Huskee/Speeco 22T won't start in the cold (even mild cold)

[haveawoody]

Mac88,

Same for me, the older equiptment goes and keeps working until it really dies.
New stuff is a crap shot with limited odds

 

[Butch(OH)]

We bought one last fall and know of three similar ones local and all acted exactly the same way. That engine is a POS and so is the carb design but it is complicated by emission standards that require lean burning. Mine will receive a 6HP Yanmar diesel as soon as I get tired of fussing with it but until then I fixed it and all the others nearby with a torch tip cleaner.

Please realize you can easily screw up here but there is no death penalty, it just coats you a few bucks for a new part.

Remove the Mattel like air cleaner cover and the filter. Then the three screws that retain the back part of the air cleaner and primer bulb. All of this is so you can see what you are doing. Then take a small pair of vice grips and pinch the fuel line since they saw to it to not fit a :taped: shut off. Under the center of the fuel bowl is a brass hex piece that looks like a nut, remove it carefully, if the bowl sticks in place leave it alone. Now carefully look at the top off the piece you just removed. Use a magnifier if you have one handy. That little tiny hole you are looking at is the main jet. One of the smallest tip cleaner wires will pass through the hole. You may have to trim the end so the file like area will be in the hole. Pull it back and forth a few times 4-5 at the most making sure it is rubbing against one side or the other. You want to remove a VERY small amount of material, if visibly opened up you just screwed up. Since warm starting is different than cold thetrial and error period may take a few days but you do NOT want to remove too much, if you do it will both run and sound like a choke is stuck on and you will be ordering a new part to start over on. Be careful running the air cleaner screws in and out of the carb body since you are deal with plastic. A screw up here is more than a couple bucks. All in all if you screw it up so it doesn't run at all you have done yourself no disfavor. Replace it with something of better quality.

 

[haveawoody]

Butch(OH),

Yeah with no fuel shotoff it's just a question of time before the carb gets gummed up.

Keep splitting until it runs out of gas i think is the easy answer.
A bit of sea foam overnight if it's really running rough from a gum up.

I've rescued many a badly gummed up carb with a couple ounces of seafoam, empty all gas, put a couple ounces seafoam in the tank, pull the plug out, try to fire the engine 10 or so times , put the plug back in then leave it overnight that way.

Add fresh gas in the morning and 9 out of 10 times the piece of equiptment is like new.
1 out of 10 and it's manual carb jet cleaning time.
Thats always a fun time LOL

 

[aaron]

I switched to synthetic oil, and use SeaFoam in my gas. My Huskee 22 starts on first pull everytime.

 

[brenndatomu]

Yeah, I'd say try a new plug and if it has a choke, check that the plate is actually closing the whole way.

Oops! Just realized I only read the 1st page, maybe ya already did this.

 

[groundup]

Mntn Man,

I have an older speeco myself.
I never do anything with it, oil stays the same, hydo fluid stays the same and it starts on the coldest days.

New things are so picky now, me thinks cheap out from the company is why.
I bet you are right on a new machine 5w would be better for cold weather.

groundup,

Do you have the original plug in yours?
Try a new EZ start plug and i bet that 10 pump is back to 3.
$3 experiment

I seem to remember having to change out the plug on a new briggs mower engine for the same reason.
Garbage factory sparkplug.

I will give the new plug a try Saturday and report back.

 

[haveawoody]

groundup,

Thanks, will be nice get some input back and see if it's the main bug in the works.

Not sure if this will help you or not but i bought a.
Champion 5861 EZ start plug to replace his original.

I buy EZ start plugs in all my small equiptment and they have always been very reliable long lasting plugs.

 

[Halligan]

I have the same splitter and according to the owners manual the correct spark plug is a Champion RJ19LM with the gap set at .020".

 

[haveawoody]

Halligan,

I think that is the plug i took out as the original.

Not sure if Briggs just had a bad line of plugs or not but the plug in my friends had softish metal on top so the gap can wander as the machine warms and a real cheap electrode under it.
I didn't even try to re gap it, looked that crappy.

If you get the recommended plug just have a good look at it and make sure you don't inherit the same problem back.
I personally like the EZ start line, tough metal on top and a real nice big electrode under.
Makes for easy starts on any pull thing.

 

[groundup]

groundup,

Thanks, will be nice get some input back and see if it's the main bug in the works.

Not sure if this will help you or not but i bought a.
Champion 5861 EZ start plug to replace his original.

I buy EZ start plugs in all my small equiptment and they have always been very reliable long lasting plugs.

Thanks, will pick one up and report back

Just curious, what makes them EZ start plugs? How are they different from normal plugs, any disadvantages?

It just seems like if they are easier to start and there is no disadvantage then why not use them exclusively?

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

Halligan,

I think that is the plug i took out as the original.

Not sure if Briggs just had a bad line of plugs or not but the plug in my friends had softish metal on top so the gap can wander as the machine warms and a real cheap electrode under it.
I didn't even try to re gap it, looked that crappy.

If you get the recommended plug just have a good look at it and make sure you don't inherit the same problem back.
I personally like the EZ start line, tough metal on top and a real nice big electrode under.
Makes for easy starts on any pull thing.

Kind of a side note to this but interesting none the less concerning gaps and such. Back in my younger years I bought and still have/use a Honda 200X 3 wheeler. I was taking it to a remote woods to go mushroom hunting and was worried about someone stealing it while I was out looking. They have no ignition locks so I decided I would be smart and put in a dummy plug. I took an old plug and broke the metal off the end of the plug that bridges the gap to the electrode. All was fine and installed it in when I got to the woods.

Found a bunch of morels and was eager to get back to show my Dad. Got on the ATC and started back. When I was half way back I remembered I hadn't changed the plug. The thing was running fine. The spark was jumping the gap from the body of the plug to the electrode! Testament to Honda's strength of ignition and NEVER would have thought it would do that.

 

[chugbug]

I've been a autolite fan for years , ever since champion had so many problems with there heat ranges. I sell plugs mainly automotive but alot of small engine also , it got to the point where my customers wouldn't buy champion plugs anymore and I had to switch , so I went with autolite .

Here is a link to the autolite site , it explains the difference of there version of a ez start plug they call it the xtreme start for small engines scroll down to the second pic.http://autolite.com/products/spark_plugs/small_engine_spark_plugs/product_list

 

[haveawoody]

groundup,

Same company Champion so it's an easy matchup for numbers.
Just an all around better plug IMO.
Even on very old equiptment with a weak coil or tired engine they seem to be much less pulling to start.

EZ start plugs are generally $1 more than regular but last about 2X as long.

 

[haveawoody]

Kevin in Ohio,

Yeah those hoda engines will run on moonshine and chicken wire for pluggs.
Makes you wonder why other companies don't sit down and just duplicate most of the workings into the machines they make.

 

[haveawoody]

chugbug,

Nice site, I'm always hunting for plugs for one thing or another so i will take advantage of that site.

I hear you on Champion plugs.
Pretty much every piece of equiptment I've ever had that had original champion plugs i change out to EZ start champion as soon as they get iffy.
I agree on heat on the standard line Champion has, plugs get over hot and gap gets sloppy or the electrode gets messy or both.
Short life for most of the plugs they sell IMO.

Champion EZ start seems to be the only good line of plugs for that company.
Will be nice to use your site and try another company line of EZ starting plugs.

 

[ETpilot]

I had an ATV with an engine that would not start. Checked everything on it including spark at the plug. It all checked out. Then I decided to check the plug on my aircraft spark plug cleaner/tester. I found that with no compression the spark would jump the gap indicating a good spark. But, when I added air pressure for the bomb test, the plug failed miserably; a breakdown in the spark. A new plug fixed the problem.

Now with hard or no start engines, I always test the plug to see if it is the problem.

 

[Whitespider]

A new plug can never hurt and often will fix problems seemingly not related. The thing is, with these lean-jetted EPA carbs, they just don’t pull enough fuel in cranking them over when cold. Fuel volatility is part of the problem… cold fuel isn’t as volatile (doesn’t vaporize as easily), and if it can’t vaporize it can’t get to the cylinder. Also, if the gas has been sitting in the tank and float bowl for a week or two some of the volatiles evaporate out… which compounds the problem further. Using ethanol-blended fuels will also make the situation worse, because ethanol is high octane (harder to ignite) compared to gasoline, and once the volatiles evaporate from the gas… well, you end up with a less volatile, higher octane fuel. You end up with a fuel that doesn’t want to vaporize, and what little does vaporize doesn’t want to ignite. Basically, if the fuel (especially ethanol-blended fuel) is just the slightest bit stale… those lean-jetted EPA engines are a huge PITA to start when it’s even remotely cold outside.

If they won’t start with two or three pulls on the rope, the quickest, easiest, most hassle-free way to get them started is to pull the plug and dribble a little fresh fuel in the cylinder (it doesn’t take much, I use a piece of small diameter fuel line to transfer the fuel to the cylinder - like putting your finger over one end of a straw to lift some soda-pop from a cup), put the plug back in, then pump the primer button and crank it over... they'll fire right up 99% of the time.

 

[groundup]

Kevin in Ohio,

Yeah those hoda engines will run on moonshine and chicken wire for pluggs.
Makes you wonder why other companies don't sit down and just duplicate most of the workings into the machines they make.

If I had the option of a Honda over the Briggs I would have gladly paid extra. Part of me wishes I chose a different splitter just for that reason.

 

[kmcinms]

Ether

I didn't read the whole thread, but cold starting a lean engine is a pain in the neck. Not sure if this had been suggested, try using a small shot if starting fluid. It's relatively safe and easy to use.
whitespider has the technical side of the fuel situation down to a science, and is correct about the make up and properties. I've done the fresh fuel in the cylinder trick forever and it works.
You got to remember, you're turning the hydro pump when you're cranking on that engine. The rpm is a good bit lower and less when starting cold.

 

[haveawoody]

groundup,

I'm lucky when i got mine a number of years ago it came with the honda engine.
Works like a tank in pretty much any conditions.
But then again Honda sells it's engine with useful factory plugs.

Speeco 22t is a wonderful splitter.
I'm sure once you get a new plug you will be more than happy with it again even on cold days.

Honda has it's set of issues just different ones like all small engines do.