# Jiffy help



## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

I have a 2hp( I believe) Jiffy Legend Lightning w/Tecumseh engine. Starts hard unless left indoors, sometimes can't get started at all when cold. Has new plug & fresh gas. Replaced plastic fitting from fuel line to brass fitting on carburetor this year because it was cracked. It seems this auger has always started hard. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Do you store it with gas in the tank? Use Stabil?


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## GuppyII (Sep 14, 2008)

Mine used to like a 100-1 mix , always popped on the first pull then had to take of choke immediately. Has to sit carb up or was always a pain to start.


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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

Fuel has never sat in tank. 
I can try leaner gas.

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## double trouble (Nov 20, 2003)

Jiffy does recommend 3.2 ounces of the full synthetic mix to a gallon of gas per factory specs (and those premeasured mixing jugs from Jiffy) although I have been mixing 80:1 Amsoil Saber in other motors and have not had any trouble with A LOT less smoke and better twenty below starts.

I would also run some berryman b-12 through the carburetor. You might still have a blocked primeer circuit.


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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

I'll get new gas with the recommended oil. Thanks! 

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## double trouble (Nov 20, 2003)

A lot of high revving 2 stroke motors that have been running the wrong oil have the piston , rings and exhaust ports clogged with carbon . It is your enemy. It lowers compression and will lead to poor starting and early death.
Think of this as a chain saw. High end 2 stroke oil only.
You might also do a piston soak with carbon clean .


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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

Thank you! Hopefully it'll help start better. 

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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

I removed the muffler, zero carbon buildup. No carbon packing in the rings, rings and cylinder wall would meet reuse guidelines. 
Maybe I'm just running crappy fuel and/or oil. That'll be corrected

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## wateroperator (Nov 8, 2013)

Yep.. Run premium fuel with a good synthetic oil and mix it on the lean side if it's always started hard.

Jesse


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## Mister ED (Apr 3, 2006)

Dean - Do you have the Tecumseh TC300 engine? 
If so that is the same engine as on my Eskimo. I was just looking and never realized that Jiffy used them as well. Funny thing Jiffy calls for a 40:1 ... Eskimo calls for a 24:1.

Just a quick look and the electrics appear pretty simple (most of these two strokes are pretty much the same). Check the flywheel key to make sure it is intact and not partially sheared. Also, the air gap between ignition coil and flywheel. No clue what the setting should be. If that fails, then I would start on the carb. But it could also be sucking some air around the carb gasket or the upper or lower crank seals.


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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

Thanks Ed. I'm not investing a lot of effort or money into it. I haven't been happy with it since I bought it, if the premium fuel/oil doesn't fix it, it'll go up for sale with full disclosure.


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## naterade (Nov 30, 2008)

It sounds like you've looked at it pretty close if you've looked at the rings but... have you looked at the carb diaphragms?

and i just caught your last post about it not running good since you bought it. Very likely the metering lever in your carb is the issue. The Tecumseh carbs often came out without the metering lever set up high enough.


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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

naterade said:


> It sounds like you've looked at it pretty close if you've looked at the rings but... have you looked at the carb diaphragms?
> 
> and i just caught your last post about it not running good since you bought it. Very likely the metering lever in your carb is the issue. The Tecumseh carbs often came out without the metering lever set up high enough.


Naterade, I'm a diesel mechanic. I'm unhappy to say that I've little knowledge of gasoline engines, lol! Please tell me where the metering lever is and how to adjust it.
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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

I suspect your problem is the needle valve seat, they have a small rubber seat. you wouldnt even notice it if you werent looking for it. The ethanol in todays gas eats them. Common problem on the tecumsehs.

Your diaphrams are also probably a little crisp but they come with a carb rebuild kit anyways. I think I paid $9 for a carb kit last year, very easy rebuild job.


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

there is no metering lever, you have a simple air block choke, a low speed jet, and throttle speed adjustment, set your needle at 1.5 turns out from light seat,that's a good starting point, if its old you may need seals that will cost you intake vacuum, your on off switch may be creating a partial ground, that will give you a week spark,got any junk in the carb, a carb cleaning would be my first thing, do you have a bowel or diaphragm, carb kits are cheap, any mower shop, if it calls for 24 to 1 run 24 to 1, 50 to one is for cage needle bearings, 24 to 1 is for bushings like old boat motors, you will burn it up running lean on oil


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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm attempting to get a Carb kit, but PayPal isn't letting me on. I'll get that rebuild the carb. If that doesn't do it, and I'll try new fuel/oil tomorrow, it'll have a new home and I'll have a new auger.
Nothing pisses me off more than something that doesn't work when needed.

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## naterade (Nov 30, 2008)

Mr. Botek said:


> Naterade, I'm a diesel mechanic. I'm unhappy to say that I've little knowledge of gasoline engines, lol! Please tell me where the metering lever is and how to adjust it.
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i don't have a Jiffy but if it's a Tecumseh engine, it has one of three crbs. A Tillotson, a Walbro, or a Tecumseh. And they all have metering levers.

Here's a link that shows some of the carbs expanded. 

http://www.allotment-garden.org/rotovator/manuals/Tecumseh-TC-Series-2-cycle-engines-manual.pdf

If yours doesn't have a metering lever like some other poster stated, It would be news to me. But I'd say the number one go-to if you have spark and compression on any gas auger should be a carb rebuild. But only if you take it apart and see the diaphragm is hard and brittle.

If it's not, then you can try adjusting the metering lever (if it exists on yours) Again, I don't think there is a diaphragm carb without one but I'm not an expert and only know what I have of my own that I work on.

The lever is delicate, you just need to pry it up a bit with a small screw driver head. If you go too far, you'll know because gas will leak all over the place when you turn the engine over. 

Proper setting is to be flush with inner carb housing typically. There are some good youtube vids on it if you search a bit.


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

Ups my bad, on a bowl cab that is part of the float, never heard it called that, holds the needle valve, sorry, does your plug get wet like its flooding , or dry like its not getting fuel.


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## naterade (Nov 30, 2008)

scooter_trasher said:


> Ups my bad, on a bowl cab that is part of the float, never heard it called that, holds the needle valve, sorry, does your plug get wet like its flooding , or dry like its not getting fuel.


yes, it controls the inlet valve needle. It's like a teeter-totter with a spring under one end and connected to the needle on the other end. the end with the spring under it is bent down too low (common issue on tecumseh engines) it doesn't feed enough gas. If it's too high up, it feeds too much and will not only make a wet plug, it will leak gas all over the place.


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