Saved a shop visit with the Husky string trimmer....

[Richard]

Pulled trimmer out of garage for wife to use other day, she never got to it so it was sitting on the sidewalk.

I noticed a small puddle of gas under it so it's dripping. Picked it up looked at bottom and it's moist with gas. HUH??

I thought maybe the way it was sitting, gas had worked out the vent and created this. Wife wanted to use it so I went to start it and bluntly, it wouldn't start. It WOULD idle as long as choke was engaged, pull choke off, rpm's speed up, engine dies.

Pulled plug out, not soaked as I expected to see. I pulled the carb off, pulled filter out of fuel tank... just randomly looked at various things.

Turns out the filter in the tank was connected to a hose. The hose went through a hole in the assembly and over to the input of the carb. The hose at the carb had split a bit so the fuel was essentially leaking from the tank TO the carb and then out of the trimmer at the hose/carb connection.

Trimmed 3/4" off (and now all is well) BUT the junction where that hose went through the 'fire wall' and into the fuel tank itself appears to be a bit malformed. No longer is it a nice (call it 1/4") hose, it looks like my dog chewed on it. It's intact but just flattened out a bit because of bending through that hole. I'll replace at least the hose. It really strikes me as a possible issue. That hole is a direct access point to the entire fuel tank. If that hose DOES deform, then fuel can work its way past the 'seal' that the hose provides (there is NOTHING else there to seal the hole other than the outer circumference of the hose)

To replace, you simply yank hose through hole (at which point all your fuel has an escape port) and put new hose back through. I don't really like that idea but this has lasted without any issue for probably 15 years so it evidently works fine.

Once I found this, I wondered how much it would have cost to have taken this to a service shop for fixing (they would have likely installed a new hose though and I've not done that yet)

So I view myself this morning as being a bit of cash ahead. Don't tell my wife or she'll say since I have that cash in my pocket, I can give it to her.... but then, you might know how that goes.

 

[kenmbz]

There is also a filter in the tank you should replace with the new line.
Good work getting the trimmer up, but replace the line ASAP so you don't ruin the grommet on the gas tank.
5 bucks for parts is certainly better than the $80+ you would be charged.

 

[Richard]

'grommet'

That's part of my point..... there WAS no grommet. The hose itself apparently works to both seal the tank and then let fuel pass through the middle.

It is not what I expected to see. So you have the edge of the pass through directly on the hose (as contrasted with a thicker grommet spreading out the contact point)

I'm guessing this is why the hose has a malformation at that junction. The thinner walls on a single point have aged the hose there.

Either way, your point(s) are well taken and part of my plan. It's only a 5-8 minute fix and that includes the time to go to garage, grab trimmer and carry it outside. Very easy to do.

 

[Bearsixty7]

It's been a while but I believe its the same way on my old Craftsman chainsaw (20-25 years old). the fuel lines had deteriorated, seems like there were 2 or 3, main line to carb and a return line and maybe a vent, not sure. It was a booger getting the filter to come out of the fill port and the hoses through. I actually ended up getting a pair of long reach needle nose pliers and then the task became quite easy.
I still use the chainsaw so it must work ok.