Good findings. Ebz8050 Takes 3 primer pumps, put on choke and then 3 good pulls and it always starts on the 3rd pull. You can take it off choke as soon as it starts. It’s been a great blower. Put on a eBay/China $12 carb on it last year after 6-7 years of ownership with no other issues. I’d buy one again.
The one thing you didn't check was the kill switch circuit. It might have had some little piece of crud partially grounding it out (as indicated by the inconsistent spark in the beginning) that eventually broke loose without you knowing while you were fooling around with it, allowing it to start later
@@HomeGaragechannelyou did mention that you had inconsistent spark, perhaps that could be why? I can say from personal experience that the switches aren’t always perfect, I have a Husqvarna that occasionally decides not to stop on the switch 😅
Thanks for tearing this unit down. I've had this model a few years now. Awesomeness blower, when it's working correctly. That's the problem. Always seems to be something. Recently I'm dealing with it bogging down on full throttle. (AGAIN) I've changed the plug and fuel filter and worked well for a session. Next time out it bogged down again. I changed the fuel and will try it again today. So frustrating.
Great diagnosing vid mate, Ive done plenty of miles with on of these. They can be a real headache sometimes. As it was needed first thing every morning hot or cold weather, it tested your steel now and then. Cheers
Thank you so much! I have been struggling figuring out why this chainsaw I got doesn’t try to start. It has spark, compression, gas, and proper timing. I have a feeling it was the magneto distance like that blower, will try!
That weak spark when you first tried starting it would have been my first path of investigation. I would have checked the kill switch first and then looked at the coil next. Resetting the air gap seemed to help.
the leaf blower has a hard life since no one knows how to kick in the piston rings and stuff so they blast the hell out of it and when the piston and rings are gone they are like oh its toasted time to get a new one.
I've had coils still produce a spark but be bad. I had a saw push me to my limit of sanity and it turned out to be a factory new wire on the coil that was crimped to hard and was cut through but looked fine. The saw still ran but like it had an air leak. It's annoying because you have to check the gas,carb,spark,exhaust, gap, and timing several times before you can finally deduce the coil is shot has an issue or is shot. That blower is way to hard to start I'd be adjusting that carb and possibly even the airflow if that didn't work.
had a brandnew chinesium chainsaw once...did`nt start very well, i thought reason was weak spark so new plug and coil was installed, still no start...WTF??? i disassembled most of the saw including the intakemanifold, just to find a seal not mounted properly...new seal mounted, saw started in one pull 🤣
I have a red max blower the same model you worked on and my issue is it won't take full throttle It will bog down when given full throttle. I have checked everything you did on the one you worked on Any other suggestions
@@HomeGaragechannel I went back to rewatch the video and I realized I am missing one piece The piece that you screwed back in before you installed the intake pipe All i had was a broken piece of plastic laying in there when I took the air intake off. Would that cover missing make a difference
I'm having the same problem with my Stihl FS 250 trimmer when cold it start up and idle fine but once the engine is heated and I cut off to refuel I can't get it to start back
thank you Darrion Nelson, I hate to say it, but that's one of the hardest problems to solve. Have you looked at the owners manual on hot starts? I'm not aware of the procedure either.
@@darrionnelson4784 hello friend, I also have a stihl fs 250 and I had the same problem when starting with a hot engine, and the solution was to replace the ignition module. did you change the spark plug to see if it is weak?
@@luanpossentimelnekj7984 maybe take off the flywheel and check that seal to see if it is leaking. If you have adjusted the carbs put them back to factory and adjust after seal replacement. If that crank seal is leaking it will do what you are saying and often have a lack power.
@@rudyruiz9521 hello Rudy, my fs 250 was with all the perfect seals, the problem was the ignition module. it could be that the fs 250 of the friend Darrion has some sealing problem.
To remove that flywheel, I seen a guy put the nut back on barely then hit it with an air hammer. It came loose in less than 1 second. After seeing that, an air hammer is all I will ever be using from now on.
4:18 the reason your gauge showed lower compression than expected is because you used the attachment for the compression tester for the smaller spark plug hole. You need the Schrader valve to be at the absolute end of the tester, or else the extra volume will reduce the compression, even if it was just a little bit. I've struggled with this in the past before I realized this
Great catch. I guess I have a couple more things to add to the "doesn't start" diagnosis aside from fuel, compression and spark. lol You are a real patient guy. Don't think I would have caught that. Thanks for sharing.
All of my rotations around the Sun, I’ve never seen such a thorough explanation of how an engine work. You just taught me a lot. I really appreciate you making this video. Thank you.
I've had this problem with an 8550 redmax. I've had this problem on 2 blowers. The fix I went back to Echo after using redmax for 23 years . I'm no longer confident with redmax
Neon spark testers are only a quick test, you really need a spark gap tester to see how far the spark will jump. Sometimes the neon testers will show a small glow and the spark is not good enough to start the engine. I see this sometimes on Honda's that I repair. Those are great blowers, and thanks for the video.
In the past I used to make such a distance "jump" tester with just a wooden block, an old sparkplug without internal resistor and two nails. One nail is fixed on the block and jammed between de electrodes of the sparkplug. The sparkplug boot is then easily connected to this sparkplug. The other nail can slide and is connected to a wire and simple clamp to ground. You cut away the wood surrounding the nailtips. You could set the distance between the tip of the nails. Indeed worked like a charm and I could test (mostly) questionable moped ignitions by using a drill and socket to spin the engine. This way you can test the induction strength of the coil on the actual setup and detect faulty coils. Most times if coils are bad the colour of the spark has an "orange" tone to it and or is hardly visible. I think that a distance of at least 8 to 9mm is ok
Yes, coincidentally I am fixing similar situation on an Echo backpack now and the quick, Harbor Freight-type tester shows plenty of glow. But still won't start even though the coil/flywheel gap is spot on. Next step: ground the plug; hmm, there is no spark. Thus, I have ordered a better gap-type tester ... and a new coil. I have used the HF tester for years and it always seemed to be a good ignition indicator. Because of this experience on the Echo, it is revealing to me that it can register some juice, yes, but it can also be misleading.
I had something similar happen. Got a brand new ebz7500 at work. Was loving life, breaking it in and all that. Got low on gas 1st tank went to grab some and came back. Blower died but didn’t run out of fuel. The ignition coil failed within the 1st couple hours of use according to the shop. I didn’t get the chance finish breaking it in…. Boss gave me another new blower the next day and that one has been a champ for 3 seasons. Was super weird to say the least.
I love turning on my TH-cam feed and finding more and more videos from this channel! I remember taking computer maintenance classes back when I was in community college and having tests where we will be presented with a computer that had some issue and we had to figure out why it was not working, I enjoy watching your videos and following along as you diagnose each mystery and I try to keep up with what I have learned so I can try to anticipate what will you try next. I am not at the point yet where I can foretell your every move but I am still learning 🙂
I would mix up a fresh batch of 2 stroke fuel which I had to do With a stubborn customers Ryobi line trimmer & he was adamant that he put the right amount of oil into the fuel tank of his 2 stroke Ryobi trimmer about 20 years ago which wouldn't Start. I tipped his fuel out & ran the workshops fuel in it about 20 years ago & it started & ran. He had taken it elsewhere in town & they said the same thing !
I think the spark checking tools can be very useful, but at the same time, i like to see the spark right from the plug and just see how much and how good of spark there is. Shame we didn't get a before video of it and then the after. Great work, for sure would leave it how it is. I got a free weed eater on the side of the road, thing started 3 pulls...no issues. Well theres that, HOWEVER, i also have a residential grade Sthil weed eater which is a PAIN to start, and is cold blooded. Some might throw that away just for how it starts.
Not for the issue you had, but as an FYI for later. These Redmax blowers, it’s very common for both the cylinder head and intake manifold bolts (4) to loosen or check as loose. When either the intake manifold or head gasket leak, if will cause various mysterious running issues. As a preventive measure when new, a good idea would be to put a white paint mark across the bolts and manifold and bolts and cylinder base, so with a quick visual inspection you can see if the bolts have loosened. However, the assemblies/gaskets may compress over time and thus the tension is released and although the bolt hasn’t turned, it would check loose when you tried tightening it. So, it still may be advisable to torque check these bolts periodically. Some other ideas would be blue thread locker, nordlock wedge lock washers (add 2mm to assembled height, may need longer bolt to maintain thread engagement), and lastly, safety wire bolt pairs to each other if you’re good with that sort of thing.
@@HomeGaragechannel On the ones I saw that safety wired the base bolts, they used hex bolts with taller heads that were easier to cross drill for the safety wire.
And I’ll add that if the cylinder bolts become loose, the gasket between the cylinder and crankcase will most likely fail. Once that happens, you won’t have the necessary vacuum to pull the air/fuel mixture from the intake side into the engine. If tightening these bolts gets you running, but the blower is still hard to start and then dies after running long enough to get fully warmed up, replace that gasket. It’s an easy job.
I have two..when it works it's a beast..and when it doesn't time to tear it down just like you did..only problem I've ever had was fuel related..otherwise it's a good blower..
I really like red max, i think its. A good starting machine brand for anyone that wantsa. Good bang for the buck, my dad tho, he doesn’t like back pack blowers, i mean their powerful n all but he just settles for a hand held
It almost acts like a carb with a stuck open needle n just dumps fuel into the intake. Maybe that's what's happening when priming. Did you try starting it with the trigger pulled to give it max air flow n no choke after priming?
@@HomeGaragechannel yeah I was just thinking maybe having the throttle wide open might help clear the flooding in a similar way to flooring a flooded car
i have an echo backpack blower that i am working on and we just replaced the ignition coil with s brand new one. however it had no spark no matter where the killswitch is turned to
@@HomeGaragechannel will have to try messing around with it when I get back to it, its part of a shop class I take where we fix people's equipment love your content, I have learned a lot just from watching your videos! keep up the great work
wow it really gave you a hard time didnt it. Fun to see some of the bigger commercial equipment on the channel, I have heard a lot of good things about redmax and their equipment.
Hey. This was a good one! I’m sure it was Frustrating to say the least. I’m not familiar with those carbs. Are there any hidden adjustments on it so you could lean it out a bit for start up? To answer your question, if it was my own machine I would also just run with it once I figured out the sequence. Cheers
I have same issues with mine , I have changed the cylinder, piston, rings , carb , even the crankcase , gap is fine on the flywheel and no one can turn it on . It's driven me crazy , I don't know where else to look at.
The last time my old 2nd hand 8500 would not start I opened the fuel tank and dumped the gas from the beginning and the fuel pickup line had broken off in the tank. The time before that it was just a fuel filter. The time before that I could not pull the starter rope because it had excessive compression from heavy carbon buildup in the upper cylinder and on top of the piston. I soaked the piston and cylinder in laquer thinner over night and it was spotless afterward. problem solved
I have a two copies of this machine or a rebranded version & i can tell you this much, mine won’t start with wide open throttle, to start i follow the manufacturer’s guide which i s to apply full choke no throttle, pull start until the engine starts & runs & when the engine starts to stumble, open the choke to fully open & the engine continues running, after a minute of warm up i can apply full throttle. I don’t own a single two stroke engine that requires any throttle to start & i own 8 different machines with various sized engines. Last year i had one of my Honda engined Toro Hoverpros that would run for a few minutes then die, it would restart each time but die again. Turned out it was the spark plug which was a resistance type plug, the resistor was failing & cutting out. A new plug immediately fixed the issue. A resistor plug usually has an R in the part number.
We learned something new this video, i suggest adding this to the diagnostic list when it comes to checking the ignition system, checking the air gap between the flywheel magnet and ignition coil will play a huge role when checking for spark, that helped me when i was working on starting the Husqvarna 252RX to check that everything was working as it should be 😄
ive tried the drill trick to start my 4hp craftsman mower but it wont spin it. I have a dewalt 18v drill and an 18v fuel milwaukee impact wrench AND driver and none them wants to spin that craftsman. I have to pull it with the rope and its a pain. What drill are you guys using to spin these motors?
Anytime an engine floods beyond its normal choke point, you should check the air filter for any obstruction. If that's good, the next thing to check is your high and low fuel rate metering screws could be out of adjustment and letting in too much fuel during normal ops.
Good job once again, you sure do have a lots of friends 😄I’m still trying to find a carb for an old chain saw project I started about 6 months ago 😂Mike from Quebec 👍🏻
I don't know if I would buy one like that if it was prone to flooding that easily and I'd probably return it if I did , it seems like the carburetor is not working properly when choked you should only use half choke all the time no full choke on it , I think the manufacturer cheaped out on the carb if it was a quality carburetor it would work full choke , half choke and wide open basically fully functional carb , also the adjustment on the ignition coil could have been from it not being tighten properly from the factory or loosen when running and it moved when it was set down (if it was set down a little hard) and thrown the timing or spark strength off making it not start but only speculating what could of happened
@@HomeGaragechannel I guess if you had alot of (leaf) blowing to do you could get use to it but I like using the small battery powered leaf blower we got light weight and gets the job done I don't do alot of blowing most the time it's just to clean tools like table saws , wood planers and other wood working tools me and my dad build wood projects but not really in the last three to four months cause he was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemo and radiation treatment now he's about to go in for surgery really soon so he hasn't had enough strength to do much lately but hopefully in a few months or more he'll be getting better and stronger so we can do more wood work and turning on the lathe anyways went off topic , great videos and fixes
Another YT ER's 2nd test after fuel is pull fuel filter off and test if the line to needle holds a vacuum if it doesn't then isolate the line by blocking other side to recheck. You probably know of this but like me haven't got a mityvac yet 😉👍
So I have question, it might sound dumb. I was given as a gift a back pack leaf blower, it's a Chinese made blower that the manual says 2014. It's brand new, my question is it calls for 25:1 to 30:1 will it hurt if I run a pre mixed fuel of 40:1? Or should I use what the manufacturer calls for? Thank you for any advice you give or have given me
I have a Poulan Pro blower. It was always running great. Then I ran out of gas. When I mixed a new batch of oil gas mixture it ran for a while then quite. Is my oil to gas ratio off. Or maybe the oil blend, brand (Pro select) was not good for my blower? Can you help?? It will start then quite.
@@HomeGaragechannel I was trying to reach a 40 to 1. but my gas container was 2.6 gals. so my math may have been off. If my math was off and I ended up with a different ratio would that have a negative effect on the engine? No I can't get a compression test done. I don't have a tester. It was running fine with the old gas. Was my brand (Pro Select) bad for the engine?
If it starts, that's good enough for me. The 8 horse I/C on the Roof won't need choking even when cold if it's just been a few days. My pal at his saw shop clued me in on that one. That model Briggs is just that way. It starts on the last charge it got when the ignition was shut off. And the Echo fired on the 2nd pull instead of 3rd! Maybe it'll start cranking itself! Thanks and Blessings!
Got to be honest after owning a 2 brand new redmax's and 2 brand new Echo's I would go with the Echo anyday over the redmax. Just found the Echo's are more reliable
@@HomeGaragechannel Yes the redmax was the Ebz7500 and the eariler model was a 7100 redmax. As far as the echo the first one I bought was a 750sh and my current blower is a echo 8010. The 750 was great for everyday driveway and normal leaf blowing. the 8010 is a beast it blows mountains of leaves! Love it!
Great video. We’ve got one that looks like a brother to the one in your video. WE have the same issue. Brand new and wont start. Sounds like it coughs but never fires up. I’ll have to check what you did. Thanks.
I have the 8500 and it almost always starts on the third pull. I never Prime it either. When it’s cold I give it about 10 seconds before I throttle it up
I had a lawn boy throw me in for a loop once. Had everything to run. Coil plug carb swaps nothing worked until I looked in the exhaust and realized the piston rings moved and lined up to cause it not to run. Was a real head scratcher
Worked as a landscaper some years and in the workshed when picking up a tool such as a chainsaw, blower or trimmer, the older guys would tell you " aha, you have the nr.354 so you need to prime, 1 pull full choke, 2 dry, 1 at 1/2choke - starts".
A great spark tester is a large rubber insulated spring loaded clamp with a foot long wire attached to it and a smaller spring loaded clamp on the other end of the wire , ( just like the battery charger clamps ) take spark plug out then clamp big clamp onto spark plug and smaller clamp directly onto a metal ground aka engine block or good point of ground " pull cord watch for spark ,, also make sure you have a KNOWN good spark plug to test with ! Don't forget the ignition kill switch can be bad or have high resistance causing weak spark also ! And yes those almost new ignition modules can and do go bad just like that ! My Husqvarna handheld blower worked great one day next day bad ignition module !
Just had exactly the same problem with a post hole borer. Looks like the same carb also. Did everything you did and couldn't really see any problems. But while it was out and stripped, I ultrasonically cleaned the carb and reassembled it. Did the tank also. Put new fuel mix in it and with a prime it started 4th pull. So perhaps I just couldn't see fine dirt particles in the carb??
I have a 25cc weed eater brand that's giving me the same problem. Changed the coil to get spark. Have done all the normal stuff but still won't start. I'm thinking now the compression may be bad. I'm almost to the point of finding a Catholic priest to perform an exorcism on it, ha, ha.
@@HomeGaragechannelI have a spare motor. During the process of swapping motors i noticed the 2 plugs on the kill switch were bent & touching. I changed the motor anyway. Now it runs.
In regards to the flooding issue on start up, it looked to me that you set the throttle hold lever “cruise control” well above the 1/3 throttle “high idle” as prescribed in the operators manual for starting. Too much starting throttle was confirmed for me when you did actually get the engine started and it revved up well above What I know start up high idle warm up rpm to sound like on my own husq 570.
My boss sells redmax products. The 8500 in my opinion, the best blower on the market. 2 things over the years that were a problem. 1. The bolts on the fan would egg out causing fan wobble. They recalled it. 2. Coils were intermittent. Similar to the start of this video. Also a recalled part as well. Sorry for the long comment lol.
If you remember you said the spark looked inconsistent when you first checked it. That would have made me dive into spark as the problem and reset the air gap as a first test.
Good findings. Ebz8050
Takes
3 primer pumps, put on choke and then 3 good pulls and it always starts on the 3rd pull. You can take it off choke as soon as it starts. It’s been a great blower. Put on a eBay/China $12 carb on it last year after 6-7 years of ownership with no other issues. I’d buy one again.
The one thing you didn't check was the kill switch circuit. It might have had some little piece of crud partially grounding it out (as indicated by the inconsistent spark in the beginning) that eventually broke loose without you knowing while you were fooling around with it, allowing it to start later
after checking for spark, and getting, I didn't think it was related to the issue.
@@HomeGaragechannelyou did mention that you had inconsistent spark, perhaps that could be why? I can say from personal experience that the switches aren’t always perfect, I have a Husqvarna that occasionally decides not to stop on the switch 😅
Same thing I thought
Thanks for tearing this unit down. I've had this model a few years now. Awesomeness blower, when it's working correctly. That's the problem. Always seems to be something.
Recently I'm dealing with it bogging down on full throttle. (AGAIN)
I've changed the plug and fuel filter and worked well for a session. Next time out it bogged down again. I changed the fuel and will try it again today. So frustrating.
Paul Corsetto.
Great diagnosing vid mate, Ive done plenty of miles with on of these. They can be a real headache sometimes. As it was needed first thing every morning hot or cold weather, it tested your steel now and then. Cheers
thank you Aussie nebula
Thank you so much! I have been struggling figuring out why this chainsaw I got doesn’t try to start. It has spark, compression, gas, and proper timing. I have a feeling it was the magneto distance like that blower, will try!
it's worth a shot.
That weak spark when you first tried starting it would have been my first path of investigation. I would have checked the kill switch first and then looked at the coil next. Resetting the air gap seemed to help.
it quite possible but I don't that the new stuff has a good spark at all when compared stuff from 20 years ago.
I’d also be looking at the reed valve (assuming it has one) since some fuel was in the intake boot…
from the diagrams I don't see a reed valve
🤣 Now THAT was funny! “I didn’t even mind that the noise hurt my ears”.
it was quite the relief to hear, thank you Mario V.
I have worked on one of these and they can be difficult!! Too powerful for me when running properly. Great to clean out your flowerbeds!!
Yes they are!
the leaf blower has a hard life since no one knows how to kick in the piston rings and stuff so they blast the hell out of it and when the piston and rings are gone they are like oh its toasted time to get a new one.
you make a great point.
I would check the needle in the carb with a mity vac
good idea
very good job congratulations
Thank you very much!
You have to check the needle in the carb
yep
I've had coils still produce a spark but be bad. I had a saw push me to my limit of sanity and it turned out to be a factory new wire on the coil that was crimped to hard and was cut through but looked fine. The saw still ran but like it had an air leak. It's annoying because you have to check the gas,carb,spark,exhaust, gap, and timing several times before you can finally deduce the coil is shot has an issue or is shot.
That blower is way to hard to start I'd be adjusting that carb and possibly even the airflow if that didn't work.
I doubt it's the wire, more than likely the carb
@@HomeGaragechannel didn't say it was just sharing my most frustrating fix.
read more
Pssst...Hey! :D Redmax start easier if you open the throttle a bit, but only after one pull with choke fully on, unchoke. :)
Thanks for the tip!
Still waiting for membrane/gasket test 😅
had a brandnew chinesium chainsaw once...did`nt start very well, i thought reason was weak spark so new plug and coil was installed, still no start...WTF???
i disassembled most of the saw including the intakemanifold, just to find a seal not mounted properly...new seal mounted, saw started in one pull
🤣
very nice work.
I have never seen a engine not run for a loose coil it is normally the coil
I have a red max blower the same model you worked on and my issue is it won't take full throttle It will bog down when given full throttle. I have checked everything you did on the one you worked on Any other suggestions
so you check the spark arrestor screen? if so, you might consider replacing the carb.
@@HomeGaragechannel I did everything you did along with a new plug and leaving the muffler off It will idle fine just wont take fuel.
@@HomeGaragechannel I went back to rewatch the video and I realized I am missing one piece The piece that you screwed back in before you installed the intake pipe All i had was a broken piece of plastic laying in there when I took the air intake off. Would that cover missing make a difference
to be honest, I'm not sure, but if had to guess, I think its important, otherwise, they wouldn't have put it in.
I'm having the same problem with my Stihl FS 250 trimmer when cold it start up and idle fine but once the engine is heated and I cut off to refuel I can't get it to start back
thank you Darrion Nelson, I hate to say it, but that's one of the hardest problems to solve. Have you looked at the owners manual on hot starts? I'm not aware of the procedure either.
@@HomeGaragechannel no I haven't but I will do
@@darrionnelson4784 hello friend, I also have a stihl fs 250 and I had the same problem when starting with a hot engine, and the solution was to replace the ignition module. did you change the spark plug to see if it is weak?
@@luanpossentimelnekj7984 maybe take off the flywheel and check that seal to see if it is leaking. If you have adjusted the carbs put them back to factory and adjust after seal replacement. If that crank seal is leaking it will do what you are saying and often have a lack power.
@@rudyruiz9521 hello Rudy, my fs 250 was with all the perfect seals, the problem was the ignition module. it could be that the fs 250 of the friend Darrion has some sealing problem.
To remove that flywheel, I seen a guy put the nut back on barely then hit it with an air hammer. It came loose in less than 1 second. After seeing that, an air hammer is all I will ever be using from now on.
that makes sense, thank you Kentucky Cornbread.
Common sense if you use these things every day there is more simple maintenance involved
you are correct, this one has been use twice.
How can that baby be broken.
well it's not really broken, just a bit off from it should be.
4:18 the reason your gauge showed lower compression than expected is because you used the attachment for the compression tester for the smaller spark plug hole. You need the Schrader valve to be at the absolute end of the tester, or else the extra volume will reduce the compression, even if it was just a little bit. I've struggled with this in the past before I realized this
I never thought of that 👍
Great catch. I guess I have a couple more things to add to the "doesn't start" diagnosis aside from fuel, compression and spark. lol You are a real patient guy. Don't think I would have caught that. Thanks for sharing.
thank you A Patterson.
All of my rotations around the Sun, I’ve never seen such a thorough explanation of how an engine work. You just taught me a lot. I really appreciate you making this video. Thank you.
Wow, thank you!
This is common for red max blowers. The ignition coil is either faulty or not adjusted properly.
I hope your friend appreciates all the work you did on his blower.!
yes, and I appreciate that he calls me first, when trouble comes up.
I've had this problem with an 8550 redmax. I've had this problem on 2 blowers. The fix I went back to Echo after using redmax for 23 years . I'm no longer confident with redmax
I understand how you feel.
Neon spark testers are only a quick test, you really need a spark gap tester to see how far the spark will jump. Sometimes the neon testers will show a small glow and the spark is not good enough to start the engine. I see this sometimes on Honda's that I repair. Those are great blowers, and thanks for the video.
yes I do , I'll have to get one of those.
In the past I used to make such a distance "jump" tester with just a wooden block, an old sparkplug without internal resistor and two nails. One nail is fixed on the block and jammed between de electrodes of the sparkplug. The sparkplug boot is then easily connected to this sparkplug. The other nail can slide and is connected to a wire and simple clamp to ground. You cut away the wood surrounding the nailtips. You could set the distance between the tip of the nails. Indeed worked like a charm and I could test (mostly) questionable moped ignitions by using a drill and socket to spin the engine. This way you can test the induction strength of the coil on the actual setup and detect faulty coils. Most times if coils are bad the colour of the spark has an "orange" tone to it and or is hardly visible. I think that a distance of at least 8 to 9mm is ok
very nice setup, thanks for the information
@@HomeGaragechannel yes and very cheap to.make 😉
Yes, coincidentally I am fixing similar situation on an Echo backpack now and the quick, Harbor Freight-type tester shows plenty of glow. But still won't start even though the coil/flywheel gap is spot on. Next step: ground the plug; hmm, there is no spark. Thus, I have ordered a better gap-type tester ... and a new coil. I have used the HF tester for years and it always seemed to be a good ignition indicator. Because of this experience on the Echo, it is revealing to me that it can register some juice, yes, but it can also be misleading.
I had something similar happen. Got a brand new ebz7500 at work. Was loving life, breaking it in and all that. Got low on gas 1st tank went to grab some and came back. Blower died but didn’t run out of fuel. The ignition coil failed within the 1st couple hours of use according to the shop. I didn’t get the chance finish breaking it in…. Boss gave me another new blower the next day and that one has been a champ for 3 seasons. Was super weird to say the least.
that was very strange and thanks for sharing your experience.
I love turning on my TH-cam feed and finding more and more videos from this channel! I remember taking computer maintenance classes back when I was in community college and having tests where we will be presented with a computer that had some issue and we had to figure out why it was not working, I enjoy watching your videos and following along as you diagnose each mystery and I try to keep up with what I have learned so I can try to anticipate what will you try next. I am not at the point yet where I can foretell your every move but I am still learning 🙂
thank you I really appreciate this comment!
Unless I missed it you didn't mention any thing about the fuel or did you know the freshness/age?
I made a very brief comment about the owner being the type to only use good fuel and also mix it at the correct ratio.
Personally I would have rebuilt that cob something's not right all that fuel getting through
that was a possibility and I would have replaced it, if it didn't work by the end of the video.
I would mix up a fresh batch of 2 stroke fuel which I had to do With a stubborn customers Ryobi line trimmer & he was adamant that he put the right amount of oil into the fuel tank of his 2 stroke Ryobi trimmer about 20 years ago which wouldn't Start.
I tipped his fuel out & ran the workshops fuel in it about 20 years ago & it started & ran.
He had taken it elsewhere in town & they said the same thing !
Very good advice.
I think the spark checking tools can be very useful, but at the same time, i like to see the spark right from the plug and just see how much and how good of spark there is. Shame we didn't get a before video of it and then the after. Great work, for sure would leave it how it is.
I got a free weed eater on the side of the road, thing started 3 pulls...no issues. Well theres that, HOWEVER, i also have a residential grade Sthil weed eater which is a PAIN to start, and is cold blooded. Some might throw that away just for how it starts.
you make a really good point
Not for the issue you had, but as an FYI for later. These Redmax blowers, it’s very common for both the cylinder head and intake manifold bolts (4) to loosen or check as loose. When either the intake manifold or head gasket leak, if will cause various mysterious running issues. As a preventive measure when new, a good idea would be to put a white paint mark across the bolts and manifold and bolts and cylinder base, so with a quick visual inspection you can see if the bolts have loosened. However, the assemblies/gaskets may compress over time and thus the tension is released and although the bolt hasn’t turned, it would check loose when you tried tightening it. So, it still may be advisable to torque check these bolts periodically. Some other ideas would be blue thread locker, nordlock wedge lock washers (add 2mm to assembled height, may need longer bolt to maintain thread engagement), and lastly, safety wire bolt pairs to each other if you’re good with that sort of thing.
unfortunately the bolts were not loose on this one.
@@HomeGaragechannel On the ones I saw that safety wired the base bolts, they used hex bolts with taller heads that were easier to cross drill for the safety wire.
And I’ll add that if the cylinder bolts become loose, the gasket between the cylinder and crankcase will most likely fail. Once that happens, you won’t have the necessary vacuum to pull the air/fuel mixture from the intake side into the engine. If tightening these bolts gets you running, but the blower is still hard to start and then dies after running long enough to get fully warmed up, replace that gasket. It’s an easy job.
I'd set it up for electric start using a drill to spin it at speed, like one of my friends did with his mower.
That's good idea.
I have two..when it works it's a beast..and when it doesn't time to tear it down just like you did..only problem I've ever had was fuel related..otherwise it's a good blower..
thank you Rodney Brand.
Weird to see a Redmax blower no starting, they make goid blowers
Yes they do, just this one, is a bit problematic, only on the start though.
I really like red max, i think its. A good starting machine brand for anyone that wantsa. Good bang for the buck, my dad tho, he doesn’t like back pack blowers, i mean their powerful n all but he just settles for a hand held
I think I understand, it's a weight issue.
It almost acts like a carb with a stuck open needle n just dumps fuel into the intake. Maybe that's what's happening when priming. Did you try starting it with the trigger pulled to give it max air flow n no choke after priming?
No, just had the choke on, which also give it a bit of throttle.
@@HomeGaragechannel yeah I was just thinking maybe having the throttle wide open might help clear the flooding in a similar way to flooring a flooded car
In this case not really. It just makes the Flood worse.
@@HomeGaragechannel right on that's why I brought it up cuz I was unsure if it would have an effect or not on that style of carb
thanks for the ideas, I appreciate it
i have an echo backpack blower that i am working on and we just replaced the ignition coil with s brand new one. however it had no spark no matter where the killswitch is turned to
have you tried to remove the small wire going to the Coil, and then try and start it?
@@HomeGaragechannel will have to try messing around with it when I get back to it, its part of a shop class I take where we fix people's equipment
love your content, I have learned a lot just from watching your videos! keep up the great work
thank you and you're doing some really good work at that class. A lot of people appreciate that kind of stuff.
Is it a problem if I start my sthil fs 120 grass trimmer on full choke and when it tryes to shut off I turn the choke off and it runs.
nope perfectly fine in fact.
@@HomeGaragechannel ok thanks
I think I would stick to Echo
me too.
You know, I have always had good luck with Echo. Then again they are the OLD Echo's that you can't kill.
You can say that again
wow it really gave you a hard time didnt it. Fun to see some of the bigger commercial equipment on the channel, I have heard a lot of good things about redmax and their equipment.
me too, As long as I'm aware of the flooding issues, I'd still buy it.
Hey. This was a good one! I’m sure it was Frustrating to say the least.
I’m not familiar with those carbs. Are there any hidden adjustments on it so you could lean it out a bit for start up?
To answer your question, if it was my own machine I would also just run with it once I figured out the sequence.
Cheers
thank you Ez Ray, I'm not sure if it has any hidden screws, but since it wasn't mine, I didn't want to try to find them.
Keep well away from this make😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😂😂😞😎
big job but a great video
thank you Moo Zuke
I have same issues with mine , I have changed the cylinder, piston, rings , carb , even the crankcase , gap is fine on the flywheel and no one can turn it on .
It's driven me crazy , I don't know where else to look at.
sorry to hear that
The last time my old 2nd hand 8500 would not start I opened the fuel tank and dumped the gas from the beginning and the fuel pickup line had broken off in the tank. The time before that it was just a fuel filter. The time before that I could not pull the starter rope because it had excessive compression from heavy carbon buildup in the upper cylinder and on top of the piston. I soaked the piston and cylinder in laquer thinner over night and it was spotless afterward. problem solved
nice work
I have a two copies of this machine or a rebranded version & i can tell you this much, mine won’t start with wide open throttle, to start i follow the manufacturer’s guide which i s to apply full choke no throttle, pull start until the engine starts & runs & when the engine starts to stumble, open the choke to fully open & the engine continues running, after a minute of warm up i can apply full throttle.
I don’t own a single two stroke engine that requires any throttle to start & i own 8 different machines with various sized engines.
Last year i had one of my Honda engined Toro Hoverpros that would run for a few minutes then die, it would restart each time but die again.
Turned out it was the spark plug which was a resistance type plug, the resistor was failing & cutting out.
A new plug immediately fixed the issue. A resistor plug usually has an R in the part number.
thanks Will Grant.
We learned something new this video, i suggest adding this to the diagnostic list when it comes to checking the ignition system, checking the air gap between the flywheel magnet and ignition coil will play a huge role when checking for spark, that helped me when i was working on starting the Husqvarna 252RX to check that everything was working as it should be 😄
thank you Lucas Bergfors.
You never checked the gap on the plug, I just went through something similar and it was the plug gap.
The blower is basically new, has about 2 hours it. So no did not check the plug gap.
ive tried the drill trick to start my 4hp craftsman mower but it wont spin it. I have a dewalt 18v drill and an 18v fuel milwaukee impact wrench AND driver and none them wants to spin that craftsman. I have to pull it with the rope and its a pain. What drill are you guys using to spin these motors?
I'm just using a Harbor Freight corded drill. the cheap one too.
Anytime an engine floods beyond its normal choke point, you should check the air filter for any obstruction. If that's good, the next thing to check is your high and low fuel rate metering screws could be out of adjustment and letting in too much fuel during normal ops.
thank you K L
Very odd that air gap was like that on a new blower like that . But very glad you were able to get it to run
I know right, thank you Turning_wrenches85
Great video, that's a nice blower, I would probably just do what you did and modify the starting procedure to prevent flooding.
thank you WildeFox.
I once used jb weld to block off full choke on a cheap weed eater because I was staying away and kids were using it
Crazy but worked for several years
nice choice
I wouldn't use that primer bulb and not choke it and pull it should start itf don't then I ill choke pull twice and off then startshould work
good idea.
Common things to check for is engine bay full of tire shreds.. like a playground.. squirrel did it?
squirrels or mice.
Yeah I got two new toys today and I flooded them both on my first attempt to surprise the coil was out of adjustment that does that does happen though
wow, that was weird.
I have a husqvarna for home use for 7 years no problems all commercial sh!t is crap
LOL!!!
Yeah I'd do it like you did I'd try and see how to start it and then see what to do leave it or replace it
thanks
Learnt how to start the engine by using the drill today.
it comes in handy sometimes
Good job once again, you sure do have a lots of friends 😄I’m still trying to find a carb for an old chain saw project I started about 6 months ago 😂Mike from Quebec 👍🏻
good luck finding one, Old Carbs are hard to find parts for.
What saw?
First thing I would of checked is the fuel. Incorrect mixture…..
yes that's a good place and fortunately this was correct. Known the guy for years, and I know he's good for the basic stuff.
Why would someone buy a blower and keep it in the box for the first 2 years?
that I don't know, it sounded kind of strange to me too, but they aren't the type to lie about stuff.
Ok that's a brand I won't buy 🤷
me too, I have a different brand in mind.
@@HomeGaragechannel is crack man one of them
If you run redmax every single day it's a simple procedure to start them
yes agreed
Knowing me I’d get ticked off if it doesn’t start. I’d try to find out why it’s flooding
it was very frustrating to say the least.
I don't know if I would buy one like that if it was prone to flooding that easily and I'd probably return it if I did , it seems like the carburetor is not working properly when choked you should only use half choke all the time no full choke on it , I think the manufacturer cheaped out on the carb if it was a quality carburetor it would work full choke , half choke and wide open basically fully functional carb , also the adjustment on the ignition coil could have been from it not being tighten properly from the factory or loosen when running and it moved when it was set down (if it was set down a little hard) and thrown the timing or spark strength off making it not start but only speculating what could of happened
Since I know it's prone, I would still get it, just alter my start up, IT's a damn good blower, the best I've ever used in fact.
@@HomeGaragechannel I guess if you had alot of (leaf) blowing to do you could get use to it but I like using the small battery powered leaf blower we got light weight and gets the job done I don't do alot of blowing most the time it's just to clean tools like table saws , wood planers and other wood working tools me and my dad build wood projects but not really in the last three to four months cause he was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemo and radiation treatment now he's about to go in for surgery really soon so he hasn't had enough strength to do much lately but hopefully in a few months or more he'll be getting better and stronger so we can do more wood work and turning on the lathe anyways went off topic , great videos and fixes
I have a similar blower...and mine likes to be started with the throttle wide open.
unfortunately, after reading the owners manual for this one, I believe they only wanted the throttle to be slightly opened
Those double stack walbro carbs suck imo
That is common of when it gets hot coil shorts out
Another YT ER's 2nd test after fuel is pull fuel filter off and test if the line to needle holds a vacuum if it doesn't then isolate the line by blocking other side to recheck.
You probably know of this but like me haven't got a mityvac yet 😉👍
Its a new equipment. Take it to the dealer. Dont avoid the warrantie.
actually it's new but it's been in the box for over a year to the warrant doesn't apply.
great video, but until you get it to at least hit, nothing else can tell you anything,
Very true!
What cause my trimmer to bog down on when i rev the engine
either a lack of fuel, or the exhaust is clogged.
So I have question, it might sound dumb. I was given as a gift a back pack leaf blower, it's a Chinese made blower that the manual says 2014. It's brand new, my question is it calls for 25:1 to 30:1 will it hurt if I run a pre mixed fuel of 40:1? Or should I use what the manufacturer calls for? Thank you for any advice you give or have given me
it's a very good question to ask. I would do what the manual says.
@@HomeGaragechannel thank you so much for your reply. I have been following the manual but wasn't sure if it would hurt to use a different ratio.
never hurts to ask, thanks again Gary Allen.
Omg what do you look like? Anybody else curious ?
in general I have 2 arms, 2 legs, and most people say I've got a big head, but I think my body is small.
Did you adjust the carburetor adjustment screws?
If I recall there's only the one screw in the middle of the barrel on top.
I have a Poulan Pro blower. It was always running great. Then I ran out of gas. When I mixed a new batch of oil gas mixture it ran for a while then quite. Is my oil to gas ratio off. Or maybe the oil blend, brand (Pro select) was not good for my blower? Can you help?? It will start then quite.
how are you mixing your fuel, and can you get a compression test done?
@@HomeGaragechannel I was trying to reach a 40 to 1. but my gas container was 2.6 gals. so my math may have been off. If my math was off and I ended up with a different ratio would that have a negative effect on the engine? No I can't get a compression test done. I don't have a tester. It was running fine with the old gas. Was my brand (Pro Select) bad for the engine?
even if you had too little Oil, say 60:1 or 80:1 it would take a couple of hours of running to really hurt it.
If it starts, that's good enough for me. The 8 horse I/C on the Roof won't need choking even when cold if it's just been a few days. My pal at his saw shop clued me in on that one. That model Briggs is just that way. It starts on the last charge it got when the ignition was shut off. And the Echo fired on the 2nd pull instead of 3rd! Maybe it'll start cranking itself! Thanks and Blessings!
thanks for the information.
Remember how 🤔 😳 🤣 😅 😏 🙂 🤔
Got to be honest after owning a 2 brand new redmax's and 2 brand new Echo's I would go with the Echo anyday over the redmax. Just found the Echo's are more reliable
thank you for sharing the information, can you tell me which models of echo and redmax you have?
@@HomeGaragechannel Yes the redmax was the Ebz7500 and the eariler model was a 7100 redmax. As far as the echo the first one I bought was a 750sh and my current blower is a echo 8010. The 750 was great for everyday driveway and normal leaf blowing. the 8010 is a beast it blows mountains of leaves! Love it!
very nice, thank you
Great video. We’ve got one that looks like a brother to the one in your video. WE have the same issue. Brand new and wont start. Sounds like it coughs but never fires up. I’ll have to check what you did. Thanks.
thanks, for the cliffs Note version of this, Just try starting it without the choke, and with throttle squeezed.
Maybe the blower won't run on blue Kool-Aid!
blueberry
I have the 8500 and it almost always starts on the third pull. I never Prime it either. When it’s cold I give it about 10 seconds before I throttle it up
that's a very nice tip
My echo leaf blower is a bitch w
I had a lawn boy throw me in for a loop once. Had everything to run. Coil plug carb swaps nothing worked until I looked in the exhaust and realized the piston rings moved and lined up to cause it not to run. Was a real head scratcher
wow, that was a real pain to figure out.
Worked as a landscaper some years and in the workshed when picking up a tool such as a chainsaw, blower or trimmer, the older guys would tell you
" aha, you have the nr.354 so you need to prime, 1 pull full choke, 2 dry, 1 at 1/2choke - starts".
wow, they know what they're talking about
A great spark tester is a large rubber insulated spring loaded clamp with a foot long wire attached to it and a smaller spring loaded clamp on the other end of the wire , ( just like the battery charger clamps ) take spark plug out then clamp big clamp onto spark plug and smaller clamp directly onto a metal ground aka engine block or good point of ground " pull cord watch for spark ,, also make sure you have a KNOWN good spark plug to test with ! Don't forget the ignition kill switch can be bad or have high resistance causing weak spark also ! And yes those almost new ignition modules can and do go bad just like that ! My Husqvarna handheld blower worked great one day next day bad ignition module !
thanks for the information!
Just had exactly the same problem with a post hole borer. Looks like the same carb also. Did everything you did and couldn't really see any problems. But while it was out and stripped, I ultrasonically cleaned the carb and reassembled it. Did the tank also. Put new fuel mix in it and with a prime it started 4th pull. So perhaps I just couldn't see fine dirt particles in the carb??
yes that could be the issue.
I have a 25cc weed eater brand that's giving me the same problem. Changed the coil to get spark. Have done all the normal stuff but still won't start. I'm thinking now the compression may be bad. I'm almost to the point of finding a Catholic priest to perform an exorcism on it, ha, ha.
nice, have you tried getting a compression reading?
@@HomeGaragechannel I don't have a compression gauge. I thought I might could rent one at an auto parts store.
actually I think it's part of their loan program to, pay for it, and return it, no questions asked, and a full refund.
@@HomeGaragechannelI have a spare motor. During the process of swapping motors i noticed the 2 plugs on the kill switch were bent & touching. I changed the motor anyway. Now it runs.
In regards to the flooding issue on start up, it looked to me that you set the throttle hold lever “cruise control” well above the 1/3 throttle “high idle” as prescribed in the operators manual for starting.
Too much starting throttle was confirmed for me when you did actually get the engine started and it revved up well above What I know start up high idle warm up rpm to sound like on my own husq 570.
very true, I'll have to mention that to the owner, I appreciate it Jeremy Rathje.
Perhaps the operator manual may of helped. Doesn’t look like it would be under warranty, but worth checking.
No don’t buy one, buy a Stihl.
I think you're right
My boss sells redmax products. The 8500 in my opinion, the best blower on the market. 2 things over the years that were a problem. 1. The bolts on the fan would egg out causing fan wobble. They recalled it. 2. Coils were intermittent. Similar to the start of this video. Also a recalled part as well. Sorry for the long comment lol.
no need to apologize and thank you Joe Apicelli.
Literally did everything in this video on my Husqvarna model of this redmax. Still doesn’t want to start…..very frustrating
sorry to hear that.
Any recommendations?
what did you get for the compression reading? and did you try using the drill to start it and "un-flood" it?
145: and yes. I literally went step by step with your video. I’m at a loss
If you remember you said the spark looked inconsistent when you first checked it. That would have made me dive into spark as the problem and reset the air gap as a first test.
yes you make a good point.