Fixing A Husqvarna Trimmer That Won't Start, Sorta.

[@CorruptedGrass]

If it wasn’t for you with your deep details and solutions I wouldn’t be where I’m at with small engines thank you for everything and all the work you do! Your community thanks you!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Thank you ! I appreciate that!

[@CorruptedGrass]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE appreciate you I wouldn’t have my lawn care business if it wasn’t for ya!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

it's great to hear you're helping people with your skills

[@derrasenmaher9730]

I got this Husqvarna 128 LDX combi trimmer since 2019, got it as a used unit and love it. Never let me down in the time I got it. Now I got the 128 LDX, 122 LK and 525 LK and love them all. Got almost all the attachements including the power broom and rubber sweeper (SR 600) and love it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

wow you've got quite the collection going on.

[@derrasenmaher9730]

@ I need them. I use them for my Lawn- and Gardencare so Commercial use. These are lightweight, reliable, powerful and easy to start. Also for a Gas powered unit them run pretty quiet

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I totally understand

[@watermanone7567]

Good job, you did the right thing. I had a 2 cycle small hand tiller in my shop last year that would not run, Timing, spark, crank seals, carb, spark arrestor screen, etc. were all o.k. new fuel made no difference and compression was good. Would not run. Finally, the owner did not want to put any money into it and junked it. Never found out why this one would not run. Thanks for the video.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

wow, now I have to wonder what happened to that tiller.

[@haneyoakie14]

I have a friend with a beloved Mantis tiller that I had similar issues with. I found a $40 unit with a broken gearbox 75 miles away. I swapped the good engine into my friend’s unit and never said a word. My job was to make it run good again and I did my job. The details are up to me.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I like what you did there

[@tjclarke4604]

Just because a carb is new, doesn't mean it isn't bogus. I get plenty of bum carbs right out of the box. I'd say 3 out of 10 carbs I get are dog crap right out of the package. I would have started by trying a different carb, but I keep a bunch in stock so that simplifies things a bit. I watched the other video, and to me, the "new" carb isn't pumping. It just happens. Sometimes you just get shit parts even when new. I remember I got an entire caselot of Champion plugs with no threads on them... Quality control is abysmal these days. But hey, why not, if you have a running engine, use it. Good work as always.

[@CuriousKL]

Agreed. I needed a carb for a TroyBilt trimmer. Carb rebuild kits weren't available, so I ordered a carb. The replacement carburator was not any better. Returned it and the second one was great.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you for sharing that

[@honkhonklersr.4340]

I LOVE my almost 15 yr old 128LD! Only issue I had that stumped me was the tip on the spark plug was loose which caused stuttering and shutdowns. I thought it was the coil so I bought a new coil, which barely fit, and then discovered the loose tip when installing the plug boot. Time is a funny teacher. Ya learn it as ya burn it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice, thank you for the information on what to watch out for

[@honkhonklersr.4340]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Any time fren.🐸

[@lewiemcneely9143]

I would've done what you did in a second. I remember when my pal was running the saw shop in the store and the 4-mix came out. He had a box full of dud mags and cams. It'll be interesting to see what you finally found out. Blessings for a good week.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

me too, I'm hoping to learn from this experience

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Sounds like we all will!

[@SilvasSmallMining]

So it was the coil huh? Like I commented in your last video, rare, but it happens. I’ve worked on enough equipment during my career and time as small business owner of “Silva’s Small Engine”. Keep up the awesome work and videos.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks and no, the problem persisted after I put the shaft back on.

[@SilvasSmallMining]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Oh, it appeared to run better? Air gap set correctly? Genuine parts vs China garbage? I know it’s tempting and cheaper to use China parts, but it really is a gamble. Especially with carburetors. The castings are simply trash. 🚮 I’m only sharing my experiences. I wish you the best success. Take care.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

very true, and yes air gap was set. Both coils that were tested are original and the carb is also the original as well, just had it serviced

[@MrRmh3481]

Earlier this year I went thru 6 NEW Chinese ignitions, which were all bad, fixing a small Husky. The ignitions have problems with the advance changeover or whatever HVA calls it. The engine will start and idle but wont accelerate or transition to load. The symptoms range from off idle spark loss to the rpm limiter hitting too early.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

interesting, must have been a bad batch from the same factory and sent to different vendors

[@christophermarshall5765]

I would have done the same thing you did. One thing came to mind when I heard it stop. Sounds like the exhaust is blocked. A blockage in the exhaust will allow the engine to run at low speed, but back pressure in it will stop it running when you open the throttle and hold it for a few seconds like in the video.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

in the previous i checked the spark arrestor screen and it was clear.

[@christophermarshall5765]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I've seen blocked mufflers & clear spark arrestors. A good test is to take the muffler off, & look inside, along with the exhaust port of the engine for carbon build up.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I'm pretty sure I checked it between the 2 videos but I must have forgotten to show it on this one. I'll check again when I get a chance.

[@haneyoakie14]

The crank seals check out ok, but what about the seal between the jug and the crankcase?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

ah..you might have hit the nail on the head.

[@pit4955]

I try to stay away from 2 stroke engines the only one I would give a consideration to would be Echo and that’s because I can get instant feedback on troubleshooting. Most of the problems with these engines are self induced by the owner not using correct fuel mixtures which create internal engine problems and than it becomes process of elimination that starts adding up to time and lots of $$. Great vid thx for sharing 👍👍

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you are correct and thank you for your time

[@georgemartinez1720]

Any other Brand of Weed Wacker are built as Throw away now It cost more to repair than there worth except Echo Or Stil

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I have a lot to say about that, but it's going to take a whole video to do it.

[@RussellBooth1977]

I would've pulled the muffler off to check both the cylinder & piston for scoring, it's either the engine doesn't have enough compression to run after the engine has warmed up a bit or you have ordered a new dud carburettor. Don't worry,I ordered a whole new Honda GX35 clone engine for my dads UMK435 brush cutter for fathers day & it runs great with the original Honda (Walbro) carburettor fitted because I couldn't tune the engine with the aftermarket Chinese carburettor fitted. My dad thinks that the original Honda engine had less power than the clone engine does even when the Honda engine was new ,it also has a fair bit of compression. It's that the engine kept stalling with the new carburettor fitted because it kept flooding the engine with fuel on a cold start & on deceleration,it would begin to falter at idle speed then stall,it would need its one & only mixture screw adjusted to get it to idle so I thought that there was something wrong with the carburettor. If it's not bad fuel,a non working fuel cap breather,a blocked fuel filter, kinked fuel lines,a bad ignition coil ,a bad new carburettor or a fouled spark plug then I think that it could be due to a loss of compression due to excessive engine wear or damage !

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I did that off camera, No scoring. Also did a compression test, and it was well over 140 PSI.

[@hickorystx]

Always do your best for the customer and be totally honest with your customer. Will you be swapping out the original egine once you have had time to diagnose and repair?? Does the customer want to keep the engine you put in and leave it at that?? 😕

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

ah.. you make a great point, I hadn't thought about that.. but to be honest, probably not.

[@gillgetter3004]

Good repair sure wouldn’t bother me as a customer👍. Small engine repair shop near me where I buy stuff filters, gas line etc. had a twenty yard dumpster full of this two stroke stuff hauled away, he called me and asked if I wanted anything. I didn’t👍

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

wow! I've never heard of something like that before but it makes sense

[@mattwickert736]

Now that you have a good running engine, you could swap that carb to the other one and see if that solves it or not. I've seen these trimmers have leaky cylinder gaskets (It's 2 pieces) and that can give similar issues but are a lot harder to detect. Might be worth the gasket kit for $40 or so if still an issue. I generally have good luck with the HUZTL or HIPA brands - maybe their QC is a bit better than some others.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks for the idea

[@liljoeii6091]

I think I would have done the same thing What else can you do Thank you for the video

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem and it's always nice to see you in the comments

[@jwayne777]

Yeah generally when I take in non-working from customers I really don't have time to fiddle around time is valuable so I go straight for a compression test unless of course it seems very hard to pull but usually if it's really moderate to pull I'll go straight for the compression test if I get 60 to 80 it's a lost cause even 90 I refuse to work on it's got to be a hundred and up PSI for my time and it's a waste of the customer's time and money as well and I let them know up front

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes me too, I didn't film it, but I did do a compression test on it and it was over 140 PSI

[@MUUKOW3]

I don't even do the low end trimmers like those or the stihl anymore they are just not worth the time for the shop. Just Echo,Shindaiwa, Maruyama ,Red Max and a few others and some old vintage stuff if it catches my fancy and I think it is cool like an old Mac or Homelite saw ,any old two cycle mower like lawnboy or Toro and Jacobsen but those are fun projects.

[@robertwilliams3983]

I've bought 2 Husqvarna grass trimmers that wouldn't run when I got them. The parts I needed were extremely high cost. Doubt I'll ever buy another one unless it's dirt cheap.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I hear what you're saying

[@MikeJones-jr5hb]

I would’ve done a pressure & leak down test

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

good idea

[@jmaclaren4147]

Did you check the spark arrestor in the exhaust outlet? That seems to be the problem

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes in the last video, we checked it and it was clear.

[@larryz24]

I would have done the same as you did, it IS the path of least resistance. Have you ever had a trimmer vibrate like crazy after lubing the clutch? I have a TB575 EC that is crazy since doing so.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no I haven't and I don't think the clutch is supposed to be lubed, only cleaned? what did you use to lube it? Grease?

[@larryz24]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE lithium...bad idea?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

not sure. But I'd try spraying the lithium off with brake clean and see If it goes away

[@ZombieDaveAZ]

So at the time of watching this video (about 300 views) i still have questions. From what i viewed, can i assume that you essentially "short blocked" this machine and it was then ok? I think i heard the donor machine had been sitting for a while which makes me think that you used the new carb."If" thats the case the problem lies in the block from the original and not the donor machine. I would suspect the isolator block has a leak. There was no drastic visual evidence of a major leak at the seals. Check exhaust port and isolator block. It could be as simple as the isolater block is loose and the carb cant pick up the pulse from the engine. Good luck and thanks for the videos past present and future. 👍🍺

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Thank you Dave, and yes, when I get back into this engine, I'll be checking over every piece I take off.

[@rickthelian2215]

It would of been an extra cost at least to cover parts😊

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

agreed

[@NerfCraft]

Have you tried replacing the kill switch? Seems strange that the problem only ever seems to occur when you are touching the throttle trigger, and it does sound like it just cuts spark. You even said that it's "as if it was turned off". An intermittently shorting kill switch would turn it off, and it makes sense that it would be most likely to short while the engine is running (causing vibrations) and you are manipulating parts very close to the switch. Then again if you used the same kill switch with the replacement engine, chances are that isn't the problem.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I'll test it by running the trimmer with the switch disconnected then. If it still does it, then the switch is not the problem

[@NerfCraft]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Sounds like a good plan. Can't wait to see the next video on it to see what you find.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I hope it works out in my favor this time .

[@doug2700]

I have a stihl FS 70 string trimmer that vibrates really bad. The shaft is slightly bent. You can hardly tell. Would that cause the vibration? I mean some tremors have curved shafts and I assume they don’t vibrate. Thanks for any help.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

the inner liner might be making more contact with the inner drive shaft than normal. Try removing the gearbox a the end, pull out the inner shaft and the liners and see if they are damaged.

[@doug2700]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE thank you 🙏

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem

[@doug2700]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I have a FS 90 and an FS 70 and all this time I thought they were both four strokes but now I’ve learned that FS 70 is a two-stroke and I’m thinking that’s why it vibrates so bad compared to the FS 90. What do you think?

[@daboomer2277]

James condon had a chainsaw with the exact same problem. Turns out the crankseals were bad 😞

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks

[@daboomer2277]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE No problem 👍

[@Delerium_22]

I would’ve asked the customer beforehand what they wanted and I would make very clear the pros and cons of each choice so they can’t complain when something bad happens that you didn’t tell them if you know what I mean

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's a pretty good way of dealing with it.

[@NickSpires09]

I have this same trimmer with e tech what does that stand for does this trimmer have e tech to ?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

it doesn't mention it on any of the stickers

[@MUUKOW3]

E is for emissions to get that social credit score.

[@NickSpires09]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE ok thanks

[@ramadinsookhoo6141]

Hey bro what's up? In my opinion, I believe that you made the right choice by doing an engine swap for your customer. Like you said it was wall art and I believe that you bought yourself some time to figure out what is wrong with this trimmer. My question for is , what was wrong with the parts trimmer?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I really don't recall, I don't think anything was wrong with it.

[@craftbrewer5401]

Last year I worked on a 1967 2-stroke Evinrude outboard. My problem was opposite - I could start it with a drill and run it at revs, but it couldn’t idle. I concluded it was the crank seal, but never checked the seal. Does anybody know: 1. Symptoms of an air leek at the crank seal. 2. Low compression - is that just a hard start? Or how will it act if started?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

for me, symptoms of an air leak at the seal is an excessive fuel adjustment on the carb to compensate for the leak. As for the low compression, and the drill, it makes sense that the higher starting revolutions from the drill would help to start it. Did you ever do a compression test?

[@MUUKOW3]

Leaky crank seals will make it run lean high or low. Leaky reeds can effect the low end but most likely the idle circuit in the carb is plugged also make sure the spark is strong turning it by the rope a weak coil or dirty points won't fire well at low rpm. The old two strokes with reeds are far more forgiving with air leaks than a port intake.

[@craftbrewer5401]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I did. 90 psi on both cylinders.

[@craftbrewer5401]

@@MUUKOW3 did clean the carburetor and fixed the ignition system.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

90 is no ideal

[@georgemartinez1720]

Air leak??

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

it's possible and it mean between the block and jug.

[@tyroneclarke1666]

Sounds like the carb needed a minor adjustment.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes, all 2 stroke equipment go thru more extensive testing, tuning and multiple cold starts before they leave

[@rjwgardensandmachinery]

Id give it a compression test quickly just to see how much it has

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I tested it off camera between this video and the last, it was over 140 PSI.

[@rjwgardensandmachinery]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE oh ok no worries i didn't realise. If thats the case id say it has an air leak somewhere

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes that's what I was thinking too. Thanks for suggestion though, always appreciated

[@rjwgardensandmachinery]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE no worries man love your videos 👍🙂

[@nichenjie]

low compression

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I did a compression test off camera before I shot this portion of the video and it was about 140 PSI

[@georgemartinez1720]

If had not swapnthe Enginewould Cost both of You more Get the Costomer a Working Unit Back within reasonable time.and stay within Your Est Leave your ego for latter When have time

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

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