STIHL BR 400 Won't Start - Carburetor Leaking Fuel, Engine Flooded, Backfiring (FIXED)
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- Опубліковано 29 лис 2023
- I found this STIHL BR 400 on Facebook Marketplace for only $70. The seller said it ran last year and thinks it's only a carburetor issue. I just fixed a BR 400 last week and have an extra carburetor and a few other parts. Should be an easy fix right? Although this is the same model I fixed last week, it's not the same problem.
I no longer use Harbor Freight Super Heavy Duty Degreaser in my ultrasonic cleaner. Harbor Freight changed the recipe. The bottle previously stated "NON-CORROSIVE". Now it says "CORROSIVE", "do not user on Aluminum". It now damages most carburetors.
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Amazon Fuel Line & Tank Grommet: amzn.to/3uClETb
Blower Tube: STIHL 4203 701 6102 (42037016102) www.ebay.com/itm/266452102227
Clone Carburetor: amzn.to/3N6cc0G
Digital Torque Wrench: amzn.to/4106X8r
Flywheel Key: STIHL 1120 036 8500 (11200368500) www.ebay.com/itm/202659769390
Fuel Line: STIHL 0000 930 2803 (00009302803)
Muffler Clip: STIHL 4203-141-6600 (42031416600) www.ebay.com/itm/230893231846
Piston Stop: amzn.to/3RnvkKc
Puller: amzn.to/47w50CZ
Spark Arrester: STIHL 4203-141-9005 (42031419005) www.ebay.com/itm/155632184956
Spark Plug: NGK BPMR7A
Tank Grommet: STIHL 0000 989 0516 (00009890516)
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#Stihl #SmallEngineRepair #SmallEngine #DIY #Fixed #Troubleshooting #HowTo #timing
2 Cycle, 2 Stroke, BR320, BR380, BR400, Backfire, Base Gasket, Carburetor, Carburetor, Disassembly, Dripping Fuel, Fixed, Flooded Engine, Flooded, Flywheel Key, Fouled Plug, How To, How to Check Timing, How-To, Intake, Key, Leaf Blower, Leaking Carburetor, Popping, Puller, Repair, STIHL, Small Engine, Spark Arrester, Stihl BR 320, Stihl BR 380, Stihl BR 400, Stihl BR, Stihl BR320, Stihl BR380, Stihl BR400, Stihl, Timing, Troubleshooting, Tune-Up, TuneUp, Two Cycle, Two Stroke, Two-Cycle, Two-Stroke, Wet Spark Plug, Will Not Run, Won't Run, Won't Start - Навчання та стиль
Haha, lost the keys twice! I bet there were some 4 letter words involved in that fiasco! Great troubleshooting Jim, thumbs up.
Thanks Jon. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions. It took a week to get the part. I was beside myself the first time they went missing never mind the second time.
@@jcondon1 That was great that the Dog really tried to eat your homework! Your Dog is the reason why that excuse exists! Great video, I enjoy watching both You and Jon systematically fix all the issues after explaining/ figuring out how it works, then the call is it worth it, and making it run again. Hope both of you have years of success on youtube!
I constantly lose things. The other day I wanted to cut some pieces of insulation so I went to a drawer where I thought I had a tape measure but I couldn't find it. I looked in several other places then came back to the drawer and it was right where I thought it should have been the first time I looked. I live alone and nobody else was around. I had to have looked right at it but didn't see it. When I started cutting the pieces, I lost it again on the table and it took me 5 minutes to find it on the table. I wish I had a wife, kids or dogs to blame, but it's just me. They say you find things in the last place you look but I all too often find them in the first place I looked after going back a second or third time.
Reminds me of an old joke: what do you get when you play a country and western record backwards? You get your wife an dog back! Nice video.
lol i just watched you doser cylinder repair. love both of your content
The diagnosis using the screw, to indicate that the magnets were off, was excellent. Common sense, but I never would’ve thought of using that method. Just excellent.
I agree 100%.
The backfire on a 2 stroke is dead giveaway that the timing is out.
I love that your wife and dog tried to help you.😅😅😅
Nice to see another blower. Nice change from generators.
That plug identified as a birthday candle for a moment like quick make a wish before i go out
I love Thursdays, especially when another video appears. Another one saved another fine fix
I had the timing wander on my pressure washer recently. It got harder and harder to start over time. The keyway was cast into the flywheel, but had sheared.
A bit of filing and a new key and all good.
It is easy to overlook timing on these engines as very few folks know or think to check for a sheared key or wallowed out keyway .
I had one , many years ago , that was a trash pile pick .
I cannot remember much except it would almost start and everything else was perfect and it was an old Briggs horizontal shaft motor that looked almost new .
So , I finally decided to tear it completely apart .
It was NOT a sheared key , but , something way more bizarre .
The flywheel , which was otherwise the correct part , had no fewer than SIX different keyways machined in it . 4 of them were not the correct size , and , of course , only one was in the correct spot , and it was not the one the flywheel was installed on .
I don't know if this was some disgruntled / diabolical factory machinists prank , or , if this was a previous owners doing .
I kept that flywheel around for years as a trophy and a reminder to check EVERYTHING before you start throwing parts at a repair .
I had bought an ancient German made blower mostly made of cast aluminum with a 73 cc engine and it turned out the white powder that was the inside of the blower assembly was DDT, there were a few of these floating around that were used in a USDA mosquito eradication program. I wanted the engine off of it, but it was a toxic waste hazard and I triple bagged it up and sent it to our local waste disposal site during one of their toxic waste disposal days. The engine was a strong runner.
Another extremely good video, I didnt think about the screw to find the position of the magnet, I would have just taken it apart if i thought it was the timing. A great tip for sure. 😊
thinking of the forces involved to shear that key !
I dont blame you for getting the woodruf key in a safe place. As John says "Thumbs Up"
Had to look twice nearly dismissed this video thinking it was last weeks. 😂 Good job I realised excellent video well done.
I'm pretty sure with the carb issues this engine got flooded and hydro locked and that's how the key broke. Thanks again for a great video.
The port in the housing is to make the machine a sprayer for plants. Different fertilizers and so on. I get a kick out of you with that torque wrench! Good Job!
First, it's sad to have to admit this but with fraud/corruption being the norm today, I usually doubt those who say they're trying to help/benefit me in some way. After being burned so many times I'm always looking for the catch, so it's hard to trust people like before-but every now/then I do. I can say w/o reservation, I believe that James and the words he closes with each time are genuine: *"I hope this video helps someone."* I have no doubt that both are true. 👍 as always. God bless.
I don't consider the content provider's attitude to be my business. If I profit by watching the video I am grateful and I express my gratitude. My grandpa taught me almost 80 years ago, "If you want to be happy, mind your own business and always be kind."
Excellent call on the culprit! Good thing it was a Woodruff key or it might have been difficult to remove the remains. Thanks for another very informative and entertaining video!
HI James, the way I have taken off the flywheels is cut two wood wedges and lightly tap them in between the case ( not too tight just enough to apply tension) and flywheel then with the nut loose tap with a brass hammer, they usually come off in one hit. then to remove the key, with a pair of side cutters grab the key and leverage out
Rich
Tapping hard can reduce the field of a magnet.
I think you should buy the rebuild kit for the OEM carb. The OEM is just going to be much higher quality and as long as there is no physical damage, it's well worth rebuilding.
I would like to see a video of the rebuild.
Someone seems to have enjoyed testing the previous blowers a little too much and had to get one for himself. Heh.
There is SO much great stuff on FB Marketplace.
Thanks for posting this video. Lately I've become discouraged diagnosing small handheld equipment. I'm finding the more difficult problems to diagnose. Frustrated having to take them completely apart & repair the problem. Finding myself at the point of no return often. Frustrated 👍
Love it!! Nice coffee and a James Condon video on the "cold" 38 degree morning here in Florida. We had " Florida snow" here this morning (frost) so this is a welcomed video..
31 degrees on this North Florida morning!
We now are calling you the Blower man /Generator guru Nice job Jim 2 thumbs up 👍👍
James, get this, my parents had a motobecane moped way back in the late 70’s or so, that had a flywheel magneto and crankshaft with NO woodruff key. The only way to have it installed and right was to have the flywheel timed and pressed on the tapered crankshaft then the bolt tightened, at the moped dealer shop, and my recollection was that we had to have this done several times over the course of its life, till they finally got rid of it.
"Ran when parked" That's what they all say. Glad you got it sorted out.
These videos are not only instructive, VEEEERY relaxing (I watch these as slowTV instead of fish tank or fireplace vids) but also sometimes very funny (losing the keys to your wife / dog). Loving it. Thx so much!
Well truly...the dog almost did eat your homework. Once again your high skill level was on full display. Well done sir.
I've got a BR420 with the exact same no start problem. Just took it apart and sure enough a sheared key. I know what caused this though. I found the blower laying face down in the shed one day and righted it. Went about my business and didn't thing about it. A few weeks later I went to start it and it was hydro locked. It doesn't take a whole lot of pulling for that tiny key to shear. I had another blower so I set this one aside and haven't thought about it until this video popped up.
Very informative. Learned quite a bit from this video👍👍👍
As usual. Great job!!!! Thanks Jim!
Another great video. Thanks James. Lots of useful tips and tricks as usual. 👍👍
With all this experience fixing leaf blowers, my 2 “basket cases” will be a cinch for you. Nice job, Jim, although we were hoping to see Shane do the outdoor testing, since he did such a good job in the last video.
I was just thinking about that basket case this morning. Thinking I missed leaf season and wondering what the odds are all the pieces are there and also wondering what was wrong with it that resulted in a complete tear down.
Also have a couple a chainsaws I need to fix.
Red flag! Block!
Hi James, I can't tell you how much I enjoy your videos. I look forward to them every week. Thanks for sharing.
The clone carb is working perfectly. While you had the plastics off, I would have re-torqued the cylinder, after what had happened to the previous one James. Keep em coming James🙂👍
I did double check off camera. Everything was nice and tight.
@@jcondon1 👍🙂
Great video, very interesting and informative!
Enjoyed video. Thanks for sharing
Thanks a lot, your videos make me much more confident about working on my own small engines.
very good job, am watching you all videos👍👍
Very nice work sir, and a heck of a score on a nice machine like that!
Great diagnostic learning video Doc.
Enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing
When you said it was popping back through the carburetor, I wondered how it got past whatever one way valve they use on the intake. When you found the flywheel to be out of time, I wondered how that could happen on a leaf blowerer. As you said, there is seemingly nothing to abruptly stop the flywheel. That got even more puzzling when you removed the nut on the flywheel and it took considerable force on the puller to remove the flywheel. My experience with sheared flywheel keys on Briggs engines is that the flywheel practically falls off when the key has sheared. This flywheel seemed to be on tight enough that it would have stayed in place without a key to hold it. You didn't show taking the sheared piece out of the flywheel keyway which made me wonder if there was a piece in it. I also noticed that there was a repair tag attached to the blower leading me to think it might have been worked on before. Is it possible that someone took it apart before, possibly to replace the crankshaft seals and didn't get the flywheel aligned with the keyway and cut the key off as it was tightened down?
The piece was in the flywheel. It actually fell out when I removed the flywheel and I did not find it until days later. It’s also a tapered shaft if properly torqued a key is not really necessary.
Thanks... for this
Great job.
Excellent video! Your knowledge and skills are unmatched. I really like that you have such a calming voice.
Great complete video! Your thoroughly detailed video is helping folks better understand the equipment.
You've got it!
Excellent video and tutorial
I wish all mechanics were as conscientious as you. Great video as always!
Nice fix Jim. Loved how you identified the sheared key. Great video as always!
She's a runner! Those BR 400s are great. VERY unusual, as you said, to aee a sheared flywheel key on a blower. I've never seen that happen myself. Backfiring though the intake was a strong clue for sure and nifty trick tracking the flywheel magnets BEFORE disassembling it to confirm your theory. 👍👍💨
Great fix James 😊
thanks all ways great job have fun
Nice save for that 400... great job !!! I wonder what cause sheared that key... A great way to detect small leaks is with Brown paper towel. Like the kind used in restrooms. Any liquid that touches the paper towel turns it dark brown. Easy to spot....
As usual your are the boss! great work.
great video as usual
Great video. Wish I would have had a blower as a boy doing our yard leaves but I wouldn't have earned 50 cents per week raking a huge yard. 😂
James, your videos are always on point. The way you work through the diagnosis is spot on. I dabble in small engine rebuild and repair, but you are a real pro! Thanks for the videos!!!!
You are good, no nonsense know how… love it. I have never thought to use flames to dry out a spark plug… genius. Touche’
Excellent job James: I don't think I have ever seen a broken flywheel key in a blower. Great video to remember to look for this. Thanks
Nice machine
thats good detective work.
Gold Hammer😂 great videos James! 💥👊
What a coincidence, I recently ordered a part from the same seller that also took the long way around. I've ordered from him before without incident. He's also about 45 miles from me. I noticed there were arrows on the starter cup pointing to loosen....;) Good call on the sheared flywheel key, Never would have guessed that on a blower.....
These last two videos were really informative James. I have the BR600. These are really well made machines. I've done simple maintenance on it. Filters, plug, etc. I'm glad mine doesn't have that funky spark arrester. Much easier now on the newer models to service that part. The machine even came with a t-handle torx wrench for the plug and most of the fasteners. I'm gaining confidence every time I watch your videos. I've heard just replacing the primer bulb on these can be a bear....we'll see. Thanks again for the real world content!
Pretty fancy brass hammer...I like it !!
We have a few towns here in new Jersey that outlawed gas blowers, ridiculous!
Nice job James, it is sure running well now. I have a similar machine , a few years newer yet. But I learned quite a bit from these Stihl blower videos.
Great job Jim that will come in handy for you and your son.
Nice job🔥
22:13 Haha... I had gotten myself the same puller, same issues with the screws. The diameters are a mix of imperial and metric, and the thread pitch also varies, some are imperial and others are metric as well.
Great session. I love these sleuthing episodes. Sure you thought of this... Maybe the carb needle stuck open and flooded things so there was a righteous backfire that broke the key.
Great video Jim , just did the very same thing but bought mine from a guy at a yard sale for 20 dollars he was just sick of it , but the bad thing about this one was the guy did not know much about small engines and messed with just about everything lol , but it was clean and already had the parts easy fix . Gave it to my favorite brother-n-law for his birthday. But I also got a Troy bilt super bronco rotor tiller with an eight hp Honda that had set in his shop for two years with the same gas in it . Put a kit in carburetor, cleaned gas tank new air filter, spark plug and it ran like new just sold it for 3 hundred great day , great video gave you a sub keep them coming and be safe
"The dog ate my homework, sir." I seem to remember that from a very long time ago. Nice save there, James.
I really hate working on two stroke engines. Whatever I do to them seems to make them worse.
You seem to have the magic touch, my friend. You really do.
Though I did think that burning off the old oil and fuel from the spark plug with a blowtorch right next to a flooded engine was a bit sketchy.
Great video as always. Many thanks for all you do.
hydro locked / great video
Nice diagnosis and fix! Hard to use anything else once you’ve used a nice backpack blower. I run mostly stihl stuff, but my backpack is a redmax which is also excellent.
As usual…. Great job!
Used to do yards and had to hand pick leaves out of prickly bushes. LOVED the 1st 400 the outfit bought. SUPER blower and no more hand picking. All old Stihl's are TOUGH! Can't figure out how the key got broke because the fan didn't show anything. The vacuum kit I got for my old 85 handheld has a steel 3-tooth spinner/grinder that goes on the end of the crank and also a reinforced snail blower housing but works fine on old dead stuff but not green. Great for blown leaves. Good fix and the cap is for hooking up a backpack sprayer off of I believe.
I like how you torque almost everything down to specs. And I see you use WD 40 as a cleaner protector also, nice work.
Thanks.
17:36 That's for the optional glitter injection port accessory. Great for New Years Eve celebrations and Sweet 16 Birthday Parties.
Excellent video
When I heard it pop I thought bad plug or timing. I really would like to know how that key sheared. As you said, very rare on a blower. Then there's that guy Murphy.
Interesting fix. I didn't expect a leaf blow to shear a key. That muffler with fuel oil would create one big backfire. 😅 Draining the muffler was a good call. I'm curious why James doesn't use a Tach to set the idle speed?
James, I believe that rubber cap you were showing on top of the fan chamber is for a duster accessory Stihl made for that blower for applying fertilizers and the sort.
I believe that cap on the fan housing was put on there for the BR400 to be used for applying class a foam for brush / forest firefighting.
It is interesting, I have repaired multiple of these Stihl leaf blowers in the last 2 years, all of them with a broken flywheel key. Really disappointing...
thanks very much, always appreciate that you present your reasoning for doing or not doing certain things. One thing what I have not heard addressed in your videos is how you identify which brand engine a clone is from (i.e. what a clone engine "matches" if you like). I don't know if you maybe talked about this in your earliest stuff, but I often wonder.
I recently had to fix a wood chipper with a clone engine and knowing nothing my process went: clone card, google name on carb, seems to match (somewhat) a honda engine, find other clone carbs, compare throttle bores etc, establish size of matching engine, back to honda to find engine product line, find relevant sized engine in that line, compare to clone engine. Decide you've got a knock off gx390. But man what a circus (and blind ignorant luck!)
is there a "right" way to figure out which engine you have (if you've not seen 100s)?
I would bet the carb started leaking first, caused partial hydrolock and the key snapped on startup. The rubber plug is for a chemical spray system, can be added on.
Jim, a number of years ago, I had a Craftsman line trimmer, and it was a strange critter. It was made to pull the recoil a few times, then push a button to spin the engine. I'm not sure who designed that, but it sheered several keys off until I got tired of it, and it went away. Haha. Previous to that both my mechanic and I had never seen one like that, and he wasn't impressed. He hoped to not deal with them again. Aside from that, it ran better than earlier models with vibration issues.
James, that lost key story was hilarious!
Hello James: Good diagnosis great video. A suggestion for the plastic tube and straightening the (PLASTIC SET) in the tube. Time and weights are your ally's in straightening the tube. I use some transmission fluid to coat the inside of the couragations. (WD40 would probably work) Then attach some weight to the end of the tube. I have a tin can full of old nails it weighs about 3lbs. Hang the tube somewhere it can stay out of the way for a long period of time (a couple of months) with weight pulling it down. Use a heat gun or blow dryer to soften plastic and straighten the bend.Do this slowly or plastic will stetch beyond desired shape. Let sit for days.repeat the warming with heat gun. I stress warming not overheating.think a relaxing sauna not a sun burn. After 3 or 4 warmings an waiting a while with the weight attached, the plastic will reshape much straighter and probably be slightly more flexible. This is a "ready for next season" type repair not, I need it next week. I hope you give it a chance on the bent tube you wanted to straighten.I think you will end up with a useable spare.
That whole flywheel key debacle was so of MY life.. lol Welcome to my world !!!
Old timer trick... Remove keys with side cutters after raising one side. Just squeeze and rock. Enjoy your methods!
Try a hose clamp on the spark arrestor.
Great diagnosis and fix, James! Based on the last one, I think that I would have checked the torque on those four jug bolts, though. Just being overly cautious.
I did off camera. All were torqued properly.
Like you, I was wondering what might have happened to cause it to shear that key.
Seems to be a common thing because we’re had 3 ion last couple of years, cheap materials?
Definitely a possibility. Could also be either a incorrect torque spec or torquing procedure on the line I guess. @@philliphall5198
The engines run beautifully on those.
I agree very crispy great response
20 years ago I was working part time at a local garage and traded a car stereo for a Honda three door DX with a blown engine. Long story short after many failed at diagnosis I found that the distributor shaft bushing had started seizing which melted the rotor just enough that the screw holding the rotor had melted a slot about 40 degrees into the rotor as the shaft was round with only the screw and screw hole being the mechanism of proper timing location. One reman distributor later I had my girlfriend exactly what she needed to start her housekeeping business. The shop later shut down which needs no diagnosis.
You need a nice bench top parts washer! Love mine, makes life much easier.
James, you can boil hose tubes/ plastics in water to make them flex. That is a trick.
Yes, also a heat gun on low works well.
Do you use a specific vendor on Amazon for buying the carburetors on all of the 2 cycle machines ?
Leaking carb fills cylinder partially, one good yank on pull cord, key shears off. ?????
Usually that would do it. But the flywheel on this machine was not on the starter recoil side of the machine.
I suspect the blower might have ingested a slug of water while running, like maybe falling into a water hazard on a golf course, or something like that and the combination of the mass of the water and the inertia of the engine sheared it out.