Huskee log splitter B&S engine crankcase full of gas!

[FTG-05]

I've started processing firewood yesterday for this season and I was splitting some beetle-killed pine. All of a sudden, the engine just stopped mid-stroke. I noticed what looked like smoke coming from the exhaust, never seen that before.

First thing I thought of was to check the oil since I believe it has a low engine oil shutoff. Nope, not had oil, but the crankcase was totally full! I can't smell (even gasoline) so I *assume* it's gas and somehow it got from the fuel tank to the crankcase. I was able to restart it only long enough to retract the cylinder, then immediately shut it down.

If so, what's the fix? Is this an engine rebuild or just a carb rebuild? Any tips and tricks for fixing this and, more important, prevent this from happening again?

Thanks!

 

[kennyp2339]

1st check the carb, make sure a float isn't stuck

 

[Bad LP]

Yup. Float stuck or more likely the rubber seat was eaten by E10 fuel. I've dealt with it on two Hondas and a Kawasaki engine.
Stuff ate the seal in a fuel line shut off for the snowblower several times

 

[FTG-05]

Yup. Float stuck or more likely the rubber seat was eaten by E10 fuel. I've dealt with it on two Hondas and a Kawasaki engine.
Stuff ate the seal in a fuel line shut off for the snowblower several times

Since I've had it (I bought it used but virtually new), I've used only E-free gas. I also treat it with Stabil when I buy it and store it in Wedco and/or NATO steel jerry cans until I use it.

I did, however, fail to run it dry last season, bad on me.

 

[Jags]

Float stuck and fuel seeped past rings. Its a carb thing. Rebuild the carb and put a fuel shutoff valve inline for added protection. At the end of the day, shut the fuel valve off an this is a non issue.

 

[Sodbuster]

Float stuck and fuel seeped past rings. Its a carb thing. Rebuild the carb and put a fuel shutoff valve inline for added protection. At the end of the day, shut the fuel valve off an this is a non issue.

+1

 

[Jags]

Don’t forget to CHANGE THAT OIL.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

On the bonus side Briggs engines can be very forgiving.

(learned that running low on oil, dirty air filters,
adjusting governors for more rpms, etc. Hey, I
was younger then. lol)

+1 on the fresh oil, and a generic bottom end carb rebuild
and yer back into biz as usual.

 

[maple1]

What did you do to it to get it going again, between it suddenly stopping, and you starting it up again to retract the cylinder? I would think if it suddenly stopped, it would not run again without unordinary intervention.

 

[FTG-05]

Maple, I just fired it up on low RPM, retracted the wedge, then shut it off again.

Today it's going to warm up to the 50's, so I'm going to install new carb ($30 off of Amazon) and a fuel shut off valve. From now on, I'll be using that valve to turn off the engine.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[sportbikerider78]

Maple, I just fired it up on low RPM, retracted the wedge, then shut it off again.

Today it's going to warm up to the 50's, so I'm going to install new carb ($30 off of Amazon) and a fuel shut off valve. From now on, I'll be using that valve to turn off the engine.

Thanks for all the help!

You don't need to drain the carb, but thats your call. Just hit the kill switch and kill the fuel. No worries. Could be a bit tough to start the next time if you remove all fuel.
Your call.

 

[maple1]

Maple, I just fired it up on low RPM, retracted the wedge, then shut it off again.

Today it's going to warm up to the 50's, so I'm going to install new carb ($30 off of Amazon) and a fuel shut off valve. From now on, I'll be using that valve to turn off the engine.

Thanks for all the help!

My thought was & still is that if the engine stopped suddenly mid-stroke, then you simply started it again and ran it long enough to retract the wedge while idling - then it didn't stop the first time because the crankcase was full of gas but rather for some other reason since I am quite sure it wouldn't have started or ran at all with a crankcase full of gas.

Not sure what all that means though...

 

[moresnow]

I had a flooding issue a couple days ago after dragging my splitter to a buddies place. Bouncing float with the fuel turned on. Oops. Fuel turned off on the way home.

 

[Captain Hornet]

Some Briggs engines have a little fuel pump that works by hooking to the engine crankcase so it picks up the impulse. All Briggs engines do not have this fuel pump. Look on the engine cowl and it well be mounted there if you have one. It well have three hose lines, one to the fuel tank, one to the carb, and one that picks up the engine impulse from the crankcase. It usually hooks to the outside of the oil dip stick check tube. If the fuel pump internal has a leak, you well fill the crank case with fuel. A new fuel pump is cheap, less than ten bucks I think. David

 

[FTG-05]

Captain Hornet, it's all gravity feed to the carb direct from the tank, no pump.

And now I'm battling water in the hydraulic oil. $$$/flush down the drain, almost literally. I've done 5 right now, getting ready to do one more tomorrow, drain well, then refill and start processing wood again. Good thing I had bought a 5 gallon pail of hydraulic oil a year or so ago.

 

[fire_man]

How did water get into the hydraulics, from condensation?

 

[FTG-05]

How did water get into the hydraulics, from condensation?

Someone on another site said that the oil cap is also the breather and probably rain water got in that way. Makes sense since I stupidly left it out last season until a month or so ago.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Someone on another site said that the oil cap is also the breather and probably rain water got in that way. Makes sense since I stupidly left it out last season until a month or so ago.

Were do you keep it ...... next to your bed ??
Mine stays outside in all kinds of weather ..however I do cover the engine..

 

[maple1]

I think the hydro oil tank cap on mine could let some rain water in. It has a dip stick on it, that fastens up through the cap with a nut on the top side. So if that gets a little loose or sloppy, water can get in around the nut.

 

[FTG-05]

Were do you keep it ...... next to your bed ??
Mine stays outside in all kinds of weather ..however I do cover the engine..

From now on, somewhere in here:

 

[VirginiaIron]

Have we come up with any answers?

 

[FTG-05]

Replaced the carb, installed a shutoff switch, poured the old non-e gas into the Pathfinder and got new non-e gas, treated it with Pri-G instead of Stabil. Worked like a charm until the Siberian Cold Front came through.

 

[VirginiaIron]

Replaced the carb, installed a shutoff switch, poured the old non-e gas into the Pathfinder and got new non-e gas, treated it with Pri-G instead of Stabil. Worked like a charm until the Siberian Cold Front came through.

"Until"? What happened?
I shut down my large generator with a fuel shut off valve because even with stabilizer I got the blues. I also shut off the fuel on several other tractors.

 

[FTG-05]

"Until"? What happened?
I shut down my large generator with a fuel shut off valve because even with stabilizer I got the blues. I also shut off the fuel on several other tractors.

The splitter operator is a wimp: He won't work outside when the temps are in the "freeze-to-death" danger zone range. That's defined as anything below 40 degrees or so.

And yes, that's a positive number!

 

[salecker]

My splitter with a Honda will start up to -25C without being plugged in.I run full synthetic oil in the engine and ATF in the hydraulics.Seafoam in the gas and no shutoff.I don't move my splitter.Or cover it,much.