# Craftsman blower , almost runs



## Bubba65 (Oct 6, 2011)

Hi all, my first question on here .

I have a craftsman blower 358.797200. It had been sittng up for a couple of years before i brought it home last week. I've had some recent successes with a couple of rescued chainsaws. So when I saw an offer on freecycle for a nonrunning gas blower . I said to mself "that thing needs me". Was feelng good too after I replaced the rotted fuel lines. But it would only start and run with fuel through the breather. After I take a break. It hits me that the fuel lines may be swapped. Sure enough. It runs. Wow what a feeling ! Now with all the new activity the ropes begins to show rapid fraying. So the next day I commence with the crazy amount of tear down to get to the rope pulley.
Being new to this 2-cycle success I was short on understanding. I tried to hear it run with the first couple of screws holding the upper blower housing on. 

This action must have created my undoing. Not knowing the flywheel was only held tight by the parts still laying in the tray. 

I now have a freshly cleaned machine that I guess is out of time.

The update is that once I became aware it was out of time I pulled even more screws off to acess the flywheel. Sure enough the builtin key was not there anymore. So in the goal to keep learnng I marked the bottomside of the flywheel to index with the flat side of the crankshaft. Put it all back together carefully so as to not loose time. With it all back together, I cross my fingers and give the rope a pull. It showed promise and by the third pull it was running again. 

Well no surprise it was short lived. Soon it got to where it would not start ( even with a new rope). Now I am getting carpal tunnel from all the screwing with it. I tried to cut in a keyway in the flywheel. Almost started. Went back in with some epoxy lined up my original mark and let it set for a day. Still it just only trys to run. I have put the carb on another engine and it runs. I swapped the sparkplug to the good engine. It is fine.

It will fire and begin to start, but not acually run.

Seemingly it is a timing issue, but I am out of time and ideas. 

Help! Sorry for being long winded, but how else to express it.


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## duffer72 (Jul 23, 2011)

To be honest I think the only way to "fix" it is to replace the flywheel, if it was possible to hold it in place as you are trying to the MFG s would do it to save money. Might want to check with shops in the area and see if someone has a scrap unit that would be willing to sell you a flywheel cheap. Just my opinion.


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## duffer72 (Jul 23, 2011)

Also for FYI is is a Poulan fl1500, As one of my mechanice used to say " the name is appropriate as you can poulan on it 20 or 30 times and it won't start"!!


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Try to wiggle the muffler, if it moves the bolts holding the cylinder to the crankcase are loose(Craftsman/Poulan have a problem with this) creating an air leak. Have a good one. Geo


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## Bubba65 (Oct 6, 2011)

Thanks Duffer and Geo for the feedback . I was hoping to not have to pull the flywheel again . So service access was not my concern. But I figure a good tap would pop it loose. Which it did. I still feel it is a good method if I can get the correct algnment. 

Geo, the muffler is held on by strong springs. I have removed it and cleans the partial carbon build up in the exhaust port. 

Who can tell me what model of craftsman or poulan string trimmers use the same flywheel ?

What other timming alignment method is there? 

Thanks


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## duffer72 (Jul 23, 2011)

No way that I am aware of telling what other units use the same flywheel w/o looking at all the parts breakdowns for them. 

That is the only method on a small engine to time it,


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

The key is only used to align or set the timing. Since it's only used for alignment, you should be able to mark the key way on the shaft and flywheel and align them. Use a piston stop or the rope trick to keep the crankshaft from turning and tighten down the retainer to keep the flywheel from moving. Since the hardware that attaches the fan impeller also retains the flywheel, you need to make sure the marks are aligned when you torque the impeller down. It would certainly be easier with a new flywheel, but it can be done this way.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

30yearTech said:


> The key is only used to align or set the timing. Since it's only used for alignment, you should be able to mark the key way on the shaft and flywheel and align them. Use a piston stop or the rope trick to keep the crankshaft from turning and tighten down the retainer to keep the flywheel from moving. Since the hardware that attaches the fan impeller also retains the flywheel, you need to make sure the marks are aligned when you torque the impeller down. It would certainly be easier with a new flywheel, but it can be done this way.


Using the rope is a method, not a trick. Have a good one. Geo


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## Bubba65 (Oct 6, 2011)

Again. Thank you each for the input Indeed a new flywheel would be the easier fix. Forgive my stubburness. 

30year. I like your tag line . To understand how it works To know why it don't .
It was my unknowing that has caused the flywheel to fail. It is my aim to right it on the cheap. As long as my time is free. Haha

the other project(a chainsaw) also has flywheel trouble, the fin that stops the starting cog is broken off. I did find a craftsman weedeater that is the same size but it has a real woodruff keyway that is like half as thick. Ugh


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

geogrubb said:


> Using the rope is a method, not a trick. Have a good one. Geo


You are Correct!
It is certainly a method for holding the engine, but in lieu of a piston stop tool, it can be referred to as a *trick* way of holding the engine!
It's been referred to more often as a "trick" then a method in this forum, it's much easier to find the procedure if you search on trick then method.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Bubba65 said:


> the other project(a chainsaw) also has flywheel trouble, the fin that stops the starting cog is broken off.


Since the fin only holds the dog from closing all they way when the starter is removed. You can use a tag wire or some other way of pulling the dog open. Install the starter and release the dog to engage the starter drum. Inertia holds the dogs open once the engine starts, and the starter drum will prevent the dog from closing all the way once it's installed. You should be alright, regardless of the broken fin. Never hold the flywheel while removing or installing the retaining nut or you can shear out the timing key. Instead use a piston stop, or the rope trick....err I mean method for holding the crankshaft in place.

(sorry, it's the devil in me geo...:thumbsup


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