Gloved hands reaching into the opened rear panel of an appliance, a row of screwdrivers laid out on a folded towel, a green work light overhead.

Small Engines

Mowers, generators, pressure washers, blowers. Four things make a small engine run, and nine times out of ten it is the fuel.

Module 5 of 74 lessonsWritten in full1 worksheet

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The lessons

All 4, in the order they are read.

1. Fuel, spark, air, compression
Four inputs, tested in that order, because the first one is the answer nine times out of ten.
2. The carburettor and stale fuel
Ethanol-blended fuel left over a winter is the single largest cause of small-engine failure, and the fix is a bowl and a jet.
3. Storage that prevents the fault entirely
Ten minutes in autumn removes the most common spring repair from your life permanently.
4. Generators and load
Sizing, transfer, fuel duration and the two mistakes that kill people every storm season.

The worksheet

Small-engine service and lay-up card

One card per machine, kept with the machine. The lay-up block is the half that matters: it is ten minutes in autumn that removes the most common spring repair from your life.

Small-engine service and lay-up card
Item	Value	Last done	Note
Machine, model, serial	—	—	—
Spark plug type and gap	—	—	From the manual, not from memory
Oil type and capacity	—	—	—
Air filter part number	—	—	—
Fuel: ethanol-free or stabilised	—	—	—
RUNNING TEST — fuel reaching the bowl	—	—	—

5 further rows in the downloadable sheet.

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Module 6: The Vehicle Wear Items →