eager beaver 3516

Hi all, this is my first post so i hope i'm doing it right.
I have an Eager Beaver 3516 which i couldn't get to start. I took off the side cover and found that the muffler was really oily. Could this be the problem ?

 

I have relocated your thread to outdoor power equipment.

While it is fairly normal for a 2 stroke engine of have oily residue on the muffler, excessive oil may be a sign of not using the right mix ratio of oil in the gas or maybe running very rich. This would likely not prevent it from running.

In most cases, it is a dirty carburetor or gas that has gone bad that is the cause of a failure to start.

When was the last time it was running?

 

i had it running maybe 3-4 weeks ago. maybe i will check the carburetor of course i really dont know anything about them either ill try some carb cleaner and see what happens. Thanks

 

Remove the spark plug and put a half teaspoon of gas oil mix in the cylinder. Replace the plug and wire and try to start it. If it runs a second or sputters like it's trying to run that's a good indication of a fuel problem (carburetor). Also make sure the gasket between the carb and engine is intact and the carb attach bolts are tight to prevent an air leak.

If it doesn't sputter or run remove the spark plug and attach the wire to the plug. Go into a dark or shaded area and hold the tip of the plug to bare metal of the engine. Pull the starter and you should see the plug spark. If not you could have a bad plug. If a new plug doesn't get you spark then I disconnect the kill wire from the switch and check for spark again. If that doesn't yield a spark then I consider a new ignition coil.