stumble across it, the eureka moment is that much sweeter.

[@volvogt21]

So glad you kept going. Oem carb is a nice upgrade and should keep the blower going for years

[@neilkennykenny4113]

The 400 is a great one, I bought mine from my brother he bought it in 2004 still runs great with an odd service.

[@arlodewald5378]

The plastic choke piece on that model of stihl was always one that would break on a regular basis . It took stihl years to finally get that change to a better design . When I seen all the oil around the bottom seal , I was pretty sure that was the problem . On any gas machine two or four cycles ,if they are running or not any bolts that's are relatively easy to get to I would check to make sure there tighten fairly well . Anything that's has oils or gas leaking is a pretty good bet that vibrations from running loosen things up .

[@donwp]

This is the best drama I've seen in a while. I'm on the edge of my lazyboy. I sure hope the new carb works!

[@additudeobx]

Absolutely James.... especially videos like this will help someone. Happy Thanksgiving to you and family.

[@jcondon1]

You too, thanks

[@richbutinski1367]

Well done on figuring out the problem...side note when ever you have to do any two strokes.. recommend putting a dab of case sealant on the center case splits even though it has a gasket...😊

[@robsteinhaur221]

Well done James, your tenacity is inspiring.

[@Jameson4327]

This is why I like watching your channel. Keep up the good videos.

[@1nickoli1]

Here I thought after you mentioned that you originally suspected the base gasket that one of the times you turned the camera off that you had changed it off camera! Great video!

[@digitalwoodshop]

Excellent Video. I was with you every step... Thanks for telling the "Why" as you go along. Really helps me understand the machine and the concepts. I learned a few things here.

[@JoshuaAndMom]

These old STIHL blowers were much better than modern 4mix blowers nowadays. They performed just as powerful as the BR800s

[@jcondon1]

The specs on paper did not look great, but it performed really well.

[@DanKoning777]

Well done James-I'm glad you kept at it and didn't give up proving once again that in all things we can be glad even during trials: "..knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint.." [Rom 5 v3-5a] *Truth is a stubborn thing.*

[@jopinkham6951]

Thanks Jim Have blessed thanksgiving.

[@jcondon1]

Thanks, you too

[@chaolee3605]

I can't tell you have many leaf blowers I'd looked at that had loose head bolts. Happy thanks giving

[@dacooks7174]

The patience you have👍 brother. I would've broken the thing and bought a new one😁😆😅🤣😂

[@tedwilliams8766]

a good test for base gasket is block off intake and exhaust, pressurize and spray with soapy water. if you have bubbles, you have a leaky gasket. quick and easy and a good test for any small engines. i picked up a couple stihl br420 basket cases a few years ago as a project and to my surprise, they both started and ran great and the cylinders look brand new. the engines are complete, its the plastics that are taken off. dont know why and didnt ask for $50. i agree with others, id like to see more two smoke vids also. thanks.

[@jcondon1]

I agree. Love two smoke engines, but they are a challenge when things go wrong.

[@fredanderson1753]

Great work, right to the end, I would have had the same conclusions, totally enjoyed this one, thanks

[@kengraham4209]

Best video yet well done ! I watched it in 3 sections and it was stressful to watch !

[@GlockPointer]

Good machines. I have the BR549 model and it has never let me down.

[@colepegelow63]

Worked on a ton of those and man it seems like that was always the issue with all of them that or the split on the crankcase we would do a complete re seal of them and where the gaskets would meet each other at the split we would put a dab of hondabond or something similar to that and we never had another issue from them at all. Great fix!

[@toddosterhout9866]

That was an awesome video James! I won’t lie though the whole time I was thinking it was the head gasket with all of that oil on the tank

[@grahammctygue724]

Thanks for flogging glorious day of giving thanks to your family s 🎉🎉❤❤😊😊

[@jamesbubnick]

That's the problem I've had when stuff gets older/lots of usage, it's just worn and to fix the equipment can be quite the troubleshooting process. Not to mention some of the OEM parts for older equipment is very expensive. I recently bought a OEM carb for a Kohler similar to your late 90's John Deere for a Scag and that was almost $300. I bought an OEM ignition coil for a 2002 toro snow commander and it was $80. I don't mind clone parts but I also don't want to have issues return or deal w/ taking something apart multiple times when I know it's not OEM, especially when it's something that's a pain to put together like my snow commander.

[@waynec3121]

Happy Thanksgiving James and family,I appreciate your dedication to getting a video every Thursday

[@edsargent6824]

I have learned through watching videos and working on these on my own you can't use caned mixed fuel in blowers you have to mix gas and oil to get them to work

[@krisw8597]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family! I really appreciate your videos and have been a small engine tinker for several years. While watching this video I was saying the whole time for you to check that gasket. The same thing happened to me a year ago. Literally I did everything that you did and sat on the machine for several weeks trying everything to fix it. Then changed that gasket and worked perfectly……😂 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️😂. The machine was an older echo…. This video literally made me laugh at myself since I chased all the same avenues…..funny now but an headache then 😂😂

[@jcondon1]

Thanks, Happy Thanksgiving

[@utforskaren3031]

I fixed a Stihl BR 400 the only fault with it was a filter that was clogged and needed to be changed in the tank and then a little adjustment on the carburettor then it works great this leaf blower is used at a Golf Club located in Älvkarleby in Gävle County here in Sweden which I worked on it in the summer, I think it still works today

[@producedan]

Love your work. It's helped me many times....Thank You!

[@BOXTERS32]

A Great Video, Patience is a virtue, Just on a side note the insulating block on the carburettor to cylinder has an impulse port/a tiny hole /passage which operates the fuel pump diaphragm in the carburettor if this becomes blocked or you loose crankcase pressure /vacuum the carburettor starves of fuel and will be unable to perform correctly or at all as it cannot suck fuel up from the fuel tank at the correct amount it needs to run properly. I have also seen hairline cracks in the insulating block which affect the running/performance sometimes gets worse when it warms up as the crack can expand with heat/cold.

[@TheLawnmowerLady]

Epic! I was happy to see you broke down and bought some long impact Torx bits. Now you have no excuse for not getting into the 2T machines. As usual, I'm impressed with your tenacity to get to the bottom of anything. Was the engine warm when you were doing those pressure and vacuum tests of the top end? Maybe just that little bit of thermal expansion sealed the leaky gasket? I was also impressed with your human testing rig near the beginning. Don't have to bend over to start, and effortless test runs. 😂 Seriously, she's cute and looks happy to be helping you. Cheers!

[@jcondon1]

Good eye. I did finally break down and buy some long Torx bits. The engine was cool. Thinking the heavy oil on the base gasket may have sealed it in the beginning. Not sure why it passed the pressure/vacuum test. That definitely sent me down the wrong path.

[@jonathan46vr]

The cap allows air in the tank not out. Its the metering lever in the carb thats stops flooding

[@DangitBobby...]

Love that you stuck with this and found the solution. I really enjoy your methodical and patient approach to troubleshooting, thanks for another great video.

[@RustyJunkAustralia-mt7tr]

I'm going to have a look at my little hand held blower it's doing the same thing, thanks 👍

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

I've had good luck with Hipa carburetors on Stihl machines. I have one on my FS 85 brushcutter and my MS 271 chainsaw. They cost a little more but they include fuel line, fuel tank grommet, fuel filter, air filter and spark plug.

[@johnhershey4010]

Dam. You didn't tell me that your a good looking man @ 60s years old. Plus you been doing this for 20+ years and still going strong. Plus I love watching all your videos about repairing Generater. Plus the Most of all. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

[@yeltonT15]

Happy Thanksgiving thank you for all you amazing videos and all the time and information you do amazing work and I look forward to what's next thank you so much