Troy-Bilt 4-Cycle Trimmer Won't Stay Running? (Do This!)

If you have a Troy-Bilt 4-Cycle Trimmer, you know they can be a beast at trimming your lawn. But if your Troy-Bilt 4-Cycle Trimmer won’t stay running, it can be pretty frustrating. Because of this, we’ve decided to produce this guide on how to fix this problem.

The most common issue comes from a clogged carburetor. It comes from leaving fuel in the trimmer over a long period. You can clean this with any standard carburetor cleaner. Also, you may have to replace the gas. If all else fails, you will need to replace the carburetor.

We will focus most of this article on cleaning and replacing your carburetor. If this isn’t the issue, we will also get into other potential problems that may cause this to happen.

Be sure that you have the same carburetor as the old one. The sure-fire way to do this is by checking the model number, which you can find with the owner’s manual.

If you threw out the owner’s manual, check the underside of your Troy-Bilt 4-Cycle Trimmer.

While it would seem that you can use a make a model, mild changes in later releases may make this impossible. Always be sure they have the same model number that you have. If you want to try and bend the rules, confirm that you can with their customer service line.

There will be a rubber piece you need to remove on the outside of the weed wacker. Next, you will see screws next to the outside of the throttle. Remove these, and pull the plastic covering to get to the carburetor.

This plastic covering has a connection to a hose which you may need to reposition. If you aren’t used to making this sort of repair, take a picture of the carburetor when you remove the plastic covering. You will thank me later for this.

Once you remove the plastic covering, remove the hoses from the carburetor using pliers to undo the pressure. Finally, remove the throttle cable, which has a connection to the carburetor. Please set it to the side before moving to the last step.

The last issue you run into is replacing the spark plug. Again, if this is an issue, you will want to be sure that the spark plug is compatible with your engine. You can find this using the owner’s manual.

In this case, the air gap required by this spark plug will be . 025 inches. Be sure that you are cleaning as you work on the project. Getting debris caught here can burn out your newer spark plugs.

When solving one issue, it is only natural to find other problems. The next most common issue you can run into is finding that your trimmer head has issues. For example, it might not be cutting as well as it used to.

If you have problems with your head’s ability to cut, you must remove the head. You can do so by holding the shaft while turning the head in the opposite direction from where it spins.

This issue is related to two different problems. First, there is a primer bolt in your fuel tank that may need adjusting. You can also check on the position of the carburetor. Improper alignment may also cause your trimmer to bog down.

You can follow the same instructions above to adjust your carburetor. When reaching the “replacing the carburetor step,” you will want to pay close attention to its position. You will also want to be sure it is firmly in the motor and plastic cover.

A 4-cycle trimmer has a higher level of fuel efficiency. As a result, it uses less fuel, energy and has a high level of output. However, it is heavy when compared to smaller 2-cycle trimmers.

Meanwhile, 2-cycle trimmers are more straightforward and have fewer maintenance requirements. They are also smaller and lightweight, making them ideal for storage. However, they are less potent than 4-cycle trimmers and run through fuel much quicker.