strikemaster gummed up ?

[legend]

Hi, i bought a new (to me) strikemaster 2000 this april,it is a 1997 model run two days in a row then and after put on a shelf until i bought it. I dumped the old gas and mixed fresh....ran it two times this summer. Saturday was my first day on ice with it and it started fine but would bog down when i applied the throttle....i struggled to drill two holes. I assume its gummed up from sitting. my question is this, will it make a difference to it if i add seafoam or a carb cleaner to it? or would i have to find a carb kit? thanks for your thoughts.

[alaskaruss1]

  Seafoam will usually do the trick with some fresh gas and some running.

[Idahogator]

Good gasoline is so important,  non-Ethanol only and always.

17 years, hm, I would do a carb job & replace all hoses/tubing.   

[Boowee]

Does sound like the potential for a carb job. But prior to that I would echo the use of Seafoam and also I would recommend running the premixed two cycle fuel you can purchase, its mixed much more precisely.  You pay a bit more for it but in my experience its worth it.  We started running it in our chainsaws at work and the performance after a tank or two was night and day.  Give it a shot.

[Hole Tender]

A new spark plug never hurts. If you have a fouled plug due to bad fuel or flooding it will have a weak spark and it will just get worse.

[Oldbear]

I've had amazing things happen by using Seafoam give it a try.  If that don't cure it then try the carb kit.

[Open-Handed Fish Slap]

Does sound like the potential for a carb job. But prior to that I would echo the use of Seafoam and also I would recommend running the premixed two cycle fuel you can purchase, its mixed much more precisely.  You pay a bit more for it but in my experience its worth it.  We started running it in our chainsaws at work and the performance after a tank or two was night and day.  Give it a shot.

x2

[Fryinpan]

Yep give seafoam a chance.  Clean up everything new gas can, new non alcohol gas, new oil, new plug.  Start and run in your yard a few times every other day or so.  You should notice improvement right away and continued improvement. 

Purchase your pre-measured oil first.  Determine the amount of gas it will mix and then purchase that exact amount of gas in the can.  or purchase premixed as was stated earlier.  If you only use a gallon a year, pre mixed gas probably won't break the bank and it is good stuff.

Sure wouldn't hurt to replace all gas lines and carb as was suggested.  Our alcohol gas will break down rubber over time.  You could end up with a wrinkled or torn diaphram.  The inside of the gas line could continue to flake off plugging the carb just when the fish are hitting the best. 
Just murphy you can count on him everytime.   Just my two cents....

I have one of the older augers too.  Not as fast as some, but very dependable!  tight lines. 

[icefishing J]

you might add some isoproyl heat ( the red bottle)
not the yellow. the yellow is not compatable with
2 cycle or ethanol blinded gases. if you cant get
gas with out ethanol, along with the sea foam

[wyoicenut]

Carb rebuild kits are cheap and easy so are fuel lines. I would just go that route. I bought a 2000 on an auction couple years ago for our boy. Same deal came out of shop and was stored, rebuilt carb and fuel lines and now starts as easy as my new one.

[fl8]

all though this probably wont happen for awhile but running some sta-bil thru it will help the gummed up issue before putting it away to

[legend]

thank you all, its running right now with the seafoam......fingers are double crossed too !

[wyoutdoors]

thank you all, its running right now with the seafoam......fingers are double crossed too !

I run SeaFoam in all my small engines year round. Auger, mower, snow blower, etc. Great additive.

- wyoutdoors 

[bigredonice]

If all these other great ideas happen to don't work, a ripped diaphram in the carb will do exactly that on those old Tecumsehs.

[tricohatch]

I Never use ethanol for fuel! The corn alcohol causes the rubber diaphragms, hoses and parts to swell and degrade rather quickly. There is a shelf life to gasoline as well as Stabil. In every small engine I have I first start it, then run it for a while then, drain the tank. Then either choke and or prime it and start it. Keep repeating this process until it doesn't act like it wants to start. If you are mechanically inclined drain the carb and fuel lines by removing or through a dump valve (on some carbs). Personally I think your long over due for a complete tune up! Carb job and plug would be a good start and maybe a blade sharpening too.

[drfhaha123]

Jiffy 31 not running right I got this stuff called fix it at Home Depot ran it threw auger than fill it with trufuel 40 to 1. Thing runs like new.

[legend]

thank you all, i have run it an hour and a half now with the seafoam, it will now gain rpms when i hit the throttle (it was VERY slow to respond before).but not like take off or anything......might it have the afore mentioned bad diaphram to not let it take off like it should?

[bigredonice]

my experiences with the bad diaphragm (tecumseh tc 300) is that it kills power a little at idle, but its especially noticeable at WOT under load.

Both times for me, mine started tough, idled rough, but when throttle was applied, rpms jumped right up...however under load it would bog down.

[307bassomatic]

probably worth taking the carb off, taking apart and blasting everything with a can of carb cleaner.  I have done that several times to my 23 year old jiffy and it runs like new after (of course I could avoid this if I remember to drain the gas and run dry each year, but I'm getting old enough that I don't always remember to do that ).  Seems like you get some varnish build up in there and it won't throttle up.  It is not too hard to do either, just take some pictures as you take it apart so you can look back and see where the little springs and stuff hook up.

[Labdog]

New to the site. Seafoam is the way to go.

[legend]

thanks again everyone.

[benwyo]

Does sound like the potential for a carb job. But prior to that I would echo the use of Seafoam and also I would recommend running the premixed two cycle fuel you can purchase, its mixed much more precisely.  You pay a bit more for it but in my experience its worth it.  We started running it in our chainsaws at work and the performance after a tank or two was night and day.  Give it a shot.

I love that pre-mixed two Cycle fuel, 91% octane & pure and no ethanol. I use the 50 to 1 premixed ratio. It also contains fuel additives and for $4:50 it works well. I use it on all my small engines like chainsaws and weed whackers. After a tank full my chainsaw runs better than it ever did before. I do not have to fool around with the adjustments whether I am at 6,000 ft. or 10,000 feet just pull the cord and will start on first pull. Seafoam is also a very good product I use that in my generator at higher attitudes and it has never failed me.... 

[benwyo]

Jiffy 31 not running right I got this stuff called fix it at Home Depot ran it threw auger than fill it with trufuel 40 to 1. Thing runs like new.

I use 50 to 1 and works great also. With the new synthetic oils now 50 to 1 is all you need.. My Jiffy auger is over 27 years old and it works fine. I talked to the company and they told me instead of 25 to 1 like it says in the manual back 27 years ago the new synthetics 50 to 1 is all you need..

[msmith1956]

Biggest thing is to dump gas at end of season and run until it quits.. Forgot do this one year and ended up having to pay someone to rebuild the carb.

[jopes]

I love that pre-mixed two Cycle fuel, 91% octane & pure and no ethanol. I use the 50 to 1 premixed ratio. It also contains fuel additives and for $4:50 it works well. I use it on all my small engines like chainsaws and weed whackers. After a tank full my chainsaw runs better than it ever did before. I do not have to fool around with the adjustments whether I am at 6,000 ft. or 10,000 feet just pull the cord and will start on first pull. Seafoam is also a very good product I use that in my generator at higher attitudes and it has never failed me.... 

cheyenne has a alcohol free station that sells 91 octane.

[tiny6969696]

Hey don weres that at

[Moosedog]

This is the first time I have heard of premixed fuel.  Where do you buy that at?

[miller_82901]

i buy my premixed fuel from ACE Hardware or Home Depot


When my jiffy started to do the same thing running it would start but when you pulled the throttle it would die i found out the carb. ajustment screws had rattled from where it was supposed to be. ended up re tuning the carb and has ran fine for 2 years now with no additives added at all.

[Icemanjim]

I've been using Amzoil in the little packets that you mix with a gallon of gas and had no trouble (auger, chainsaw, weed eater) and yes the seafoam is pretty amazing stuff.

[Boowee]

This is the first time I have heard of premixed fuel.  Where do you buy that at?

Found mine at Lowe's.  Comes in 40:1 and 50:1 mix. Bought 2 canisters and between this year and last haven't even used an entire one.  Maybe I need to fish more.