Compression issue?

[bob58o]

L7, Oscar Mayer even, foot long, Dodger Dog!

 

[Denny]

Bob! Take you’re meds!

 

[bob58o]

Bob! Take your meds!

Red before bed and blue before breakfast
Yellow to mellow while checking my med list
Neurontin for nerves and Zoloft for happies
Seroquel or else I might get the slappies

 

[Blipsnchips]

compression test kit I got didn’t have a 10mm adapter so I had to wait until I could get to harbor freight today and get a different one. Just under 90psi when I crank it.
Cranks just fine with the tester in, put my finger over the plug hole and it sucks it in then pushes it away. Put the plug back in I’ll get a short crank then it won’t do anything.

 

[Blipsnchips]

Sure would make it more reliable!
And don’t worry about talking to yourself because most of us old guys on here do it all the time. No one else will listen to us.

Yea I was just tying to avoid having to do any real modifications to the kart. It has a cage over the engine so I know I’d be limited on what I can actually cram in there without chopping it up too much. Other issue is I don’t really trust my welding enough to have the kids use anything I’ve welded. lol.

 

[Denny]

How old is the battery? Fully charged? Starter in good shape? Wire terminals clean and tight?

 

[Blipsnchips]

Battery is from the beginning of summer and has maybe 2 runs on it. And just for giggles I used another battery that was brand new (even wired them in parallel for fun…). The starter seems strong and terminals are spotless. I also put a meter on to make sure I was getting good power to the ignition system and all was a ok. Replaced the plug wire too. The only way to crank the engine by hand is rolling the cart and have the wheels drive the crank and pistons/what not. Now I’m no muscle man but I can’t get it to roll. The wheels just drag unless I pull the plug out. Then it’ll roll ok. Valves and spring look fine. I pulled the cover off today and when the engine turns it all moves normal.

 

[Blipsnchips]

Just frogged around with it some more. Pulled the plug, pulled the exhaust, left the valve cover off and just rocked it back and forth to move stuff around. I did see a small bit of fuel outside the plug hole and it smelled awful of gas was h time the piston pumped. Now it’ll roll with the plug in. If there is fuel dumped into it and that’s the issue what’s the best course of action to get it out? I left the plug out all weekend and that clearly didn’t evaporate out.

 

[Denny]

Crank the engine with the plug out and the coil disconnected so it does not spark.

 

[bob58o]

Spinning the engine will pump the fuel inside the chamber out of the spark plug hole. Don’t look into the hole while it squirts.

Change the oil. The gas will seep past the piston rings into the oil.

Find out why it is flooding.
Inspect carb fuel bowl float and needle.
(There are good videos on this on YouTube that will explain better than I can)
Add in line fuel shut off valve in the fuel line after the tank and before the carb.

When turning off the engine, first shut off fuel valve, then let the engine idle until the carb bowl runs out and the engine dies.

This will prevent the combustion chamber from filling with gas and prevent the oil from getting gassed. This will also help keep the carb from getting gunked up while sitting for an extended time.

 

[Hellion]

He's right you know.

Worst case scenario here-- Fuel in the cylinder and in the crankcase will do a number on the engine. It's like a dumping a solvent inside, removing that nice oil film off of the cylinder walls, off the piston and the bottom end basically if the oil gets diluted enough... your sump oil is now trashed.

Most float bowl carbs can have an issue when the needle and seat fail to seal properly; it can be very from dirty gas with debris in it that gets between the needle and seat or just a worn out needle and seat. When that happens whatever fuel in the bowl and fuel line goes right past the carb and into the cylinder. It can be even worse if it's a gravity fed carburetor--that cylinder will fill right on up into a true hydro-lock condition.

...It just won't turn over. It'll be a stuck engine, so pretty easy to diagnose.

I replaced the needle, seat AND added an inline fuel shutoff valve on my garden tractor just to be on the safe side (overkill). Plus, just like Uncle Bob said, it lets you shut-off the fuel supply while it's running and drain the carb dry (more or less). Good for short term/long term storage. I run the engine on medium-high and when it's starts starving for fuel and stumbling, I apply the choke to give it a little more until it dies. I restart it a few times on full choke until it won't run anymore.

Sorry for the book.