Weedeater Troubles

[Reggoh]

Wanted to pass this information along...

I'm sure most of you know that fuel with ethanol plays havoc small engines. I have an Echo SRM 225 that I have been having troubles with for a couple of years so last year I changed the fuel bung with the hoses going through it and I started using the premium pre-mixed no ethanol fuel you can buy in a can... Seemed to do OK for the first 2 or 3 times I used it and then it started acting up again. Yesterday I finally took it in to get it looked at.

The service guy at BMC in Westlake was very helpful and immediately knew something was wrong with my carburator. He was going to adjust it for me so he took it into the back and spent about 15 minutes on it. He brought it back out and told me he couldn't even get it to adjust. He showed me the damage that had been done previously by using fuel with Ethanol in it and he suggested that I just replace the Carburator. The part was about $45. The part was VERY easy to replace... only 2 bolts.

Here is a picture of the bubble after I changed it. The light blue bubble is full of fuel... the nasty orange bubble is what happens when Ethanol touches plastic.

[Goooh]

I use sta-bil in mine, 2 stroke at 5 years and cranks immediately.

**** ethanol

[Reggoh]

Unfortunately I used regular gas for the first 2 or 3 years I had this weedeater and that was long enough to damage the carburator...

Hoping this post may save someone else some grief... and if you are already having troubles maybe it will give you the confidence to change the Carb yourself and start over with non-ethanol fuel like I did.

[swamp snorkler]

I have an Echo as well, never ran ethanol in it. I was having trouble getting it running so I rebuilt the carb and changed out all the fuel lines, primer bulb, fuel grommet, changed all the gaskets in the carb, changed the spark plug. I can get it to run but as soon as I let off the trigger it dies. Seems like it's now holding a prime. I'm not sure what's wrong with it or what to do next....... It's pissing me off but I'm not ready to give up on it yet. I'm going to leek at again this weekend and make sure every thing is in there the correct way.

[weedeater]

I didnt realize how cheap the carbs were.... need to replace the carb on my weed eater and blower due to age and good ol ethanol

[weedeater]

I have an Echo as well, never ran ethanol in it. I was having trouble getting it running so I rebuilt the carb and changed out all the fuel lines, primer bulb, fuel grommet, changed all the gaskets in the carb, changed the spark plug. I can get it to run but as soon as I let off the trigger it dies. Seems like it's now holding a prime. I'm not sure what's wrong with it or what to do next....... It's pissing me off but I'm not ready to give up on it yet. I'm going to leek at again this weekend and make sure every thing is in there the correct way.

may try replacing the filter inside the tank and I also add seafoam to a fuel tank every now and then to clean the ports

[Reggoh]

I have an Echo as well, never ran ethanol in it. I was having trouble getting it running so I rebuilt the carb and changed out all the fuel lines, primer bulb, fuel grommet, changed all the gaskets in the carb, changed the spark plug. I can get it to run but as soon as I let off the trigger it dies. Seems like it's now holding a prime. I'm not sure what's wrong with it or what to do next....... It's pissing me off but I'm not ready to give up on it yet. I'm going to leek at again this weekend and make sure every thing is in there the correct way.

After rebuilding the carb you may just need to adjust it... when the service guy looked at mine he knew something was wrong when he listened... he said "Man, you just need to adjust your carb... give me a few minutes"

When he realized there was more damage he was unable to adjust it... Sounds like yours probably doesn't have any damage if you never ran ethanol through it... might just need to be tweaked.

[Reggoh]

may try replacing the filter inside the tank and I also add seafoam to a fuel tank every now and then to clean the ports

BMC Sells that little black plug (I call it a bung) with all the fuel hoses, in tank filter, etc on it for about $8 i think... he told me that Echo will not warranty that item so he sells them at his cost because he feels it should be a warranty item. I don't know how true that is but they are about $10 online...

Looks like this...

[SULPHITE]

my stihl will die when you let go of the trigger for a while...about 10 seconds or so. I use non ethanol and fuel treatment...

[swamp snorkler]

may try replacing the filter inside the tank and I also add seafoam to a fuel tank every now and then to clean the ports


I should have mentioned I changed that as well.

I changed out the entire the assembly that reggoh posted vent line and all

[Elbert Chamblee]

I have the Echo 251 blower with fuel problems. I picked it up and I had fuel dripping out the muffler on the garage floor. Took the carb apart and let dry out for 2 days. There was a lot of water particles in the carb when I disassembled it. I put the carb back on and filled with non-ethanol gas and sthil 2 stroke synthetic mix. Cranks and runs fine now. But I empty the gas in the blower after use. Working for 2 weeks now and I use the blower 3 or 4 times a week. For the bad news my 24 hp B&S Ferris started sputtering yesterday....what now! Not turning up the normal rpms.

[hawgsquatch]

BMC Sells that little black plug (I call it a bung) with all the fuel hoses, in tank filter, etc on it for about $8 i think... he told me that Echo will not warranty that item so he sells them at his cost because he feels it should be a warranty item. I don't know how true that is but they are about $10 online...

Looks like this...

My dad owns and Echo, Husqvarna, Honda, Tanaka dealership....Gold line dealer cost on the part is 2.36.

[Fishbum]

Try running it with the fuel tank cap removed to see if it will run at idle. I've ran across a few where the vent in the cap no longer works causing fuel starvation.