Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Homelite by John Deere trimmer, just doesn't want to run....

Well, earlier this summer, my neighbor gave me his trimmer and told me to try to fix it and get it to run and he would pay me. Well, I have done alot of stuff to this trimmer and it still won't run right. I have cleaned the magneto and tested for a spark which now gets a blue spark. I have installed two different spark plugs and the second one that I installed is the correct one. I have disassembled and cleaned carb thoroghly and checked to make sure fuel-lines are clean and clear. Well, the spark is nice and blue, compression seems to be great, and the piston and crank seemed to be nice and snug. Why won't it start?

P.S. I couldn't find a model# anywhere on the trimmer. I know that the flywheel is made by phelon as well as the magneto. The carbuerator is a Walboro. The guy said that the trimmer is two years old and always ran fine until recently after the warranty ran out on it. :(

So please help me to go from :confused: to :) .

From what I can tell, I think that has a 25cc 2-cycle engine and the trimmer is a straight shaft with a 17-inch cutting path (I think). Hope this helps.

Did you check the air filter and the muffler?if eighter is cloged up the trimmer wont run.And also if the cylinder is scared on the inside it wont run too good no matter how much compresson you have.

Did you check the air filter and the muffler?if eighter is cloged up the trimmer wont run.And also if the cylinder is scared on the inside it wont run too good no matter how much compresson you have.
Air-filter is dirty but I try to start it with it removed, on the other hand, the muffler is good too, I removed the spark arrestor to make sure that it wasn't the problem. Thanks for the reply.

this is right u my alley,

I have fixed dozens of trimmers.

So here our the common things I have ran into.

Most common

#1, I almost always find that the filter screen in the carb is bad, sometimes even looking at it, you cant tell. If you can blow thru it easily and see thru it easily, its good, Most of the time they are bad.

#2, some of these have different fuel mixture requirements. The common 50?50 on some of them are not that and dont seem to run at all at that mixture.

#3, the primer wont prime right.

#4, the pickest carbs I have ever seen, zuma, walbro. Them settings seem to have to be just about right on the money.

#5, grass down inside of where the wire comes out into the shaft, making harder for it to pull and it wont run.

Sometime the shear pin will move but not break and cause the timing to be off.

If none of the above work for you, then the compression might be low enough not to draw in the fuel. But I have only seen this on some pretty bad piston and cylinder walls.

3/4 to 1 1/4 on the idle screw is the range i have seen. Usually 1 1/8th is about right on, depends on the model and size of the motor. 1 1/4 and 1/2 for the mixture screw. You can start ar 2 turns and work back. It will run at that just bog when you try and open up the throttle.

Sometimes you find the throttle off a tad, but usually if you squeeze the lever a little while trying to start it, this will determine that.

Primer 3 to 6 times. put on full choke, if it dont start after 6 pulls, try 1/2 chuck. for 6 pulls. then try at 1/4 throttle for 3 pulls.

I usally have a couple of plugs, its easy to foul them out, when I am getting it dialed in.

I try taking out that metal filter screen in the carb, Ill about bet thats the problem. you can run without it, to see if thats the problem.

If it is, the number on the carb, you can get the carb kit, for about $9.00

this is right u my alley,

I have fixed dozens of trimmers.

So here our the common things I have ran into.

Most common

#1, I almost always find that the filter screen in the carb is bad, sometimes even looking at it, you cant tell. If you can blow thru it easily and see thru it easily, its good, Most of the time they are bad.

#2, some of these have different fuel mixture requirements. The common 50?50 on some of them are not that and dont seem to run at all at that mixture.

#3, the primer wont prime right.

#4, the pickest carbs I have ever seen, zuma, walbro. Them settings seem to have to be just about right on the money.

#5, grass down inside of where the wire comes out into the shaft, making harder for it to pull and it wont run.

Sometime the shear pin will move but not break and cause the timing to be off.

If none of the above work for you, then the compression might be low enough not to draw in the fuel. But I have only seen this on some pretty bad piston and cylinder walls.

3/4 to 1 1/4 on the idle screw is the range i have seen. Usually 1 1/8th is about right on, depends on the model and size of the motor. 1 1/4 and 1/2 for the mixture screw. You can start ar 2 turns and work back. It will run at that just bog when you try and open up the throttle.

Sometimes you find the throttle off a tad, but usually if you squeeze the lever a little while trying to start it, this will determine that.

Primer 3 to 6 times. put on full choke, if it dont start after 6 pulls, try 1/2 chuck. for 6 pulls. then try at 1/4 throttle for 3 pulls.

I usally have a couple of plugs, its easy to foul them out, when I am getting it dialed in.

I try taking out that metal filter screen in the carb, Ill about bet thats the problem. you can run without it, to see if thats the problem.

If it is, the number on the carb, you can get the carb kit, for about $9.00
Thanks for all of the info Sporty982000. I was wondering, if I get the carb model numbers, could you give me all of the appropriate settings.

Also, do you know what type of plug should be in the trimmer. It seems that when I first got the trimmer, I put a CJ8Y or something that a standard spark-plug wrench would take out. Now I have like a DJ19Y or something in it and it will get a good spark but won't fire and I have to take it out with a socket wrench because the width of the spark plug is smaller. When I put the bigger plug in it, I shot some carb cleaner in it and primed some fresh fuel into the carb and bam, it fired up. I remember that it would only run if you gave it throttle...so maybe the idle speed screw is out to far. :confused:

I found this image, the engine looks very similar to the one in the picture but the trimmer I am using is a straight shaft.
http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/77/90/hmgdLawn_and_GardenPower_ToolsTrimmers_and_EdgersHomeliteTrimLite_Trimmer-resized200.jpg

Alright I have been searching and searching and I am finding some parts....
The carb, is very similar to Walbro part number... WT-410-1 (Part# 615033 )
or
WT-424-1 (Part# 615037 )
or
WT-64-1 (Part# 615413 )
I think that it is most similar to WT-410-1

Now the air filter is Part# 06615

Gas Cap Part# 125086

Solid State Module (Magneto) Part# 600874

Throttle Cable (Homelite UP04117/A03006/08832 01) Part# 390412

Hope that this helps...thanks for any help that you provide me

Well, I went out this morning and shortened the return fuel-line on the carb because it had a kink in it. I primed the carb 6 times and it actually tried to start. :D Moved the carb to half-choke with throttle fully opened and gave it a pull, nothing, pulled it again and she fired up. Now, mp problem is I have to give it throttle to keep it running. :rolleyes: That was the problem when I first got the weed-eater.

If anyone can give me the proper adjustments for the carb, I will go and tweak it.

Carb Model Number is WT-318 and it had a L4 on the carb too.

A kink in the fuel line, wohoo. theres a easy fix,

How far did you have to hold the throttle in ? how qucikly does it dies once you take it off throttle ?

Id try a 1/8th turn on it. and then try and start it without the throttle. wont be more than 1/4 turn unless previously attempts were made to adjust.

This it not the idle screw, this screw is right where the throttle cable wire comes in. Sometimes the cable stretches out some over time, esp if used weekly.

.

If no previous atempts were made, and this does not work, then that metal screen fuel filter in the carb is partially blocked.

If you are to try adjusting the idle screw, 1/16 is all that i would try. just a tad.

I dont feel the idle screw is the problem-

here is my thoughts, - the metal screen is partially bad, so its getting less fuel, so you use the throttle to let more air in to compensate for the less fuel, to push more fuel in with a more open throttle.

sporty

A kink in the fuel line, wohoo. theres a easy fix,

How far did you have to hold the throttle in ? how qucikly does it dies once you take it off throttle ?

Id try a 1/8th turn on it. and then try and start it without the throttle. wont be more than 1/4 turn unless previously attempts were made to adjust.

If no previous atempts were made, and this does not work, then that metal screen fuel filter in the carb is partially blocked.


sporty
Thanks for the quick reply, I could hold the throttle in from 1/4 the way to all of the way to keep the trimmer going, anything less would cause it to die. I am not sure what you mean by the turns. I have a silver screw on top that I turned out 2 turns and then I have a white screw and a black screw on the bottom of the side on the carb. I guess one is high speed idle and the other is low speed :confused:

I did turn the white screw and it did not help and the silver screw didn't help either. I had to hold the throttle after adjusting each screw. When it would die, it would run for a sec or two and then die, like it was slowly bogging down.

Also, what is the fuel to oil mix. On my yardman and craftsman, it is 40:1 but I heard that it could be 50:1 mix in Homelite trimmers.

Well, I went out later and cut down the fuel-line and the return so they would have some extra but not too much. Now they won't kink or anything. I cleaned the screen in the carb and added some fresh gas to the tank. It will start still but only with throttle, now it has better response since I moved the throttle cabe up one hole so it will open the throttle more, my problem still exists, it won't idle properly and I can't get the carb off of the trimmer now :eek:.

I adjusted the idle speed screw to 2 turns out and it didn't help so I went to 2 and 1/4 turns and it runs smoother now. If I let off of the throttle, it will slowly bog down and die. Please help Cheese, Puey, Azis, someone. Thanks in advance.

P.S. The owner contacted his buddy, the local John Deere seller and repairer and he said to turn the idle screw out 2 1/4 turns and he said that the weedeater is a 2003 model and was most likely released fall of 2002. The owner only used it for one summer.

I was wondering, could the air/fuel screws be wrong? They are on the bottom of the carb side-by-side and one is white (right side closer to air filter) and the other is black (left side near the engine.)

Back the black screw out about 1/4 turn and see how it does.

bogging is either to much fuel or not enough air.

Im guess to much fuel, the color of the smoke is a give away, smoke, rich, no smoke 2 lean, just a tad smoke, just about right.

Try it without the metal filter screen also, if you have no luck on the adjustments.

If the owner did nto touch the adjustment screws and you remember what they were at, take them back to that settings. its not very likely that they needed adjustment. it was likely the metel filter screen.

if you look at the throttle body, the openging, it should just barely be open for proper idle.

the white screw i think you said was on your left, that is the lod idle screw . the black screw , i think you said was on your left, is the fuel mixture screw.

here is another way to try -

leave the white screw alone for now, or i hope its around 3/4 or 1 turn or most 1 1/4, however if this does not seem right, amd what you found was 1 3/4 when you started, then go with that.

now close the black screw all the way, make sure no fuel in cylnder and plug is dry.

Now turn out 1/2 and pull say 3 times. if no pop

then turn out 1 whole turn, pull 3 times, if no pop

try again at 1 1/2, right around here you should get a pop or it starts for second. you fine tune and fiddle range should be around 1 .2 to 2 1/2.

But should not be anything more than 2 1/2

once you have it running and no smoke or just a tad coming out, then you can go back to the white screw.

Another way to try.

sporty

The white and black screws are BOTH mixture screws.
:confused:

correct,

white is low speed mixture screw, black is the high speed screw.

sporty

No, black is low and white is high.