auger starting issues

[korupt21]

I have a 2hp jiffy auger, stealth stx.

It takes me 25-30 pulls of starter cord in order to get it started.

I will pull and pull with the choke engauged, it will eventually turn over and run. (half choke or no choke won't start it at all. I am not flooding it due to choke being engauged, so thats not it)

Once started it runs perfect. I can set it down and it will keep right on running. But as soon as I shut it off and try to restart it will take just as many pulls to get it to fire up agian.

Any ideas on why?

I removed the air intake filter and screen, cleaned and replaced.

I sprayed some sea foam into the air intake while running to clena up the carb a little.

I replaced the spark plug.

I replace the gas with new.

I am out of ideas on how to correct this problem.

In the past I'd take a few pulls, but not as many as it takes now.

thanks in advance for any insight.

[Effie07]

Get a Strikemaster Lazer Electra, if you forget to charge the battery or run out of juice, hook it up to your vehicle battery and continue drilling.

[korupt21]

not exactly the advice I was looking for, unless you want to donate one to me.

[BoxMN]

I would think you probably need to clean the carb on it. Not a "use some seafoam" type cleaning, but a pull it apart, clean it good, put it together type cleaning. Or maybe even just unscrew the needle, blow some compressed air and gunout in, and put in the needle again.

Sounds like it is gummed up good and fuel isn't flowing. I know it runs good when you have it running, but I still think that would be your best bet. Good luck. There are instructions here somewhere on how to do it for the various motors, or else folks more knowledgable than me should be able to help.

[McGurk]

How are you storing it in summer? Do you drain the gas, or leave it in and start it occasionally throughout the summer? If you don't do either of those you can have a varnish buildup in the lines and carb, and a simple spray won't take care of. Either a physical cleaning or a good soak in carb cleaner will help.

It sounds like it's starved for gas (I wish these 2hp tecumsehs had primer bulbs!) until you finally get it to go. You can indeed flood an engine by trying to start it with the choke engaged, the choke is just blocking the air intake resulting in a richer mix to start with.

Here's a couple things to try:

-check your spark plug gap, and even try another new one if it's wet or sooty.

-try starting it with the throttle engaged (be careful doing this!) a guy at SM recommends doing that with the tecumseh 2hp powerheads.

-try thinning out the mixture by adding some more gas to the tank. 24-1 or even 32-1 is too thick after you have the engine broken in. 40-1 or even 50-1 should be fine in most cases, but be careful when doin this and pay attention to your motor.

-remove the muffler and make sure it isn't clogged with excess oil. This can happen with many 2-strokes with thick oil mixes.

-Add some seafoam into your mixed gas and into the tank. Then, remove the auger and put the powerhead over a 5 gallon so you can run it safely and easily. Start it, and then somehow secure the throttle open about halfway (Zipties?) and run a half a tank of gas through it. It will be noisy but may help.

-use non-oxygenated (no Ethanol mixed in), high octane gas for your next tank. At the very least get run-of-the-mill 91 octane gas to mix with. Never use E85, and I stay away from even E10 (most everything out there) if you can.

-Switch to Amsoil Sabre Pro Synthetic 2-stroke oil for your mixed gas, mixed at 80-1 or as thin as 100-1 (mine starts much easier now htat I switched

[Surface Tension]

If you prime it through the spark plug it'll probably fire right up.

I think you need a carb cleaning and rebuild kit.

[savage]

Take apart carb lift meter leaver just a bit, lift it to hi gas dripping from carb ,if it is to low hard starting wont run Its getting the meter leaver just right . might take a few times to get just right. took me 5 times to get it just where i wanted it. they say it should be flush with carb body i lifted mine just a little higher found sweet spot . thats is the new way u ajust them carbs