Stihl won't throttle up or stay running? First thing to check!

[@Chickanic]

Thanks for Watching! Find a link to all of my "Must Have", Favorite Tools HERE!! www.amazon.com/shop/chickanic?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfchickanic_9ERPFPBNGQ924P8NS63B

[@thesmallwoodlot433]

And everyone thought the screens were only for spark arresting, the second function is to prevent insects and foreign debris fro plugging up the works! Great job on figuring it out!

[@MrPancake0825]

Finally!!!! Someone who doesn't just record a video of their incredible skills figuring out the blower has bad gas! You helped me out!! Stihl BR 340 that I have been working on for almost a year! Your fix worked.

[@dominicmogridge3920]

thank you kindly for sharing all your knowledge.I'm a structural digger and high rope access worker.I rig tents for music and arts festivals in the summer,up to 5I capacity,and work as a tree surgeon in the winter months.I do a lot of limited access tree work.taking them down in sections and strapping them to a steel Nasser to avoid roofs,greenhouses etc.using a husky 395xp,and a small parked brand saw,which for the 177 Euro it cost,has done me proud,and is very reliable.used to do landscaping and garden maintenance,and I knew the company as they make very good lawnmowers.so thanks again.it's good to share knowledge,and can strip down,then and maintain all my own equipment.no point in trekking into the woods without basic tool kit.off grid,and pretty much self sufficient.a hundred thousand blessings be upon you and yours.thankyou,and be lucky.dominic'maddog'mogridge.West cork,republic of Ireland X

[@RepairGang]

Love the fact that you admitted you were stumped people think us small engine mechanics know everything but everyone gets stumped:) great repair

[@Chickanic]

Thanks for watching!

[@danbasta3677]

@@Chickanic Just a pointer. I love women with long beautiful hair, they look even better with long hair. Your hair looks super great, makes you look really beautiful and all. HOWEVER, when working on mechanical issues such as this, better to tie your hair up or something, stick it in a hair net or whatever. Hate to see your beautiful hair get caught up in the machinery. Accidents can, and do happen quickly. Just a safty reminder, that's all.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@Chickanic >>> You were stumped? Well, at least you did not have to go as far as THROW HOLY WATER on it and then chant _"The power of Christ compels you!"_ 😊😊😊

[@michaelrockwell9691]

@@Allan_aka_RocKITEman I have been tempted to do that in my shop! Some people's equipment seems genuinely cursed, no joke.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@michaelrockwell9691 >>> 😲😲😲 😊😊😊

[@CRAZY1322]

I liked how thorough you were and how you showed everything that you were doing and how to do it. I also like how you showed before and after of how it was running and you gave warnings about the wrong screws , etc. This was an excellent and very informative video. You go GIRL!

[@orionwarren4244]

You're one of the best small engine repair persons on KZbin, Chicka. Analytical and thorough, you work your 'process'. Being easy on the eyes doesn't hurt either!

[@Chickanic]

Wow, thank you!

[@callumhepworth-smith6376]

@@Chickanic i agree from the UK 🙂

[@Garciaboy80]

I worked on small engines here in Southern Illinois for almost 30 years. I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen this happen. You run into some crazy stuff on occasion. Watching your vids are a treat my dear. Keep up the good work!

[@Chickanic]

Thank you!

[@c50ge]

Garciaboy80 Where are you located, I’m in Edwardsville,IL

[@fishingismydrug1]

@@c50ge Small World! Highland here.

[@samkaplitz9036]

Where can you buy these long torqs bits? T20 t25 t27 ....

[@josephmartin7673]

Love watching the channel. When I'm reinstalling a screw that goes into plastic, I bear in mind that the screw has already tapped the hole into the plastic. I use a hand driver and offer up the screw. To hit the tapped thread, with slight pressure I roll the screw counter clockwise until I feel the click. Now it's time to drive the screw home.

[@terryjaye]

Thank you so much for this solution. A neighbour of mine has a post hole digger that is brand new after one season and would not run on anything but full choke. On your suggestion and after digging the mud daubers out of the muffler, it ran like a charm. You're awesome

[@nathanwhite509]

I was working on an arctic cat 400 for a customer. For the life of me could not figure it out. It idled good and then died under throttle. Fuel flow was great, clean fuel, carb was freshly cleaned, good spark, everything checked out. Went to grab a tool and noticed something on the way back. Muffler was full of mud dobber dirt! Cleaned it out really well, thing fired up and ran great. Also had a can am ds90 I bought for cheap and was flipping. The spark arrestor was so clogged up that it wouldn’t move. Cleaned it up and it worked perfect. I always check mufflers and spark arrestor first thing! Love your videos keep it up👍🏻

[@drsatay2210]

Have a Makita garden blower that I had given up on. Stripped and rebuilt the carb, reset coil clearance, changed fuel line and filter, then saw your video. Took exhaust off and blower fired first pull. Cleaned and refitted and blower works a treat. Thank you.

[@mohanliyanage6297]

I was looking for a lightweight blower for my deck. kzbin.infoUgkxgioZQl3J5wPGAeDINzbieKbT5qomSEx3 There are some huge trees around my house and the leaves and pods drop all over my deck. Having to move furniture around to sweep has become too big a chore. This blower was the answer. It is light enough for this 70yr old lady and powerful enough to blow all the tree droppings off my rather large deck. Thank you B&D. Be aware the cord is not included. I use a 3 prong outdoor cord 25' cord for my 12' x 20' deck. The cord retainer works very well, but don't try to pass the plug through it. That is NOT how it works. You just have to loop the cord and it works great. One of my best purchases. Very happy.

[@TheNortheastAl]

You are not going to believe this, but I went into my shed today to put a generator away and looked over at the Stihl BR350 and noticed mud on the top right bolt to the back cover. I then looked down and the exhaust port had mud in it. I took it out of the shed and cleaned off the mud wasp mud from the bolt then saw that the mud on the exhaust port had fallen off. Sure enough, the spark arrestor screen was in place and they couldn’t make a mud nest in there. Guess this problem is more common than I thought. Glad I saw this video yesterday. Thanks Chickanic.

[@Chickanic]

Thank you so much for letting me know! So glad I could help!

[@rloebker4473]

Love your work! FS91, works at full throttle, let off throttle to move it dies, will not hold idle. I'll adjust idlethis week and get back to you. BTW only has 10 hours on it, at 4 hours had to replace the Coil, twice!!! Shilh had a problem with Coils!

[@lisabeal845]

My sister from another mister. 😃 We became friends because of our love of Bulldogs. I love listening to her rock band Hooker Red, and her awesome gardening skills. Bre, you are an amazing all around natural, beautiful, talented, go getter. Always amazed and impressed. Much love. ❤️❤️❤️

[@Chickanic]

Awww! Ditto kiddo! You know I love everything about you! One of these days, I'm showing up! OR we're going somewhere together!

[@johne.hilbert2046]

"Don't outsmart yourself" Mark Price- His words, a quote from the best/smartest mechanic I've ever known. And, i'm an ASE master certified auto mechanic.

[@rodneythrockmorton1433]

You rock on this one. I had the same barely start issue. After watching your video, I pulled the muffler and the outlet was completely blocked with mud dobber mud. Runs like new now. Thanks

[@kevinbishop85]

So after watching this video i immediately dashed into my garage and took the muffler off... 3 months out of service fixed in 5 minutes THANK YOU!!!

[@bjiggles8145]

Was getting a little frustrated with a BG 86 in my shop that seemed to do everything just fine except it was just "gutless" and wouldn't throttle up. Checked everything, messed with the carb, nothing was working. Started looking for ideas and you've helped me out in the past so this video came up. Finally realized (very big thanks to you) that none of the other equipment I work on has much in the way of spark arrestors, but these blowers that come in once every 7 months or so have that fine screen that goes into the muffler. Sure enough, I take it off and it was almost airtight. In hindsight it makes perfect sense and it's a simple thing to check and I just plain missed it. Gave the spark arrestor a good bath until it was a proper airflow friendly screen again and heeeeey, would you look at that... throttles up like a champ now. Love your videos and keep doing what you do.

[@leehuff2330]

Just wanted to say thank you. My Stihl SH-85 handheld blower had the same problem. Put new gas in it, and had the same issue. I removed the spark arrestor (threads in with a 15mm socket), and it runs better than it did brand new! I can SEE through the screen, but it still chokes it out as soon as I try threading it back in. I'm going to run it without for a while, until I burn the carbon out (there was no mud dauber nest in there), and get my hands on a new arrestor assembly.

[@patricknesbit2334]

Yup knew even before I watched. It is a Stihl thing. Yup if the exhaust is plugged in any way the back pressure is a killer. My fs 38 trimmer got a clogged arrestor and would not run properly. I took it out and it ran fine so I cleaned the arrestor. My father's Stihl hand blower had the same issue. Both were easy fixes. Our issue here in Washington state is mud wasps and Mason bees. Any opening is fair game to them. They gunk up outlets and cord ends. You are most welcome lovely lady! You teach us so many useful things 🐱! I hope you and yours are well and that you have a most excellent day 😊!

[@paintwham]

I had serviced my BR350 before the season started, blower was running fine one week, the next it wouldn’t start. found spark arrestor coated in mud. Thank you.

[@edwardmcbain5730]

Very good.Always double check the muffler.I learnded the hard way also.What I found on blowers and trimmers even though the screen was removed is a pest.Yellow jackets or wasps will build a mud nest inside in a very short time and choke the muffler.Not always the case of course but a good place to start.

[@robertweaver1338]

Did exactly the same thing on a backpack blower . Tried couple of days thinking the fairy godmother would fix it. Then I found the mud dobbers work. Thank you for saving the day

[@gregmaxfield4405]

I also have found spark arrestor issues previously but never a clogged muffler. I learn something new every time i watch your videos ! Love your work ! 🚜 😊

[@Chickanic]

Finally got your hat and shirt sent out this week. They said it could take two weeks to get there. Ugh...

[@gregmaxfield4405]

@@Chickanic Thank you ! I will look forward to receiving them. 🚜 😊 Over 31 thousand subscribers, you are really doing great work !

[@notajp]

My BIL had a muffler on a Stihl weed eater that was internally clogged with carbon. I used a propane torch directed into the inlet and outlet of the muffler to burn up the carbon, then ran it thru my ultrasonic cleaner to break it up. I then blew thru it with the air hose. Ran great after that.

[@-xDarkxGhostx-]

I watched this video like 3 times at double speed went into the shop this morning and fixed the blower in under 15 minutes. Great video thank you!

[@markcoleman7502]

One thing I learned from being an outboard tech is on the screws use a driver to start them. Put the screw on the threads and turn it backwards until you feel it drop in the threads Then your good to go and no stripping 😎👍

[@bubba.watercraftj7269]

Agreed. Also on outboard and stern drive gear case large cover nuts.

[@scottsmith507]

Good job on diagnosing this one. I I've way north. Upper peninsula of Michigan and we have them here also. We call them mud daubbers and they will fill any cavity they can get to. Fun fact, they will kill a spider and put in cavity then lay single egg in cavity and seal with dirt or mud. Instant nutrition for larvae.

[@thethinkingman9338]

I was also stumped with my blower not working, after watching your vid, I checked the one thing I had not checked ( the spark arrestor ) took it out, mine has a filter on it, chock a block full of carbon, without it in my Sthil BG 86C blower started first pull. Thank You!!

[@CentralNH]

About 6 years ago I figured out the easiest way to fix a Stihl....buy all ECHO been happy ever since 👍

[@annamoo1090]

I bought a used pressure washer for $10. Bucks and it had the same issue of Mud Dobber Wasp that had clogged the interior with nest. Cleaned it out and cranked it up…saved myself almost $300. Dollars from buying new! Thanks Chicanick! - Anna

[@williamhamersky9930]

Great video Chickanic! I had the same issue with the same Stihl blower but I had a TON of dried mud inside! So what i do now is, after I've finished using my backpack blower, mist blower, chainsaw or weedwhacker I put a little piece of bronze wool over the exhaust. Not steel wool, bronze wool (won't rust!) to prevent any further mud dauber entrances.

[@nyee1]

Thank you very much! You fixed my BR600's recurring problem. I'm in Canada, and primarily have been using it to blow cold, dry snow, with only occasional warm weather use for dust and leaves. Once a year, it starts to stall after a dozen uses, and once a year, the certified dealer looks it over claiming my gas/oil mixture, cold air condensation, etc. And it works after their service and cleaning. Well, after your very well done video (esp the before clip confirming my same problem - starts but stalls after throttling up), I took the cover off and checked the exhaust port. The spark arrester screen was completely carbonized allowing no airflow, and the exhaust area also had build up. Cleaned it up, reassembled and fired it up. Damn, it throttles up like new! Thank you, thank you. And if it happens again, your implication about the arrester screen is point taken....and I'm mostly a winter user with no fire hazards around. All the best to you.

[@brnmcc01]

The mud dauber nest jammed the muffler bearings. After you cleaned it out, it ran great!

[@tonykelpie]

I’ve had a lot of trouble with petrol mowers in the past. Solved by switching to electric. Your videos are great for persuading me never to think of switching back; lawn is only just over 100 sq meters

[@nightriderrv1139]

You learned something dear, me being from the deep south i have seen this many times and yes it's got me more than once, it's how we all learn from experience there's no book that can teach hands on. You done good

[@scubasteve3032]

Yep, this just happened to me. Great video, thanks!

[@kingdiamondbanger]

Thanks... my stihl been sitting three years, off and on me trying to get it to run.. 15 minutes it took to do your fix. it's running like new. Thanks for sharing

[@stausindeche9951]

Thank you for the demonstration...i've encountered such problems on husky lawn trimmers due to poor oil/petrol mixture. Kenya 🇰🇪 🇰🇪

[@PD-be7ln]

I have a BR550, this video was very helpful. I always burn the carbon off the spark arrestor when I service the machine, now I’ll take a closer look at the muffler.

[@probuilder961]

Thank You! My 3 yr old BR800 was bogging on me today & sure enough, the exhaust screen was 1/2 clogged. Fixed! Frustration averted!

[@chainguneffect]

I just ran across your videos and must admit that they are very well filmed and everything is explained clearly. I work small engine stuff as well, here, north of Nashville, TN. Not professionally, but I always have projects such as a Kubota RTV500CI that I need to pull the engine from and figure out why the exhaust rocker bolt put a hole through its cover. At any rate, when I find someone that puts the time in to produce an informative and professional product, I have to say thanks.

[@alexgleason5773]

I had this with a 94rc strimmer just recently, complaint was running until warm then stalling. Immediately sonic cleaned carb and exhaust box, adjust idle and runs like a dream. I was taught exhaust and carb first for these types of problems ✌

[@yzmaximus]

Thank you so much. Mine turned out to be the spark arrestor. I checked plug, mixed up a fresh batch of Leaded 110 Octane Racing Fuel mixed at 50:1 and checked filter with no change. Just got it together and it almost blew the foam insulation off the ceiling. I can finish the last batch of leaves for the season. Did have to fabricate a long Torx 27 for the bottom screw, but I have a Miller Dynasty TIG Welder in my garage.

[@armyofshea7941]

Thank you! Only had this happen once to me, and was also stumped. Kept chasing the hard solutions before finally finding the simple answer. Mother Nature inspires, confounds and loves irony.

[@scottrothe5947]

You are an awesome chick mechanic!! Thank you for caring enough about the rest of us who have these same issues. God bless you!! You have my respect!! Keep the videos coming!!

[@jeffcrawford1337]

I have encountered a problem with my BR700 that presents itself just as the title of this video describes. I will share what it could have been and why, and then what it was that once corrected, brought the blower back to life to run like new. My blower would run 15-30 minutes at full throttle, then no attempts to keep it going by toggling the throttle were successful. The blower was ALWAYS easy to start. After the failure, if the unit sat 10 minutes, it would run again perhaps 5 minutes. If the blower sat for 4-5 hours, it would likely run at least 15 minutes before the the failure would repeat. [1] My first hypothesis was the induction coil. High voltages are developed in this component. The coil is 'potted' so that the wire turns are not only insulated from one another, but the electrical properties of the potting material cause the breakdown voltage of the coil turns to be much higher than if the turns were only in air or some other inferior insulative material. This unit can get hot because it is mounted, albeit with insulative washers, directly to the motor. The Stihl replacement part is very expensive. I assume part of this cost is due to the screening done by the manufacturer. They likely take a sample of their product on a routine basis and x-ray the induction coil looking for voids, i.e., bubbles in the potting material. Air bubbles will not have has high a breakdown voltage as a continuous volume of the potting material. As the blower runs, the bubbles may even propagate or certainly just due to linear expansion, a compromised coil could suddenly be unable to produce sparks. This was NOT my problem; I was rather surprised. [2] Inspection of the spark plug revealed nothing unusual or suspicious. A new plug was only ~ $8 so I went ahead and replaced it. Evidently there was a small fissure or crack in the porcelain (my guess) that with increased heat would likely spread apart more and compromise the ability of the plug to perform properly after the 15-30 minute time period. It would be most interesting to take my old plug and xray it, or put it through an electron microscope (at my former place of employment) to see what the failure mechanism was. Final Comment: When a failure has such a long time constant as described here (15-30 minutes), it points to some engine component that is likely nonmetallic. All insulators will, obviously, conduct heat more slowly, thus be suspicious of engine components that are not all metal. Good luck with your problem solving if you are reading this.

[@williamwhitehead8362]

Yes I had a lawnmower it was a two cycle lawnmower it would not start it like it's like your backpack it would spit once and that was the end I ended up taking the muffler off and I got a whole bunch of beetles out the master made it home in it for the winter which they were dead got them all out and it ran fine keep up the good work

[@Fishfreak59]

Thanks for playing this video again. Just left you a comment on spark arestors cleaning. Thanks again

[@hickorystx]

Great demo!! Always best to step away during a puzzling challenge. You got the job done and we all learned. Thanks for sharing the not so perfect we pride of small engine repair...😃

[@pajamas17]

Thanks so much, I was also baffled after doing so much carb work. The muffler was the problem on my Hitachi leaf blower. Your videos are thorough and help so much

[@gregfisher216]

Great video , lots of good advice! I live in the south and know about dirt dobbers ! from the looks of the blower ,it looks like it was stored in a damp shed without a door ,maybe in the back yard. the rust on the muffler was a give away and dirt dobbers love old sheds !

[@LongBinh70]

Another tool for the mental toolbox. Thanks. You asked for questions, so here we go. I have an Echo pole saw I bought new decades ago. I went to do some work and ran into a problem I've never seen before. I fueled it up (VP 50:1) and after a few pulls got it to start while laying on the ground. I picked it up and reved it up, sounded good. Angled it up to the limb I needed to remove (tornado) and started to cut. Five to seven seconds into the cut it sputtered and died. Brought it down, and after a number of pulls it started again, reved up, ran great. Angled it up, started cutting, it sputtered and died. My first thought was fuel pickup, so I checked that. Seemed OK. Running out of ideas... Oh, not used very often. Thanks.

[@Techno_Nomadic]

Cracked fuel line. As soon as you moved it the weight of the pickup filter would have pulled on the line. If it's old enough, the gas will have stripped the plasticizers out making it brittle. While on the ground the crack is closed the fuel pump will fill the diaphragm on the carb. Soon as you move it, it sucks air and starves out. Fuel line is cheap, just can be a pain to thread back into the tank. Buy extra and cut a long, shallow wedge at the end so you can thread it into the hole far enough to grab it with forceps. If it has a primer, replace that line while you're at it.

[@keithfarley7093]

I have a husqvarna weed trimmer that acts like that , I have checked everything except the exhaust so I think I will down it and look . Thanks for the tip

[@Chickanic]

If it is not the muffler, I have a complete tutorial on how to diagnose and repair a Husqvarna 128ld trimmer on my page. Maybe it will help. Thanks for watching!

[@ralfie8801]

If it still has the screen in the exhaust outlet, the screen is probably plugged up, and it won’t have a mud nest from insects inside. If the screen is gone, you might have an insect infestation.

[@jasonbusch3624]

The Husqvarna trimmers have a steel wool mesh inside the muffler and the only way to clean it is to burn it out with a torch or buy a new muffler.

[@ralfie8801]

Jason Busch That's the easiest way to clean the flat screen of Stihl equipment too. Remove the screen from the muffler, burn up the carbon on the screen and put it back on.

[@jacobdellinger4931]

you have to run a resistor style plug in husqvarna units. they will do some funny stuff if you dont

[@drunkingsailor2359]

Always amazed that the mub daubbers get into everything.

[@rogerthat.9105]

Thank you so much…..at first I thought it was the carburetor…NOPE..it was exactly what you said……..

[@JonesingForTools]

I have a Craftsman ws2200 weedeater that wouldn't throttle up or stay running, and I figured out the issue with it once I watched this video. My problem was the exhaust clogged up like your client's Stihl blower. You helped me look outside the box, and now it's fixed. Thank you, I also subscribed!

[@stuperry2559]

Thank You I was having same symptoms and thought it was fuel issue. We have a lot of mud daubers around and I have taken away nests from where blower is stored. This time it was not a dauber,but the screen was clogged. I did watch your other video on the HP Ultra oil, and fall into that category. Non ethanol fuel,dedicated can,only mix 1.5 gallons at a time,so I was suprised at the build up on screen. Fortunately everything else looked good and clean.

[@marlonalva]

I’m having trouble with my BR600 that sometimes is hard to start and guess what? That’s exactly what I am going to check. Thank you for the great video! 👌💪

[@darrellepickering8433]

When you last started it I knew what it was. Back in the '90s Homelite trimmers had a muffler that was very prone to this. In this area it was fairly common.

[@jettercool]

That same thing is happening to my new Craftsman Chainsaw. It worked fine the first day and then it started acting up the next one. I`m gonna check for the same thing. Thanks for sharing

[@stevek4546]

Love your videos! I do want to add 1 thing, though. People should let their cold machines idle for about a minute before revving up to full throttle. This will extend the life of your small engines.

[@josephcaldaro4273]

Great job! I never knew that the muffler would prevent the blower from operating. Thank you for the advice. 15:30

[@kellismith4329]

Engine has to be able to exhale what it inhales

[@kdcyyz]

I'm gonna stop calling it the spark arrestor screen. From here on it's the dirt dauber blocking screen.

[@Chickanic]

It for sure is!

[@TheNortheastAl]

I had proof of that today on my BR350.

[@notajp]

Seen it a few years back on an old Echo leaf blower. A real head scratcher……

[@tail66]

that was always the 1st thing checked

[@aulkhic4]

I have been messing with a stihl 2 stroke strimmer for about 3 days about to beat someone round the head with it...until i came across this video. Cleaned the muffler and runs like new. Raise my beer to you!

[@davidapp3730]

Great video. Starting course screws into plastic try turning backwards first till you feel the thread engage before you tighten it up. That will avoid cutting a new thread.

[@Tinkerbell323]

Hello young lady. I am 75 years old and have been watching you for a good while now. You are definitely the best that I have watched. I saw that you moved onto your own property and had plenty of new parts and was wondering if you had a throttle cable for a 125BT Husqvarna backpack blower that you would like sell?

[@delseckora5327]

Great video as always. If I may I would like to express another word of caution when it comes to the screws. The ones going into plastic should be turned to left until it drops in place so it won't strip the threads out of the plastic.

[@Gerrit-Max]

I agree.

[@davidmorse8432]

That's a good idea. I always try to get the screws back in their original threaded position by gently starting them and testing for least resistance but turning left and feeling for the step down is a better way.

[@tonydellacer7771]

That is fantastic to know. Never knew

[@djratino]

I seldom use a battery drill putting stuff back. You can start new threads especially if you have alternating shallow & deep threads on a screw. A few brands out there use those.

[@sixstringsplay]

Darn right and by hand!

[@lisag2771]

Liked to pulled my arm off one time because of a dirt dobber. Great video.

[@mikejerrett7354]

Great video on how you figured it out, never thought it would be a clogged exhaust. It ran awesome too 😎

[@brianellisdaly11]

Thanks for the video. You reminded me not to make assumptions. I saw exhaust and assumed it was clear. lol It was not. It was just a dirty screen, but you made me go back to the basics again. On the mud dobber topic, I was asked to fix a jet ski lift once. It would hum but not go up or down. After taking the motor ends off, I found a mud dobber apartment complex!!! Compressed air for the win!

[@thefoyager]

You are a lifesaver!!! I had the same problem with my Husqvarna 150BT and I tried everything, including disassembling and cleaning the carburetor. I tried this and then it worked like a charm! You definitely get a Like for that!

[@99unclebob]

friend had the same issue with mud daubers in a car he was restoring and plugged up his intake manifold and i thought he was kidding until he text me the photos 2 minutes later, it was unreal how much was packed in there and he had to take off the intake and clean it out and took several hours to be sure, it was part of a $7000 short block he built a year earlier, cool video 👍

[@davidapp3730]

Thank you. I had a choked up Spark Arrester. It is running great again. It is cleaned up but still in place. Not because I am afraid of the EPA but it seems like a good idea sa I live in the woods and don't want to start a fire in my woods.

[@Jim-Wade]

Saw that one coming! I hate dirt daubers. A couple of year ago I went to crank up my trimmer and the recoil wouldn't budge. The cover was pretty much full of dired mud. This year hasn't been as bad, but I find them everywhere in my shop.

[@jeffreycanipe1936]

Awesome lesson. I have seen this in some of the machines people have brought in that have been stored outside. It is amazing how this happened so quickly in this case. Thank you!!!

[@TheOldGuyPhil]

I was just ready to take drill bits to my carb! I have the same symptoms on a hedge trimmer that I store in a building with lots of mud daubers/ mud wasps. I am so excited to see if this is what has been causing the problems! Thank you for sharing this, and for the other great content on your channel.

[@davidferguson9695]

I love seeing some of these older videos and then your newer ones and on how far you came. And the tools you use. Its awesome. Because of you and my passion for small engines im working towards starting my own small engine repair shop. And its nice to see what tools you use and things you have been through to give me ideas to check over. But not that long ago i was asking help from you and never did i even get a comment back or anything but just so you know i finally got the Endoscope that you love to use. It is amazing. I absolutely love it and i use it all the time. So i want to say thank you for everything you do and show us in your videos it has helped me out so much. Just wish you would right back some of you fans that is dedicated in your videos and business. Wish you well bre.

[@johnson9195]

I found this video trying to figure out why my trimmer might have stopped running while I was using it. It will idle ok and die right when I hit the throttle. I am going to check the spark arrest screen, since the air filter looks ok. Thank you for the info.

[@jimmymikecallahan8488]

Had a clogged muffler problem on my blower as well. Seems as if a mud Tauber decided it was the perfect place to build a home. Had me going around in circles also. Good vid

[@robertpearse6472]

Haaaaa.. Love it. Dot know what a mud dauber is but in Australia i had the very same problem with a generator when a European Wasp got into the exhaust and built a nest.. Took me and a mechanic 2 hours to sort it. Now i always plug the exhaust with a bit of rolled up cardboard so they cant get in. Just gotta to remember to remove it before starting!

[@lawrencepevitts2434]

If the spark arrestor was in place, would that have prevented the dirt daubers from getting in the muffler?

[@Chickanic]

They would have just built it in the screen, but I would have noticed it sooner. Thanks for watching!

[@cottydry]

Less then a teaspoon of dust blocked the muffler and resulted in enough back pressure to keep the engine from running? That's a tough nut to swallow but I won't argue. Love your videos!

[@bobkucharski9425]

I thought the same thing.

[@sundial6919]

Who woulda thought clogged w dirt dobbers ? 😅 felt sorry for the larva tho . Your intelligent hands on mechanical abilities makes it intersting 🌻

[@erinsquirkychannel501]

The one on the Husqvarna 525L weedeater is awesome its just held in by a lil screw and is very visible just clean it an then take then tin foil lookin thing out an behind that u got a lil square window an u pull the string alil bit to get the piston up passed that window so that u dont get all that carbon build up in the piston once its up there blocking that window u scrap n clean it with a stright screw driver then put everything back together do it every year an never had a problem with it an have had it a few years now what issues or problems do you see alot with the Husqvarna 525L weedeaters and is there a brand that u dont see to many issues with thanks love ur videos helped us out so many times learn so much in a short bit of time

[@lynneblais4760]

I love watching your videos. You’re a great mechanic. I’m a car and truck and coach mechanic and I’m learning so much from you. Thanks 😊😁👍

[@peepee365]

D Penrod I want to thank you for the spark arrester. The very next time I tried to use my weed eater it had no power. Guess what plugged spark arrester, you saved me a lot of money.

[@Chickanic]

That's what I love to hear!! Thanks so much for letting me know!

[@patthesoundguy]

That is also is problem further North up here in Nova Scotia Canada. I have seen those meanies cause that issue before. And like you said it can happen overnight and leave you stumped. I look for those things anytime I have a strange rich condition.

[@BleuCollarFndryMTL]

You just saved a lot of money mine is doing the same thing. It's a string trimmer 35

[@davidroden2465]

Yes ,I've found that out the long way, we call them mud wasps in the land down under

[@ReasonablySane]

When I moved from Seattle to rural Kentucky 11 years ago, I bought a used Craftsman d2000 if I remember correctly. It was a V-Twin Rider mower. It had a weird problem a couple of years into using it. One cylinder kept bending pushrods. In hindsight this sounds stupid but I kept having to loosen the rocker and using a hammer to straighten the push rod and putting it back together and that would work for a while but it kept doing it. I bought new push rods off Amazon but I ended up never putting them on because in the long run I ended up buying a large zero turn since I'm mowing 9 acres now. But the problem really made me nervous even about my zero turn. The problem was that a mouse had built a nest around that cylinder under the plastic shroud and it was causing the cylinder to overheat. At the beginning of the season I always remove the plastic shroud and check my zero turn to make sure that that hasn't happened to either of its cylinders. I store it in a heated garage with plenty of mouse traps so I just hope it doesn't happen halfway in the season.

[@jeffreylucas3421]

Thanks for the tip. My blower has been doing the same thing for a while. I have to give it throttle immediately after starting or it would just putt out and stall..

[@DeereX748]

I didn't watch more than a couple of minutes of your video before I knew exactly where you were going with it. I have the exact model blower you're showing, and had the exact same issue. Mine would start and idle, but was sluggish when you revved it, and wouldn't make full power. I tried adjusting the carb, with no improvement, then decided to check the owner's manual. Guess what, they tell you the spark arrestor is bad to clog, but tell you to take it to your Stihl dealer to have it serviced. It's like trying to force a round peg through a square hole, but you can get the arrestor out without taking the whole front off. Instead of cleaning it and replacing it, I just threw mine away, all it is good for is to clog again in 5 more hours of use. It's one of those Federal regulation things, they're afraid you'll set your leaf pile on fire with it and all gas-powered lawn equipment now has to have a spark arrestor in the exhaust.. I did replace the small rectangular nozzle on the muffler, but the round screen that fits down inside the muffle got thrown in the spare parts box, just in case I have to clean and reinstall it when /if I ever sell the blower. All that said, I've yet to have to dig out a dirt dauber's nest from a muffler. The daubers around my house seem to prefer the open ends of my pressure washer hoses and fittings. I've also had a hornet's nest under the hood of my tractor, and it got built in less than three days between the times I used the tractor. Pretty wild to climb on and start it up, and have white-face hornets come pouring out from around the hood.

[@stevenanderson6925]

Similar issue with a WeedEater TE475Y. I have 6.5 acres of park-like property. Most of my power implements are Echo but I am a retired industrial mechanic and find it hard to give up on and scrap any equipment. So I have a few cheaper trimmers from when the property was much smaller. This one was my favorite for trimming around my pond and numerous small trees. One day it quit running until I let it sit for a few minutes. It would re-start and run for a short time and quit again. I am loaded with spare parts cause that is what mechanics do. Compression at 75psi. Replace piston and ring. Now at 100psi. Replace cylinder head. Compression at 130. No start. Removed trimmer shaft and working with motor only. Put on carb from a running trimmer, same model. Start but idle only. Replace exhaust with new spare. No difference but periodic backfire. Throw on new plug and coil without wiring kill switch. Coil gap set using business card. No difference but backfire gone. Take off new muffler and start. Better but bogging, New carb. Same result. I am running out of parts. New o-ring on crankshaft cover. Any ideas? It's personal now! Lol

[@gregbabington4804]

You have giving me so much confidence to tackle some DIY projects.

[@leeholzmann1023]

thanks chick i just learned about plastic and metal screws ...

[@Chickanic]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching!!

[@larrytomenga1312]

Got my first 2 cycle engine (chain saw) in retirement a few years ago. Now have four. You provide great information and it's recorded just _Perfectly_. Thanks so much!

[@williamhott2698]

Good job alot times the muffler is the problem lack o air flow seen it many times liked your video take care🙏

[@jeffmonroe9766]

Another great video!!! In Utah we call dirt daubers mud daubers ,haven't had problems with them plugging up mufflers but everything else from bbqs air tools 220v plugs you name if they can get in it's plugged. Keep these great video's coming please!!!

[@Chickanic]

Will do! Thanks again Jeff!

[@spoda81]

I'm in Michigan and up here we call them a pain in backside (keeping it nice)😂