I've put new gasket and new piston rings in my weedeater. It's about 10 yrs. old. I've put a new CJ8 spark plug in it with a .20 gap in it; still it won't start. I'm ready to choke it. Sparkplug, compression, new gas with a 40:1 ration---what else can I do???????? P. S. There is even a guy next door that operates a small engine store....he's had it about 3 weeks and he can't start it either. He said he is going to carry it to the trade school and let the instructor of small engines look at it...... Thanks Kyle J.

 

Are you sure the spark plug is sparking? I once had a break in the insulation of the wire to the kill switch, which caused an intermittent ground (depending upon which way I was holding it).

 

I had a FS-36 model once and I couldn't get that thing to run right either. Finally figured out that it needed a new coil . That lasted about 2 uses and then it actually moved (cut) the keyway in the crankshaft over so far that it put it out of time.
For the price of a new one I'd cut my losses and ditch the Stihl for something better........My 2 cents worth.

 

Hello Kylej!

As mentioned, are you getting spark? Is the exhaust restricted? Is it getting fuel into the cylinder?