Echo back pack blower problem

[Ken_CT]

I have an older Echo PB300E back pack leaf blower which just started to have a problem after many years of reliable service. It goes up to hi speed for a very short time, then drops off to an idle (or stalls) then goes back up to hi and repeats. If I cut back the throttle so it doesn't stall then open it up again the speed just goes up and down. This happened after it ran out of gas. I thought I might have refilled it with bad gas, so I bought another gallon at a different station (dumped the old), and even used a different brand of oil. No difference. New spark plug, cleaned the air filter, still no change, even tried adjusting the hi speed on the carb. Any ideas?

 

[Thomas]

Morning Ken.
Not sure if this will help,but my Echo(4 years old) had fine screen w/in the muffler and the carbon had the screen just about plug...also check choke lever etc.. make sure its completely open after motor warms up.

 

[Dargo]

I have not worked on an Echo back pack blower, but what you describe is a very common issue with carbs on many small engines. This would especially be true if your Echo is a 2 cycle (some new models are 4 cycles now). If you have a small engine shop close, just have them go through your carb. Most will tell you that they "rebuilt" the carb when mostly they just do a thorough cleaning. Either way, that should fix your problem for not too much money. Good luck!

 

[Dargo]

Morning Ken.
Not sure if this will help,but my Echo(4 years old) had fine screen w/in the muffler and the carbon had the screen just about plug...

Good point. That fine screen is the "spark arrestor". In 2 strokes they seem to plug rather frequently. Somehow I managed to lose that screen in my 3 string trimmers.

 

[Thomas]

Morning Dargo.

"Somehow I managed to lose that screen in my 3 string trimmers."

Wellll your in luck,for I just happen to have couple of extra laying around and would be happy to mail them to you.

You and yours have pleasant and safe holiday.

 

[chrisjbell]

Does it have a fuel filter? A lot of the little engines have one that is inline in the fuel tank. If that gets (partially) plugged up it'll cause symptoms like you are describing...

 

[thingy]

Heres something you can check,,I got an echo trimmer,,,best trimmer I ever had,,,this year it started acting about like you said your blower was,,,seemed like a vacume lock of somekind,,changed plug,cleaned that muffler screen,,fresh gas/oil mix,,new tank fuel filter,,nothing helped,,,,even took out the guts on that tiny fuel tank pressure filter that[on mine],goes up from tank on a gas line,,little white plastic thing,,,that didn't help either,,,talked to an echo man,,told him all this,,,he said right away that that tiny tank air pressure filter was the problem,,that by taking guts out of it I stopped it from having any back pressure,[which it needs],,he sold me a new little filter,,problem solved,,,,not talking about in tank gas filter,,it comes up from tank and goes up in a little slot,,smaller than a pencil eraser,,it maintains correct pressure in your fuel tank.thingy

 

[marks]

I've had frequent success in removing the plate from the bottom of the carb, and then the black diaphram, and spraying carb cleaner on everything as it drips down. It seems to clean the small stuff out.

 

[Ken_CT]

Sorry guys, I should have re-posted earlier on the solution. Turned out to be only a dirty carb, which was a pleasant surprise. Works fine now that the leaves are gone.