Logsplitter won't start

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pmgnut

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Hi all, Jim from CT here. Nice site. I have a yard machines 25 ton splitter, it has a Honda GCV 160 engine. Always ran great up until today. Was splitting a small log and she died very suddenly, no sputtering, no slow stalling, just instantly stopped running as if the engine switch was turned off. Will not restart. Pulled carb, removed bowl, float and needle valve, needle looks good. Sprayed the heck out of it with carb cleaner. Put carb back on, BARELY ran with choke fully on. The slightest choke adjustment back to off position it will die quickly. Pulled spark plug before all this, plug looks fine, but the end is dry. Aren't spark plug tips supposed to have some kind trace amount of residual fuel on the tip when you remove them? I also initially drained the gas tank completely and refilled with fresh gas. Gas line to carb seems to be a steady flow from the tank. Anyway I am stumped!!
 
I have not done that yet, will do that in the a.m. Should have done that first but i just assumed it was a fuel issue. Thanks I will try that.
 
Mine has a B&S engine but the same sort of results when the low oil shutoff comes into action. I add some oil and runs good. Some day I'll figure out what's leaking. I don't know if the Honda's have a low oil shutdown but worth checking.
 
Took carb apart once more, removed main jet and emulsion tube this time, cleaned out, put carb back on. Checked oil and noticed it was way overfilled- when i removed the cap it came spewing out. Drained all oil out, added new oil to proper level on dipstick. Checked for spark, spark was good. This time I manually helped it along and pushed the throttle bar thing {has linkage to the carb} as i pulled the starter rope - Fired right up! So I'm thinking maybe the excess oil prevented it from starting? Strange because the spark plug tip was dry.
 
...So I'm thinking maybe the excess oil prevented it from starting?
That'll do it. Helped a neighbor with a mower that wouldn't start because he overfilled the oil to about an inch above the full line. I just drained some out and it ran good then too, just like your engine. Good fix!
 

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