power washer stalling out

[Tom7227]

I have a power washer that runs for a few minutes and then stalls out.  Can't restart it for hours.  The shop said it was a carb and so I replaced that and it still happens.  I thought it may be a problem with the vent in the gas tank but left the cap loose and it still happened. 

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks for your time.

 

Tom

[Wanderer]

Is it a hard stall like too much pressure that kills it or does it just die out?

 

The hard stall would most likely be caused by your pump locking up.  A die out would be fuel or maybe even spark, although less likely.

 

What pressure washer?

[Tom7227]

It is a Powerhorse, the northern tool house brand.  It dies while I am spraying.  If I replaced the carb what more fuel issues could there be?  The carb replacement took about 5 minutes and was extremely simple.

[Wanderer]

When you try to restart it does it pull easy or hard?

 

When mine has water pressure built up, it pulls hard to start.  I trigger the wand to release the pressure so it starts easier.   Maybe the hours for yours is due to pressure that needs to bleed off?  Hard to tell not being there.  
 

I can kill mine at low throttle just by spraying.  Are you running yours at a high throttle position?  Again, hard to tell without hearing the RPMs of the engine.

 

Otherwise for fuel, it could be a blockage or venting issue anywhere in the system. If there wasn’t a change in performance with the change of carburetor, the carburetor is probably not the issue.  If it sat with old gas for a while something could be varnished up and the engine starves for gas until it quits.  Taking hours to get enough fuel flowing again to run seems odd if you actually get to run it hard enough to spray for even a few minutes.

 

Hearing the way it behaves would help a lot for me.

 

I’ve had pressure washers that you’re not supposed to let idle for extended time without spraying and others like my current one that bypass just fine while it’s running.  I’m just wondering if your killing it on high pressure AND low idle.  Mine will die every time that way.

[Tom7227]

Full throttle before I even start to spray.  When trying to restart it pulls easy and I keep the wand open to assure it doesn't get backed up.  I agree it has to be a fuel issue.  But the tank to engine line is a straight shot except for the fuel shut off valve.  When I was replacing the carb the fuel would run out of the fuel line quite a bit until I remembered to shut off the fuel line.   The gas has been brand new non-oxy every time I have tried it.

 

[smurfy]

That's odd Tom, I have a power washer from northern tool also. Not sure which one but only issues I've had with mine is I had to replace both tires???

[delcecchi]

The not restarting for hours....   Could it possibly be an ignition thing where as it gets hot it stops providing spark and has to cool all the way down to start again?     That's the only thing besides flooding I can think of.   Typically, isn't the spark on small engines produced by magnets on the flywheel going by a coil?    So when it quits and won't restart, is it getting spark?      And is the plug wet when it quits?     

 

Has it got the Honda motor or something else?   

[smurfy]

thats the engine on the one i have.

[Tom7227]

I can't figure  out how enough heat would form to cause a problem. What part could be getting hot?  That sort of makes sense but then it will start and quit again quite quickly.  I don't  know what engine it has and that's a problem with it.  Finding the parts is troublesome even with Jack's Small Engine.

[Wanderer]

Heat can cause some issues.  Like an old PTO on a lawn tractor that won’t engage after it’s been running, then shut off, then turned on again.  Having to wait 2-3 hours to get it to engage again tells you it’s time at least adjust it but plan on a replacement soon.