J and J Small Engine Blog

Last week in our blog we listed some common problems you may find with your lawn equipment after winter storage. Those were some of the problems you may encounter, but not all. Here are some other issues you may have when taking your small engines out of winter storage:

1. Engine knocks.
Potential causes:

• Magneto does not supply current at the right time.
• Carburetor is set too lean.
• Engine is overheated.
• There is carbon buildup in the combustion chamber.
• Flywheel is loose.
• Connecting rod is loose, possibly worn.
• Cylinder is worn.

• Magneto does not supply current at the right time.
• Carburetor set too lean.
• Air intake is are clogged.
• Missing shroud or blower housing.
• Too much load.
• Not enough or too much oil.
• Wrong type of oil.
• Valve clearance is too small.
• Too much carbon buildup in combustion chamber.

• Carburetor set too lean.
• Magneto does not supply current at the right time.
• Valves are sticking.

If your problems are not listed here, or you can’t fix your lawn equipment, contact J&J Small Engine Clinic, we can help.

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.