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This edger is a 4 cycle machine. I cannot get it to start unless I use starting fluid. It will fire up immediately. I disassembled the carburetor and found nothing wrong. Finally gave up after many tries and bought another carburetor. Same problem. Won't start unless using starting fluid. Dies after using the fluid. Simple carburetor but I don't know what to do. It revs right up on the fluid runs great for about 4 seconds. That's it. There are no adjustments to the carb except for the idle screw. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, David

What would you say if your first sentence read? “This car is a 4 cycle machine.” I’ll bet you would say this guy is nuts. Here’s a few questions you would be asking if you were a local mechanic.
1. What brand of edger?
2. What model or model number?
3. What brand of engine?
4. What are all the engine numbers?
5. What was the part number of the new carb?
6. Where did you buy this carb?
7. Did you replace the gaskets to eliminate possibility of an air leak?
8. How old is this edger?

Rivets, I don't understand your reply. I listed the make, model #, engine, etc. What are trying to say? I just need someone to give some ideas for getting this edger running.

You sound like you are a freshman student who just walked into my Small Engines class on the first day and with a few questions thinks they can be a small engine mechanic. Craftsman is not a brand name, just a company who sells equipment they have other manufacturers build for them. E405 is not a model number, just a series name for an edger. So now you expect someone to give you a solution on how to get it running With this information. Craftsman had at least four different companies build equipment for them and at least five different engine manufacturer build engines for these companies. You did say it was a 4-cycle engine, so we can remove about 500 possible 2-cycle engines that are not on your piece of equipment. What do we have left? Too many possible combinations to even start to guess what you are dealing with. I’m asking you basic questions to narrow down what you have sitting in front of you, the same questions I ask each student in my class on the first day, so they understand that fixing a small engine is not just putting in fresh fuel and a new plug. You have to know what you are working on. Example:
Brand? LawnFlite, Poulan, Husqvarna, MTD, etc.
Model? Craftsman uses model numbers to designate which manufacturer it can from. Depending on the year it will start with a specific prefix. Check this site. http://vintagemachinery.org/craftsman/manufacturers.aspx
Engine Brand? Clinton, Jacobson, Briggs, Tecumseh, Honda, etc.
Engine Model? Again depending on the year of manufacture, they may have numbers just like the equipment number, or use the engine manufacturer numbers.

You never answered questions 5-8, I’m assuming you understand those questions, just forgot. Most freshman get overwhelmed when they see what a mechanic needs to know before tackling a problem. Hopefully you now understand why I posted what I did.
Does your edger look like one of these? One is a Jacobson and the other is Little Wonder.

You still don't understand . If I asked you what time is, then that's all I want- - the time. Your reply is telling me how to build a clock. Let me make this simple. I have a carburetor problem. That's all. The edger runs perfectly with starting fluid but not with gasoline. This is the same gasoline I put in my mower on the same day so it's fresh gas. The carb is just a basic small edger, weed eater, etc model. It doesn't even have a fuel bowl or float. Just a primer bulb which works just fine. For whatever reason the gasoline isn't getting in the engine to the combustion chamber. Starting fluid does. Also, the fuel lines are routed properly allowing the primer bulb to function. Make, model, serial number, etc. doesn't help. Now, with this in mind, can you help with a possible fix? Thank you for trying. David

How in the world can anyone help you when we have no idea of what you have. We are not psychic., but live hundreds of miles away from you. Are you that stupid that you don’t understand that? If you asked me what time it is in your location I would have a 1 in 24 chance of guessing the correct answer. I may now down to this answer. “Yes dear you are right. I’ll be out in the garage if you have any other questions “.

If the experienced techs on this forum think I’m asking the wrong questions, please rip me a new one!!!

I have a Walbro carburetor. Only moving parts are the rubber flexible diaphragm which allows the needle valve to open and send fuel to the engine and the primer bulb which starts the fuel flow to the engine. Almost every small engine person on this web site has used a week eater or edger with this type carburetor . There are no other details to offer. Why doesn't gas get to the engine. Well, the old carburetor was probably plugged up with crud and wouldn't allow gas to go through some of the small ports. However, the brand new carburetor is also not allowing gas to flow. There should not be any internal restriction. The only way to get the process started is to use the primer bulb thus allowing the carburetor to work. This is what I am posting to see if anyone has had this problem and what they did to correct it. I don' need a college professor to teach me the theory of engine operation. I have been a mechanic for over 60 years working on cars, trucks, heavy equipment, etc. I have never had a problem of this nature in all that time. I have a Corvair Monza ( if you know what that is) with 4 carburetors and can rebuild, balance and synchronize their operation with excellent results. This Walbro carburetor is considered by some to be a throwaway item. It has some extremely tiny passages which are almost impossible to clean if plugged.

Rivets said:

If the experienced techs on this forum think I’m asking the wrong questions, please rip me a new one!!!

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Hey rivets. I have a red mower that won't start. How do I fix it?


Looks like the the e405 uses that crappy little 4 stroke crapsman and trash bilt is using on all the small stuff.

Hammermech you need to repaint it Green and it should be fine

Sorry Hammer, but you’ll have to get steptoe to help you. He’s worked on cars, trucks, and heavy equipment, plus he knows how to balance an opposed cylinder engine with 4 carbs. This would mean he knows how both primary and secondary carbs need to work together when not getting fuel.

Sounds like maybe the valves need to be checked, exhaust leakage will not allow enough intake suction.

kjonxx said:

Sounds like maybe the valves need to be checked, exhaust leakage will not allow enough intake suction.

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Maybe on the right track....bought an edger from a guy that said it wouldn't run. $5 later it's on the way home. First checked the valve lash.....the smaller the engine the more sensitive they are to correct setup. Forget what the lash was but adjusted the engine and would start on first pull. And the procedure was 10 pumps on the primer bulb and close choke. I eventually modified the starter rope to just come straight out of the rewinder and not have it snake up the handle and that gets a bit more rotation speed than the original setup.

See if you can find a name and model number on the engine itself. If not, do some deep searching on e405 craftsman and see if sears provides any details. I do see a manual for it.

If sears parts is still in business they can tell you the carb part number which perhaps you can cross reference. I see an 800 number for Craftsman and perhaps they can do the same.

If not, see if you can match up your Walbro to another exactly like it, matching every feature to a T. Of course if there's a number on the Walbro then go with that.

With some patience you'll get there.

Until you find your numbers its a crap shoot, however Mtd says the carb is a Model: 25A-E30-791. So maybe, but you can see the pic.

This is more random, and is a long shot, but a google search suggests a TB146ec on amazon, or an Mtd 751-16046-4.

Might be wrong, but at least it's a start.

RevB said:

Maybe on the right track....bought an edger from a guy that said it wouldn't run. $5 later it's on the way home. First checked the valve lash.....the smaller the engine the more sensitive they are to correct setup. Forget what the lash was but adjusted the engine and would start on first pull. And the procedure was 10 pumps on the primer bulb and close choke. I eventually modified the starter rope to just come straight out of the rewinder and not have it snake up the handle and that gets a bit more rotation speed than the original setup.

Click to expand...

Could also be dried diaphram in carb if its that type of carb.