Log Splitter Trouble..HELP!

[freddvm]

I have a 20 Ton Northern Tool 20Ton Log Splitter witha 208cc Powerhorse Engine. I bought the unit iNew n June and have used is about 10 times with no problems. It sat unused for about a month and I went to start it and the trouble began!
The engine would start but then died after 3-4 second. It ran well but the exhaust was more white smoke than I remember. If I tried to restart the engine right away it would not run. If I leave it for 30 seconds or a couple of minutes it will start but again dies after a few seconds. Engine has normal amount of oil.

It seems to be to be something with fuel seeing as it runs but then dies. I changed the fuel (fuel had some water it in) and removed the carb and cleaned it all out including all the jets.

I checked the spark plug and it had a fair amount of dark oily residue on it but checked it against the block and it does have spark.

So frustrating as the engine is so new! And of course we lots a couple of big oak trees thanks to Irene so I need to put the unit to work!

I would appreciate any thoughts you all may have. Thanks!!

 

[dstig1]

I hate to say it, but is the fuel valve turned on? Otherwise you should take a look in the fuel tank to see if it is plugged or something first.

 

[2458n]

Could be the float and needle valve. Gas fills the carbs bowl and it runs until dry. When the thing sits the carb refills. I would check to make sure the fuel has a clear path and that the needle is dropping allowing the carb to fill.

 

[leonz]

Yup, you have fuel issues.

You need to pick up a bottle of Seafoam
to get your engine in working order and
check for debris in the fuel tank.

The big worry is the ethanol in the fuel
and the SeaFoam will fix that quickly for you.

Pour some Seafoam in the tank if you have
not drained the old gas and let it sit overnight
and it should fire right up.



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Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[plumbstraight]

white smoke? sure you didn't put some diesel in when refueling? Of course they don't usually run at all, wife proved that with the lawnmower lol.

 

[mrmikey]

I had a problem with mine shortly after I built it. Would run for a minute or so then quit and would start right up a minute or so later just to do it again. Ended up the fuel tank wasn't vented, once I started leaving the fuel cap loose all was good.....Mike

 

[kebo]

Being that it was hardly 2 months old I would think that TSC would have covered whatever it was, or maybe even replaced the engine. I would at least have taken it back to them before taking the carb apart.

 

[Dead Horse]

white smoke? sure you didn't put some diesel in when refueling? Of course they don't usually run at all, wife proved that with the lawnmower lol.

nope, they don't..........

 

[alabama roughneck]

I had a problem with mine shortly after I built it. Would run for a minute or so then quit and would start right up a minute or so later just to do it again. Ended up the fuel tank wasn't vented, once I started leaving the fuel cap loose all was good.....Mike

Exactly what i first thiught of. It probably ran fine before because you didnt use enough fuel to create a vacuum in the tank

 

[brin]

Same thing happened with mine and it is from Northern...it was the ethanol in the gas in my opinion..I took off the filter and sprayed WD-40 into the carb. after emptying the gas tank and adding fresh gas and gas treatment and it started right up...Ethanol is your enemy..so I always run mine dry now.

 

[LD1]

Being that it was hardly 2 months old I would think that TSC would have covered whatever it was, or maybe even replaced the engine. I would at least have taken it back to them before taking the carb apart.

Why in the world would TSC cover a northerntool splitter


Freddvm:In all seriousness, have you contacted northerntool????? THey should make it right with you.

If not, it is definatally fuel related. You metioned it has more white smoke than you remember...

Well on cars, that usually means one of two things, burning water/coolant, or raw unburnt fuel. And since I assume this is an air cooled engine, that only leaves one option. Fuel.

There is a chance that the float is stuck in the open position and flooding the engine. Any chance you can get a whiff of that white smoke and see if it smells like gasoline.

Another thing it could be is oil burning. I know it is unlikely on a new engine, but....
Engine oil usually has a bit of a blue tint to it though.

If it were starving for fuel, I doubt you would see the white smoke. So my bet is on flooding.

A few questions for you to report back

1. Are you SURE the choke is OFF. Sometimes the linkage gan break or come undone, or be forgotton???
2. When you park the splitter for the day, do you turn the fuel off??

 

[crazyal]

I have an old Craftsman riding mower that does something like that. I twill idle fine but once it gets the slightest bit of load white smoke comes out the exhaust. I think it's somehow sucking engine oil into the carb and burning it (or maybe a bad/ broken ring).

 

[kebo]

Why in the world would TSC cover a northerntool splitter

Oops. My bad, I read Northern Tool and for some reason (brain f*rt maybe) I wrote TSC! That wasn't even close lol. :ashamed:

 

[freddvm]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions!
I did check all the things you all mentioned (Tried Seafoam, drained fuel, checked choke which was working correctly, ect) with no change.

I contacted northern tool and arranged for a friend to help me to tow it to the local power equipment center to get service (Has a LCT chinese engine) and this is where things get funny....

I moved it from the log pile where I was using it up to the driveway to hitch to truck to take to service center. I thought "one more try!" and i pulled the starter and IT RAN and Ran well!! But only for 30seconds and died the same way as before! Again wouldnt start right away but if i let it sit for a few minutes it would start again and run for 30 seconds.

So bizzare that it ran and ran well but then died! Still feels like fuel..too much or too little. Oh well out of my hands now.....

Again thanks for all the help and I will let you all know what they find.

 

[triptester]

Sounds like blockage in the fuel line.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Look for crud in the tank inlet. Or fuel line collapsing as well. Fuel line clamps also.. Maybe check the carb is not loose on the mounting studs. All the easy things that are too simple to be the problem. I have gone down that road too many times.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Took a wave over the stern (actually a couple) a few days ago and it flooded out the honda I use to power my hydraulics, I dried it up, cleaned up the fuel(got a little water in it) and it fired right up. Then died, then ran, and so on. Gotta be fuel as it had good spark except it wasnt, the plug fired most of the time except when it didn't, changed the plug and all is well. I guess maybe the water shorting out the plug might do something to it as it could with the water from ethanol.

Rick

 

[Ford850]

I have a Briggs engine on my splitter and have learned a couple things. First, I never store it (for more than a weekor so) without first running the tank dry. If I do that it starts every time easily. Second, if I don't follow my first rule then it might be hard to start. Sometimes it starts for about 3 seconds and stalls. It will stall over and over unless I pump the primer bulb continously as soon as it starts. That gets it through the stall-out period and after 10 seconds or so I can stop priming and it runs fine from then on.
One other idea that I have run into on my chainsaw and blowers several times now, is mud wasps plugging the exhaust. You can't see anything from the outside but they plug the inside with mud and it doesn't allow the engines to run for more than a few seconds or if they do run it will be at idle only.
Good luck.

 

[rogerpeterson24]

Hey,
as you mentioned you when you changed your fuel it had some water in it, and also you have checked all the other things, I am feeling suspicious about some problem, as there was water in it, that's the reason it's getting started once and die within few seconds, kindly consult some mechanic who can have a look at it once.
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log splitter | log splitter Ireland

 

[virvis]

Just thought I'd share this. I had the same issue with workhorse splitter. Was going through the usual suspects, carb, air filter, water in fuel, etc. and remembered reading about something like this in the past. Long story short, it was the plug. Plug had a small hairline crack and when it got hot, it wouldn't fire correctly. New plug and a little SeaFoam and everthing is running like it should.

Jim