I have an 8 year-old Stihl BG85 blower that has been a extraordinarily reliable, always starting within 2-3 pulls.

Every spring the spark plug and air filter are changed, and when I mix the gas, I always add Stabil.

Today I got it out, pumped the primer bulb, and it wouldn't start. After several attempts, I removed the spark plug, blew it dry, yanked the starter rope a few times to clear the cylinder, and it sputtered once or twice but never started. I noticed when I pulled the starter rope, gas would spray out the exhaust. So, I cleaned the plug again (gap is fine), let it set for a half hour, then reinstalled the plug and tried again. No luck, but once again, gas sprayed out the exhaust?

What gives? Could the reed valve (or whatever it's called) be shot after all these years.