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Ether in small gas engines
Can ether be safely used in small gas engines? I'm really getting tired of pulling the starter for 20 minutes on my Honda engines until they start.
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Ether in small gas engines
Thanks, Harvey. I've been having visions of the wife coming home and finding me dead next to the pressure washer. I'll give it a try.
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Ether in small gas engines
Frank, I was thinking that pulling the starter rope for 20 minutes would give me a heart attack  I'll be sure to stand back and use only small amounts.
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Ether in small gas engines
I've got two GX270 Honda engines and they both have always been hard to start. New carbs, drained fuel, new plugs, new ignition modules, bypassed low oil shutdown, nothing helps. These things just don't start easy like my Briggs, Kohlers, Echos, Stihls and Huskies.
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Ether in small gas engines
After owning these two Honda's you couldn't pay me to buy another. They flat out don't start. Drained the tank and fuel bowl and replaced with fresh fuel, replaced the plugs, new carburetors, neither of the damn things start until I'm near dead from pulling the starter. I gave up and took one of them to a small engine shop. They cleaned everything out, changed the plug and said nothing was wrong. It was warm when I picked it up and it started right up. Sure enough, a few days later the damn thing wouldn't start cold.
Honda small engines, I hate 'em. I'm sort of looking for an ATV and I can tell you it won't be a Honda.
Murf, you can get primer bulbs for these things?
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Ether in small gas engines
I had a JD lawn mower with a Briggs engine for seven years. That thing started up first or second pull every time. I never drained the fuel at the end of the season and never used Stabil or any other fuel conditioner. The dang thing always started. Good money says that the Honda's should do at least as well with fresh fuel and carbs that were drained at the end of the season but with these engines that money would be poorly spent.
If they start with ether I'll live with them, if not they will be sold to a Honda lover and replaced with something else.
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Ether in small gas engines
Thanks, Dennis. The reason I bought the Hondas was because of their great reputation. Like you, mine are on a log splitter and pressure washer. These are both Honda GX270s, what models are yours?
I keep thinking I'm an idiot for not being able to start these. I keep getting out the manuals and following the step by step instructions. Yes, on the PW I have to have water connected, turned on and the trigger pulled to relieve pressure and preserve the pump. I've had a couple of D'OH moments by forgetting to turn the fuel flow on or ignition switch but then at least I know it's my fault. I put a checklist on the garage wall - Ignition, fuel flow, choke, throttle set to 1/3 open.
I even disconnected the low oil alerts thinking they are faulty. No go there.
When all the Honda ducks are lined up and they still don't quack I want to kick the Honda duck crap right out of 'em.
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Ether in small gas engines
Murf, good thought but that's not it. I always have leave fuel in it and just use the fuel shutoff. Always use Stabil in the fuel, too, and bought fresh fuel just last week. It's E-10 ethanol, not methanol.
When it wouldn't start I disconnected the hose from the tank to the carb and drained the fuel from the tank. Then the hose was reconnected to the carb and I dropped the fuel bowl and let the carb drain. Then I put it all together, unscrewed the fuel bowl drain screw, poured in fresh fuel until it started draining out the screw hole (to be sure fuel was flowing to the carb), and then shut the drain screw. Tried to start it, no go. Went in, had lunch, came back out and it still wouldn't start. Squirted some fuel into the carburetor throat, pulled another dozen times, and gave up.
Then I came on here and started bitching.
I figure if it starts right up with ether it's a fuel problem. If not, it's an ignition problem. The ignition problem I can fix, but after replacing the carburetor and blowing the lines clear I'm not sure what I can do about the fuel system (such as it is). Maybe buy an aftermarket carburetor since the Honda ones are giving me trouble.
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Ether in small gas engines
EW, checked the oil and it's at the full mark. But these
engines won't run if the low oil alert is giving false info.
Some googling told me to disconnect it as a test. Not sure
if that's right or not but that's what some guys do. When I bought my used log splitter the low oil wire was cut off at the block. Apparently a prior owner had the same problem and just said screw it. That engine runs fine when it's warm but has the same cold start problems.
I ordered a service manual from Helm to figure it out.
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Ether in small gas engines
I heard about the wd-40 trick and tried that last year. I wasn't sure how much to squirt down the throat so used a very short burst and it didn't help. Maybe it is an ignition problem or I didn't squirt enough into the carb?
Thanks for the reminder.
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Ether in small gas engines
It's entirely possible they are both set too lean but one of them has not been to the shop and the other gave me the same trouble before taking it in. When the service manual arrives I will rebuild the carburetor myself. I haven't found a carb rebuild kit for this engine (online anyway) and rebuild info seems hard to come by. There's probably not much to it other than a cleaning and float adjustment.
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Ether in small gas engines
Got back to this today. It would start and run for a few seconds on ether but wouldn't stay running. Pulled the carburetor and dropped the float bowl. It all looked clean, orifices and jets seemed to be fine but I sprayed it all out with carb cleaner anyway. Put it back together, same problems starting. So I replaced the Honda carburetor with a Chinese made STENS carburetor. Two pulls and it started right up. I'll see how it starts cold tomorrow when I pressure wash the deck.
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