GardenKit

Well spotted!! Our last order which arrived from Anglo American last week was branded as Agea. We phoned Anglo to ask why. They said they had rebranded, but no reasons given. Definitely not counterfeit!!!

I'm just a bit concerned about this knurled brass plug. You should not be able to see any knurling, maybe someone has had a go at moving it, and it should not be moved. The throttle body should look like this picture. There is a little white plug right down in the hole. This can be pulled out by screwing a small self tapper in and then pulling it out. Under the plug is the slot for the 2mm screwdriver that ADW mentioned yesterday. The throttle barrel is easily and cheaply replaced, I keep a load in stock.

Hi Tim, I don't really see how it has gone out of adjustment, those carbs simply do not do that. You could try adjusting the needle just a little, probably counter clockwise to richen the mix just a bit, but I doubt its the issue. You will have to dig out the little white plastic bung over the screw head in the centre of the barrel first. But, is the engine dying as soon as you try to rev, or is it trying to rev but struggling to achieve full revs? If the latter, then did you check the exhaust port in the pot when you had the exhaust off? It is quite common for the port to fill right up with carbon.

Any lubrication on the blades is better than no lube at all, and everyone who bothers to lube has their own preference. The cheapest is car engine oil (new) in a squezy bottle, although chain oil is also good. WD 40 or similar is useless as a lubricant, but good as a storage coating and to displace moisture ( I doubt it could cause the OP's gearbox issue though) Normal spray grease is OK when in use, but watch it if using it for storage. It tends to dry out and turn into a gum which sticks the blades together. But there are a couple of purpose made lubricants for blades, one from Stihl and another from Anglo American Oil Company (Aspen) called AGEA. These not only lubricate but also clean the resins from the blades. The 300ml Stihl variant retails at £16.10 inc vat, whilst the 400ml Agea retails at £13.74 inc vat. The Agea on works well and the aerosol is good, it just keeps on giving. We believe it to be the best on the market, certainly the best value. They do cost a bit, but are very convenient to use.

Pictures speak a thousand words. The main jet is the round one, the check valve is the one that looks like a pozidrive. The main jet is easily eased out of the throttle body with a sharp implement. Ensure that the little hole through the middle is clear. Rod it with a thin wire. The check valve can be checked by cutting a piece of small fuel hose nice and square and holding it over the valve, sealing it against the metering body. Then blow and suck, it should only allow air one way.

Steady on Steve, not my fault if he dug out the check valve, I thought I explained the main jet quite well. Must remember to post photos with advice.

I agree with you on that one ADW!

Sure, no problem. I reckon he may need a new pump body very soon!

But to be fair, the splined adjusters fit neatly and snugly on the screws, which means they don't keep vibrating off at WOT, making tuning a doddle. They are easily obtainable, so as you said, nothing sneaky. Just very practical.

True, but only if the jet is clean. I hope he has not levered out the one way valve:thumbdown:

NO! Not that one, it's the non return valve. It's the round one, with just a little hole under it. You will find it under the pump diaphragm, not under the metering diaphragm.

It would seem to be starved of fuel, with just sufficient for idle. Did you clean the jet when the carb was apart? Its the small brass insert in the centre of the main carb body, under the pump diaphragm. It can be gently levered out with a small screwdriver or tip of a blade. Check the O ring whilst its out.

To be quite honest it does not feel any different now Martin. It was just a little nosy to begin with and a bit erratic, but that soon settled. I do not fully understand these engine management things, but the service manager said it may be different at first, but added that it would improve as it got used to how I drive. All a bit beyond me.

Excellent replies from both ADW and Dan. But, I question the detail on setting the metering lever. Various carbs have different settings and many, such as HDA etc are indeed level. But all the WT carbs I have ever encountered actually have the lever set around 2mm below the flat body surface.

Haha, it's a good job that Aspen does not smell of petrol then:biggrin:

Box section is generally OK as long as properly vented (drilled). Its plated areas, especially thin plate such as panels and guards that will wobble big style.

Had mine done today Martin. 2 recalls, one for the oil pump replacement, which was done. The other one was called 'pistons, puma engine' but actually was not replacement of the pistons at all, but in fact was a software update to vary the injection point and take the hot spots off the pistons to prevent cracking. I took the van in at 7.30 and had a call at midday to say it was ready. Great fun getting through Marsh Barton at the moment!

I used to get a lot of stuff galvanised in a previous job Beau. They would never accept painted items, as all paint has to be removed prior to galvanising and the acid baths just wont do it. So sand blasting is essential. Also the item being galvanised has to be designed, or modified, for galvanising. All sealed cavities (such as when a box section brace is welded between two other surfaces) have to be drilled and vented to let the zinc flow in, and out. The holes have to be in the right place so that no air pockets are formed and to ensure a complete drain. If the item is not correctly drilled they will not dip it as there is a danger of explosion and a hot zinc shower. They will charge heavily to drill the holes for you. Its nice when its finished, but a lot of time and cost to get it prepared, plus be prepared for distortion.

here you go Jon

This post is no good without a picture Jon!!

Just from specs, not a lot. But spec alone can be misleading. The Tanaka is a lot more dosh (my price £565 for the 4200DLV with the upgrade 6" UltraA6 2 line head) but it is genuine Japanese throughout. Also 5yr warranty for domestic and 2yr for Pro use. I just like Tanaka, have been selling it since 1990 and had very few issues. But, granted, not everyone wants to spend that much.

Sometimes the success of a machine is not so much down to the brand name on the sticker, but to the relationship between the user and the dealer. So if you are the sort of guy that may need a dealers help from time to time then firstly choose your dealer, then choose a machine that he is happy to supply for your application.

No. Its true that just a few parts do look like Hayter, and may well have been copied from Hayter (the Chinese are good at copying) but they are not the same. But as I said, Weibang parts should be no trouble now that the brand is in the care of a very professional company.

WD 40 is far too thin to be of any use as a lubricant, so its a total waste to use it, except maybe to spray on after use to stop the blades rusting in storage. Lith grease is too thick. But hedge cutter blade lubricant, is just right. We sell Agia which is marketed by Anglo American Oils. Its about £11.00 for a 400ml can and lubricates well, and also contains a resin softener. Otherwise use an ordinary motor oil in a squezy bottle.

I have not had a carb off one myself, but looking at the parts list it does look like a Walbro rotary valve carb with twin inlet strato charging. I had a chat with the rep following the reading of this thread last week. He knows I only like to sell very high quality kit, and would not encourage me to take something if he was not happy with it. But he is 100% behind these Kawasaki powered machines. They apparently have a fair few in local authority work and they are performing extremely well. For now I am sticking with Tanaka in my showroom, but if I have need of a slightly cheaper machine for someone who wont stretch to Tanaka then I will happily get them a Stiga now that I know a bit more about them.