Log splitter is dead - what could be wrong?
- Thread starter GrumpyDad
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
That's a good question actually and something I was wondering. I cant really see down in there very well though and apparently this has a reserve tank. The person I bought this off of, does all his work outside and it was caked in moss/dirt when I bought it, but it was a strong runner back then. After I started having issues, he said it did that for him for awhile but then he had to put a new gasket on the OHV cover. Well I looked and it was sealed using gasket maker. SMH. I cut it all away and yes, I too used a sealant. Wallah! Starts and runs, then suddenly dies after an hour of use and wont start. Wait an hour starts up and runs again, then dies and wont run...even if you wait an hour or two. A few weeks later, try it again, wont start - a day later, starts/runs for a couple of hours.
This is the oddest thing Ive ever dealt with. It's like there are multiple issues potentially also electrical.
There is a guy 45 minutes away that some swear by and some swear at. He's cheap, and quick those that like him say. Ive considered taking it to him. But he has no phone and you just drive up, many times he is not there. The other option is a full sales/shop - you know with neon signs, large parking area, large 'showroom' windows, people in shop clothes tucked in. You KNOW they are going to be pricey!
This is a kohler KT745 engine. Ive read a few other issues people are having. It's an interesting motor to say the least, one that is frustrating not just myself.
So it's fuel related, that gasket if leaking will kill the fuel pump pulse, I still think you should inspect the tank, the fitting on the fuel outlet on the tank and the line, I have seen fuel line, implode, delaminate and partially block the fuel supply
If the weather is nice next weekend that will be my Saturday project. I'll pull the tank, trace my solenoid wires/test, clean the carb (again), new fuel, regap the ignition coil (always fun to get your fingers between those), new fuel filter, charge the batter - and hopefully it will start and stay running again. If it does and then dies after that, I'm digging a big hole and burying it. NO one should ever own this cursed Husqvarna.
Just remember the fuel pump on all these are just a helper, if the tank was higher than the carb. we wouldn't need them, so, if there is flow restriction upstream, it can't pull hard enough, good luck
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I had an engine-mounted ignition coil that would exhibit exactly this behavior. Started fine, ran fine, the would suddenly die after ~30 minutes of operation. Wouldn't re-start.
Then the next day, it would be fine again... for 30 minutes.
It turned out that the heat from the engine was causing the intermittent behavior, of damage likely caused by vibration, due to the mounting location on the engine. Since I was selling the machine, I just installed a new ignition coil, and it was fine. If I were keeping the machine, I'd have been relocating the coil to a better mounting location, to avoid a repeat of the scenario.
I did not see anything mentioned about the fuel cap breathing. might try running it with the fuel cap loose. What happens is a vacume builds up that can't be over ridden by fuel pump or just gravatational flow. ethanol laced fuel will cause the fuel line to litteral self destruck from the inside out. turns into gummy mess internally. Ethanol also likes to attract moisture causing old steel gas tanks to rust- that ends up down stream and if no filter on line plugs up carb. and just because you run the fuel system dry that still leaves a bit of fuel behind -ethanol will evaporate leaving behind a film which will plug the tiny passages in a carb. In old equipment the floats in the carb bowl were cork- over time they can expand blocking movement. running for bit then dieing says fuel supply problem, coils / condenser mostly wait until things get fairly warm before up chucking. Not to say that vibration can rattle something out of place but that mostly gives a no start function, even if dribbling fuel into carb. seen fuel solenoids stik closed and open or sometimes inbetween from e-gas. just some other thoughts
My Craftsman tractor (Kohler Engine) had same issue. Gas would run into the Oil. I started to put minimal gas in and run it dry every time until I got rid of it. Problem is if you ran the engine with gas in the oil you may not have gotten proper lubrication and could run into future problems.
I replaced both ignition coils. It greatly improved things, until it reverted back to crap.
Ive done alot on this beast. Everything Ive done seems to improve it, but only for a little while. Ive yet to pull the tank and really get in there and make sure Im not dealing with a problem that Im creating on my own. Such as a disintegrating fuel float or something.
Sean McGillicuddy
Minister of Fire
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
It's my understanding a fuel shutoff located in the fuel line will cause your carburetor to deplete its fuel and dry up, but a shutoff valve located in the carburator only aids in emissions reduction [from the intake to the cylinder] and possibly a backfire when shutting the engine off [because the carburetor remains full of fuel].
Last edited:
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Not sure how to respond to that, as I've never seen a carburetor equipped with a fuel shutoff.
The basic idea of installing a fuel shutoff on the line from tank to carb is to run the thing as dry as is possible. There will always be some small amount of fuel left in the bowl, and if the equipment is sitting more than a few weeks, you'd do well to even drain the bowl, although that's just not practical on some carburetors.
If the machine has a manual choke, you'd do well to engage the choke as the machine starts to run out of fuel, as this can help (I believe) pull slightly more latent fuel from the bowl than otherwise.
If you have a machine with a bowl that's not easy to drain, and it will indeed be sitting more than a few weeks, you might consider running a little non-ethanol gas thru it, before storage. This can be bought in a can from most places that sell chainsaws, although finding it without 2-stroke pre-mix might be tougher. You can usually also find it at places that sell off-road fuels.
The basic idea of installing a fuel shutoff on the line from tank to carb is to run the thing as dry as is possible. There will always be some small amount of fuel left in the bowl, and if the equipment is sitting more than a few weeks, you'd do well to even drain the bowl, although that's just not practical on some carburetors.
If the machine has a manual choke, you'd do well to engage the choke as the machine starts to run out of fuel, as this can help (I believe) pull slightly more latent fuel from the bowl than otherwise.
If you have a machine with a bowl that's not easy to drain, and it will indeed be sitting more than a few weeks, you might consider running a little non-ethanol gas thru it, before storage. This can be bought in a can from most places that sell chainsaws, although finding it without 2-stroke pre-mix might be tougher. You can usually also find it at places that sell off-road fuels.
My neighbor won't use anything but, forever fuel or whatever it's called, 20$ a gallon. His equipment does sit for extended periods, so I can't blame him. I'm thinking of starting to use, "stabil" all year round
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Wow! Even my saw shop, who are shameless salesmen and sell this stuff, tell customers to only use it for the final partial tank before shutting down at the end of a session. Douching the saw... so to speak.
The neighbor is not mechanical, I think in his mind, if he never has a problem" fuel related" he is ahead still, right? Probably 100$ to get out of a repair shop, still it's hard to swallow, 20$
Add Seafoam to your gas,both to stabilize it and to clean you carb.
A customer brought a saw to fix 6-7 years ago.He picked it up a few days ago
I warned him it might not be fixed anymore,but tried to start it anyway.6 pulls later it fired up on the gas that had been in there since i fixed it.
A customer brought a saw to fix 6-7 years ago.He picked it up a few days ago
I warned him it might not be fixed anymore,but tried to start it anyway.6 pulls later it fired up on the gas that had been in there since i fixed it.
I use non-ethanol 91 octane that a local co-op sells at the pump for all my small engines. I also use it for my ‘71 C-10, but that’s due to it having a “dieseling” issue due to higher compression. It doesn’t cost $20 per gallon, though. That forever fuel must have some gold dust added along with the stabilizer.
