# craftsman leaf blow won't start!!!



## jbinx

*craftsman leaf blower - repair help needed*

i have a craftsman leaf blower #358-797120, 25cc. purchased in 2003.

it has started on the first few pulls every time, until yesterday. took a good 5 minutes and it finally started. and today cannot get started at all.

took it apart to check the carborator, exhaust and engine - but thats as far i got. i have never done a repair or carb clean, etc...so just how do you take these things apart to check them and clean them??? all i managed to do was get gas everywhere and clean up some old build up,lol.

pls help a noob out with some small engine basics and repair how to, thanks

ps - to have this repaired by an expert is not worth it - i can buy a new one for just a little more!!! so was hoping to fix it myself to save some money and learn something new


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## jbinx

bump, pls help:wave:


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## 30yearTech

Did you remove the muffler and check the exhaust ports as well as the spark arrestor screen for blockage?? 

When cleaning a carburetor, I usually will install a kit, but you should first determine that the carburetor is the problem.

You should check and make sure you have spark at the plug when you pull the starter rope, you also need to have compression, and fuel.


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## jbinx

all was perfect until yesterday - it just stopped starting. there has been a little excess fuel leaking from somewhere. i need a new gas cap - gas is leaking from the vent(just a little though) - would this cause the blower to not start? i had a weedeater that the cap broke but it still started, just leaked...

i tried to check all the things you mentioned. but i don't really know what i am looking for in terms of blockage at exhaust ports as well as the spark arrestor screen - where are these at? like i said, i had it all apart and there wasn't much to look for. 
-with the exhaust off - there is an oval hole about 1.5" high or so - looked clean. other than that, not sure what else to look for

-tried to check for a spark, but couldn't get the plug grounded properly. is there a trick to keep it grounded to the metal? what is the best way to do this?

-carborator cleaning kit - what do you get in this kit. the carb on this blower is very small. it has a primer on the top(the screen was clean) and a metal plate at the bottom held by 4 screws, then a rubberish diaphragm under that. but no other way of actually opening up the carb to inspect. 
-the gas lines are still good - can't even pull them off to disconnect easily. so left them on for fear of actually ripping them.

sorry for the lengthy reply, but i just can't believe this little engine is so hard to fix, lol. it should be easy, right?


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## 30yearTech

Somewhere in the muffler there is a screen, you should be able to see through it when removed.

Check all the covers and cylinder mounting screws to see that they are tight. Check the carburetor mounting and insulator for tightness as well. 

When you pull the starter rope, does it feel like it has compression?


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## tommyj3

Have you tried installing a new sparkplug?


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## geogrubb

You need to replace the fuel lines, it's a Poulan, the lines are plastic, their shot. Have a good one. Geo


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## jbinx

geogrubb said:


> You need to replace the fuel lines, it's a Poulan, the lines are plastic, their shot. Have a good one. Geo


how can you tell? they are still flexible and not leaking...

and yes, tried a new spark plug, no luck - however - how do you ground the plug to check for a spark?


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## hankster

Get a gap type spark checker.... available at most auto parts stores. But it's doubful it is lack of spark. As noted above, check cylinder and carb bolts. Also pull the muffler and look at the piston/cylinder for scoring or a stuck ring.


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## jbinx

any pictures avail? i really do not know what i am looking for...


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## 30yearTech

*Spark Tester*

http://www.amazon.com/OEM-25069-Adj..._6?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1217784281&sr=1-6


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## jbinx

do you have any pics of scoring or what a stuck ring would look like?

also, what if i am not getting a spark? 

i really want to figure this out - repair costs are about as much as just buying a new basic blower... $50+ just for labor, jeez. i had mine apart in 5 minutes. if i knew what to look for and fix, can't imagine much more time to get it working....


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## geogrubb

Going to a good mechanic is like going to a good doctor, you don't pay for what for what they do, you pay for what they know how to do, should it need to be done. Have a good one. Geo


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## Spit

3 elements for a small engine to run...fuel, compression & spark. Do you have test equipment to test for spark and compression? If not 

Spark: You can remove the plug from the engine and hook it back up to the coil wire put the end of the plug near some grounded metal and pull the starter rope and see if you get a spark. If you see a spark chances are your okay in the electrical dept. If your not getting a spark it's not a fuel problem

Compression: While the plug is out put your thumb over the spark plug hole and pull the starter rope does it kick your thumb back 2 cycle engines need close to 90 pounds of compression to start & run 120 is more in the normal range. So this thumb thing is pretty mickey mouse but if you ge a real good push back chances are your okay there too.

Fuel: Is your plug getting wet when you try to start it? Remove the spark plug and pour a little gas into the spark plug hole? replace the plug will it fire then? If so you have a fuel delivery problem. 


This unit is made by Poulan/weedeater, it's been my experience that there are a lot of problems with the gas lines rotting apart. Verify that the fuel take-up/filter which should be dangling inside of the gas tank is still attached to the fuel hose Is the primer actually priming? those hoses can rot out too. As far as removing the carb to clean it... there are probably some screws underneatth the air cleaner cover (by the way is the air cleaner clean?) If you remove those screws the carb will come loose you can then disassemble it...Chances are it's Walbro carb here is a site you can access... http://wem.walbro.com/walbro/family.asp You can see exploded views of their carbs. One side of the carb is held on with 4 small screws on the corners, the other side, the throttle side;is held on with one big screw in the center, there is a diaphram under each cover. The fuel pump diaphram (the one under the throttle end) covers a couple of resivoirs where junk/sludge builds up and can prevent gas from getting through to the engine. If one of the hoses did rot out... debris from the rotted hose can make its way into the carb and blocks things up

But before I would suggest that you rip all this apart..be sure to check all of the simple things first.

Spit


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## jbinx

thanks spit

best reply yet - this is what i have been looking for in terms of trouble shooting for dummys, lol. will give it a try and post back(in case anyone cares, haha)


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## geogrubb

jbinx;
We all care and are all trying to help even though sometimes it may not sound like it. Have a good one. Geo


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## 30yearTech

geogrubb said:


> jbinx;
> We all care and are all trying to help even though sometimes it may not sound like it. Have a good one. Geo


This is very true, but you have to help us, help you.

When we offer suggestions or ask questions, we need a response. We all have our own methods of trouble shooting issues, and don't want to overwhelm someone with too many tasks at one time. I tend to take a step by step approach, to try and narrow down the possible issues.

Best of Luck...


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## jbinx

i'm sorry if i sounded ungreatful. i really appreciate you guys taking the time to review my problem. its just that i don't really know the specifics of the repairs/troubleshooting(like compression and the like). i just know it doesn't start and i want to fix it, lol. 

i know the gas lines are good. no leaks and they are still flexible and connections are good. i do have to check that fuel filter though
-also have to check for compression.

the primer is pumping gas, i can see it moving in the line. 

i have to check the spark plug for spark. i tried a new plug earlier and no spark, but i don't think it was grounded properly. 
-if not spark, what does this mean?

planning on trying again this weekend. will update findings and go from there.


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## jbinx

tried again today:

1. i am getting a spark
2. there is combustion - at least doing the thumb trick w/plug out.
3. sprayed the carb with carb cleaner
4. drained the gas, put new gas in
5. lines are all good
6. primer is pulling fuel - i can see it moving, can see bubbles
7. fuel filter - how do you know if you need a new one? i didn't see any debris floating in the line and fuel was being pulled from the primer.

so....what's the next step. professional or a new blower?


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## hankster

Pull off the muffler and have a look at the piston and cylinder. Is it scored at all? Look at the piston... is it all brown on the top half.... may be a stuck ring. Even though you say it has compression (finger test) it may not have enough.

When the muffler is off do you see oil around where the cylinder mates to the crankcase? Grab the carb air filter cover and wiggle it up and down and look at the cylinder to see if it is loose on the crankcase.


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## jbinx

1. muffler is off - does not look scored. looks relatively smooth. but not sure how "scored" looks. you are talking about the internal piece that moves back and forth when you pull the string, correct?

2. piston is still silver color. the outer metal heat sink looking thing has brown color on the top. not sure if its same as you were referring too.

3. yes there is oil around the crankcase and it is loose when i wiggle it

here is a pic of the engine

sounds like we may be getting somewhere now. thanks for all the help so far


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## 30yearTech

jbinx said:


> 1. muffler is off - does not look scored. looks relatively smooth. but not sure how "scored" looks. you are talking about the internal piece that moves back and forth when you pull the string, correct?
> 
> 2. piston is still silver color. the outer metal heat sink looking thing has brown color on the top. not sure if its same as you were referring too.
> 
> 3. yes there is oil around the crankcase and it is loose when i wiggle it
> 
> here is a pic of the engine
> 
> sounds like we may be getting somewhere now. thanks for all the help so far


1. Scoring looks like deep scratches in the metal of the piston.

2. Outer metal heat sink --> this is the cylinder and the discoloration is fairly normal. This part should not be loose.

Can't really tell from your picture, but the piston kinda looks rough through the exhaust port, can you post another picture looking directly in the port?


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## jbinx

30yearTech said:


> 1. Scoring looks like deep scratches in the metal of the piston.
> 
> 2. Outer metal heat sink --> this is the cylinder and the discoloration is fairly normal. This part should not be loose.
> 
> Can't really tell from your picture, but the piston kinda looks rough through the exhaust port, can you post another picture looking directly in the port?


there are lines on the piston, but they are not deep looking at all.
i tried a picture, but can't get the lighting right and too blurry. will try to post one tomorrow.

how do you tighten it up so its not loose. there were some screws behind the carb that i tightened, but the cylinder is still loose as it sits in the housing.


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## 30yearTech

Take a look at this


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## hankster

If there are lines on the piston it is scored and the engine will not run. Add to that the loose cylinder bolts (cylinder moves when wiggled) and you have a 2nd strike. Cost of a new piston and cylinder is about $45


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## jbinx

i can't get a good pic of the piston, but there are lines on it. they don't look that bad or deep, just lines. only someone who knows what to look for will actually know for sure. i only payed $60-70 for this, so i am just going to buy a new one considering parts cost, shipping, etc. i am going to keep this and play with it a bit, take apart the cylinder, piston, etc just for curiosity.

thanks again for everyone's time

by the way - what causes the scoring? was it the loose cylinder?


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## hankster

That very likely could have been the problem. That will cause a lean condition.


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## jbinx

finally got a chance to play with this again. the piston is indeed scored,pretty bad too. attached some pics. 

so if i replace these, it should be able to work again right?

how do i get the piston off to replace it? 

and if i order parts - what pcs need to be replaced?

thanks again for helping me out on this.

jay


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## luckyvision

i might get beat up over this one:

my boss brought in his Stihl 75 weedeater that his nefew ran straight gas on. it was seized up.

i carefully put a wood dowel in the plug hole with some PBlaster & tapped the dowel. it freed up enought to turn the flywheel. i then pulled the cyl off, removed the rings, cleaned the ring grooves & polished up the piston score marks with a dremil tool. i installed new rings & a base gasket. 

it starts well & runs, probably not as strong as before the scoreing, but well enough to do the job for $10 in parts & some labor.

since compression is dependent on a good seal between the piston rings & cylinder (which was chrome plated & not scored) sometimes you can get away with rings, a base gasket & some careful cleaning/polishing. it all depends on the amount of dammage & your patience/skill level...

--Lucky


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## jbinx

will give polishing a try, but....anyone else know what parts to order and how to disassemble the piston?


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## jbinx

so its me again. i ended up buying another craftsman blower from sears... been just over 2 years now and this blower will not start either now...
i can't believe my luck here, is it possible a blower can go bad after just 2 years of work? i have yet to investigate other than cleaning the air filter and confirming the lines are good and primer is pumping gas from the tank...
but wow. started up like normal, then slowly lost power. started a few more times with less and less power, and now will not start at all. will crank, but won't start. everything on the outside still looks brand new! is the slow loss of power a signal of something going bad? does this mean it lost compression?


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## 30yearTech

jbinx said:


> so its me again. i ended up buying another craftsman blower from sears... been just over 2 years now and this blower will not start either now...
> i can't believe my luck here, is it possible a blower can go bad after just 2 years of work? i have yet to investigate other than cleaning the air filter and confirming the lines are good and primer is pumping gas from the tank...
> but wow. started up like normal, then slowly lost power. started a few more times with less and less power, and now will not start at all. will crank, but won't start. everything on the outside still looks brand new! is the slow loss of power a signal of something going bad? does this mean it lost compression?


If you could post the model number of your blower, that would be helpful. You can have a loss of power for a few different reasons, low compression being one of them. You could have a plugged exhaust, or carburetor issues, or a small air leak.


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## jbinx

model # is 358794731


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## 30yearTech

It's not uncommon for this unit to develop small air leaks. Look for loose cylinder head mounting bolts, loose carburetor and or carburetor insulator. If any of these are loose, chances are the small rubber gaskets are damaged and will need to be replaced.


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## jsouth

Like hankster said check for loose cylinder bolts.Take the muffler back off and,take your thumb and see if the cylinder will move if so the bolts came loose from the engine, this causes a air leak and the blower won't start.These blowers bad about the bolts coming loose.Hope this helps.

Jerry


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## jbinx

took the muffler off and carberator(which were both tightly attached). cylinder is very tight to the housing and not discolored. the piston looks scored horizontally on the only the very top of it. the other 80% down still looks polished. can scoring be only at the top? 
i am getting a spark.
i poured a little gas into the cylinder and tried starting but no luck. 
how do you check if i am getting fuel delivery? when i prime i can see bubbles through one of the tubes that delivers back into the tank, but nothing really happens in the other tube which sends gas into the carberator - maybe i have a blocked filter?


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## 30yearTech

Yes, you can have scoring on only the top of the piston. When this happens, many times the ring may get stuck in the ring land of the piston. A loss of compression will occur and you will have hard starting issues, and if you can get the engine started, it will have little power and likely will not idle.


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## jbinx

sounds exactly what i had at the end of life last weekend. idled very low, and had very little power. so its toast? i mean i could probably fix it, but is it worth it? this thing is only 2 years old and was kept clean. just can't believe the piston is already shot!
may just go electric


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## 30yearTech

Yes, it can be fixed. 

Is it cost effective?

Maybe if you do all the work your self.

If you want to stay with gas, I would recommend spending a little more and getting a higher quality gas unit, such as an Echo, Stihl, Redmax, Husqvarna etc. I have an echo that's over 12 years old and my brother has one that I gave him some 25 years ago that still runs ok.


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## jbinx

so do i just need to order the piston kit plus the o ring from sears parts? will the cylinder by ok?


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## E_Net_Rider

Those plastic fuel lines and some filters deteriorate in ways that show on the carbs internal fuel strainer as very fine or a jel like substance plugging it. It don't matter if Poulan or other. The fiber filters shed bits that will plug that screen too.
I have pulled carbs apart many times to find that the issue, cleaning and reassembling to find it dieing again in near future. Often thought fuel had gone bad or something. I've now learned that lesson means replacing fuel line and tank filter most often. Also I've disassembled many of these carbs and if necessary carefully separating the gasket from the carburator base using a razor blade. Most always I've saved gaskets and it only needing cleaning. Beware of the side that has the fuel diaphram and needle valve assembly. You don't want to alter the setting of the arm which controls how much fuel is present. It is actually set by bending that little arm on the pivot. One of my rebuild kits was for a small hole in the diaphram, very old and torn apart a few times over the years. You also might check to see if it is badly stretched, but pretty hard to assess without having a new one. The basic gasket kits are usually around $5 and under $10 for a complete kit. The complete usually has several Welch plugs which you can remove from carb to access hidden/plugged areas, but I've only once ever had to go that far, which was because I missed something else and did it needlessly. Using the carb make & model from manual or stamped info on carb, proper height setting for needle valve can be found. The tip on the valve is something like neoprene and should not be forcefully pushed into its seat.
I generally just wash out carb & passages with spray carb cleaner or brake cleaner which has zero residue. Beware they can damage rubber or gaskets so don't flush those parts with it.
As to piston ring issue. I have a Weedeater/Poulan trimmer from the 70's. It would not run when I got it. After some stumbling I pulled the jug to find scoring from hardened carbon resulting in the ring being stuck in the piston groove. I cleaned the burrs off the scoring of piston and jug. Pried the ring out of piston groove and cleaned up that area so new ring would float in the groove as intended. Jug is RTV'ed back to crankcase. The scoring grooves in piston and jug were rather serious and yet I had enough compression to start. It was a bit fussy as to choke setting until it got warmed up for the first few years but it runs better every year. I've had it at least 20 years.
(BTW, I have the fuel line/filter issue with it right now)
I've had to go into Poulan blower a few times as well, issue being plugged screen in carb. The fuel line being problem again. One starter rope. And into it a bit farther than I needed once. Dang mud dauber packed muffler with dirt.
Also had fuel issues/line on big Poulan chainsaw. At that point I found that it did not have or was made to have the fuel vent system shown in manual. Poulan assured me it did not need it. Last spring under very heavy use and the bottom of the tank it ran extra lean on fumes and seized ring to piston. More scoring than I would have liked but at $100 for jug and about $25 for piston kit I elected to try just a new ring and gaskets. It runs great except I noticed it was a bit harder than previous to set hi & low speed jets. Opened tank after running and heard vacuum release. I made my own vent kit and no problems since.
I have one very old Homelite as well. In all cases the frequent issues were fuel related, usually plugging carb screen. A couple of ropes and one spark plug all these years is the only other repair besides maintenance. I had an issue with blower fan which resulted in Barracuda line.
I'm convinced 2 cycles are pretty tuff and resilient, but not without issues.


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## thrasher

THE BIGGEST problem with ANY 2 cycle engine is frequency of use. If it sits for a long time (3 months or more) what happens is, the gas in the float bowl will evaporate, leaving behind a varnish. 2 cycle oil in the gas causes this to happen more quickly, and it also leaves behind oil. The simplest method I've found to combat this problem is:
1 - Use Sta-bil or equivalent in the fuel to keep the fuel fresh longer.
2 - Run the engine AT LEAST once a month for 10-20 minutes, which will get fresh fuel into the float bowl & through all the jets & passages in the carb. I do this with my 2 Stihl chiansaws & they ALWAYS start in 3 pulls.


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## E_Net_Rider

Sta-bil will fight gas getting old and many newer oils contain it. Check label, extra 
Sta-bil might not be good either.
With oil in gas, evaporation is actually slowed. But if gas does evaporate the oil alone could cause needle float valve or pump valving to stick until you get fresh gas to them. Varnishing is residue from gas and some have less, but never a good thing to have gunked up carb. Is draining and running dry still a viable solution?
Many now say 93 octane for gasohol. Alcohol has no residue and cleaner modern fuels should also have less.
What are the advantages of buying the premixed gasoline on shelves?


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## jbinx

so i might have the old gas problem. same gas has been in there since over the winter. is there a good way to clean up the carb? the blower is only 2 years old so i doubt the filer or lines are bad. just take apart the carb and spray some carb cleaner? or do the insides need any special treatment?


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## 30yearTech

If it's just old gas, you may only need new fuel mix. Fuel lines can and do go bad within 2 years.


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## jbinx

still no luck on this thing. i wish i could just sit with someone who could help me look at things properly. not worth paying someone to check it out. nothing seems wrong with it, just won't start. put my thumb over the spark plug hole and seems to have good compression as bounced my thumb out. going to keep it around to play with later on, and buying a new one so i can get to cleaning all the winter crap up.
anyone know anyone in houston tx that would like to spend some time going over this thing?


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## thundercat

*leaf blower.*

I have the same problem. I pulled the cover and found the fuel line was dry rotted. Now I dont know where the line hooks into the tank.


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## usmcgrunt

Hello and Welcome.Here is a diagram that should help you.


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## thundercat

usmcgrunt said:


> Hello and Welcome.Here is a diagram that should help you.


Thanks, but I think mine only has one fuel line. It has to be about 15 years old.


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## usmcgrunt

thundercat said:


> Thanks, but I think mine only has one fuel line. It has to be about 15 years old.


Sorry-
Could you post your model number so we know what advise to give you?


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