2-cycle engines need some cleanup

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JHZR2

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Any thoughts on these? Run perfect, but are a complete mess. All from the carb area.

Look at the echo, the air filter is saturated with oil (red). I run the correct ratio, its not a higher ratio of oil. Seems the lines don't last, perhaps because of the ethanol?

Both start first pull, run perfect all the time, efficient, etc.

But besides the lines that have gone leaky, what else is going on that these are such a mess. They are from 2006; none of the older stuff that I used for years and that my parents have do this...

Recommendations?

Thanks!

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This is the one, the filter is dirty with oil, yet inside it is clean and not particularly oily...

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The exhaust could be coating things with a thin coating of oil then dirt sticks to it. If it were me i would just clean it the outside with carb cleaner and call it good.
 
Ive seen on the older equipment when run with TCW-3 especially, that the exhaust can have some oily output.

But the exhausts on these are far away and dry.

And, the red color of unburned 2T oil in the air filter makes me think it is something else...
 
Every piece of equipment I've owned has done this over time. I don't think it has to necessarily do with ethanol and the fuel lines. In my cases, I suspect it has more to do with natural seepage around all the connections. This can be affected by the orientation of the equipment when you store it.

They aren't high-tension connections or very high-tech seals on small engines like these. The one on the top of the fuel tank on your leaf blower is just a rubber plug that the fuel lines travel through. I've had two similar Echo leaf blowers, so I'm familiar with that design. Things like that and the needle valves in the carb are all that prevent it from leaking over time, in some cases. And those types of seals just don't last for the long-term.

When the lines harden and fail, they really leak.

I would clean with an aerosol cleaner, as already mentioned, and call it good. If you have an obvious leak after that, then you can find it and fix it.
 
Well the trimmer just dumps gas if I fill it too full and turn it the wrong way. So I know those gaskets/plugs and the lines are bad...

But I don't get the oil leaking out/back via the air filter on the echo.
 
They all spit some fuel back at the air cleaner.

Use compressed air to blow the crud off. Don't over fill the gas tank and splash fuel everywhere.
 
This all looks normal to me! My OPE has done this since way before the ethanol days. I spraaaaaaaaaaaay it with a good dose of carb cleaner.
 
I wouldn't think this would be a difficult issue.

If it bothers you, just clean it up with a little carb cleaner or degreaser. If you actually have something leaking, take it apart, clean it, fix it, and put it back together. Simple.

I doubt it's the ethanol. I have several late 90's-early 2000's two stroke engines that use ethanol mixed with whatever two stroke oil I have around. None look that filthy, although none are the consumer grade units like the one in your picture.
 
I've got almost the same Echo blower and Husqvarna trimmer from the same vintage. Love them. They look new compared to those beasts. No leaks or oiliness, but then again, if they started looking anywhere near those, I'd wipe them down with a rag.
 
Originally Posted By: jhellwig
They all spit some fuel back at the air cleaner.

Use compressed air to blow the crud off. Don't over fill the gas tank and splash fuel everywhere.


Well there's an answer...

I've never seen the push back of fuel/oil like that before, but most two-stroke stuff I've messed with has had foam air filters.

I don't use those EPA compliant cans so mine pour exactly and I never spill gas - very careful about that.

That's what bothers me, the oil and gas seems to be leaching out through the carb gasket or something. I've not pulled carbs and lines on these things. So it's pretty easy set of questions that I have...

-what's the best type of fuel line to prevent degradation? Tygon?
-do situations like these (fuel and oil coming out of the carb area) justify carb replacement, since they run perfect?
-is there a way to prevent the reverse movement of fuel and oil into the air filter?
-is the presence of oil in the air filter an indication of high back pressure in the exhaust? These items start perfect first pull and run great and efficiently.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
None look that filthy, although none are the consumer grade units like the one in your picture.


So how does "consumer" stuff and dirtiness correlate? So if this was my pro-grade stihl edger (new last year so tbd), then what would the claim be? Because a cursory search of the net indicates that this occurs in stihl, redmax and kawasaki units too, as well as a ton of motorcycles, and a bit more searching attributes it to dirty carb floats and breathers, coupled with local variations of gasoline vapor pressure spec. I'll be the first to admit that I've never messed with carbureators, and certainly I appreciate the likely wealth of experience in that area. But cut the pompous attitude.

After all, funny how the 1985 Ryan (OMC) weed wacker at our mountain house gets at least an hour every other week, and exhibits nothing but a slightly oily exhaust. Yet, that was a consumer item bought at k-mart no less. 30 years service? Impossible by the consumer grade metric, I'd think.
 
I think it's partly due to it being a 2 cycle and the oil your using. Could also be the way your storing it. If you can... store it horizontaly. If you store it vertically...use the choke to shut the trimmer off and store it with the choke on....that's what I do and it doesn't leak fuel every where.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: jhellwig
They all spit some fuel back at the air cleaner.

Use compressed air to blow the crud off. Don't over fill the gas tank and splash fuel everywhere.


Well there's an answer...

I've never seen the push back of fuel/oil like that before, but most two-stroke stuff I've messed with has had foam air filters.

I don't use those EPA compliant cans so mine pour exactly and I never spill gas - very careful about that.

That's what bothers me, the oil and gas seems to be leaching out through the carb gasket or something. I've not pulled carbs and lines on these things. So it's pretty easy set of questions that I have...

-what's the best type of fuel line to prevent degradation? Tygon?
-do situations like these (fuel and oil coming out of the carb area) justify carb replacement, since they run perfect?
-is there a way to prevent the reverse movement of fuel and oil into the air filter?
-is the presence of oil in the air filter an indication of high back pressure in the exhaust? These items start perfect first pull and run great and efficiently.


Now that I think about it, if you were spilling gas everywhere when you filled it it would wash the gunk off.

I have some stuff the will spit a little out the gas cap when running. I can't hang my stihl weed eater with the motor down as it will leak the gas out and leave the oil behind.

All 3 stihl saws I have all have a little oily residue in in the air cleaner. It might come from the initial pop when you first try to start them. I wouldn't worry about it.

None of my saws have oily gunk around the carbs but my weed eater tiller and blower do. On the saws the carb bolts up against a rubber boot. On the other stuff there is a paper gasket between the carb and the intake.
 
Yeah, that paper gasket strikes me as a leaching source.

Wonder if there are upgrades that are rubber or at least denser material?
 
I've never seen the push back of fuel/oil like that before, but most two-stroke stuff I've messed with has had foam air filters.

I don't use those EPA compliant cans so mine pour exactly and I never spill gas - very careful about that.

That's what bothers me, the oil and gas seems to be leaching out through the carb gasket or something. I've not pulled carbs and lines on these things. So it's pretty easy set of questions that I have...

-what's the best type of fuel line to prevent degradation? Tygon?
-do situations like these (fuel and oil coming out of the carb area) justify carb replacement, since they run perfect?
-is there a way to prevent the reverse movement of fuel and oil into the air filter?
-is the presence of oil in the air filter an indication of high back pressure in the exhaust? These items start perfect first pull and run great and efficiently.



Yes the Tygon F=4040-A is a good choice for fuel line. Fuel lines can harden over time and leak.

The fuel could be seeping past the gasket(s) Is the oil you use synthetic?

The reverse movement of fuel/oil back into the air filter should only be very slight, unless the reeds are not sealing well from long use.
 
tank vents are letting the tank pressurize and push fuel past the needle which then leaks out into the air box and anything else it can get to. The gas dries up and leaves the oil behind which gets blown around all the surfaces inside the shroud by the flywheel fan the next time you run the engine, the fan also blows all kinds of dust and dirt through the housing which just sticks to the freshly distributed oil.

Quick test, are the fuel tanks slightly pressurized a half hour after you shut off the engine and are these things stored in a garage or shed that gets hot during the day?
 
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