engine problems

[kronos]

hi ive got a fairly large engine and wanted it for my mini chopper so far ive got it to start but then it just dies off. i was wondering if anyone knew what could be wrong with it? maybe the carb is plugged? or maybe the timing might be off?

 

[2or3wheels]

What do you mean. when you give it gas, does it idle to slow?

 

[kronos]

no it doesnt get any gas. i have to assist it to start by spraying starter fluid into the air filter

 

[SparKing]

Has to be a carb problem.. Take it apart and clean everythng and slap it back on.

 

[kronos]

yah im gonna try that again hopefully its that simple

 

[kibble]

Use some carb cleaner, that stuff works miracles. I cleaned out the carb on one of my engines and I was surprised at the amount of crap that was coming out of it from all the crevices, ducts and places you couldn't see.

 

[kronos]

okay um wats carb cleaner and where can i buy it. ive been using just pure gasoline in an icecream pail and carefully taking it apart and cleaning all the parts with a pin

 

[kibble]

You can get it at any auto parts store usually. It comes in a spray can and with a small straw so you can stick it in small holes and stuff.

I should add that when I was cleaning my parts I would clean one and then stick it in a small zip lock bag to prevent getting dust on it. If you use the cleaner be careful with some of the plastic parts as some can get soft but if you let them dry they're usually ok. You can also use a toothbrush to help you out in getting some of the stuck on stuff that doesn't come off easily.

 

[kronos]

oh ok sounds good. ill have to pick sum of that stuff up and try it out. i was wondering if there could be any reasons that the fuel doesnt get to the engine other than the carb being gunked up

 

[shudaddy]

"i was wondering if there could be any reasons that the fuel doesnt get to the engine other than the carb being gunked up"-kronos

the valves could also be gunked up. with engine sludge like on the shell gasoline commercials. when i got my newest kart it hadn't been ran in quite a while and the carb was pretty nasty. my engine would also start then fall on its face. i just used gas treatment and poured it very slowly into the carb while the engine was running. bring the rpm's up a bit because the gas treatment will bog your engine down. it not only cleans your carb but also your valves and all of your internal engine parts that it comes in contact with. i tried carb cleaner but i found that the wal-mart "gas treatment" worked better. and its cheap (only a buck). sometimes your choke will stick. after cleaning the carb if it still runs bad. i found that if you bring the revs up and your engine starts to die change the position of the choke. another thing i did was quickly open and close my choke while giving the engine revs. that also helped alot because it blows out anything that the cleaner loosend.

 

[kronos]

oh ok thnx ill have to pick some of that stuff up and try it out. if nothing else ill just get a manual and check to see if my timing is off