fearofpavement
Trying them all
Ok, a while back my log splitter got stolen and I recently picked up a replacement. It is an old Amerind Mackissic and has an 8 hp Briggs and Stratton engine on it. This splitter works great (sort of) as it is quite fast and has an unusual feature in that the control valve is detented in both positions. (forward and backward). Never saw that on a splitter before but actually works out pretty nice because while the ram is moving forward towards the wedge, I'm getting the next round.
Anyway, to the crux of the matter. This unit has not run for a while (a few years) and the gas cap was missing when I acquired it. It was stored under shelter. I cleaned out the fuel system three times and had the carb off and apart twice and removed and cleaned the fuel tank. I got the unit running and tuned and it runs great. For a while. That's the issue.
Here's the deal. I start it up in just a pull or two, ease the choke off and it hums away. (fixed rpm) I start splitting and it'll run great for about 10 minutes and then quit. Sometimes it sputs a couple times but when it quits it shuts off like you turned off the switch.
Here's what I tried: I try to restart and no deal even with starting fluid. I traded spark plugs, I did have fuel flow issues initially but am convinced I took adequate remedial measure even to the point of removing the gasculator screen and installing a transparent inline filter. I know I have fuel flow and as stated, the engine won't restart even with starting fluid.
How it acts is like a coil issue cutting out when hot but running when cold. So I took my inductive timing light and hooked it up when I knew it was about to quit and watched the flashes. When the engine shut down the flashes continued until the rpm went to zero. When I quits, I can pull the rope and the timing light indicates firing. I hooked up the plug out of the cylinder and watched for sparking and it seems to spark normally. I checked the compression of the engine which feels normal and got less than amazing numbers but these engines are typically pretty low compression anyway. (it starts fine cold) I thought maybe a valve was sticking open or something but have no reason to believe that other than I was running out of ideas.
So, any thoughts? My next course of action will be to open the engine enough to check out the ignition system looking for chafed wires, gaps, etc. I don't know if this old Briggs has points or not. It is quite an old machine and is white with a steel gas tank. My guess is that it is from the late 70's or early 80's.
If I have to, I'll buy a whole new engine but I'd rather fix this one. Since it runs great some of the time, I don't think it is a case of bad rings or valve train. I have some junk engines around and maybe I can find some similar parts to change around if they match up.
I need to get this splitter up and running as I have about one more cord of wood that I have in a trailer that needs to be emptied. I usually split most wood by hand but I'm getting older and it takes me longer. lol.
Anyway, to the crux of the matter. This unit has not run for a while (a few years) and the gas cap was missing when I acquired it. It was stored under shelter. I cleaned out the fuel system three times and had the carb off and apart twice and removed and cleaned the fuel tank. I got the unit running and tuned and it runs great. For a while. That's the issue.
Here's the deal. I start it up in just a pull or two, ease the choke off and it hums away. (fixed rpm) I start splitting and it'll run great for about 10 minutes and then quit. Sometimes it sputs a couple times but when it quits it shuts off like you turned off the switch.
Here's what I tried: I try to restart and no deal even with starting fluid. I traded spark plugs, I did have fuel flow issues initially but am convinced I took adequate remedial measure even to the point of removing the gasculator screen and installing a transparent inline filter. I know I have fuel flow and as stated, the engine won't restart even with starting fluid.
How it acts is like a coil issue cutting out when hot but running when cold. So I took my inductive timing light and hooked it up when I knew it was about to quit and watched the flashes. When the engine shut down the flashes continued until the rpm went to zero. When I quits, I can pull the rope and the timing light indicates firing. I hooked up the plug out of the cylinder and watched for sparking and it seems to spark normally. I checked the compression of the engine which feels normal and got less than amazing numbers but these engines are typically pretty low compression anyway. (it starts fine cold) I thought maybe a valve was sticking open or something but have no reason to believe that other than I was running out of ideas.
So, any thoughts? My next course of action will be to open the engine enough to check out the ignition system looking for chafed wires, gaps, etc. I don't know if this old Briggs has points or not. It is quite an old machine and is white with a steel gas tank. My guess is that it is from the late 70's or early 80's.
If I have to, I'll buy a whole new engine but I'd rather fix this one. Since it runs great some of the time, I don't think it is a case of bad rings or valve train. I have some junk engines around and maybe I can find some similar parts to change around if they match up.
I need to get this splitter up and running as I have about one more cord of wood that I have in a trailer that needs to be emptied. I usually split most wood by hand but I'm getting older and it takes me longer. lol.
