I purchased my Echo GT-2000 trimmer almost 18 years ago and it has served me well. I’m usually if it ain’t broke don’t fix it kind of guy and haven’t done any maintenance on my GT-2000 ever. For the last 18 years its been pull the cord and start on the first try! That is until this season. I was able to get the trimmer running but it would stall the instant I would throttle it up.
Thinking to myself this is the end for the GT-2000, I actually started to look for a replacement. I looked in Lowes and Home Depot but they weren’t selling the Echo brand. I decided to take a chance on fixing the unit and began looking for possible causes.
The Exhaust Was Oily and Black
I immediately started to look at the exhaust. Since this little bugger is a two cycle motor I would tend to believe that carbon and oil could build up in the GT-2000 over time. So I began taking her apart.
To remove the cover from the GT-2000 there are five screws that need to be removed and the throttle cable.
In the image below you can see three of the screws plus the throttle cable. The screw locations are marked with arrows, click the image for a better view
The final two screws are on the rear of the unit just above the starter.
The cover can now be easily removed, be sure to also disconnect the spark plug wire and carefully thread it through the hole.
There are two torx screws holding the muffler assembly to the head, remove the screws and carefully remove the muffler. Be sure NOT to allow any dirt or foreign matter to enter the cylinder head.
Once the muffler is removed, there are three screws to dismantle the muffler. inside you will find a screen, a couple of gaskets, and the screen holder
Remove all the parts and thoroughly clean them in a mild solvent and brush clean. I like to use WD40 to get the grime off.
Once the parts are fully cleaned, just reassemble in reverse order.
Ta-da! Your trimmer should be working as good as new. If your muffler was damaged during the cleaning process or is just beyond cleaning, you can pick one up at Amazon. Along with a carburetor kit and just about any other parts you may need. Click here for GT-2000 parts
Easy and Quick
This is a relativity easy project to complete with minimal tools. My tool list included, Phillips head screw driver, torx driver, can of WD40, waste pan (to contain the WD40) pair of pliers, and adjustable wrench and about an hour of time.
Let me know if you complete this project, or have any questions.
Thanks for reading my blog.
Joe