Craftsman mini cultivator model 536.292510

dspikes

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I'm working on my Craftsman mini cultivator. It has a 2hp 2-stroke Tecumseh engine. I've replaced the carburetor 3 times, along with all of the gaskets. It will start with a squirt of starter fluid, and will run great! It will continue to start on it's own within an hour or so, but after it has rested for a couple of hours, it simply will not start without a shot of starter fluid. Since I'm on my third carburetor, and have cleaned all 3 of them thoroughly several times, I'm at a loss! Compression is good. Spark plug is new. I've cleaned the coil and flywheel magnets and re-gapped it. Any thoughts? Thanks, in advance, for the help!
 

ILENGINE

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You say compression is good, but what is the actual compression. Cranking and feeling what feels like good compression can be totally misleading.
 

sgkent

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did you adjust the mixture when it was running to optimal? Is the choke working?
 

dspikes

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I'll check the compression tomorrow with a compression tester. I adjusted the mixture while it was running. It has a manual choke lever, and it's working fine. It's a great little tiller! It's a beast for such a tiny machine, but I'm just at a loss as to what the issue is. I'll post the actual compression tomorrow.
 

Scrubcadet10

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had a similar issue with a chainsaw, ended up the crank seals were leaking, and the cylinder was pretty scored up.
 

dspikes

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I just checked the compression. It is right over 100psi.
 
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