Mitch wrote:
Have you taken a good look at the exhaust/muffler?

Yeah, that was one of the first things I checked.

I pulled the plastic stops off of the carb adjustment screws.
By backing them out about 1 1/2 turns (WAY more than the stops
allowed), I was able to get it to run. It still won't go full
throttle, and I had to keep massaging the throttle to keep it from
dying, but I was able to move some dirt around.

I guess I'll take the carb apart over the Winter.


If you got it running, buy a gallon of Premium gasoline, like Amoco
Gold. It will run better in a clogged up carburetor, and it will remove
some of the gum and varnish build-up as you run it.

I buy 92 octane for my lawnmower and chain saws for the first tank every
years, then switch back to 89 octane next time I buy fuel.

It'll only cost you an extra 20¢ to try it. :-)

Bob

On Sun, 20 May 2007 14:28:18 GMT, Mitch Mitch@... wrote:



Have you taken a good look at the exhaust/muffler?

Yeah, that was one of the first things I checked.

I pulled the plastic stops off of the carb adjustment screws.
By backing them out about 1 1/2 turns (WAY more than the stops
allowed), I was able to get it to run. It still won't go full
throttle, and I had to keep massaging the throttle to keep it from
dying, but I was able to move some dirt around.

I guess I'll take the carb apart over the Winter.

Well it was worth a shot

I suspect these are almost identical to the weed whacker
motor/carbs. If so there isn't much to them at all. Two
screws/bolts remove it from the intake/jug. Maybe 4 screws
allow it to be split in two. Just be really careful not to
damage the gasket. It is more than just a gasket. It has
little flapping check valves and such which are part of it.
Take a good look at both the hoses too. One comes from the
tank and the other is a return line. They can cause some
weird troubles too if cracked or loose where they enter the
tank. You would probably have noticed fuel leaking though
and it isn't old enough for them to have really deteriorated
too much.

From what you have said/done so far I doubt it will give you
any problem. I just carefully blow them out good with
compressed air and put'em back together.

It may just settle down after you run some gas through it.
If so you will probably have to set the adjustments back
like they were, or close to the same.

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

My Mantis is 2004, and last few years has been a nightmare--and continues for 2015. I never really bought the "new gas" scenario, but after trying this last weekend and having it barely run--I did the new gas Monday AM (used regular, though). Got it started and it ran like a dynamo for about 20 min--so now I am a believer in new gas! Shut it off for few minutes of raking, and then could not get it started. Rest of week same scenario, mess with Carb, changed filter, checked spark arrest screen, checked plug, used carb cleaner on "L" jet(rebuilt carb last year)--run's fine for 5-10 min--and then quits. Talked to Mantis twice this week--little help, except comments on bad gas these day. Am ready to burn it in town square in Cary, NC.

On Fri, 20 Mar 2015 15:31:51 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

My Mantis is 2004, and last few years has been a nightmare--and continues for 2015. I never really bought the "new gas" scenario, but after trying this last weekend and having it barely run--I did the new gas Monday AM (used regular, though). Got it started and it ran like a dynamo for about 20 min--so now I am a believer in new gas! Shut it off for few minutes of raking, and then could not get it started. Rest of week same scenario, mess with Carb, changed filter, checked spark arrest screen, checked plug, used carb cleaner on "L" jet(rebuilt carb last year)--run's fine for 5-10 min--and then quits. Talked to Mantis twice this week--little help, except comments on bad gas these day. Am ready to burn it in town square in Cary, NC.


Replace the fuel filter.

Buy a little electric one! Mine has not let me down in the past few months. Quite powerful too

https://youtu.be/MpdMx5cuM7Y

Whatever gas you use in whatever small engine you must use an enzymatic fuel treatment such as StarTron. If you don't you can kiss your carberator goodby. The ethanol in the gas destroys plastics and plugs up passages when it evaporates. It also will absorb water. Death to any small engine, 2 or 4 stroke

In article ,
says...

Whatever gas you use in whatever small engine you must use an enzymatic fuel treatment such as StarTron. If you don't you can kiss your carberator goodby. The ethanol in the gas destroys plastics and plugs up passages when it evaporates. It also will absorb water. Death to any small engine, 2 or 4 stroke

You mean any crappy or ancient one. Quite frankly if an engine bought
new today can't handle ethanol it's a piece of shit. The manufacturers
know the composition of the fuels that are available today and if the
engines won't run on them then the manufacturers have not done their
job.

Has leaking has out of fuel tank grommet