OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Trimmers and Brushcutters Ryobi Trimmers & Brushcutters 2 Grass Scorpions can't get either to work

I take it you replaced the fuel pick up filters at the same time as the hose? That is a common problem with most that have been sitting around as the fuel goes gummy inside the filter even though it may look alright from the outside.

Thanks AVB, very helpful and suspect you're right regarding the hardened metering diaphragm, took it out last night and it was a little stiff. The pump diaphragm was soft and malleable though. I've got a mityvac pressure tester and tested the carb in water and there were some bubbles coming from the metering diaphragm end, not many but they were there. I also took the little mesh gauze out as I have seen from previous posts that that may help. The machine starts but will only keep running if I press the throttle down. Starts easily enough but won't keep running.
Machine 2 will need a new primer button and I'll install it when I get a chance. Would like to get at least no.1 going.

Hi Trev, fuel filters changed.

What do you mean by "press the throttle down?" Since you said they don't have an on/off switch I assume they have a kill wire built into the throttle position somewhere much like a mower carby. Could that be a possibility as to why it will only run with the throttle pressed? Are you sure there is a good seal between the carby and the motor?

Throttle/trigger to increase the revs. The default power setting on these is on, the throttle is a separate function.

Last year I cleaned up a hoarders house after he died.He was a motor mechanic, 14 cars around the house, sheds full to the roof with car parts, the house was about the same with just walkways between all the stuff. In there was probably 40 wipper snippers, they all went straight in the scrap bin, had no idea if they worked or not, was not worth even looking at them

I with you norm scorpion whipper snipper not worth fix buy new home use one cheap less $100 bunnings .they ment to be throw away. mowershop wont bother to even look to fix.you maybe spent hours trying to fix not worth your time, buy new one

i guess it's the challenge of trying to fix them that keeps me going, agree not in it for the money.

Tiger, I understand where you are coming from but those little suckers can become so frustrating

Frustrating they are. I've got 4 Ryobis that I've had for some time. I can get them all to start but none run on zero choke. I assume it's fuel related but most of the carbys have been cleaned and had diaphragms replaced. I know the compression is ok, spark is ok. I have to assume there is an air leak but I can't work out where? I did read that the gaskets on the crankcase fail after a few years on whipper snippers, I guess a last resort is to buy some gasket material and make up some new gaskets. Other possibility is to try a brand new carby but I can't find a direct equivalent to what I have. Did ring one mower shop who said they could sell me a 2nd hand Ryobi carby for $35. They are pretty sure that it was working when they stripped the machine down.

I wouldn't try getting a gasket, thats if they do have one, a thin smear of 518 Loctite is all it would need. I have a Ryobi whipper snipper had it for 10 years or more, only used it half a dozen times but it runs fine and crank seal is still ok

Thanks Norm, do you unscrew the crankcase halves and apply it or is it sufficient to just smear it on the join?

Tiger, if you a convinced the gasket is a problem and you want to reseal it then yes you would need to split the cases. What I did with an old Enfield twin a couple of years ago was to go around the crankcase join with a hacksaw blade and dug a small grove around it and then put a bead of JB Weld in the grove and that was enough to seal the cases up and stop the oil weaping out. Could be worth trying but personally I doubt that would be your problem