# Ryobi 31cc motor stops running



## daveoman (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi all. Got an old 31cc ryobi cultivator (410r) that didn't run from a friend. Took the carb out and did a "rebuild" with a kit (new gaskets, needle, soaked it for a bit, compressed air, etc.) All kinds of crap came out of it, most from under the needle behind the screen. Put it back together, and now it actually starts up and runs. But, only when it is horizontal. When I bring it up to actually use it, it dies.

There is nothing in the fuel lines (there was a bunch of crud in there but I had cleaned it all out when I fixed the carb up.) The gaskets between the carb and housing are gone, as is the cylinder gasket. I haven't replaced them yet.

The horizontal vs. vertical thing seems like fuel problem, but all looks good there. Some sort of too much air when vertical because of the gasket problems?

Thanks.


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## usmcgrunt (Sep 16, 2007)

Check to make sure the fuel filter in the tank hasn't rotted off the fuel line.The lines get brittle and it's possible the carb is sucking air if the filter broke loose.The leaking gaskets are also part of your problem.The engine must be sealed against all outside air or it will not run correctly.


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## daveoman (Sep 20, 2010)

OMG. There was no fuel filter in the tank. I need to get new fuel lines also. Anybody know the size of the lines? Looks like 2 different ones.

Thanks a lot.


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## daveoman (Sep 20, 2010)

Grrrr...bought new tank that had filter and lines attached. Bought new cylinder/carb/crankcase gaskets. Installed all and now I can't even get it to turn over.


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## usmcgrunt (Sep 16, 2007)

Try to narrow it down to a specific area.
Do you have spark?
Is fuel reaching the carb?
Did you install the lines correctly from the tank to the primer to the carb?
Are all the bolts/screws tight after putting in new gaskets?
Is the gap between flywheel and coil set correctly?


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## daveoman (Sep 20, 2010)

I took the cover and air filter off the top and it started right up. I think the air filter is/was just too mucked up and didn't let any air in or something. I'm soaking it in detergent now and will put it all back together to see if it works.

Thanks.


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## paulr44 (Oct 14, 2008)

After years of rebuilding carbs & cleaning tanks, one thing I've found to be a necessity. Always replace lines and filter when doing a carb rebuild or replace. Lines may look free of debris, or even clear if see-through, but if allowed to dry you may find a white crust or greenish varnish. If there was gum, scale or dirt in the carb, then there's bound to be some upstream...

If you do only carb work and end up recontaminating, you're back to square one, for the sake of less than probably what amounts to $6 to $10 of associated parts.


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## daveoman (Sep 20, 2010)

After I cleaned the air filter and put it back on, it ran ok, but stalled out when hitting the throttle. I ended up turning the high screw a half turn CCW and it runs much better now.

Of course, after about 10 minutes of running it, I heard a crunch and the blades stopped turning. Engine running, blades not turning. Gotta take it back apart now. Sheeze.


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