Troy Bilt Blower POS

[Deltona_Dave]

I have a 3 year old troy bilt blower/vacuum that I bought the same time as my string trimmer. Both have same engine, use same fuel oil mix, etc. The trimmer was balky, so ran seafoam first tank, then techron. Now it runs like new, after about a minute warm up. Blower started to run great a week or so ago, with foam and techron. Now, after a 5 minute warm up at quarter throttle, I go to ramp it up to full bore, and it revs up, then dies.

I have done the following:
Cleaned air filter
Cleaned pickup tube/filter in tank.
Cleaned with carb cleaner.
It has fresh gas (texaco 89 octane) with proper fuel/oil mix.

It is a cheapo 100 dollar blower with a Walbro carb. The mixture screws are capped, except for the idle screw, so I can't adjust it.

I would like to keep it for another season, as it is pretty powerful, but loud. I figure I can get a rebuild kit for about 10 bucks.

Any suggestions? Especially on 2 stroke oil? I just gave up my 18 year old echo stick edger to my BIL. That thing was a beast and would run on anything.

I hate built in obsolescence....



Dave

 

[hate2work]

Remove the rev limiter caps on the carb, open the needles and see if that helps.

 

[Deltona_Dave]

Will try that. Seems like the caps are just plastic. Can I use a 1/2" drill bit on the high speed jet

?

I may just get a rebuild kit and call it good.

Dave

 

[punisher]

Get the carb numbers, and hit Ebay. My Walbro kit was $12.95 shipped, but a completely new carb was 17.00 shipped. Took 10 minutes to swap and adjust.

 

[Deltona_Dave]

Originally Posted By: punisher
Get the carb numbers, and hit Ebay. My Walbro kit was $12.95 shipped, but a completely new carb was 17.00 shipped. Took 10 minutes to swap and adjust.


I will be doing that after work today. Thanks Punisher, I forgot about FleaBay.

Dave

 

[Deltona_Dave]

Pulled the carb off, thought it was a Walbro, but no, it is a Zama Chinese diaphragm carb. Pulled the side off and the diaphram is crumbling. Found a rebuild kit on Ebay for about 12 bucks.

My trimmer is the same make/engine size, but has a manual choke and not the simple start lever. That has a nice walbro that started running like new after some Techron, and a few shots of carb cleaner in the throat.

Amazing how simple the Zama carb is compared to some of the others I have worked on.

Dave

 

[occity79]

You can thank Growth Energy and there friends for the ethanol in your gas that ate up the carb diaphrams. FYI Seafoam is a bottle of mostly alcohol, so get ready to change out your diaphrams again soon if you keep using it. 10% alcohol is in the gas + x% in the seafoam. Stabil Marine is much better and no alcohol.

 

[Deltona_Dave]

Rebuilt the carb and runs like a champ now. Most gas in Central Florida has up to 10% Ethanol. I usually get my gas from a Chevron. My truck gets better MPG from that station, than discount places (RaceTrac, Sam's, etc). Seems to have less ethanol.

Can't complain, 10 bucks for a rebuild kit, some sweat, sure beats 100 dollars or more for a new unit or 50 dollars for a new carb.

Dave

 

[RUSHCO]

Try opti oil for your 2-cycle mix. It burns cleaner so it won't carbon up your exhaust system and it has a stabilizer in it.