# Echo leaf blower problems



## DWester (Apr 30, 2012)

I have a Echo PB-251 leaf blower with a starting problem. It has always ran great up until last summer when while starting it, it sounded like something broke inside when I pulled the rope. A few days later I tried it again and it ran fine. So, I took it to a repair guy and he worked on it, but can't remember what he did and it was fine. 

Now several months later I felt that broken feeling again (only one time, then it pulls fine) when I pulled and it's doing it again. I've got fuel and spark but no go. Can something inside get out of sink that would cause the spark to fire at the wrong time? Like at the bottom of the stroke?


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

It would be unusual on this blower, but a sheared key could cause the ignition timing to be off.


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## DWester (Apr 30, 2012)

30yearTech said:


> It would be unusual on this blower, but a sheared key could cause the ignition timing to be off.


How far would I have to break this thing down to see if that's the issue?

Also, just how big of spark should this unit be putting out? I've seen bigger sparks on other machines. It's not the greatest spark, but it's a spark. If a weak spark might be the culprit, what would be causing it? Do these things generate spark with the magnetic field as most others do?

Thanks for your response!!!

Darol


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## DWester (Apr 30, 2012)

OK. I did a little test. I took the plug out of the blower and put it in the plug wire on my Stihl 017 saw, grounded it and gave it a yank. The spark was twice as bright as it was in the blower. I put the saw plug in the blower and it was half as bright. Does that mean anything? I think the spark is weak. But why?


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

You have to remove the engine from the case and the impeller has to be removed to access the flywheel. 

You cannot look at spark and determine intensity, in fact the strongest spark is ultraviolet and invisible to the naked eye. Testing with an inline spark tester will tell if you have a strong enough spark, sometimes you just have to listen for the "POP" it makes when it jumps the tester gap.


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## DWester (Apr 30, 2012)

Looks like I'd better go find me a tester and see what's going on. 

Thanks. I appreciate the help!


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