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Posted By: KFWA snowblower carb has me stumped - 11/28/20
Pulled the snowblower out last week and attempted to start it today.

if it sits for a few minutes, it will start up and run for about 10 seconds, then die.

First I made sure there was good gas flow to the carb - no issues there. I also put in a new spark plug just for the hell of it.

Then I took the carb apart - this one doesn't have any jets you can remove (as far as I can tell). At any rate, I cleaned it up and blew compressed air thru the main line. Put it back together, same deal.

Took the carb apart again and I noticed the bowl was pretty much dry, so I took the float out , cleaned it up - without the float pin - whatever that doohicky is called - gas will flow thru in a stream , but when I put it back in with the float assembled it just a few drips. I'm not sure if that's correct or not but it seems to be the problem.

I screwed around with it a few more times and decided I'd just reassemble the carb without the float - and bingo - snowblowers runs great, but about 20 seconds after I stop it, gas is pouring out the carb of course.

Doesn't seem that complicated but I can't seem to find the sweet spot - the float is plastic and there is no way to adjust it.

I had another carb laying around that had a deeper bowl that fit, so I cannibalized it - it did help a bit - the motor would run for about 35-40 seconds, then it would eventually starve itself of gas again.

I gave up and ordered a replacement carb to be here on Monday, but I don't understand why I can't get this float to work like it used to.
Carburetors are why fuel injection was invented
Aint got no gas in it mmmm hmmmmm.
Clean the jets.
Your float needle is sticking.......open and closed.

Clean the passage the needle slides in, as well as the gas line intake.

Replace gas line also.
Seafoam dat beeach
What brand & size is the motor. I'd like to look at a float pic if I can find one.
Another gift from the ethanol department.
Try leaving the gas cap off.
Vent shouldn't have an effect that quick, but its an easy try.


Probably as others said, sticky needle.
Originally Posted by Ghostinthemachine
Seafoam dat beeach

This.
I did leave the gas cap off, but either way, I am getting good flow.

I don't have a wire to clean the jets but I'll get one tomorrow. The new carb arrives tomorrow as well. I hope I have better luck

I quit for the night. I smell like gas and I'm hungry.

FWIW, the carb is a Briggs & Stratton 798917
Also put a fuel shutoff valve in the line. Before storing it close the shutoff valve and run it until it quits. That'll cure 99% of the gummed carburetor problems like the one you have.

Carburetors are of the devil.
Originally Posted by MIKEWERNER
Your float needle is sticking.......open and closed.

Clean the passage the needle slides in, as well as the gas line intake.

Replace gas line also.


This!

Replace the needle as well I've seen the tips swollen up from Ethanol. Start using Recreational fuel in all your small engine stuff as well.
Go find ethanol free gas and only run that stuff
Most all the small motors today are listed on Amazon for replacement carb, air filter and fuel filter kit for under 20 bucks

I've done my mower, pressure washer and one chain saw recently.
Not even worth looking at twice, just order the new carburetor.

Just for example

$15.96
640084B Carburetor for Tecumseh 5HP MTD 632107A 632107 640084 640084A TORO 521 Snow Blower HSSK40 HSSK50 HS50 LH195SA - Tecumseh 632107 640084 640105 640299 632107A 640084A 4 & 5 HP Engines Carburetor

[Linked Image from images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com]
Probably not your issue but something to watch for that causes a lot of problems. Ethanol gas really messes with the fuel lines. Everything can look good but the ethanol will soften the lines causing them to collapse.
I started putting a value on my time screwing with stuff like that...

$15 for a new carb is pretty cheap... normally they were like $35 to $50....

As said above, I'd start to blame that on ethanol...

I quick using ethanol, and any gas station gas period...I even think the high dollar non ethanol fuel is usually ethanol any way..
because using that stuff at $4.50 a gallon, I was still having the same issues constantly... pasty stuff floating in the bottom of the Carb bowl...

I have started going over to the local Airport, and buying AV GAS... its $4.50 a gallon also.. but its 100 octane and there is NOT any Alcohol snuck in there.....buy it 5 gallons at a time...

haven't had one issue with any power equipment I use, and this property requires quit a bit of them to keep it up....

Figure a value on my time.. and $4.50 a gallon with no problems is cheaper than paying $2.50 a gallon and having to take the carb off and clean 4 or 5 times just during the life span of a gallon of pump gas...
for cleaning out jets in a Briggs Carb.. I find using a paper clip, normally works real well....

Replacing fuel lines is also pretty cheap, vs trying to clean them.
Originally Posted by rockinbbar
Another gift from the ethanol department.



^ ^ ^ ^
Just me-
I don't leave fuel in any small engine equipment
or outboard or motorcycle etc. anymore
I'll not try to start anything until I can flush the
tank and drain the carburetor if possible.
Trying to turn it over just forces bad gas and trash
into those tiny passages and makes for a BFM

Gas is crap anymore and I haven't had any
luck with treatments the last few decades
I quit trying to store a supply of gasoline some
time back. If it even seems the least bit rotten
it gets disposed of and I'll buy fresh

Mine did something like that - I finally pulled the float needle valve and stuck a tooth pick up there and a flake of junk came out of where the gas feeds in.

Apparently the seat of the float value was holding gas in there and it dried up and make it’s own little flapper that was closing half the time... drove me nuts for a couple of weeks as I tore things apart multiple times... then I finally put that pick up there and saw it fall out... then it ran like normal.
that's my next step tomorrow, I just need to get a piece of thin wire from somewhere.
Paper clip
If it's overflowing with the float & needle out, the all the rest of the fuel delivery system is working properly. With the needle & float back in screws it up, then it's obviously one or both of those 2.. Likely the float not holding the needle.

But new carb coming tomorrow kinda eliminates fooling with the old one.
Bread sack tie.....strip off plastic.

Originally Posted by KFWA
that's my next step tomorrow, I just need to get a piece of thin wire from somewhere.

Originally Posted by Seafire

$15 for a new carb is pretty cheap... normally they were like $35 to $50....


Made in VaChina crap. Don't support the commies . . .
Originally Posted by MIKEWERNER
Bread sack tie.....strip off plastic.

Originally Posted by KFWA
that's my next step tomorrow, I just need to get a piece of thin wire from somewhere.


good call, I will do just that
Had you put Stay-bil fuel stabilizer in the gas? Was there orange residue in the carburetor?

Reason I ask is I had exactly the same sorta problem with my old lawnmower. The Stay-bil had it all gummed up! I cleaned it good and got it running right, and I won’t use anything but Star-Tron in every small gas engine I use, not to mention my Truck and Wifey’s car.
And I ain’t had a lick of trouble with mowers since I switched, and it actually increased the fuel mileage in both vehicles.
7mm
Originally Posted by KFWA
Originally Posted by MIKEWERNER
Bread sack tie.....strip off plastic.

Originally Posted by KFWA
that's my next step tomorrow, I just need to get a piece of thin wire from somewhere.


good call, I will do just that




For short holes I pull a bristle out of a (heavy duty)wire brush and use that.


Hard steel, no flex, hold it with a mini vice grip.
well I was able to get a wire up in all the jets of the carb - still no go

just as I was testing it for the last time, the mailman showed up with my $22 Ebay carb

popped it on and it started on the second pull

I added a fuel shut off valve and a fuel filter.

gonna change the oil and I should be good to go until next winter anyways.
Originally Posted by Ranger99
Just me-
I don't leave fuel in any small engine equipment
or outboard or motorcycle etc. anymore
I'll not try to start anything until I can flush the
tank and drain the carburetor if possible.
Trying to turn it over just forces bad gas and trash
into those tiny passages and makes for a BFM

Gas is crap anymore and I haven't had any
luck with treatments the last few decades
I quit trying to store a supply of gasoline some
time back. If it even seems the least bit rotten
it gets disposed of and I'll buy fresh


If you’re running 90+ and using Sta-Bil that’s totally unnecessary.
Btw the usps has delivered packages to me on thanksgiving day and today, Sunday. Who would have thought you would see that?
There no easy way to clean carb. pull it off , disassemble, and clean every tiny piece including jets . $22 for a new one makes it not worth messing with though
Originally Posted by KFWA
Btw the usps has delivered packages to me on thanksgiving day and today, Sunday. Who would have thought you would see that?

You were lucky to get it before spring thaw.......

I'm almost a month out on a package that's "In transit, running late".........
Originally Posted by MuskegMan

Originally Posted by Seafire

$15 for a new carb is pretty cheap... normally they were like $35 to $50....


Made in VaChina crap. Don't support the commies . . .

I do my best to avoid china bombs but I needed a carb for my Onan trailer gennie. They are $300 and a national back order. My only option was a $50 China carb. And guess what? It works as well as the OE unit except when it craps the bed I won't be totally disgusted that a carb won't last more than 2 years. I wouldn't be surprised if Onan is outsourcing these to China now.
Originally Posted by KFWA
well I was able to get a wire up in all the jets of the carb - still no go

just as I was testing it for the last time, the mailman showed up with my $22 Ebay carb

popped it on and it started on the second pull

I added a fuel shut off valve and a fuel filter.

gonna change the oil and I should be good to go until next winter anyways.


I believe the fuel shut off valve is the fix for all of this. I run my generator dry now before I park my trailer.
Originally Posted by BobBrown
There no easy way to clean carb. pull it off , disassemble, and clean every tiny piece including jets . $22 for a new one makes it not worth messing with though


Easiest and best way is to use a cheap ultra-sonic cleaner.
It still has that funkie gunk that this newer gas gets when it has set for a time.

The smaller passages are still gunked up.

There are only a few sprays that do a good job on getting the grey goo out.

I use Master Clean.
Originally Posted by micky
Go find ethanol free gas and only run that stuff

Regardless of anything else you do, do this too ^^^^^^
Side story.

I recently sold a 1996 Subaru that has sat in my yard for 3 years.
I know. Kick me, and I'm 50 miles from West-By-God.


Anyway, we pumped up the tires and needed to get it to the dolly.
The "proud" new owner wondered if it would start.

(I was laughing to myself, no F'n way!)

They had a battery (necessary to tow a Subaru) and stuck it in.
Damn thing fired right up. And I mean, right up.
He did cycle the key twice to fire the fuel pump, but it took right off.

Still wouldn't move. The rear brake pads were rusted to the rotors.

But if lit, ran rough for about a minute, then smoothed right out.
Ethanol gas that was 3 and almost a half years old.
I had that problem. Eventually figured out that I had the on/off valve closed. This pretty well sums up my mechanical acuity.
Originally Posted by Ghostinthemachine
Seafoam dat beeach


THIS!
I could type out a bunch of crap, but in summary:

Buy a new carb off Amazon for $20 and call it a day.
Cars have had all their fuel line components re-engineered to not dissolve in ethanol gas. Small engines have not. Almost all problems with small engines can now be attributed to ethanol gas damage. If you can't get ethanol-free gas, you are going to have engine troubles sooner or later.
New carb is ~$20 and far less work than fiddling with the old one and typically is a 0 frustration deal. Remove a spring or 2, fuel line, 2-3 bolts, clean up the mating surface, reverse procedure and you're done.
Posted By: 673 Re: snowblower carb has me stumped - 11/30/20
When that has happened to me I take the float off and where the seat sits, inside there is a jet with a slot for a flat head screw driver to fit, take that out and spray carb cleaner all up inside there and use a toothpick or similar to clean the crap out of there, make sure the small hole in the jet is free too, that works for me.
I now use Aspen at the end of the snow blowing season and the following winter my snow blower starts on the second pull.
yea I agree

I went ahead and bought a spare carb which also fits my tiller. I just wrote what its for with a sharpie on the box and threw it on a shelf in the garage. I've been doing with that with my old honda ATVs for a couple of years now.

Unfortunately my John Deere Kawasaki engine doesn't have a cheap carb replacement that I've found, luckily I've cleaned it enough that I can knock it out in about 30 minutes. I have to do it about once every 18 months now.

I guess I'm past due on finding ethanol free gas around here.
Ethanol Free Gas Stations:

https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=OH



Mechanic in a bottle (to fix gummed up carb):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mechanic-In-A-Bottle-Fuel-System-Fix-All-8-oz/51471688

You're welcome.
Could be a bad ground. wink
Originally Posted by UncleAlps
Ethanol Free Gas Stations:

https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=OH



Mechanic in a bottle (to fix gummed up carb):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mechanic-In-A-Bottle-Fuel-System-Fix-All-8-oz/51471688

You're welcome.




thanks for the link, the closest one is 18 miles from my house. frown

I've used mechanic in a bottle before on a chainsaw . It did work well
After you've had to replace everything between the gas cap and the intake valve the second or third time, that 18-mile drive won't seem so expensive. Fill a five-gallon can with pure gas for 12 bucks or so and you can run your small engines for a long time.
Originally Posted by RockyRaab
After you've had to replace everything between the gas cap and the intake valve the second or third time, that 18-mile drive won't seem so expensive. Fill a five-gallon can with pure gas for 12 bucks or so and you can run your small engines for a long time.


Yes, and treat it as soon as you get it home with Stabil, Seafoam, or Startron.

For cleaning jets go to a welding supply shop and get a set of torch tip cleaners, lots of sizes and cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers...Tip-Cleaners/zgbs/automotive/10704398011
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