Starting Small Engine Repair Gig

[gregkl]

I have been working on my own stuff for most of my life but recently have stepped up my education and am learning to properly diagnose and test small engine systems to determine exactly what is wrong and then proceed to repair it properly.

I have been looking at extra income now and especially when I retire in a few years. I have done some "handyman" type work but the variety of work complicates things and I have to travel for each job and maintain a large compliment of tools and equipment. I am currently mowing grass for one customer. I really like cutting grass and my plan is to get 5-6 yards while I am still working and increase that to around 10 in retirement.

However, lately I have been had the opportunities to do small engine repair. Apparently there is a lot of equipment out there in various forms of disrepair. Last week I repaired three push lawnmowers and a string trimmer. Currently I have another push mower in my garage getting a carb rebuild.

I bought a string trimmer for a $1 at a yard sale(wouldn't start), was given a backpack leaf blower that wouldn't start and a coworker gave me a "dead" string trimmer a few weeks before that. All are running like brand new, and due to my OCD tendencies, look new.

Short story long and the gist of this posting is I am looking for folks who have small engine equipment that are in disrepair that they just want out of their home. I could be opening up a can of worms so I do want to keep the area to central and southern Indiana primarily and I am not looking for salvage yard condition stuff. I'm looking for stuff that can be brought back to life or provide parts for me to start building up some inventory. Better brand name stuff. I am mostly looking for "free to a good home" pricing, though I am willing to spend a little money for the right stuff.

Lastly, I haven't come up with my pricing strategy yet and I'm still doing my due diligence on rebuild vs replace but if you have something you would like to keep if it was running good, I'm willing to take a look at it.

Thanks!

 

[KG1]

I have been working on my own stuff for most of my life but recently have stepped up my education and am learning to properly diagnose and test small engine systems to determine exactly what is wrong and then proceed to repair it properly.

Spark, fuel and compression. If those three are established, then an engine should run. Checking those three elements is a jumping off point in determining a diagnosis and what needs to be worked on.

 

[Keith_Indy]

I’ve got an inoperative lawn mower that I tried rebuilding the carb on. Still leaks gas.

Was going to put it on curb alert for free but if you want it it’s yours.

 

[Brian Ski]

If you ever make it to the North end of the state, hit me up... I have a handful of stuff I don't want to pitch. I just never have time for.

I would say 80%+ of the time it is bad (old) fuel that cruds up a carburetor. Most of the time you can carefully take the float bowl off, clean it out and get it running. Blow out the air filter (nobody cleans or replaces those) and maybe a new spark plug.

 

[gregkl]

If you ever make it to the North end of the state, hit me up... I have a handful of stuff I don't want to pitch. I just never have time for.

I would say 80%+ of the time it is bad (old) fuel that cruds up a carburetor. Most of the time you can carefully take the float bowl off, clean it out and get it running. Blow out the air filter (nobody cleans or replaces those) and maybe a new spark plug.

Working on a almost new mower that the owner put away with gas in it. The carb was gunked up a bit. I have a rebuild kit and a carb, just in case, coming. I think the kit will be fine, but I want to have it ready by Friday so I ordered the carb as a back up. The jet was completely clogged.

I could make a run that way. Where in the north are you? I go through South Bend on my way to visit folks in western MI.

 

[gregkl]

I’ve got an inoperative lawn mower that I tried rebuilding the carb on. Still leaks gas.

Was going to put it on curb alert for free but if you want it it’s yours.

I come up to Greenwood on Saturday's to have breakfast with some friends. Maybe I could come by and pick it up. Would it be okay in the back of an SUV? Hate to haul the trailer for one mower.

But then again, who knows? Maybe by next weekend I'll have several to pick up, lol.

 

[Keith_Indy]

I come up to Greenwood on Saturday's to have breakfast with some friends. Maybe I could come by and pick it up. Would it be okay in the back of an SUV? Hate to haul the trailer for one mower.

But then again, who knows? Maybe by next weekend I'll have several to pick up, lol.

Greenwood is close enough, we can figure something out.

 

[Brian Ski]

Working on a almost new mower that the owner put away with gas in it. The carb was gunked up a bit. I have a rebuild kit and a carb, just in case, coming. I think the kit will be fine, but I want to have it ready by Friday so I ordered the carb as a back up. The jet was completely clogged.

I could make a run that way. Where in the north are you? I go through South Bend on my way to visit folks in western MI.
View attachment 297274

Some good spray and scrubbing can shine it up. Not saying carb kits are a waste of money but usually only need a gasket or 2. If you are careful you can use the old ones. A lot of times I can pull the bowl and clean up the jets without even pulling the carb.

I am around South Bend. Give me a PM a week before you head out. I have a couple poulans, a couple push mowers, string trimmers, I bet I can find a few other things.

 

[Butch627]

I have rebuilt more carbs from string trimmer to Carter Thermoquad than I would like to think about. If I was to put myself in business and valued my time I would buy replacement carbs whenever available. In my history 95 percent of engine problems if the engine spins are worn carb or gummed up carbs.

 

[Sigblitz]

This is my hobby. I haven't sold anything, but it's satisfying getting something running again. The main thing is identifying the problem. About anything can be identified without opening it up. White smoke, black smoke, gas in the carburetor oil, hard to start, surging. The valves get readjusted because they tighten up with age, and the rpm gets adjusted. A compression and leak down test will give you a general health report. And I've discovered a few tricks and shortcuts, and what not to do.

This isn't a gig for me. It's just a fun hobby.

 

[Sigblitz]

I have rebuilt more carbs from string trimmer to Carter Thermoquad than I would like to think about. If I was to put myself in business and valued my time I would buy replacement carbs whenever available. In my history 95 percent of engine problems if the engine spins are worn carb or gummed up carbs.

Lawnmower carbs are $20, $65 oem. But $20 is $20 for a cheap mower.
I fixed one last month that the needle wouldn't come out, and I didn't like the new replacement carb. I even had to get the right size gas bung off the old one.

 

[natdscott]

Wear nitrile gloves like your life depends on it, because it does.

 

[NHT3]

I have an old Snapper mower that I would love to get repaired. I think a carb would fix it but small engines are not my forte. I'm in Grenwood/Bargersville area if someone is interested looking at and repairing it if possible, PM me.
Thanks

 

[gregkl]

I have rebuilt more carbs from string trimmer to Carter Thermoquad than I would like to think about. If I was to put myself in business and valued my time I would buy replacement carbs whenever available. In my history 95 percent of engine problems if the engine spins are worn carb or gummed up carbs.

Eventually I may go the new carb route. If I do, I'll keep the original carb for spare parts or have a rebuilt one on the shelf.

Right now I'm rebuilding them to gain knowledge on the inner workings of them and to see if I am able to successfully rebuild them.

 

[gregkl]

Wear nitrile gloves like your life depends on it, because it does.

Been wearing nitrile gloves when working with most anything that will get your hands dirty for 30 years now. I even wear them when I wash my cars and use tire and wheel cleaners.

 

[gregkl]

Some good spray and scrubbing can shine it up. Not saying carb kits are a waste of money but usually only need a gasket or 2. If you are careful you can use the old ones. A lot of times I can pull the bowl and clean up the jets without even pulling the carb.

I am around South Bend. Give me a PM a week before you head out. I have a couple poulans, a couple push mowers, string trimmers, I bet I can find a few other things.

The last carb I did I did just that; cleaned everything up and put it back together. No gaskets were harmed in the process so I didn't have to spend a dime.

The current one has a bad float, torn gasket(my bad) and rusty needle and pin so I decided to buy a kit.

I initially just pulled the bowl on this one but when I saw how gunked up everything was I knew I had to pull it so I could get to everything.

 

[Brian Ski]

I have rebuilt more carbs from string trimmer to Carter Thermoquad than I would like to think about. If I was to put myself in business and valued my time I would buy replacement carbs whenever available. In my history 95 percent of engine problems if the engine spins are worn carb or gummed up carbs.

I would agree except for 20-50$ or more for a replacement carb and if you are trying to fix a small engine for resale you just lost any profit. If you are retired or have time to tinker you can knock out a carb cleaning pretty well unless it is not completely trashed.

Quadrajets, Rochesters and Holleys... I have been there too.

 

[Sigblitz]

Working on a almost new mower that the owner put away with gas in it. The carb was gunked up a bit. I have a rebuild kit and a carb, just in case, coming. I think the kit will be fine, but I want to have it ready by Friday so I ordered the carb as a back up. The jet was completely clogged.

I could make a run that way. Where in the north are you? I go through South Bend on my way to visit folks in western MI.
View attachment 297274

I don't think I can clean one that bad.
If you do, that bottom nut is the main jet and has holes in it to clean out.

 

[gregkl]

I don't think I can clean one that bad.
If you do, that bottom nut is the main jet and has holes in it to clean out.

I'll snap some pics. The parts look almost new now. I haven't received the rebuild kit but I did get the carb. It's getting returned and I have a new policy; a customer will either get a rebuild or OEM parts. The off brand stuff just doesn't meet my standards for quality.

 

[mom45]

Hubby did this for a while until he got so busy that he never had time for himself....fishing and motorcycle time just never happened and people constantly brought stuff that they needed right away. He finally started saying no and quit doing it.

Carbs and carb kits (and many other parts) are cheap on Ebay and Amazon. I have several other sites I used regularly to order parts that were way cheaper than buying at any of the local stores. Weed trimmers, mowers, chain saws, tillers, leaf blowers....so many things that were brought to him. We came home one day to a 30 foot boat parked in the driveway that was dropped off...that we were not expecting.