Two-Stroke Engine Repair & Maintenance By Paul Dempsey

Two-Stroke Engine Repair & Maintenance By Paul Dempsey

Contents:

1 • Fundamentals

2 • Troubleshooting

3 • Ignition systems

4 • Fuel systems

5 • Starters and related components 

6 • Engine service

7 • Power transmission

Introduction:

As two-strokes fire every revolution, they are the most powerful engines for their size known. Highly tuned examples develop nearly two hp per cubic inch of displacement and run happily at 11,000-plus rpm. And with only three basic moving parts, two-strokes are the simplest and least expensive

form of internal combustion. Yet, for many owners these little engines are contrivances from hell, can

tankerous, difficult to start, and impossible to fix. Drive by a suburban neigh borhood on trash collection day and you will find edgers, weed trimmers, and Chinese mini-bikes awaiting pickup at the curbside. The very simplicity of the two-stroke principle makes it unforgiving.

Actually, these engines are easy to live with, if you have the background information and the tools to make a few simple diagnostic tests. And once past the fear of getting their hands dirty, most people find that fixing things is rewarding. Certainly it is more rewarding than spending $85 an hour (the current big-city shop rate) for someone else to do the work. Nor can we continue to discard products that no longer function as they should. That phase of American experience is behind us.

The philosophy of this book was inspired by a lady who visited our class as a substitute teacher lo these many years ago. She was the daughter of a Spanish ambassador to the United States and, during the Second World War, had volunteered to teach Latin American pilots to ferry aircraft across the Atlantic. Although her students were trained pilots, they had not qualified on the large, multi-engined aircraft they would be flying. The students spoke five languages, none of which was English. Flight manuals, written in English, were useless.