Got a new piece of equipment and finally got to use it at work today.

Uses a GX35 engine, tiny little 4 stroke.

When I first got it I filled it with oil to what the manual said was the recommended level, put fresh gas in it and fired it up no problem. Let it idle a good bit to make sure it worked and revved it up.

Anyway, today towards the end of the job I really needed to romp on it to get it to vibrate the power head (vibratory concrete screed)

But each time I took it above 3/4 throttle it would die on me. It would start right back up and work fine up to 3/4 throttle but just wouldn't give me that last little bit. My first guess was that it either had a low oil shutoff or there was too much oil in it, it is designed to be run vertically so I wouldn't assume there is an oil problem, carb was brand new right out of the box with the engine, so I am hoping that it was in good shape. Shouldn't have been over heating, not being used in a dusty environment. Still idles great and revs up fine, just up and dies on me at full throttle.

Any ideas?

It's dark out right now and I'm tired so I'm not gonna work on it until tomorrow.

You know what I just thought of.

I did choke it on the first start today, I wonder if I left it on.

Better run out in the dark and look.

How did you fix that?

I can't be spilling gas everywhere.

Derp waiting on results of choke

Gotta find my flashlight.

Power tools and fleshlights, eh?

It couldn't be that easy. Choke was off.

I did crack the gas cap though and got that distinctive rush of air like it was vapor locked.

I'll try giving the juice tomorrow with the cap loosened to see if that helps any.

Well, I might just have to call northern tool and see if they can send me a different one.

My best guess is that it is a fuel issue.

Started it today after checking the oil, perfect oil level. Idled smooth after it warmed up, revved up smooth until about 3/4, then died with anything over.

Not a huge concern really, but there will be times when it needs to get revved right up and it will suck to have it peter out at those times.

fuel filter may be half plugged, or a tiny bit of dirt in the carb restricting the fuel at full throttle. take the bowl off the carb and rinse it and the carb needle with carb cleane,r and change fuel filter first, before you try to return.  I've found with small motors most problems are incurred with tainted gas.

Fuel shutoff valve may not be fully open. good luck

My brother in law said the carb may have come from the factory improperly adjusted.

He works on the stuff for a living so I might just have to run it down to him. The gas I put in should have been good, it came right out of the pump and into the tank the same day, into a new can even.

Once it cools down this evening I'm gonna go mess with it.

Update, for anyone who might still be interested.

Went out this morning and decided to mess with it a bit. Popped off the air filter cover and it was marinated in oil. Simple foam air filter.

I squeezed out most of the oil and cleaned up the cover and it was running much better, still bogging at full throttle but staying there.

So I took off the spark arrestor screen and threw it in the trash, running like a raped ape now.

I should have known better, I always toss those screens on all my equipment when I get, all they ever do is get gunked up with carbon on me.

Sounds like the engine might have been laid over in the wrong direction, and oil ran out of the breather tube into the air cleaner assembly.


OR the contractor wanted to go home early and gave it a good shot of oil in the wrong place....

I think that is exactly what happened, Northern Tool filled the oil reservoir before they sent it to me and it spent 4 days in transit, there is a tube running right from the valve cover to the air box and I would bet that at some point it was on its left side during shipping.

Too bad I couldn't romp on it the other day though, I really needed to.