Going back to Getting 1200 Started!

[garydee]

If the engine is now running, but only for a short time, the fuel supply to the carburetor might be the problem. Have you checked your fuel tank? Did you remove the shutoff valve (these get blocked up) and clean the screen, check the fuel line and the gas cap? Cleaned the inside of the tank? Are you using fresh fuel???

Here is an idea for you to try...

Disconnect the fuel line from the carb and use a longer piece of line. Connect one end of the longer hose to a plastic squeeze bottle with a nipple on the end. A clear bottle works best...the kind you find at the dollar store. Put some gas in the bottle, hold it hose end down with your finger over the other hose end and bleed the air from the line before attaching it to the carb.

Continue to hold the bottle, hose end down, higher than the engine and squeeze it while you start it. This will pressurize the fuel delivery to the carb to be sure it is getting fuel. You may need to have a helper while doing this...

Hopefully the engine will run a little longer than it had been running before and identify if there is indeed a fuel delivery problem. Note: the engine won't run very long because the bottle is sealed. If this works, punch a hole in the bottom of the bottle to allow it to gravity feed the carb and try it again without squeezing. (You could also use a small funnel for this.)

Remember to keep the hole in the end of the bottle upright to avoid a fuel spill!

Good luck!!

[riflemann]

SO, I put a freshly charged battery in, fresh gas (again) switched the fuel switch to OFF. Disconnected the fuel line at the carb. Blew into the fuel line while turning the fuel switch ON.....and could blow air bubbling in the fuel tank.
Took fuel line out of my mouth and fuel immediately flowed out and into a can I had.

The engine started after a few seconds of cranking but did not run long, 30 seconds. Restarted and trying to keep it running longer several times, but never more than 2 minutes. Tried adjusting carb while running but with little effect.

I am out of ideas here.

[riflemann]

It seems to me its all a matter of carb adjustment from here. But my adjustments never seem to work.

Thank you for any ideas!

[garydee]

So you got it running for nearly 2 minutes...that's an improvement from 20 seconds!

Pull the head off and see if a valve is stuck while you cycle the starter, then you will know for sure.

Take the carb off (or not) and use compressed air to blow out the orifices. Use gumout and blow it through with a rubber tipped blow gun and be sure it is adjusted to start with minimal adjustment to the screws.

I did this with my father in law's generator that hadn't been run for over 10 years and got it to run...without taking the carb off! Sold for good money in my yard sale!

You didn't really try to put fuel to the carb using the pressurized method I described...maybe blowing it out with compressed air will do the trick.

Note: I had a 1450 that had starting issues. I cleaned and remounted the factory (Walbro) carb but it still didn't work. So I bought a "made in chyna" carb and put it on. It started right up!! Go figure...Sold the 1450 in my yard sale as well!!

[twoton]

Originally Posted by finsruskw

Start with the basics....
Static time the engine, never fails.

Did you do this?

[RLause]

I had a 1250 several years ago that had similar issues as I recall, it had a bad head gasket. Replaced the gasket and it ran fine.