Leaf blowers are one of the most efficient tools ever built. They are portable and have two kinds: fuel-powered and electric. The fuel-powered leaf blowers either have a two-stroke engine or a four-stroke engine. Now even though this tool is efficient and useful, it has its problems that you might face throughout its lifetime.
Some of the most common problems found in the leaf blowers are smoking, rust, engine failure, damaged filter, and much more. There are many things that you have to consider while working and maintaining a leaf blower.
Leaf blowers are great efficient tools, but they can be easily damaged. There are many reasons why your leaf blower might start to smoke. Some of the major causes are mixing improper oil or lubricant with the gas, having a really dirty filter, the jets getting clogged, etc.
The main 6 causes for a smoking leaf blower are:
- Cylinder Issues
- The carburetor
- Low-Quality Air-fuel Mixture
- Used-up Muffler
- Fuel Leaking From the Fuel Tank
- Smoking Due To Improper Sealing
These causes can create a serious problem for your leaf blower. This is why you must always know how to maintain and clean your leaf blower properly.
Cleaning and maintaining a leaf blower is pretty simple if you go through and follow this guide properly. In this blog post, I will discuss 5 different reasons why your leaf blower can start to smoke and how you can fix them all by yourself.
To do so, you must have proper knowledge about the whole machine and its parts first. Then you can engage yourself in the process of identifying and dealing with the causes of smoking. So let us get right into it.
Contents
Different types of smoke
Your leaf blower may blow different types of smoke depending on the component which is damaged. There are different reasons behind the color of the smoke. Below, there is a detailed discussion about them. For the people who do not have the patience to go through all those details, here is a quick list of the different types of smoke and their causes.
How to fix it? | The cause of the smoke | How to fix it? |
|---|---|---|
Blue Smoke | If your leaf blower is blowing blue smoke it indicates that one of the important components of your leaf blower is damaged in some way. It could be the carburetor or air filter. | Check and clean the carburetor or air filter |
White smoke | If your leaf blower blows out white smoke when it is started and the smoke disappears after the engine runs for a few seconds it indicates that the piston rings could be damaged or clogged. This is usually as a result of carbon deposits on them | Clean the Piston rings. These are very easy to clean. |
Black smoke | Black smoke indicates that the air filter or the carburetor jet is damaged or clogged | Air filter or carburetor jet needs to be cleaned or replaced. |
If you have read the chart with patience, then I can say that you now have a piece of proper knowledge about the most popularly sold and bought leaf blowers in the market. All leaf blowers have different advantages and disadvantages. So when you buy a leaf blower, it will have a positive quality and at least one or two drawbacks you have to accept.
5 Common Causes a Smoking Leaf Blower
● Cylinder Issues
The chamber in your leaf blower houses the cylinder and allows it to operate optimally. If you notice that your leaf blower is producing white smoke, there could be an issue inside the chamber. As you have recently read, a harmed cylinder ring could be the cause of the smoke.
The cylinder rings make a seal to the chamber divider to contain the ignition gasses and create the chamber’s pressure that makes the motor work. The rings and the chamber join to frame this seal. The ring does not contact the chamber; rather, a slight film of oil isolates it.
The rings and the chamber can be harmed either by soil (which acts like sandpaper, wearing the ring and chamber) or by the absence of oil (which permits the metal ring to meet the metal chamber, causing an annoying noise as the metals grind against each other). When this harm has happened, the hole between the ring and the chamber is expanded. This allows excess oil into the ignition chamber, and it can release a lot of white smoke.
The pressure is additionally lost, and this can cause decreased motor performance. If your leaf blower is emitting dark smoke rather than white, it tends to be characteristic of a different smoke.
● Carburetor:
The carburetor won’t cause white smoke to originate from within, but it can be an indirect cause. One reason for white smoke is an excessive amount of oil in the fuel of a 2-cycle motor. If there is a lot of oil in the fuel, it will be in the general pool and collected in different motor areas.
One of these is frequently the carburetor. The carb unit comprises the parts expected to modify the carburetor, for example, the stomach, reed valves, gaskets, and the metering needle.
● Low-Quality Air-fuel Mixture
A typical and straightforward cause that may make a leaf blower smoke is improperly blended fuel. Gas-powered leaf blowers utilize a pre-blended fuel that brings gas to the two-stroke motor oil. These two are mixed at a proportion as indicated by the manufacturer’s specifications.
You must follow them carefully otherwise the fuel will be consumed disproportionally inside the chamber, which causes the motor to smoke. You must drain out any old or inadequately blended gas and re-mix some new fuel, following the blending guidelines carefully.
● Used-up Muffler
As the leaf blower motor warms up, warmed gasses need to vent out of the motor to keep it running. These vented gasses pass through the fumes port and suppressor, and a little layer of carbon will slowly develop along with the suppressor dividers and fumes port as the gases exit the motor. Take the spread off the suppressor and unscrew the flash arrestor screen.
If these parts are canvassed in dark carbon deposits, you must clean them with a brush and a mild cleanser.
● Fuel Leaking From the Fuel Tank
The fuel framework needs a perfectly sealed set up to keep the fuel streaming into the chamber. Sometimes an air spill occurs someplace around the carburetor. A modest quantity of fuel can trickle out of the framework. If this fuel hits the warmed motor, it causes smoking close to the carburetor.
Normally, these holes happen around the fuel hoses and elbow connectors on the carburetor. Another regular spilling site to check is the gasket over the admission unit.
● Difficulties Due To Improper Sealing
There is one more common problem with the motor of your leaf blower that causes smoking. It happens around the seals on the two sides of the crankcase. When this happens, a limited quantity of fuel may enter the crankcase and wreck inside.
Fixing this problem requires splitting the crankcase into its two separate parts and supplanting the seals on the two sides. You may also need to check the rings and seals on the cylinder and chamber for spills.
Fix a Smoking Leaf Blower
There are 5 main causes behind a smoking leaf blower and there are different fixes for different situations. You can try the maintenance yourself in some cases. But for more complicated problems, you should call a reliable mechanic.
Adding a lot of 2-cycle oil with the gas can cause smoke from the leaf blower’s motor; follow the rules in your manual for adding fuel and 2-cycle oil. Most leafblower motors utilize a 40:1 proportion of gas to 2-cycle oil. To accomplish that blend, include a 3.2-oz container of 2-cycle motor oil to 1 gallon of gas.
A clogged air channel can also cause the motor to smoke. It can happen if the channel keeps the carburetor from getting enough air to make the correct fuel/air blend. A fuel-rich blend can also make the motor smoke.
You must clean the air channel and perform maintenance so the motor will not turn over even though there is fuel in the tank. The carburetor can also be the cause.
Clogged jets inside the carburetor can cause smoking when it cannot blend the perfect measure of air with the fuel. You may need to revamp or replace the leafblower’s carburetor.
Replacing The Carburettor of Your Leaf Blower
The leafblower’s carburetor blends air and fuel to the best possible extents to make a flammable gas. If the motor turns over and, at that point sputters, or does not start at all because of the absence of fuel, you may need to replace the carburetor. It is affordable to replace the carburetor instead of reconstructing it.
How To Replace The Carburetor
This DIY fix shows the best way to replace and maintain a carburetor in a leaf blower correctly. The carburetor blends fuel and air to the right extent with the goal that the total fitting can ignite the mixture inside the chamber, thereby driving the motor. If the leafblower motor doesn’t turn over even though there’s fuel in the tank, the carburetor could be the issue.
You could reconstruct the carburetor, utilizing a nicely endorsed new part.
You can follow this procedure to replace the carburetor on basic Weed Eater, Husqvarna, Poulan leaf, Craftsman, Troybilt, and MTD leaf blowers.
You can find Leaf Blower Carburetors here.
● Step 1: Disconnect The Fuel Supply
To replace the carburetor, start with draining the fuel tank completely. No fuel should be left in the tank for safety measures. To further ensure safety, you must take off the spark plug cord and disconnect it so that the engine does not start running.
● Step 2: Removing The Air Filter
The air filter cover is attached with screws. You must remove them carefully and place them near you. After that, you must remove the cover of the air filter.
The carburetor should be easily accessible now.
● Step 3: Air Box Removal
Now you must remove the screws of the carburetor. The airbox should be located in the middle section. Then you should remove its attachment with the choke and throttle by pulling out the airbox.
● Step 4: Removing Fuel Lines
The configuration of the fuel lines is very important. You must keep checking these regularly and remember or record them for when you would need to install the new one. After you completely figure out which line goes where you must start by removing the larger fuel lines and move to the smaller ones later.
● Step 5: Installing New Carburettor
To install the new one, you must start by attaching the fuel lines. Then you should find a suitable position in the airbox and attach the carburetor inside it.
You can find Leaf Blower Carburetors here.
● Step 6: Putting Everything Back Together
After that, you should reattach the airbox cover by adjusting the choke and lever. When the positioning is done, you must attach the screws in the correct sequence and make sure they are tightly fit. Finally, you can finish by connecting the spark plug and filling up the fuel tank.
Rebuilding the Carburetor
The leaf blower carburetor blends air and fuel to the best possible extent to make an ignitable gas. If your leaf blower’s motor turns over and, at that point sputters, or does not start at all because of the absence of fuel, you can modify the carburetor. Remake packs are available for most carburetors and contain basic parts for modifying a leafblower carburetor, for example, stomachs, seals, and gaskets.
You can sometimes fix a fuel supply issue by disassembling and cleaning a carburetor. It would help if you utilized the pack to remake the carburetor in the wake of cleaning it.
The carburetor blends fuel and air in the right extents so the flash fitting can touch off the blend inside the chamber, controlling the motor. If the leafblower motor does not turn over even though there is enough fuel in the tank, then the carburetor is probably the actual problem. You must follow these guidelines to remake a carburetor.
Here’s how you can rebuild the carburetor on your own!
● Step 1: Pulling All Connections
In a well-ventilated area, you must carefully evacuate the fuel top and empty the fuel tank into an affirmed stockpiling holder. You should then separate the flash attachment wire. Then you should undo the screws from the air channel spread.
● Step 2: Removing Air Filter
Take off the carburetor mounting screws. Pull the airbox out and discharge it from the carburetor throttle and stifle switches. Observe the setup of the small and big fuel lines on the carburetor.
Remove the fuel lines from the carburetor. Dispose of the carburetor.
● Step 3: Get Top Spread Off
Remove the top spread with the preliminary bulb from the carburetor. Get the groundwork bulb from the top spread. Unscrew the gasket and stomach from the top spread.
Replace the groundwork bulb. Use a screwdriver to undo the screws from the base front of the carburetor.
● Step 4: Removing The Base
Expel the base spread. Separate the base spread and the stomach. On the carburetor base, note how the switch, spring, and pivot pin fit together. Remove the screw and pull those segments out of the carburetor.
● Step 5: Cleaning The Parts
Clean all parts and streams in the carburetor body with an airborne carburetor cleaner and packed air. It would be best if you allowed the carburetor to dry out completely.
You can find carburetor cleaner here.
● Step 6: Putting Things Together
Finally, you should introduce the needle, switch on the carburetor base, and screw them into their proper place. Next, you should introduce the gasket, stomach and spread, in a specific order. Then you should introduce the top spread and groundwork bulb.
You must then fix the fuel lines onto the carburetor. You can now place the carburetor into the airbox with the throttle and stifle switches situated appropriately.
Position the carburetor on the motor and reinstall the mounting screws. Then you must position the air channel and spread over the carburetor, and finally, you can secure it with the mounting screws.
Final Thoughts
As leafblowers are delicate machines, they tend to get wrecked more often. Smoking is a common problem for a leafblower. But with proper care and maintenance, this problem can be resolved with minimum effort and time.
We have gathered all the information regarding the proper fixes related to a leafblower’s smoking and guided you in the simplest possible way. We are fully confident it will help!