Max II conked out.

[monoped]

Been a while..hope all are well.

Poor Max is setting in the front yard getting rained on.
Drove it around , put it back in the tarp shed and decided to run it more.
While doing donuts it stalled and won't start now.
Tomorrow is booked and then the weather turns fowl.
I don't mind having to try to diagnose but not in crap weather.
Check for spark first. Thought I caught a whiff of fuel while choking once but fuel after spark.
Sure hate the idea of tarping it till spring as ice fishing is coming up but oh well.
Some nice day intervenes and I can start peckin away at it.

Meanwhile I'll be looking up 18 H.P. Brigs Vanguard problems.

[Mike]

Maybe pick a theory to test like no spark, run outside and test it as quick as you can, then come back in and warm up? Most of the first simple tests shouldn't take you too long. It could also be trash in your carburetor. You could probably pull the top of the carb off and check the bowl in a fairly short amount of time.

[Dozerlarry]

Give it a quick shot of ether, that'll check for a spark quick enough. If it hits, it's probably fuel. Mine got to where it wasn't running good, I'd pump my primer bulb and it'd take off. I looked into the fuel tank and it really looked funky. I took it off and drained it and put some MEK in it and shook it till I gave out. Poured that out and followed that with simple green to get the MEK out and finally some alcohol to get the simple green out. Tank cleaned up like new and she now runs as good as new. I guess it was just a gasoline goop build up down through the years.

[monoped]

Thank you for your kind suggestions!
Christmas with daughter today.
I'm not too behind , l.o.l..
At least the Max sits where it remains noticed..

Tank looks clean but that says nothing about the carb.
Throttle return seemed weak at carb and when turned/returned rearmost it fired , but that does not do the trick anymore.
Tired of hopping in and out I put a mild spring on to hold it.
Must have been a coincidence more than the issue.

Merry Christmas kid...grab a wrench! Ha, ha.

[monoped]

Update:
Pulled spark plug ,shot of starting fluid.
Engine fired and idled while I dropped the upper back down.
Windshield and cloth cab wet making it hard to see in the fog so rather than an Italian tune up I drove it to shelter.
Not sure of the problem...maybe sucked something through a jet or displaced moisture , or a wire pinched or mouse violated wire that raising the upper relieved.
One ground wire for a different battery maintainer may have touched something under the seat is the only suspicious wire spotted.

Thank you Mike for the encouragement and suggestions.

Dozerlarry you were spot on with what to try.

I've cleaned the carb in the past. May be time again.
Will insulate and secure , or remove the unused ground wire. Not sure where it's terminal went... but might as well eliminate it from being a potential problem.
At least Max is out of the elements now and back on the battery maintainer..Happy dance.
Thanks again , and happy ridin to you!

[Dozerlarry]

Glad it helped you out! I've been blaming my problems on ethanol but I now believe all the gunk in the fuel tank was the major problem. I've been burning non ethanol fuel but still have to take the carb apart and clean it way to often. We'll see how it works out.

[monoped]

A peek in my lines and carb should be revealing.
Some lines go gooey with ethanol , that would be harsh to see.
I do use ethanol treatment in fuel , but if lines are not compatible I imagine swapping them out would be required quick like.


Rain changed to slushy snow with a flash freeze and several inches of snow forecast for tonight followed by lake effect snow.
When weather clears I might defrost the cloth cab and windows and give it a run.. Needs a drying out.
Once engine is warmed up good it will be more tolerable to check into things further.