By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I got my Hustler running last Sunday for the first time in months. I went through all the mechanical stuff and got it working good. I put a new carb on it because the old one was worn out and made the engine run bad. I also put new gaskets in the exhaust and welded the holes and cracks. It has always started easily since the day I brough it home. Today I wanted to take it for a ride and it would not start. It was firing but no gas was being burned. Gas even began dripping out of the exhaust and I saw there were new cracks. I think the pipe doesn't has enough movement and the vibration cracks it. I then just let it crank and crank for a while and it finally started. Smoke was pouring out of at least three cracks right near the engine. Could this make it hard to start? Is it bad for a 2-stroke to have cracks in the pipe? I will fix it this weekend but I want to ride it tomorrow.

This is a real quiet engine... if you're deaf. This is the loudest 2-stroke I have ever heard. It has a tuned pipe. Does anyone have any tips for making this engine quieter? I guess it is just the sound of real power.

Thanks for any help.

By E L McKenney on Unrecorded Date: Edit

the newer two-strokes have insulation wrapped around the exhaust, this helps but don't expect miracles, I have a 484 chapparall in my max and yes it is loud, there should also be some sort of ball and socket joint in your exhaust that is held together with springs, if it is too loose it will be louder, if you weld it it will break

By L. A. Philip Osborn (Roadwolf) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hey brandon,
was the carb replaced before you stored it away? you might be dumping in too much fuel. if you shut a 2 stroke down all loaded up, it will be hard to start the next time out. how much gas/oil are you mixing? sometimes a lot of gas & oil sits in the crankcase, then after a spell the gas evaporatres off and ya got a lot of excess oil in the motor, then when starting, the new fuel/oil has to mix in with that old sludge in yer mtr. that is why it is hard to start and spews mung and drool all over.
yep, E.L. is correcto' 'bout the exhaust wrap, me personally i use the header wrap off tha "cup" cars! small holes can use high temp silicone and aluminum exhaust pipe bandage as a quick fix.

you off all people brandon, definately should have known!

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I already have exhaust wrap on it because of the pipe is so close to the plastic. The first time it stared up real easy and smoked a lot from the fogging oil I put in it. That was when the exhaust was sealed good. Now that it is cracked it does not start as easy and I'm sure that is what is causing it. I will probably put some of that flexable exhaust pipe (like on the Max) on my Hustler so it can move more. I ran it yesterday and it still runs good with the cracks.

It is not only loud but very annoying. Cranking this engine to start it is louder than my running Briggs. That gas was coming out of the cracks because it was not being burned. What should I have known? I have heard it is not good for a 2-stroke to have cracks in the pipe. Could be just BS though.

By L. A. Philip Osborn (Roadwolf) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hey brandon, two stroke exhaust system's bottle neck design act like a valve to try an retain cylinder pressure. it helps if there is no or very little cracks or crevises. i have seen 2 strokes run w/no exhaust, but with almost zero power. you say you have a tuned exhaust that would be interesting to see that.
you and everybody else down in ol' miss' should have known!

By E L McKenney on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Another thing to check, and I don,t meen to be insulting, is the spark plugs, for reasons yet to be determined I have one cylinder that eats plugs for a snack, They will look good, just oily. If you replace the plug, the smoke will clear up. unfortunately it will do nothing for the noise but allow you to out run it.give a fresh set of plugs a try

By ISAAC EISENMAN (Tropicjungleboy) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

talking about spark plug..don't forget to take in count the "heat range".if get oil flooded is time to try a "hotter" range that the one on use....
bottom line is that the right spark plug makes better bouncing time!!!

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

The oil ratio is 40:1 on this engine, right? I hope. I mixed a little more oil with it but the spark plugs are very clean. They have a good tan color but there is no oil build up. I think this just means I have a well tuned carb and hot enough spark plugs. However, I have a Sea-Doo watercraft and I know it is getting the right oil mixture and the carbs are right. The plugs do have some oil on them. The Doo has variable rate oil injection so I can't mess up the mix. It could just be the different types of oil. It has a 110hp Rotax twin 2-stroke. What a machine!

MaxRules

By ISAAC EISENMAN (Tropicjungleboy) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hey brandon: be prepare for bury your kohler engine...those engines runs on 20:1 mixture....if your spark plug shows brown color WITH OUT any oil carbon on it so the cylinders wall!!!!!sea doo engines ( rotax)runs on 40:1 oil inyection pump also need to be "ajusted" ( full open throtle carb with full open oil pump bellcrank..they use to go on # 30 motor oil but you can get better performance ( less ashes/carbon built up) on iii tcw outboard oil ( still on 20:1///6.4 oz-gallon)..or top ( money and performance) syntetic ( like mc-1 from belray)

By L. A. Philip Osborn (Roadwolf) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

brandon, 40 to one iz kinda pushin' it. like ike says', 20 to 25 to one is safer. castrol super 2, yamalube, suzuki cci are all good oils for premix, and if ya want to go synthetic, again belray mc-1 is tha way to go! you didn't say what kind of carb you have. is it a mikuni or a tilly?
happy and well lubed bouncing!

By Attex Bob on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Brandon: The first thing to do is check compression. If good (should be) check the float leavel on the carb. The way it sounds, all your trouble started when you replaced your carb. Also check the mixture screws on the carb. Everything still check out? If so, then check the spark one more time. I had several problems with ign. systems fireing in open air but not in the cylinder. Check the point gap in the mag, again I've had problems where the points just barely open and it will kick but not start, or will take forever to start. If you can rebuild and blueprint you own engine I know you will be able to figure this one out. About your oil mix. My Attex says 20:1. I never have, nor will I ever run this mix. I run a good two stroke oil and set the mix at 40, to 50 to 1. I have never scuffed a piston with this mix. I'm not telling you what to run; I'm just telling you what I run, and I have no problems. By the way, I usually run trick racing fuel in my Attex which gives me just a tiny bit more power (love that smell) and my plugs look exactly like what you describe. Good luck Brandon.

By pete6x6 on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Brandon,

50:1 is a bit light even 40:1. thing is these are not new honda motocross engines. Depends on how long you ran it, what type of oil you used, and the metal makeup of the pistong and rings and what type of cylinder wall you have. In the 80's they started using a thin coating of teflon coating instead of a sleeve. Kawasaki was famous for this. If you score a piston with a cylinder wall of teflon the head goes in the garbage.Stick at 20:1. And read your manual! If it says 20:1 by god use that mix not something else unless you like walking home.

Pete6x6(Yes im still workin on my Attex) :)

By david berger (Davidrrrd) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

well im a 440cc 2 stroke fan also and swere by 40 -50 to 1, 50/1 in the cold & 40-45/1 in the summer (40/1 in sand pits)the mauals were printed when oil was garbage and gas was good, now we have sinthetics & ashles oils and the gas sucks, it's mostly eather now, this has worked fine for me for about ten years,
and yes im having trouble with desaling just now but that dident start hapening till the carb fel apart, i probly have to replace it with a good carb and get it rebuilt,

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I finally got the exhaust welded and put back on. Same old thing. Not even the smallest little possibility of this thing running. Several runs after putting on the new carb it ran great. It went from great to nothing over night. It used to start at the turn of the key.
The spark plugs are covered in gas and it doesn't look like any combustion is happening. It has good compression (finger check only). It sparks blue but very small and it might not spark under compression. I used the good spark plugs from my Sea-Doo and I still got the same thing. I'm thinking it might be the points but I thought this engine had electronic ignition put on it. Is that available for the Kohler 440?

I'm looking hard at a new Briggs 4-stroke for this machine. It might actually be worth something then. It is hard for me to believe some people LIKE these 2-strokes. This is the most worthless engine to ever curse me with it's evil presents. Yes I hate it!

By Attex Bob on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Brandon: Sorry you did not find the problem. If you have that much gas in the pipe you have something wrong in the carb. Tear it down and look and see if the main jet rattled loose. Do you have the pre adjustment right? I don't know if these things have reed valves or not but check every thing that can pump that much gas into the engine. If you have the old carb. put it back on and see what happens. Above all; don't take that 2 stroke out; if you do, you will get passed even by little old ladies in coots. I know it's frustrating but you will find the problem.

By ISAAC EISENMAN (Tropicjungleboy) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hey brandon:

before give up on your powerfull kohler 440 check the follow:

* if flywheel still "aligned" ( maybe the key is broken and "lost" proper timming

* replace coil with a "fresh" 6 volt one and make the test again

* check for grease/dirt on points...wd-40 or similar cleaner will work...better if you can file them and "re gap"...0.16

* check for real gasoline ( water just don't start your engine!!!)

back to bounce!!!

By MaxRules (Brandon_price) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I found a hole in the rubber intake carb mount today. I guess it was getting too much air to run good. I patched it up with some gasket maker. After a bit of cranking (still a little hard to start) I did get it running. It ran strong and smoked more since I mixed the gas/oil at about 32:1.
Looks like I will need to make my own carb mount so it is tougher. The one I bought from Dennis Kirk was very poor quality.
Is there any way, without taking off the flywheel, that I can tell if this engine has electronic ignition? The guy I bought it from said he put it on along with a new coil.

By ISAAC EISENMAN (Tropicjungleboy) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

hey brandon:

the electronic device is a piece that replace points and supose to be located at same place of points...after pull rope device or cooling cover and a center plug on flywhell you should be able to check point...or this little electronic component........if engine still on aatv frame use a mirror and a lantern...............but bottom line if you get blue spark why you want to "mess" with this section?????.....enjoy bouncing!!!

By Douglas Mosley on Unrecorded Date: Edit

The advertizement booklet in 1975 stated that my Hustler w/Kohler 440 2 stroke engine noise level was 68 db, and I do remember it wasn't real loud, well you'd have a hard time sneaking up on Osumma. I know I can not get an original muffler but can I get something simular, just something that is compatible to my 440 cc engine? Some what quiet.