J and J Small Engine Blog

It is almost time for spring, and many of you are checking out your lawn equipment, eager to use it once again.Unfortunately, many homeowners find that after winter storage, lawn care equipment has some engine problems. Here is a list of common problems and most of the possible causes.

1.  Engine will not start or is hard to start.

Possible causes:

• Fuel tank is empty or shutoff valve is closed, or fuel line is clogged.
• There is water in the fuel.
• Carburetor is over choked.
• Carburetor is adjusted wrong or needs service.
• Ignition system or its wiring is defective or ignition switch is off.
• Deadman or other cutoff switch is open or defective.
• Spark plug is damaged.
• Engine compression is poor.
• Operator needs to read user manual.

2. Engine starts but dies after a few seconds.

Possible causes:

• Fuel tank is empty or shutoff valve is closed, or fuel line is clogged.
• Carburetor is over choked.
• Carburetor is adjusted wrong or needs service.

  3. Engine idles roughly, unevenly, or surges.

Possible causes:

• Carburetor is dirty.
• Air leak in carburetor or intake manifold.
• Carburetor is adjusted wrong or needs service.

  4. Engine vibrates a lot.

Possible causes:

• Engine is not mounted securely.
• Blade is unbalanced.
• Crankshaft is bent.
• Counterbalance shaft is not timed correctly.

  5. Engine lacks power or lacks power after warmup.

Possible causes:

• Old gas, bad spark plug, very thick/dirty oil.
• Choke is partially closed.
• Carburetor needs adjustment or service.
• Ignition not timed correctly.
• Air filter is clogged.
• Lack of engine lubrication.
• Valves are not sealing properly.
• Piston rings are not sealing properly.
• Head loose or head gasket is blown or damaged.
• Exhaust ports on a 2 stroke are blocked.

While this blog lists many problems, it is does not cover everything that can go wrong. We’ll talk about some more issues next week.  If your problems are not listed here, or you can’t fix your lawn equipment, contact J&J Small Engine Clinic, we can help.

The weather has been mild lately, so let’s talk about lawnmower maintenance and prepping your lawn mower for the spring.

It is almost time to prep your lawn mower for the spring season. What does that mean?

• Be sure there is no grass stuck underneath the mower (deck) from last season.
• Change the oil.
• Change the air filter
• Sharpen the blade.
• Change the spark plugs.

The above are the basic maintenance items for prepping your lawnmower after winter storage for spring use.

At J&J Small Engine Clinic, the most common problem we see is when the lawn mower won’t start after winter storage. The most common reason for this is the owner did not drain the gas or run the gas out at the end of the season. Then months later the lawn mower won’t start. Moisture accumulates in the gas tank, the volatile compounds in the gas evaporate and leave tars and varnishes and water in the carburetor. Repairing the lawnmower carburetor is often more work than the typical homeowner can do on their own. 

To get your lawn mower ready for spring, contact J&J Small Engine Clinic. Small engine specialists do tune-ups on lawn mowers and yard equipment, as well as maintenance and complete rebuilds on all types of small engines.

Everyone has a hammer and a screw driver, but think of what you can do with power tools. Put a new tool in the hands of some people and they become giddy at the prospect of all the jobs they can now do. Power tools may be more expensive than a hammer, but when you own them, there is one less excuse to blow off a project. And, power tools they pay for themselves.

The very basic set of tools is perfect for installing shelves or a shower heads. But are there other tools, power tools, that would inspire someone to take on the bigger home projects.

Bob Villa says that what you need is a set of aspirational tools. These tools lean heavily on the power tools category.

Nevertheless,when you own the right power tools, you can take on projects that, had you paid a carpenter, would have cost much more than buying all of those power tools.

The first item on my list of new tools was an 18-volt cordless drill.  It is advisable to get one with a spare battery, so you don’t have to worry about losing power midway through a project.

A battery-powered circular saw is another good thing to have, “especially if you’re outside working on a fence or up on a roof, where you don’t want to drag a cord.”

A reciprocating saw, or Sawzall, is good for demolition and for cutting through walls. It’s the greatest tool in America, and, keep in mind, second only to chainsaws as the most dangerous.

The top tool recommendation is a multipiece drilling-and-driving set, which expands the utility of a cordless drill. For any job, no matter what you need to do, this tool has it.

A 80-piece drill-and-drive set includes nut-setters, roughly 20 drill bits and more than 50 screw-driving tips. For those with more specialized woodworking needs, Ryobi sells a 90-piece drill-and-drive set that includes tools for boring and circular cuts.

When you embark on home projects, you make a mess and need a way to clean up. The recommendation: a wet-dry vacuum or Shop-Vac. They suck up stuff that would destroy a typical vacuum and you don’t think of it as a tool but you get addicted to it.

Another tool that Mr. Vila suggests is an auger for unclogging toilets or drains. Plumbers charge such enormous amounts that when you buy a three-foot Ridgid toilet auger it pays for itself in the time it would take a plumber to walk from his truck to your front door.
 
Are you in the market to add some power tools to your workspace? Contact J&J Small Engine Clinic.

Original article - NYTimes

There hasn’t been any snow to blow, so you have been really feeling the need to use a piece of yard equipment. Maybe you grabbed the leaf blower to get rid of those last few leaves from fall. The blower won’t start.

Here are three of the most common small engine problems and their possible causes.

Engine will not start or is hard to start.
Possible causes:

1. Fuel tank is empty or shutoff valve is closed.
2. Fuel line is clogged.
3. Water in the fuel.
4. Carburetor choked too much.
5. Carburetor is not adjusted right or needs service.
6. Ignition system or wiring has a problem
7. Ignition switch is off.
8. Cutoff switch is open.
9. Spark plug is damaged.
10. Poor Engine compression.

1. Dirty Carburetor.
2. Air leak in carburetor or intake manifold.
3. Carburetor is adjusted wrong.

1. Fuel tank is empty or shutoff valve is closed,
2. Fuel line is clogged.
3. Carburetor is choked too much.
4. Carburetor not adjusted right.

There are a lot of backyard technicians out there who can change the oil or perhaps an air filter on their power tools. Some of you even know a little bit more. You just need to find the small engine parts. If we don't have it, we can custom order almost any part. 

But if you're not a mechanic, and you have only changed the oil, have you noticed anything different about how your equipment's small engine is running?

Perhaps it is idling at a faster speed than it should be and you just can’t seem to slow it down. But it runs, so it’s no problem. Not so. When your equipment's engine runs faster than it should, it also runs hotter and uses more gas than it needs. Your carburetor needs a tune up.

Having your small engine tune-up regularly not only extends the life of the engine, but it helps it run more efficiently, saving gas too.

Your power tools were designed to run in a specific way, and maintenance keeps them in factory condition and running the way they were designed. If you want to maintain the life of your small engine, contact J&J Small Engine Clinic.

In Massachusetts, it is time to store your power tools and yard equipment for the winter. Has it ever happened that you store your power tools that were running perfectly, but in the spring they just won’t start?
 
Fuel-related problems are among most common issues for power tools and small engines. Gas today is made and blended for fuel injected engines that tunes and adjusts the engine to the fuel as it is being operated. Most small engines and power tools still use carburetors to blend the gas with air for the engine to run.

Nearly all the fuel sold today has at least 10% ethanol added. Many small engines and power tools are damaged by the alcohol in today's gasoline.

The engine that ran fine last season, but then won’t start is often a result of the use of ethanol, which can cause rust and carbon deposits inside the engine and dissolve plastic parts. The ethanol in the gasoline is corroding and damaging to a lot of yard equipment and tools.

J & J Small Engine Clinic sells Ethanol-free gas in small cans that sell at a premium but promise to make your small engines last. Contact us for service and for more information on the benefits of using Ethanol free gasoline in your small engines.

It has been a mild winter so far, but generally in Massachusetts January means one thing: Snow.  For skiers and kids snow can be a blessing. But for the rest of us, it can be a pain in the back. So if you are not looking forward to a ton of snow piling up outside your home, consider Toro's top snow blowers to keep your driveway and walks free and clear this winter.

Toro Power Shovel

With a form factor similar to a weed whacker, the Toro Power Shovel is a small tool that packs a punch. Despite weighing only 13 pounds, this electric snow blower can still chew through half a foot of snow. It’s not exactly a replacement for a full-sized snow blower, but if you have a small walkway, or just want to clear off a light dusting of snow on the driveway that fell after the plow came, the Power Shovel is the perfect lightweight tool. And for a low price it is also a great option for people who have small outdoor spaces and don’t want to drop a ton of money on a snow blower.

Excerpts from Fox News

This New Year J&J Small Engine Clinic would like to wish you and your families a happy and safe New Year. Thank you for your business and we look forward to doing business with you in 2012 and beyond.

For all of your new power equipment or small engine repair and parts J & J Small Engine Clinic has one of the largest selections of lawn mowers, snow blowers, chain saws and other power tools in the North Attleboro area.

J&J Small Engine Clinic, Inc. has been providing premium service and sales since 1995 and we have a high standard when it comes to customer service. Contact us for information or questions on power equipment sales and service.  Happy New Year from J&J Small Engine Clinic.

For the first time in some years we will NOT be having a white Christmas. But that does not mean that you won’t need a snowblower this winter.

If  you don’t have a snowblower, or yours is so old that you can remember your grandfather using it, it may be time for a new one. Of course, if you have a fairly new one, this may be the perfect time for a tune-up, with no immediate snow on the horizon.

Think of all the snow we accumulated last year. We probably won’t have a winter like that (we can only hope). But any amount of shoveling or paying for a plow is not good. A snowblower actually makes snow fall enjoyable.

J and J Small Engine Clinic has some of the best snowblowers on the market, and we are set up to tune up or service your existing snow blower. Contact us if just thinking about shoveling again is giving you the shakes.

As 2011 draws to a close many of our customers will be storing their STIHL products for the season. Fuel-related problems are among most common issues that STIHL customers have.

Now Let's Talk About Gasoline

The gasoline we buy at the pump is not the same as what we bought 10 years ago. Gasoline is a complex chemical soup that must meet standards set by the EPA regarding the pollution created when the fuel is used in an internal combustion engine. Nearly all the fuel sold today has at least 10% ethanol added. The primary use of gasoline today is for licensed vehicles used on public roads, like cars and trucks. Today the majority of these vehicles are fuel injected with a computerized engine management system that tunes and adjusts the engine to the fuel as the vehicle is being operated. The fuel companies blend this fuel to meet EPA standards for these vehicles.

Today's gasoline is even blended differently by region and at different times of the year to help with cold and hot starting in your car or truck. It is expected that gasoline delivered to a gas station will be sold and used within two or three weeks.

Most small engines manufactured today, for lawn and garden applications as well as small outboards and recreational vehicles, still use carburetors to mix the fuel with the air for the engine to run. The challenge for small engine manufacturers has been to build their products to operate properly on gasoline blends that keep changing. This has lead to such things as materials compatibility. Here is an example: take an engine that is a few years old and ran fine last season, but now will not start. When the unit is evaluated by a service technician at the dealership, they may find that the fuel line was found to be hard and brittle and had crumbled away, or it may have become soft and spongy and simply collapsed so no fuel can flow through it.

In some cases the carburetor itself may be damaged by the fuel, clogging jets or damaging rubber or polymer components that the fuel comes into contact with. They may swell or shrink, causing problems that prevent the machine from running correctly. It is easy to blame some of these problems on the ethanol that is mandated by the EPA to be added to most fuels, but there may be other additives in the fuel that could be a cause of these problems as well, especially in older machines.

Available Options

So what should you do to make sure your small engine will start when you want it to? There are some options available. They may require spending more money on fuel, or more time in preparing the machine for off-season storage, but the cost of not doing these things will be down time and a repair bill to correct the problems.

STIHL continues to make changes to the polymers and the carburetors used on current products to help prevent this sort of thing from happening. We do have some recommendations to help prevent starting problems for anyone with a small air cooled engine equipped with a carburetor, regardless of how old it is.

The most important thing you can do is buy name brand (89 or higher) octane fuel. The reason is that name brand fuel (Shell, EXXON, BP, CITGO, etc.) is blended more consistently and should be fresher and of a higher quality than fuel bought at a retailer with no brand on the pump.

Only buy enough fuel to last you a month at a time. The shelf life of today's gasoline is not as long as it was in years past. Fuel does "go bad" over time and will change color and eventually have a sour odor. This can happen much faster if the fuel container is open to the atmosphere, as in some older gas cans that do not seal out the air.

Some older gas cans have a little plastic vent that you would open to allow the fuel to pour out, and often it will break off and the oxygen in the air can get inside the gas can and start a process called "oxidation" that will rapidly degrade the fuel. Always use a clean fuel container and consider buying a new one that has a positive sealing dispensing cap and an automatic vent.

In high humidity areas, the ethanol additive in the gasoline will rapidly absorb moisture from the air and "phase separation" can occur. This will cause the water and ethanol to settle at the bottom of the container. When the can is tipped up to fill the tank, the water and ethanol will flow into your machine's fuel tank possibly causing a non-start condition. In a worst case scenario, this can actually ruin the carburetor or even cause internal damage to the engine.

Do not use a "winter"-blended gasoline you bought in January in June, as it may cause lean running, vapor lock, hard-starting and could also lead to internal engine damage.

Another suggestion that you might consider is to add a fuel stabilizer, such as STABIL. Be sure whatever brand you buy does not have any alcohol in it. A fuel stabilizer will not fix old gasoline but it does help lock down the chemistry of fresh gasoline so if it does sit in your gas can for a month or two, it should still burn properly when you use it. But remember that adding a fuel stabilizer does not make your gasoline last forever, just longer than it would without a stabilizer added. Some two-cycle engine oils have stabilizers as part of their chemistry, which makes it convenient to have a stabilizer in the mix.

Use a dedicated two-cycle fuel can. If you have a two-stroke engine such as a chain saw, leaf blower, or trimmer, use a fuel can just for two-cycle mix, and label it clearly. We suggest using the best quality oil from the manufacturer of your particular machine, and put the oil in the can before you add the gasoline so that it mixes better and there is no chance of forgetting to add it later.

Another option is to buy pre-packaged fuel for your two-stroke equipment. STIHL markets MotoMix® which is a 92 octane fuel with synthetic oil already added at a 50:1 ratio, and there is no alcohol of any kind present. Additionally this fuel will remain stable and useable for up to two years after the seal on the container is broken as long as the cap remains tightly sealed. While this option is more expensive up front, the payoff will be no downtime or repair bills down the road. This may be a good idea for someone that uses their equipment only occasionally, like a homeowner, fire department, rescue squad or farmer.

Prepare it for long term storage. Finally, no matter what gasoline you use, the most important thing to do when a machine is going to sit for any length of time, say over three or four weeks, is to actually run it out of fuel. Carefully drain the fuel out of the tank if it is not near empty, and save that fuel or dispose of it properly. Now start the engine and let it run at idle until the engine runs out of gas and stops. Don't rev the machine, just let it idle. This will do more than anything else to help mitigate starting problems the next time the machine is put into service. There will always be a little gasoline left in the carburetor, so this is why it would be best if the gasoline had some stabilizer in it, or for a two-stroke, a product like MotoMix®.

Remember, selection of fuel and proper mixing is your responsibility. Use a name-branded fuel and two-cycle mix, and follow the information above. Your machine should be ready when you are. If you have questions, contact us by calling 774-987-9399 to speak with our experienced technicians.