Stihl BR600 Blower Low Power Repair - Valve Adjustment 

Yes. Standard tool, top dead center compression stroke. If you have any other questions hit me up. :)

What size gage to use to adjust valves

.10 mm (.004 inches)

@@shananigans1179 cool thanks!!

@@shananigans1179 0.1mm = .004"

Happy to help.

Thank you. Glad to help.

Probably saved yourself 50 bucks! Glad I could help. :)

That's great. Glad to help. :)

+Ron marsden glad I could help. :)

+Lori Parsons glad I could help.

Happy to help. :)

Jeremy Schudde, glad I could help.

+Isaac Sundberg I will see if I can find one to fix. If it's the wire in thinking of it should be there to dissipate the static that's builds up so it doesn't shock you.

Gold school training? Did they charge that. The valve feller gauge I get from stihl is .010mm which crosses over to about. 004 std. Crazy stihl engineers could have changed it though. :)

Hi...I wonder if please you could help me? I am in UK I have a Stihl 600 magnum blower...4 years old...been great last used it about March this year now...it will not start...nothing happening at all! plug adjustment is OK full fuel tank...new fuel air filter is clean whatever I do , it just will not ignite! anything you can help me with I would be really grateful I am on GRHengland if you can help thanks a lot!!!

Try putting a teaspoon of mixed fuel down the spark plug hole. Reassemble and pull the cord with no choke and trigger locked in full wide open position. If it starts and dies you have a faulty fuel system. This would mean you would have to check your war fuel lines fuel filter and carburetor. If it won't start still then check for spark or timing issue.

@@shananigans1179 thank you very much It's getting dark here so I will try your tips tomorrow! Thanks again... I am most grateful

@@grahamharrison6724 soooo how did ya make out?

Thank. Happy to help.

Thanks

I just used a little carb cleaner to knock off some of the dirt and wet down the dust. :) Just trying to keep as much dirt out as possible.

Is it a Stihl trimmer? If so they usually use a molded fuel line that you just pop in and out with a screwdriver. make sure you round the screwdriver edges off so nothing's really sharp.

@@shananigans1179 Its a Br600 Backpack Blower.

Thanks

Adjust the valves when the engine is cold.

An old mechanic that I apprenticed under in the late 1960 always commented "when you can hear them they're working". My old beetle clattered happily along for quite a few years.

That depends on how much you use it. :) Every 50 hours would be a good number.

I've had it for 8 years and have never done it. Guess I'm overdue! I have the feeler gauge on order. Thanks for the reply and thanks for the very good video.

I'm glad I could help. Just so you know, a magnet in your tool box hold the tool nicely so you can find it next time you need it. :)

Thanks. As for your problem I would look at the carburetor, seals or maybe the timing. I had a wierd one the other day where the flywheel kid had sheared and it was doing the same thing. I guess I should ask what have you tried already? :)

@@shananigans1179 the carb seems fine. No obvious leaking from the seals. I’m not sure how to check or adjust the timing. Do you have a video on that? Again, thanks for your time.

To check the timing just put the cylinder on top dead center and see where the magnets are lining up to the ignition coil. They should be pretty close to it. The other thing you can do is take the bolt off of the flywheel and pop the flywheel off and look and see if the sheer key is still intact. unfortunately it's integrated into the flywheel so if it is sheared off you will have to get a new or good used flywheel.

+Curtis Brown Stihl recommends that you check them after the first 139 hours, and then as needed after that. If you still don't have full power after installing a new air fitter, cleaning the exhaust screen and port, and making sure your carb is adjusted properly, then valves may be your problem. I check them every time I service someone's machine. It's an easy thing to do and more often then not they are out.

Mike Spain Is that 60 thou or 6 thou?

The Stihl feeler gauge is metric and it has 10 stamped on it. That being said my caliper reads .004".

You can tell when the valves really need to be adjusted when you go to pull on the rope and you can really fill the compression stroke. It's because as the exhaust valve loosens up it is no longer pushed up by the decompression mechanism on the gear. So if you wanted to wait until it was just hard to pull over and then adjust it you could do that. if you wanted to try and stay on top of things every other year would probably be fine. Just pay attention to the pull and compression stroke. :)

Might be a carb adjustment if the valve adjustment didn't do anything for you.

Try the search for cleaning the spark arrestor.

I guess it could be but usually on these 4 stroke units they don't get plugged up too often. At least in my area. :) That is a great suggestion though!

me too, did you figure it out?

What have you tried so far to fix it?

A trick would be to put something long and straight like a straw into the cylinder and watch it move up and down as you rotate the flywheel.

That is correct! The decompression knob on the cam is not hitting the valves because they are too loose. After you adjust the valves it will pull like new again.

@@shananigans1179 one more thing. (I got the blower for $75 at a flea market) there are leaks from multiple places it seems. It's covered in grime. Gonna clean it. Would you suspect valve cover? Or something else? It is from top to bottom. But also reaches the left side where the carb is. I'm thinking the fuel like is loose and leaking too,

Also upon taking off the orange cover , I had 3 nuts fall out. Any idea where they go? They look like backing nuts to the ones I removed for the cover or something but I'm not sure they're supposed to be completely loose like that

The pieces that feel out are probably the spacers that go in the recoil holes. The seal behind the fly wheel is probably leaking. Look at the bottom of the crankcase and make sure all the bolts are still in it. I see them come loose often. Fuel line could have a home in it but it could also be a tank vent leaking. Also check and make sure the crank shaft bearings are tight still. :) Good luck! :)

The but it's out of a blue point set from the small on truck years ago and the gauge was from the dealership I worked at. You can find them on eBay.

That's crazy! I adjust the valves ever time I work on one. It makes it run better and they get out of spec so quickly.

It sounds like you have an air leak that much more fuel mean air is getting into the engine where it shouldn't. Take a can of carb cleaner or starting fluid it something and spray it around the seals and lower crank case area. If it changes rpms then you know what you get to do. :)

@@shananigans1179 I have done it.. problem is carburetor. I adjust it L to where works great in idle then H where has solid performance .. turn it off go on to the next place and bogs down until I turn it down a bit. Then next place same thing I have tried for days to find that right spot. Does “L” and “H” have to be at one point to make them work fine. Use it in the morning but if turned off and back on un 15-20 minutes takes a lot of time to warm up again.. before it was just cold in the morning. After that no problems during the whole day... at this point I want to replace carburetor but blower is 4 months old. Stihl BR800 magnum. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

It really sounds like an air leak to me. Do you see any oil residue around the bottom or seals? Also if the gasket is broken on the valve cover that could let air into the system. One other thing to do would be to check the bearings. To check them take the recoil off and grab the flywheel and and see if you can move it up and down. If you have any play at all in it then you might need a shirt block which should be covered under warranty. (It wouldn't be the first one that's had problems so soon)

@@shananigans1179 Hey!!! Wanted to share some good news. I own 2 Stihl blowers BR800. Turns out after, adjusting valves, carburetor being a night mare for 2 weeks not being able to find that spot. This morning I open the fuel cap and heard that power come. So got my attention and that is why it was working some times and never being able to adjust. Apparently is not venting. I adjusted carburetor with cap loose and work great. Now looks like I need to replace that vent (have no idead how, tried popping it out and half of it only came out) it is strange how both blowers are doing the sane thing.

That's great you found the problem. It's been ages since I have done anything with those breather assy things. They should just pop out of I remember right. Good luck and thanks for letting me know what you found. :)

I would check the air filter and maybe try a simple carb adjustment first. That does seem to be to quick to be a valve adjustment. That being said it wouldn't surprise me if they were off just a little. A quick way to tell if the valves need to be adjusted is if when you pull the starter rope out slowly does it feel nice and smooth? If it does then you're good. If it feels like you're pulling an old 2 stroke then your decompression valve isn't engaging , making it a harder jerky type pull.

Shananigans I took it in today under warranty. The tech did a compression test and said it was at 50.... whatever that means. He said he adjusted the valves and retested and it passed with flying colours. I would not have thought valves would need adjustment after only 2 tanks of fuel. Unless he was full of it?

I usually just watch for the intake valve to open and close. As it closes you know you are headed towards the tdc compression stroke. :)

That unit has no valves. If you are having running issues I would check the exhaust screen and make sure it is clean. :)

Also what’s that black rubber or plastic you added to the bottom plate? Cool

I check the valves every time someone brings one in for repair. :). You can tell when they are out of adjustment when you pull on the rope slowly and it feels like it has tons of compression. That means the decompression mechanism isn't working because the valves are ready to be adjusted. As for the black rubber/ plastic piece, can you give me a time stamp so I can look. I can't remember putting anything that wasn't stock. :) Hope that helps.

Shananigans good view @6:51

You do mix the fuel. 50:1. Use a good quality 2 stroke oil. That being said it's a 4 stoke motor the runs on 2 stroke gas. It uses the oil in the fuel to lubricate the engineers internal components.

Try using a little starting fluid. If it stays and dies right away check the fuel lines and filter and carb. If it doesn't, let me know.

That sounds like a bearing is going out in the crank case. Just start tearing things apart into you find what is causing the binding. :) rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F223141103259

Try putting a little gas first into the disk plug hole, putting the spark plug back in and starting it. If it starts and runs in the little bit of fuel you put in it then you know you have a fuel delivery problem.

The left valve, closest to the carb.

To each his own I guess. :)

When you use a powered screwdriver hundreds of times a year to do your job like me you get very good with it. You can sense what to do and not to do with it. The reason Shananigans uses it is he has perfected using it for these applications.

Thanks!!.

+martin danburen 9074 477 4132 is the part number for the screw. The description says the screw is IS-P5x18 self tapping screw. Any Stihl dealer in your area should have them.

+martin danburen here ia a link to the illustrated parts list. www.smaf-touseau.com/doc/136

Greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Have they ever been adjusted? It might help, but I would think more of a carb issue.

@@shananigans1179 I just bought the unit off of market place. The previous owner had it serviced every year. There’s a blue paint marker beside the valve cover. Not on the cover itself. I’m checking right now to see if I can order the feeler gauge and service kit off of Amazon.

@@shananigans1179 any idea what that 3rd set screw is beside the choke?

I adjust the valves on almost every one. The cam gear is plastic to it wears quickly. What happens if you manually move the choke back and forth while you try to throttle it up?

It won't start? What do you mean by exploding noices? first thing I would do is check to see if the ignition switch is on. The second thing I would check is does it have spark. The third thing I would do would be to use a little bit of gasoline into the spark plug hole and see if it will start a fire and die. If it starts and dies then you know you have a fuel related issue. Is it relatively easy to pull over or is it really hard and stiff to pull over?

I will post a video tomorrow to show you what I'm talking about

Sometimes the valves will get carbon buildup on them. Still does offer a solution to break down carbon. You put it in the cylinder and let it sit overnight with the valves open. The way you get both valves open is you pop off the valve cover and then just tighten both valves all the way down. After of course putting it on top dead center.

It has a decompression valve, so putting a regular compression tester on it will show low/ no compression.

Shananigans thank you , the valves needed adjustment.

James Larson Thank you. It was the valves.

Could be carb issue. Sometimes not using it enough will cause issues. The valves could cause a hard starting issue. An easy way to tell if your valves need to be adjusted is if when you pull the rope out you can feel the compression strokes. If you pull the rope and it pulls relatively easily then your valves probably do not need adjusted. That being said if it's been 3 years and you haven't ever had them adjusted they will need adjusted. :-)

@@shananigans1179 no problem thank you for the detailed reply 😊I'll check it over properly this evening I've picked up a new plug again and I'm going to swap out the fuel for new stuff again and take it from there failing that I'll check the card over ,may need a kit to put into it 😀thanks again 👍👍👍

Happy to help. :)

@@shananigans1179 quick update I was actually running it on aspen 4 and mixing in the sthil ultra oil instead of pump fuel which I had been running previously but thought I was doing good using aspen for a change turns out they don't like aspen so I put fresh pump fuel back in there now and it's running like a dream again 👍👍👍 maybe it would require a slightly different tune setup to run it on aspen, ill stick with the pump gas again ,thanks again 👍👍

Glad you got it figured out. :)

.004 inches or .010mm

@@shananigans1179 Okay cool.

I agree with you there. :)

i have one, not happy! to many problems . would not get one again.

What other problems are you having?

@@shananigans1179 for me, it has a running problem, it has a mysterious stalling problem!!, starts great every time, but seams to act like it runs out of fuel after running 5 to 10 mins, from full throttle it spits and sputters to a very low rpm, may start to run good after a min of doing it , but most cases it stalls. then i have to start it again, runs like crap then it runs like new, i starts blowing leaves, 5 mins later dose it over again!! . im checking valves clearance now to see if problems. i have owned this unit from new, kinda seams like it did it from day one, brought it back to dealer for warranties, they never seamed to fix it. i ready dont know what they did to maybe solve it. these units have alot of valve problems, burning them, breaking, losing adjustment.

Check all the hoses going to the carb to make sure there isn't a pin hole in them and also check the fuel tank vent. It is on the tank next to where the fuel lines go into it. The problem sounds like a venting issue.

What do you mean by "put everything on it new"? If you have a new carburetor on it and it's not idling properly you might have got a bad carburetor. You can try adjusting it.

@@shananigans1179 yea the carburetor is new and the fuel filter, air filter,spark plug all new

Did you try turning the idle stop screw up a little. Should be the lower screw kind of by itself.

Yea I'm probably going to end up buying a new carburetor because this one I turned the idle screw and nothing happens

Sounds like it is a bad carb. Good luck.

I would almost bet that if you did adjust the valves it would pull over easier. :-) I am glad to hear that you're Stihl machine is running great though!

Check the valves. Check the blower fan. If those are good it might be the lower bearings on the crank. Check that no bolts are loose on the crankcase as well. That should give you a few common things to look at. :)

Thanks!

What did you find was wrong? :)

Was the blower fan! Thanks

Give me some more info please. Were you using mixed fuel? Did you hear any noises? D I'd it just stop suddenly or wind down gradually? Last week I had one that had a bad flywheel. The timing key had sheared.

Making noise is never good. Remoce the recoil and see if you get any up and down play on the flywheel. Look for any bolts that may have broke holding the bottom case half together or cranckshaft bearings that may be worn.

@Shananigans thanks for the quick reply. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the flywheel is still hard to spin with the spark plug removed, that should eliminate valve adjustment as the issue?

If you have the work plug out and it's still hard to pull over it sounds like someone may have ran the machine without oil mixed in the gas. 9 times out to 10:00. This will seize the bearing on the connecting rod and will be hard to pull over.

@Shananigans that would definitely make sense given the time of year it seized up. Lots of part timers in the winter! Thanks for the great info and quick replies. Appreciate it!

Happy to help.

.010 mm or .004 in

@@shananigans1179 0.10 you mean. (1/10th mm)

Yes,!! That's exactly what I mean. :)

What have you checked so far? I would check the valves, tank vent, fuel filter, air filter condition, and spark plug. If that all checks out you could have an air leak or ignition coil problem.

Luis Rodriguez tender loving care

u mean "pos" piece of shhh****tt!

@@chadbailey189 any small engine with an OHV states in the manual to check the valve lash every 100 hours or so. Don't be an idiot.....

The plastic gear that drives the valves may be worn out. Also sometimes the case gets worn out. Grab the flywheel and try moving it up and down. If you can the blower crank bearing might be worn out also.

@@shananigans1179 this blower looks brand new. So just trying to wrap my head around what happened. Thank you for quick reply

Look underneath the flywheel. They'll be a little cover that's held on by four bolts. Make sure all four of those bolts are there. I have seen in the past where the heads have broke off or the bolts have rattled loose. You could also try adjusting the valves we're doing a couple of rotations put it back on top dead center and check the valve again.

If you check them I bet you will be amazed at how much better it runs. :)

@@shananigans1179 I really need to! It actually still runs well except the idle seems to be really low. Almost dies with no pressure on the trigger. Could be the valves?

Could be. Also check the adjustment on the trigger. There is a little screw that you can turn that will help if your throttle cable is stretched.

@@shananigans1179 Gotcha! Thanks man!

Yup. Anytime. :)

It was only a few months old. :)

Carb could be out of adjustment. .

Throttle cable adjustment

Lol yeah. Just saying that the cam gear is made of plastic and they wear out kind of quickly and they are hard to replace because you have to disassemble the entire blower to replace it. :)

It it from Stihl. It has 10 stamped in it. I think it gauged out at .004 inches.

Shananigans nice thanks

Mauro Sanchez .06 gauge

That would be 10 mm. Thanks for that info!

0.100 mm

One thing I would look at is the flywheel key. Make sure it is still intact. If that's good I would checked spark with a tester. If that's okay then the next step would be valves, but usually if it's a valve issue you will have low power and a hard starting situation. Good luck, keep me posted. :)

You could visually check to see if the valves are moving up and down. If the can is broken that could cause a no start issue.

How do I check the flywheel key. When I pull the cord. I can see the cylinder go up and down

You are going to have to remove it. Take off recoil and back cover. Remove not holding flywheel on. Take a hammer and brass punch and hit the shaft while applying pressure to the back side of the flywheel. It should pop right off.

.004 inches or .010 mm

Don't tell anyone! :) If you go grab one add an auto parts store just use some scissors and trim it up to look like the one in the video..

They are getting easier to find now.

You can use scissor on that thin of metal. :)

If it's good enough at the Stihl gold school I figured it was good enough for a RU-vid video. :) If you can't control your drill don't use it.

It appeared the drill controlled you several times the way it wrenched your wrist while tightening. @@shananigans1179

@@shananigans1179 you cant please everybody

We get payd most for what we know how to do, the work comes second. 👌

I laughed soooo hard brother..sooo hard🤣salute to u from Chicago