# Pressure washer backfired and died



## jsand (Nov 19, 2011)

Anyone know what could have been blown out by a single, sharp backfire? Seemed to be running fine, the with a loud bang, it died suddenly (not even a single sputter) and seems like it doesn’t have any compression when I Cooled then tried to restart it. I found a piece of what might be mangle black plastic or part of a gasket under it afterwards but can’t tell where that came from. 

Small engine repair shops seem pretty backed up right now and I hope to finish refinishing my deck this weekend.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

jsand said:


> Anyone know what could have been blown out by a single, sharp backfire? Seemed to be running fine, the with a loud bang, it died suddenly (not even a single sputter) and seems like it doesn’t have any compression when I Cooled then tried to restart it. I found a piece of what might be mangle black plastic or part of a gasket under it afterwards but can’t tell where that came from.
> 
> Small engine repair shops seem pretty backed up right now and I hope to finish refinishing my deck this weekend.


On a good day it will just be a head gasket, on a bad day it could be a number of other things.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

^^ What he said. You'll probably want a flashlight, and maybe a magnifying glass, but if it's a real good day you might be able to visually confirm that it's the head gasket. Otherwise it's usually pretty easy to remove the head.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

lets see a good pic of this "black part or gasket"


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## jsand (Nov 19, 2011)

It’s hard to get a good picture, but here’s a try. Bends like it might be metal, but very thin almost plastic feel to it.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Is the engine oil level correct?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)




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## jsand (Nov 19, 2011)

That video came very close to convincing me it isn’t worth trying to fix! Then he pulled it out at the end.


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

If it was blown out by a backfire, I'd check the carb/manifold/intake port gaskets first. Probably two long bolts that hold it all together. Make sure those bolts tighten up OK. If you suspect the head gasket, wet it down well with soapy water. Kids' bubble blowing liquid is even better. Pull the rope a few times and look for bubbles.


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