Ask the Editors: ATC Assistance
Fuel, spark and air.
The behavior you describe can be a few issues (low compression/ worn top end, valves out of adjustment) but we’d probably start by making sure the machine is getting good spark.
Machines of this vintage often suffer from wire degradation from years of storage. Pull the plug, ground the strap and pull the recoil. If you’re getting strong, consistent spark, time to go over the carb, which again, years of sitting can cause a lot of problems to.
Pick yourself up one of these $9 carb rebuild kits and follow this Youtube clip if you need some direction:
If, after making sure the fuel delivery system is up to snuff, the problem remains, we’d recommend checking the machine’s compression and adjusting the valves using the following vid to guide you:
