A Craftsman weed eater uses a rubber hose to suction fuel up from the gas tank to the carburetor. This rubber hose will degrade over time and cause gas leaks, air leaks or starve the carburetor of fuel. Repairing the fuel line on these models requires fuel line replacement, as the rubber hoses will get damaged during their removal. Fuel lines require seasonal replacement at a minimum, or more often if you often work in dusty, dirty conditions. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Unscrew the fuel tank's cap and empty all remaining fuel into the fuel canister. Push the primer bulb twice and start up the engine, if you can, to burn off the last remaining fuel in the system. Let the engine die.
2. Unscrew the bolts retaining the air filter and muffler cover to the rear of the engine. Pull out the air filter pad from the engine. Locate the fuel lines on the elbow connectors of the carburetor. Disconnect both lines from the carburetor using your fingers.
3. Unhook the throttle cable --- the metal wire attached to the side of the carburetor --- using your needle-nosed pliers. Unscrew the two mounting bolts fastening the carburetor's choke plate to the carburetor. Remove the choke plate.
4. Unscrew the two mounting bolts fastening the carburetor to the engine. Unscrew the top retaining screw holding the fuel tank to the engine. Lift out the entire fuel system --- gas tank, fuel lines and carburetor --- all together.
5. Reach into the fuel tank with the hook and pull off the fuel filter from the main gas line. Pull out both fuel lines from the tank, remembering the holes for the main hose (where the filter just was) and the return hose. You'll need to insert the new fuel hoses into their proper holes. Pull off the rubber grommet, if present, from the main fuel line.
6. Cut two lengths of new fuel tubing, both about 8 inches long. Push the new lines through the holes on the fuel tank. Attach the new fuel filter to the main fuel line --- the same hole you removed it from --- and push them into the bottom of the tank. Position the return fuel line so about 2 inches stick into the tank. Position the main fuel line so about 3 inches remains in the fuel tank. Cut off any excess line on the rear.
7. Refit the fuel tank and fuel lines to the engine. Place the carburetor onto the engine. Tighten down the fuel tank's screw. Tighten down the mounting bolts for the carburetor. Reconnect the fuel lines to their respective valves on the carburetor: the main fuel line, with the fuel filter, connects to the intake valve, and the return line connects to the outtake valve.
8. Refit the choke cover plate and tighten its mounting bolts. Reconnect the throttle cable to the side of the carburetor. Replace the foam filter and set the air filter and muffler cover back onto the engine.
Tags: fuel tank, fuel line, main fuel, main fuel line, mounting bolts, about inches