Check for varnish buildup in the carb. Most of them are VERY easy to
rebuild and normally all you need to do is hose out the bowl and jets
with carb cleaner. It would not hurt to run same thru the lines and
replace the fuel filter closest to the bowl (if you have more than
one). The filter is easy to find if you follow the inlet line. Make
double-sure of several things: drain the bowl in a safe and
environmentally sound manner and most esp. INSURE YOU PUT THE BOWL
GASKET BACK ON PROPERLY!! (It just requires seeing, not merely
looking.)
Ralph
We have an 8 hp Honda that was a bear to start a couple of years ago.
Pamela had the engine before I arrived on the scene, and I was not
impressed with the Honda due to it's needing 50 to 75 pulls to start.
Last spring, I took the plugs out and cleand and gapped them. I also
used carburator/choke cleaner to spray into the carb. It was at that
point that I noticed a rubber hose near the back of the carb that was
not attached to anything. I found that it was supposed to fit onto
the carb.
Fired on the first pull, stalled. Then after I figured that the
engine had run on carb cleaner for a few seconds, discovered another
problem with gas tank line. After repairing that, it started on
second pull. From that point on,it started on the second or third
pull. If it does not start on the second pull, something is wrong.
I would spray out the carb with cleaner spray. I would also follow
the advice someone else gave about disconnecting the gas line. You
want to disconnect the line while the engine is running and let it
use up all the gas in the carb so that there is no gas to gum up. We
have followed that principle and have had good results. Of course, if
you fail to reconnect the gas line prior to your next start up. . . .
. Same problem, different solution.
Alex Bell
