I have to replace the engine on my log splitter* ... fortunately I
happen to have a suitable engine on hand for the replacement . Just
gotta make a couple of minor changes , like coarse instead of fine
thread bolts to hold the pump to the motor . And a motor crankshaft
that's a bit larger than the original .
So I'm trying to dial the coupler half in on the lathe to bore it for
the larger shaft . What a piece of shit , machining tolerances must be
just a vague idea in the shop that machined this thing . Finally got it
dialed in within a thousandth or so to the face and radius of the part
and start to machine the bore . Which is neither square nor centered in
the part . OK , so it was only a couple or 3 thousandths , but damn ,
this part was probably CNC machined and I expected closer tolerances .
OK , rant is over now .
* I thought it was fuel starvation , but that wasn't it . No power , governor surge , and it dies under load . Choke on/off makes no
difference and I've done a spray solvent vacuum leak check . I've
thoroughly cleaned the fuel tank and replaced the carb and all fuel
lines . This is a Viper 196cc OHV engine , and I have put a lot of hours
on it in the last 9 or 10 years . Might just be worn out ...
--
Snag
We live in a time where intelligent people
are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.

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On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 12:51:01 -0500
Snag <[email protected]> wrote:

<snip>

I thought it was fuel starvation , but that wasn't it . No power ,
governor surge , and it dies under load . Choke on/off makes no
difference and I've done a spray solvent vacuum leak check . I've
thoroughly cleaned the fuel tank and replaced the carb and all fuel
lines . This is a Viper 196cc OHV engine , and I have put a lot of hours
on it in the last 9 or 10 years . Might just be worn out ...

Had a nearly new Weed-Whacker with similar symptoms. It would start and
kinda run. Hit the throttle and it would die out. Also die out if you
let it idle for several seconds...

Mud wasps had built a nest in the exhaust pipe/muffler almost
completely blocking it off. I didn't notice in your trouble shooting
anything about the exhaust...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI

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On 6/21/2025 1:17 PM, Leon Fisk wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 12:51:01 -0500
Snag <[email protected]> wrote:

<snip>

I thought it was fuel starvation , but that wasn't it . No power ,
governor surge , and it dies under load . Choke on/off makes no
difference and I've done a spray solvent vacuum leak check . I've
thoroughly cleaned the fuel tank and replaced the carb and all fuel
lines . This is a Viper 196cc OHV engine , and I have put a lot of hours
on it in the last 9 or 10 years . Might just be worn out ...

Had a nearly new Weed-Whacker with similar symptoms. It would start and
kinda run. Hit the throttle and it would die out. Also die out if you
let it idle for several seconds...

Mud wasps had built a nest in the exhaust pipe/muffler almost
completely blocking it off. I didn't notice in your trouble shooting
anything about the exhaust...

No , you didn't ... a bit late now since I've fitted the drive
coupler to a larger crankshaft but I will check that . If I can figure
it out I'll keep this motor for a replacement for the tiller . The new
motor was originally intended for the tiller , but it recovered from
it's problem and has been running fine .
--
Snag
We live in a time where intelligent people
are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 6/21/2025 12:25 PM, Snag wrote:

On 6/21/2025 1:17 PM, Leon Fisk wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 12:51:01 -0500
Snag <[email protected]> wrote:

<snip>

I thought it was fuel starvation , but that wasn't it . No power ,
governor surge , and it dies under load . Choke on/off makes no
difference and I've done a spray solvent vacuum leak check . I've
thoroughly cleaned the fuel tank and replaced the carb and all fuel
lines . This is a Viper 196cc OHV engine , and I have put a lot of hours >>> on it in the last 9 or 10 years . Might just be worn out ...

Had a nearly new Weed-Whacker with similar symptoms. It would start and
kinda run. Hit the throttle and it would die out. Also die out if you
let it idle for several seconds...

Mud wasps had built a nest in the exhaust pipe/muffler almost
completely blocking it off. I didn't notice in your trouble shooting
anything about the exhaust...

  No , you didn't ... a bit late now since I've fitted the drive
coupler to a larger crankshaft but I will check that . If I can figure
it out I'll keep this motor for a replacement for the tiller . The new
motor was originally intended for the tiller , but it recovered from
it's problem and has been running fine .

My dad once spent a year fighting with one of the two 4 cylinder Chevy
engines in a Searay sport fisher. He finally broke down the exhaust
system and found a wide thin wedge of rust about 75% obstructing the
exhaust.

I never think of checking the exhaust either. 19 out of 20 times when I
have small engine troubles its air box or carburetor. Usually plugged. Sometimes float stuck. The 20th time its usually down to being
completely worn out.

Rarely is a spark plug bad, but I have had bad coils or coils that were
to far from the flywheel.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

--
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On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:25:09 -0500
Snag <[email protected]> wrote:

<snip>

No , you didn't ... a bit late now since I've fitted the drive
coupler to a larger crankshaft but I will check that . If I can figure
it out I'll keep this motor for a replacement for the tiller . The new
motor was originally intended for the tiller , but it recovered from
it's problem and has been running fine .

It's a long shot, I know you do good work👍️

I felt like an idiot when I found that mud nest clogging the exhaust
after having the carb all apart among other things🙄️

One other odd thing I've seen is a partially sheared half-moon key on
the crank shaft to flywheel. May happen after a particularly violent
stall-out type mishap or the flywheel bolt has loosened a tad. It threw
the timing off just enough that it would still run but poorly.

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI

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On 6/21/2025 1:29 PM, Leon Fisk wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:25:09 -0500
Snag <[email protected]> wrote:

<snip>

No , you didn't ... a bit late now since I've fitted the drive
coupler to a larger crankshaft but I will check that . If I can figure
it out I'll keep this motor for a replacement for the tiller . The new
motor was originally intended for the tiller , but it recovered from
it's problem and has been running fine .

It's a long shot, I know you do good work👍️

I felt like an idiot when I found that mud nest clogging the exhaust
after having the carb all apart among other things🙄️

One other odd thing I've seen is a partially sheared half-moon key on
the crank shaft to flywheel. May happen after a particularly violent stall-out type mishap or the flywheel bolt has loosened a tad. It threw
the timing off just enough that it would still run but poorly.

I haven't had that happen, but I follow some of the hotrod go cart guys
on YouTube like Cars and Camera, and I have seen them show that problem.
Of course you expect failures on those small engines every other trip
to the track when you are chasing tenths of a second on the 1/8 mile at
RPMs in the multiples of what those engines were designed for.



--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
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