Blue Max splitter engine won't start

[Orerockon]

Hello, I have had a Blue Max splitter for over a decade andd despite running a little uneven at times and being hard to start when it's cold (I put an electric heater on it for an hour or so then it starts fine) it has been pretty good to me. It got hard to pull the starter cord and I noticed it was wobbling so I took the cover off. The plastic wheel that the rope goes around was pretty badly warped. So I got an exact replacement starter off Ebay and put it on. It turns over just like it used to, so I gassed it up (it was empty) and I tried to start it. I got it going but after a couple seconds it shut down and smoke was coming off the metal housing where the exhaust is. I tried again and same thing. I unscrewed the engine oil plug to check it and gas came pouring out. I see a post that says the float in the carburetor is probably the culprit. Before I tear it apart, I wonder if something could have happened where the starter engages? I had the cover off for a week or so while I was waiting for the replacement. Could something have got in there and screwed things up? It's in a closed barn so the only thing I can think of is a mouse. Did I reinstall the starter wrong? It feels just like the old one and isn't making noise and isn't loose. It seems like an unlikely coincidence that this happened while the starter was off. I didn't monkey with anything else.

 

[brenndatomu]

Probably just the float sticking filled the engine with gas...change the oil and clean the carburetor so its not still leaking, things should be fine. Also check to make sure mouse didn't make a nest in the air filter.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Run some Seafoam thru the fuel system to help cleanup gumminess etc.

 

[Mutineer]

What engine is on that machine?

 

[hansenjw]

Most small engine problems are caused by dirty carbs. It’s generally very easy to fix, unless it’s super dirty. On the bottom of the carb there’s a small bowl. Usually one bolt holds it on. Shut off the fuel (if you have a shutoff) or drain the tank first. Then remove the bolt and take off the bowl. It can be sticky but shouldn’t take too much force to break it free. Then you should see the float hanging there. The float pushes the the needle valve up to close it when the bowl is full of fuel. That’s what is stuck in your case. Remove the float by pushing out the pivot pin. When you remove it, the needle valve will fall out, so don’t lose that. Now get a can of spray carb cleaner and blast the exposed bottom of the carb, focusing on every little hole you see in there. Use the whole can. Wear eye protection, it’s impossible to do this without getting carb cleaner in your eye. Also blast off the needle valve itself and the inside of the bowl for good measure. Reassemble and it will probably run as good as new. If not, then you might need to do a deeper cleaner which involves taking the carb off, soaking the entire thing in carb cleaner, and replacing seals. In my experience though, just taking off the bottom solves most problems. Good luck!

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

The Seafoam will clean up most of the fuel lines and innards ..

 

[hansenjw]

The Seafoam will clean up most of the fuel lines and innards ..

I like it too, but you need a running engine to use it. If he put that in his gas right now it would just end up in his crank case along with the gas. Sea foam is good for preventative maintenance or when you have minor carb issues. At least that’s my experience, but I’m not an expert!

 

[BIGChrisNH]

Agree with the dirty carb comments. I have lots of small engines to maintain and the common cause of almost all the issues has been the carburetor. Especially with what you described with the gas. Worst case you need a new carb and those are pretty cheap in my experience. Just got one for my generator for like 20 bucks. Good luck!

 

[Orerockon]

What engine is on that machine?

Sorry I got busy and haven't been watching. I got a new pull start and they said it was for this engine BlueMax 196CC 15 Ton 7740 Log Splitter.

 

[Orerockon]

Agree with the dirty carb comments. I have lots of small engines to maintain and the common cause of almost all the issues has been the carburetor. Especially with what you described with the gas. Worst case you need a new carb and those are pretty cheap in my experience. Just got one for my generator for like 20 bucks. Good luck!

I'm scared to death that I will permanently ruin the engine but yes they're something like $25 on Ebay. I don't think I've ever taken the cover off a carb lol.

 

[Orerockon]

Run some Seafoam thru the fuel system to help cleanup gumminess etc.
View attachment 295428

I mentioned it to my son and he said I was nuts to run any small engine I have without using it every so often. He uses it every year in the love of his life Mazda Miata Wish he would have said something sooner lol. Gonna try it in the lawn tractor first it was fouling plugs so bad this winter I had to change them twice!

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

I mentioned it to my son and he said I was nuts to run any small engine I have without using it every so often. He uses it every year in the love of his life Mazda Miata Wish he would have said something sooner lol. Gonna try it in the lawn tractor first it was fouling plugs so bad this winter I had to change them twice!

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I put it in every gas engine...