[justplumducky]

Dumping a little gas into throat of carburetor will make it run, but won't start on its own (filter removed). Has fresh gas in tank. Based on experience with my own trimmer, figured it might be the primer function or dirty carburetor.

Wanting to clean carb first, could not get the two torx screws to break loose. Used a speed wrench with proper torx bit, and even built a jig of sorts to hold the trimmer stable while using the speed wrench. I created the jig with a couple short pieces of 2x4 on a wood base/platform located down low only about a foot off the ground so I could kneel down over the speed wrench, put my weight on top of it in order to keep the bit from stripping/chewing up the torx screw, while rocking the speed wrench back and forth gently. This is the first time this method has ever failed to break loose a stubborn screw for me. Done properly, it has always worked without stripping the head of the screw.

Homelite's tech support rep was worthless on this matter and the other matter of my problem getting this thing back together. In order to get at the other end of the torx screws to apply some PB Blaster penetrating oil (could see the ends thru the outer casing of the trimmer), I removed the rear half of the casing and separated the engine from the front half of the case. Still no help after the PB Blaster. It's not my trimmer, so decided to give up on the torx screws and re-assemble the engine into the case.

No problem getting it into the case and re-installing the four screws that hold the engine to the front half of the case, but one little problem, yepper. When you remove all the screws on the front half of the case in order to get the engine separated from case, you're also removing a second set of four screws that hold the pull-start ratcheting reel stable against the front compartment of the case. Those second set of screws hold it stable against the front part/compartment of the case so that reel operates smoothly without binding. Without that anchoring/stabilizing) of that ratcheting pull-start reel, it only wobbles a bit inside that compartment as you pull, and then gets stuck against the case and will not retract until you loosen the other set of four screws that hold the engine to the case.

When re-assembling the engine to the case, the reel's four screw-holes don't align with the holes in the front half of the case, and that is my problem. Haven't come up with a way to get the reel aligned with those holes in the case.

Would've had a couple more pics, but camera battery went dead.

Anyone ever run into this problem?

The more I think about it, the more I realize I'll probably just have to recommend my neighbor take it to a shop or go ahead and get a new one. When he dropped it off, he had already been looking at a new one, but decided to see if I could get it running again.

 

[randyhenke]

Unhook the gas tank from the trimmer and take a soldering iron for electronics and hold it on the head of the screw not too long or you'll melt the plastic. Might help get those screws loosen up.

Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk

 

[justplumducky]

Unhook the gas tank from the trimmer and take a soldering iron for electronics and hold it on the head of the screw not too long or you'll melt the plastic. Might help get those screws loosen up.

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I like that idea, but don't have a soldering iron and the owner hasn't come back to see if I was successful or not. He probably bought a new one and is trying to avoid or at least delay having to pay me the $20.00 diagnosis fee he promised. He's a customer of mine and we're pretty friendly.

Maybe I'll borrow a soldering iron or insert a torx screwdriver into the screw, then put a torch flame on the screwdriver... heat the screwdriver up and see if it'll transfer to the screw effectively and loosen it up. Will wait to make sure he doesn't want his trimmer back, then try out your method, and/or mine. Thx much.

 

[randyhenke]

Other thing that you could try would be to put a torx bit in the screw and tap on it with a hammer a couple of times. Hopefully u can get it them to break loose.

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[justplumducky]

Other thing that you could try would be to put a torx bit in the screw and tap on it with a hammer a couple of times. Hopefully u can get it them to break loose.

Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk

Yepper, tried that one a few times with a torx bit screwdriver... rapping on the handle with a hammer, but no luck. If it weren't for the fact that the torx screws are obviously made of cheap metal, I'm confident that rocking back & forth (with heavy downward pressure on the speed wrench) with a torx bit in the speed wrench would've broken them loose, but the torx bit with its sharp edges easily started to gouge the screws.

This arrangement of that pull-start/retractor reel in the front of (and anchored to) the case really stinks big-time.