problem with troy built pressure washer

Soundguy · Apr 9, 2014

buddy called me last night. he has a troy built pressure washer. ( brigs own them? ) has a honda engine.

sat all winter.. wouldn't start. I had nim take fuel line off to make sure fuel was getting to carb, and then had him drop carb bowl to make sure flaot was not hanging. put back together. it will now start run for a few seconds and stall.

( still sounds like stuck float to me.. or no fuel thru needle.. ).

but he said he's checked it twice.

I'm going over sunday afternoon to look at it. havn't messed with hondas much. only brigs engines and such.

those things have a diaphragm fuel pump or anything like a pulsa jet?

any ideas to look for?

thanks

ps.. didn't get a model # but it is a 2600 psi 2.3gpm unit manual part number for pdf is 317313gs

eddie48 · Apr 9, 2014

Soundguy,
If it has been sitting for a long time, it may have a plugged jet. I also think that the honda's have an inlet screen which can get plugged, too. Pretty much just have to take it apart, just like any other carb and give it a good cleaning.

Ed

Soundguy · Apr 9, 2014

Not a jet. As I mentioned it runs good a few seconds. Plugged jet would mean no run.

Inlet screen could be an issue, fuel flows to the carb good, but have not seen it thru the carb with bowl off.

Will find out sunday

eddie48 · Apr 10, 2014

As I recall, there is a small screen internal to the tube that sticks out of the carb, that the hose slides over. The screen fits into the tube.

Soundguy · Apr 10, 2014

i'll check it.

say.. any low oil shutoffs on them engines?

eddie48 · Apr 10, 2014

Duh!! Good thought. A lot of the Hondas do have the low oil switch.

Soundguy · Apr 10, 2014

hmm.. may be onto something here.

crazyal · Apr 10, 2014

Troy Built is owned by MTD. You could check the linkage to see if the governor isn't connected up correctly and once it starts to run it's killing itself.

Soundguy · Apr 11, 2014

hmm.. the manual i downloaded says it is a troybilt, with a honda engine.. but the bottom of the page says 'by brigs'

partnership? or does brigs have some holdings with mtd?

GolfAddict · Apr 11, 2014

Do you know if it will turn over freely after it kills but just won't start? Or does it become very difficult to pull the starter string after it has killed? The reason I ask is last spring I ran into a problem with my Troy Bilt washer killing and not restarting, and turned out to be the pump.

I had brought it out for the first time of the year to hit my deck boards. After running a while, the thing killed. It was very difficult to pull the starter string, and I started messing around with other things on it trying to figure out why it wouldn't start. I gave up on it as I had other things to do. The next day, drug it back out and tried it again and it started right up. Started using it, and it killed again. This time it was even worse and I could hardly pull it at all, not like the engine had completely seized but like there was impossible compression or something.

Something made me wonder if something was going on with the pump, pressurizing the water and not allowing it to release or something. I eventually unbolted the pump from the motor. They bolt together with the Troy Bilt frame sandwiched in between them, so I didn't try to start the motor without it mounted, but I did pull it over for a bit and sure enough I could tell it was pulling over like normal.

I got online and did some searching and found this site that talked about how all consumer grade pressure washers come with pressure pumps that are really pretty lousy quality anymore, and only made to last so many hours, most users don't hit those hours for a long time, blah, blah. Well I ordered a new pump, it came a few days later and I installed it, and it has worked fine ever since. Someone with better capabilities could have probably have fixed the old pump, but it is beyond what I'd attempt.

Probably not what's going on with his, but just another thing to look at...

We offer the choice of parts breakdowns, Pumps, Repair Parts and accessories as well as new pressure washers.

eddie48 · Apr 11, 2014

No connection that I know of between Briggs & Stratton and Troy Bilt. As was stated before, Troy Bilt was purchased by MTD (Michigan Tool & Die, in the old days) one of the largest, if not the largest, power equipment manufacturers.

Soundguy · Apr 11, 2014

i'll see if i can get a pic of the manual and post it.

Stimw · Apr 12, 2014

It could be a pump problem as stated, need to check that out. Sometimes you can remove the hose from the pump and relieve the pressure to start them and then try to get the unloader valve to work.
With the Honda, if it is gummed up in the carb bowl the main jet is probably stopped up.
The main jet is located in the bottom of the stem where the bowl bolt screws into.
Remove the carb and make sure the jet is not stopped up. Carb Cleaner sprayed through the jet should open it up.
Honda gas tanks have a FINE screen in the bottom of the tank that won't let water through. Some will get through from the vibration of running. So you always need to check the sediment and carb bowl for water.

Dave M7040 · Apr 12, 2014

Some Honda engines, in my case one on a small tiller, have a spark arrestor screen in the exhaust. It gets plugged and the engine will soon stall after it starts as it cannot get rid of the exhaust.
They are made to be removed and cleaned.
Dave M7040

Gator6x4 · Apr 12, 2014

Soundguy said:
i'll see if i can get a pic of the manual and post it.

Sound: Hondas have a low oil cut off on the side of the block. Look for a "Yellow" wire coming out of a small rectangular device on the side of the engine block. The first thing to do is install a new spark plug. (Proper Plug For Engine)

Soundguy · Apr 12, 2014

here;s the manual

honda engine

troy bilt name

brigs and straton at the bottom

crazyal · Apr 12, 2014

Very odd. It looks like all the Troy built pressure washers have the Briggs name on them. I wonder if MTD contracted out the building of them to Briggs. Both my log splitter and riding mover don't say anything about Briggs (the splitter has the same 5.5 Honda on it and the rider has a Kohler). It almost looks like MTD bought Troy-built when Garden Way when bankrupt and then turned it into it's own company where MTD supplies most of the product sold under the Troy built name.

MTD doesn't list Troy built on it's website but does own it. MTD also doesn't list pressure washers on it's website either. But i know MTD owns other brands, like Cub Cadet that are also absent from the MTD web page. I wonder if MTD is worried that people will assume that if they see the MTD name they will think it's made in China.