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.
So does anyone want them😂
I don’t want to call it a class but if you can get the broken one up to DMS I’ll throw a time on the calendar and we can have a ‘gather round and try to fix it’ session, I’m free either this Saturday or some evening next week.
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Please post here if a class goes up!
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Yeah I’m definitely willing to do that! But would it be better to bring it on the day of the “class” since we can’t store things?
That’d be best, yes. If it’s not possible then we could talk to the automotive chair (Freddy) about storing it for a few days since it’s for a class.
I assume the MTD is the broken mower?
It is not clear what if someone picked up this donation. I need the right front wheel and height adjuster of the self propelled mower.
I just replaced the engine on my self propelled mower and I am willing to pull the old engine out of the recycle bin and give it to DMS if you want to take it apart. It was a working engine but put out a lot of smoke.
The self propelled part of the mower doesn’t work anymore. Would that still work for you?