Is your gas fresh?

 

On the rototiller, yes; on the string trimmer, no and yes. I was trying to burn through the old gas first, and when the trimmer started acting cranky I put new gas in it. All the gas was 93 octane and treated with Stabil, though.

 

A little off topic, but I've noticed that every good small engine mechanic I ever met has more business than he can handle.

 

A little off topic, but I've noticed that every good small engine mechanic I ever met has more business than he can handle.

I've noticed the same thing! If I had a mechanically-minded brain I'd love to get into that business.

There's an outfit around here that comes to your house to service small engines. Seemed ideal, and I'd heard good things about it. So I called and arranged for someone to come out and look at my John Deere 318, which I couldn't get to start (it was working, and then all of a sudden quit starting). He came out, took it apart, and then announced that it wasn't working. (Gee, thanks.)

He charged me $80 for the honor of his presence, and left. He didn't even clean up his mess (rags, etc.) or re-assemble the hood of the JD. I called the office to say that I wasn't paying until the guy came back and re-assembled the JD and cleaned up his mess, and then he got on the phone and started verbally abusing me.

Needless to say, I called my credit card company and disputed the charge, and haven't paid it yet - nor have I called that company back to give them any business.

Until this experience I was thinking seriously about joining the company to learn the business. I still think it would be a fantastic business opportunity...if I could figure out small engines I might give it a go.

 

Both of them sound fuel related. Find the high speed fuel adjustment screw. Lightly tighten it counting the turns until it bottoms. Then back it out about twice the number of turns and start the motor. Run it wide open and slowly adjust the screw back close to original adjustment or wherever it runs best.

 

Howdy. Sounds to me like your main jet is restricted/plugged. Does it idle ok? If it idles ok then the main jet has something in it. Try some carb cleaner through the air cleaner (remove air cleaner first).
On the rototiller, remove the bowl on the carb and take the jets out with a small screwdriver or wrench/pliers. Blow through them or use air compressor. You might want to look at them first but blow through them both ways. and put back together.

 

There's an outfit around here that comes to your house to service small engines. Seemed ideal, and I'd heard good things about it. So I called and arranged for someone to come out and look at my John Deere 318, which I couldn't get to start (it was working, and then all of a sudden quit starting). He came out, took it apart, and then announced that it wasn't working. (Gee, thanks.)

Did you get the 318 to start?

If not, does it have the "starter improvment kit" installed?

 

Both of them sound fuel related. Find the high speed fuel adjustment screw. Lightly tighten it counting the turns until it bottoms. Then back it out about twice the number of turns and start the motor. Run it wide open and slowly adjust the screw back close to original adjustment or wherever it runs best.

Thanks, Beeman - I'll give that a shot.

Now it's off to Google to see if I can locate the high speed fuel adjustment screws... ;-)

 

Howdy. Sounds to me like your main jet is restricted/plugged. Does it idle ok? If it idles ok then the main jet has something in it. Try some carb cleaner through the air cleaner (remove air cleaner first).
On the rototiller, remove the bowl on the carb and take the jets out with a small screwdriver or wrench/pliers. Blow through them or use air compressor. You might want to look at them first but blow through them both ways. and put back together.

Kdts2002 - They both idle just fine; it's only when I try to actually use them that I run into problems. I'll give your recommendations a try, after a quick stop at Google to make sure I can identify these parts!

 

Did you get the 318 to start?

If not, does it have the "starter improvment kit" installed?

Plowjockey - I wound up taking the JD to a local tractor dealer who makes repairs (after jury-rigging a winch to the trailer to haul the JD up on the deck, since it's too dang heavy to push!), where I was told the coil had gone bad. Whatever *that* is. All I know is that it set me back several hundred dollars.

Not sure if it has the starter improvement kit installed; is that the thing that pulls extra juice in from the battery? I seem to recall reading something along those lines last year when I couldn't get it to start (it turned out to have been mouse damage where they made a nest out of the wires).

It seems like every year I need to do something different to it. If the JD keeps having things go wrong with it, I'm going to trade it in for something newer (the JD is a 1984 model).

 

I've had good luck using the seafoam liquid to clean out the internal passages in carburetors. Just mix the appropriate amount into the gas and let the engine idle for an extended period before you try to work it.

 

I've had good luck using the seafoam liquid to clean out the internal passages in carburetors. Just mix the appropriate amount into the gas and let the engine idle for an extended period before you try to work it.

Thanks, Darren - I'll find some and give it a try!