I recently upgraded to an electric motor this summer and have 2 gas ones. One was running last summer and just needs a new air filter the other one has not run for a while due to unknown reasons. The reason I think people might want this is the small engines so if anyone wants to take them off my hands at a reasonable donation just let me know. The non starting one I’ll just give away to whoever wants it.
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If someone put on a engine repair / diagnosis class for the broken one, I would attend the heck out of that.
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Why don’t we try a “let’s learn together”… start with carbs and plugs and expand from there? I’ve had some limited success resuscitating small motors. Any others interested in a learn together class?
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I’d give it away if I got to go to it!
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Maybe we need a “small engine sig”?
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When I was 9 I had a “pet” lawnmower that I snagged from someone’s trash pile and resuscitated by chasing out the carb jets with wire and pipe cleaners and such. I was quite attached to it though I didn’t do anything useful with it.
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Small engines are easy. Take every back to basics. Air, Fuel & Spark.
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If someone really wanted to do this my roommate has a motorcycle which needs an engine swap because the chain broke off a piece last night I’m sure he’d be willing to let the makerspace hold it to teach people the ins and outs of an engine while paying the instructor
Outboard motors , etc? I don’t use them anymore but if love to know the one and outs
Yup… Check fuel tanks for rust, check filters, valves, and feed lines for blockages, and make sure you have fuel to the carb. Next, check float bowl for garbage and carb for blocked passages. Clean / rebuild of carbs and fuel line problems are what affects most of the small engines thanks to crappy fuel.
If you have a generator, they’ll have an oil sensor that likes to go out so if it starts and refuses to keep running, check your oil level and if good, replace that sensor.
For spark, check the plug to make sure it’s not fouled. If no spark, replace the small cap first, coil next.
They aren’t hard to work on and you can get parts for most online.
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I had a weedeater and mower given to me years ago. They were almost brand new. The issue I found was the cheap wire wound spring terminals. It wasn’t crimped but just pierced the wire. I replaced them & they fired right up.
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I’d love to see a similar class for tuning up chainsaws/gas weedeaters/general small engines.
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Go subscribe to Mustie1 on YouTube. I’ve learned a lot watching his videos.
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My first lawn mower was Venture Capitalist affair at about 8 y/o … my investor was my father. He bought the mower, pointed to the lawn “There is your allowance” (kinda like a Lord giving a serf a new hoe or shovel). He pointed to neighbors’ lawns and said “There is where you can get more money if you want it.”
Had three customers at $1.00 for front and back yard … was making $3.00 week in 1962 ($26.92 in today’s dollars) … all of it went to support my HO train addiction.
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I recall my parents’ response to similar suggestions for venture capital investment in their offsprings’ lawn mowing services to be “No way you’re using my good equipment at the neighbors. You can get your own lawn mower out of the garbage if you watch for it; I’ll spot you enough fuel and help you get it working. Then you’re on your own.”
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He gave you fuel! I was locked into a no escape franchise: I had to buy fuel at inflated prices from VC, on credit, at usurous rates, my sisters’ inherited the note and I’m still paying on it. You were spoiled.
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Wait – $.25/gallon??
I did say it was usurious rates, I was 8 y/o … I had no idea what I was signing!
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@mdredmond :: I did the same thing when I was a kid. Went door to door mowing lawns when my Dad was stationed at Beale AFB in California when I was in high school and earned the money to go to band camp. Yep. Band nerd for life. Took every music related class they would let me. 
Also check the diaphragm in the carb. They get old and dried out and need replacing.