Snow blower tune-up?

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

....have another problem snowblower that seems like it maybe had a catastrophic mechanical-electrical-gas ???? problem yesterday while snowblowing the deep heavy snow left by the town plow.....it is a three year old Troy Bilt 24" $599 snowblow purchased from Lowe's about three years ago and naturally I never-ever buy an extended warranty.....dang-it.......something very bad happened while using it.....it looked like it might be about to burst into flames or something so I moved it to a safe spot and let it cool off.....and thankfully it never caught fire.....it looked like the hot exhaust muffler became soaked with gasoline and was giving off smoky gasoline smoke until the muffler cooled down.....apparently liquid gasoline does not always ignite while the vapors are very flammable....so most likely this machine is a hopeless loss and I will be doing the snow with a shovel for a while


....do not want to take it to Mark Richter in Moultonborough.....very good but also very expensive......do not want to take it to Rand's Hardware....that place is useless for repairs....maybe will take it to the snowblow place in Laconia near Irwin Hyundai......or maybe to Squam lake small engine repair.....got any suggestions for someplace that is good and also el cheapo?????

It might be that the fuel in the gas bowl isn't shutting off and over flowing because the carb inlet needle isn't working right. It will also fill your crankcase full of gas and could cause it to hydraulically lock when you first try to start it.
Did you take the carb bowl off and check it out?

[uglytunasaloona]

I have used them twice. First time for a balky ice auger. Runs like a charm. I had him tune up my 18 year old honda snow blower before the winter and it has been running like it was brand new. Great customer service.

Spring time will be a 25 year old chain saw and a young 10 year old lawn mower.

[AmantiDelLago]

If the carb is gummed up try some Sea Foam. I find that it works great. Use a heavy concentration of it and it cleans dirty carbs out. It's available at most auto parts stores and places like Walmart..... red and white can.

[NoBozo]

I have a Craftsman snow blower. AKA Cub Cadet..AKA .... Most of them are made by ...MTD. Anyhow: A couple of years ago I was having a problem with my one year old Craftsman blower that "looked like" an ethanol problem. The Cub Cadet dealer predicted a $300 bill to pull the Carb and fix the problem.

He then suggested that I try some Non Ethanol Stuff by Stihl (Of Chain Saw Fame) called "MotoMix". The can is 32 Fl Oz..92 Octane...No Ethanol.. Cost $8.00..... That's $32/gallon.) NOT CHEAP. My problem went away and I have been using this stuff exclusively ever since. The shelf life is over two years..unlike Ethanol.

My snow blower use in Rhode Island is limited....Not so much snow as up north. Justification for this cost is.........a balancing act....I don't have to worry about the .."Doubt" about..Will Ethanol CLOG up my machine.

The alternative is: Use Ethanol during the snow season and then wind up with.. and STORE the machine with "MotoMix". NB

[Happy Gourmand]

I think somebody mentioned that some marinas sell non ethanol gas. I wonder if you could just get your 5 gallon tanks filled there. I put Stabil in my tanks before I fill them, knock on wood, and have never had a problem.
But back to FLL's snowblower issue, does anybody else agree that it might just be the nut behind the handlebars is a little loose??

[SIKSUKR]

My Craftsman has been "surging" or as its called "hunting" all season. I finally pulled the carb yesterday and clean out many orifices on the jets. Just reinstalled it during my lunch hour and presto....Runs beautiful.

[HellRaZoR004]

What I've found works well is turn off the gas line and run the engine dry. No issues at all.

[EllyPoinster]

Originally Posted by HellRaZoR004

What I've found works well is turn off the gas line and run the engine dry. No issues at all.

Yeah, but then siphon as much of the remaining gas in the tank as you can so you can start with fresh fuel the next season. I do this with all my small engine tools - generator, weed wacker, leaf blower, etc.

[HellRaZoR004]

Originally Posted by EllyPoinster

Yeah, but then siphon as much of the remaining gas in the tank as you can so you can start with fresh fuel the next season. I do this with all my small engine tools - generator, weed wacker, leaf blower, etc.

Good point. My post was more aimed at each time you shut the engine off.

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by HellRaZoR004

What I've found works well is turn off the gas line and run the engine dry. No issues at all.

That's good advice. Running the engine out of gas doesn't run the Gas Tank out of gas. You still need to drain the gas tank...that's an excellent place for old ethanol to turn into "Gel/Goop". NB

[SIKSUKR]

What I found rather dumb is that on my snowblower carb bowl I have one of those spring loaded fuel dumper things but no shut off on the fuel line. Kind of useless unless you run out out of fuel at just the right time. I'm going to install an inline shut off.
Another update: I had such great success on my snowblower I went to work on my pressure washer. I had a little different carb issue as it would start and immediately stall. I pulled the carb this morning and recleaned all the ports but they seemed fine. What I found was the bowl gasket was junk which didn't allow the fuel to be sucked up cuz of the leak around the seal. It wouldn't leak fuel out of the bowl because the float worked fine and stopped the bowl from overfilling but air leaking through that gasket would not let the carb pull up the fuel. Just an FYI for you tinkerers as this one had frustrated me for a while. Runs like a champ now. 2 for 2 in 2 days!

[ITD]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

What I found rather dumb is that on my snowblower carb bowl I have one of those spring loaded fuel dumper things but no shut off on the fuel line. Kind of useless unless you run out out of fuel at just the right time. I'm going to install an inline shut off.
Another update: I had such great success on my snowblower I went to work on my pressure washer. I had a little different carb issue as it would start and immediately stall. I pulled the carb this morning and recleaned all the ports but they seemed fine. What I found was the bowl gasket was junk which didn't allow the fuel to be sucked up cuz of the leak around the seal. It wouldn't leak fuel out of the bowl because the float worked fine and stopped the bowl from overfilling but air leaking through that gasket would not let the carb pull up the fuel. Just an FYI for you tinkerers as this one had frustrated me for a while. Runs like a champ now. 2 for 2 in 2 days!

You've figured out the secret to solving about 90% of small engine problems. Keep in mind that you can buy rebuild kits for most carbs that will replace jets, inlet valves, gaskets and other parts. They are usually cheap and can solve problems cleaning won't. (such as corroded jets or rotted gaskets.)

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

What I found rather dumb is that on my snowblower carb bowl I have one of those spring loaded fuel dumper things but no shut off on the fuel line. Kind of useless unless you run out out of fuel at just the right time. I'm going to install an inline shut off.
Another update: I had such great success on my snowblower I went to work on my pressure washer. I had a little different carb issue as it would start and immediately stall. I pulled the carb this morning and recleaned all the ports but they seemed fine. What I found was the bowl gasket was junk which didn't allow the fuel to be sucked up cuz of the leak around the seal. It wouldn't leak fuel out of the bowl because the float worked fine and stopped the bowl from overfilling but air leaking through that gasket would not let the carb pull up the fuel. Just an FYI for you tinkerers as this one had frustrated me for a while. Runs like a champ now. 2 for 2 in 2 days!

Good job!

Here is a hint for people who work on their carb:

When you put the Bowl back on the carburetor, make sure that it is put on so that the deepest part of the bowl goes opposite the pin that holds the float on. If you put it on wrong the float won't work correctly.
Here is a video where I started it where the guy explains how to put the bowl on correctly.

http://youtu.be/cvkF9QQmtQ0?t=13m19s

[dpg]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

That's good advice. Running the engine out of gas doesn't run the Gas Tank out of gas. You still need to drain the gas tank...that's an excellent place for old ethanol to turn into "Gel/Goop". NB

I run everything out of gas at the end of their seasons been doing it well, forever. It does empty my tanks or if their is just a hair on the bottom leave the cap off a couple days and it will evaporate.

[fatlazyless]

.....hurray.....the magic snowblow fairy must have visited my snowblower overnight or something.....because the next morning it started right up and worked like a champ.....all I did was fill the gas and pour a little mystery oil in with the gas....and it worked perfect....what-a-machine....the Lowe's Troy-Bilt 24" $599 snowblower.......the greatest snowblower ever ever ever! .....it starts....it runs....its works and it weighs about 150-lbs so it is light enough for me to muscle it around various steps and narrow paths....


.....hey....this latest snow fall was like ten inches of magic light fluffy snow.....very easy to snowblow......even the heavy stuff left by the town plow was easy to do.....vivre le winter with Team Troy-Bilt!


.... I obviously have no clue what went wrong before but now the machine starts and works good!

[Wolfeboro_Baja]

FLL, I wonder if your original problem with this snow blower involved the carb choke? It sounds like it may have been running a little too rich and the excess gas was collecting in the muffler. I presume you had to choke it to do a cold start but I wonder if you didn't get the choke fully open once you began using the machine? Just my .02 cents.

Here's another .02 cents; next time, buy an Ariens Sno-Thro! I've been using them for over 40 yrs and I've never had a complaint. THE BEST snow blower ever and it's made in America!

Also, whatever you buy, don't buy from Lowe's or Home Depot, buy from a real small equipment dealer. It seems like Lowe's and HD sell a lower grade variation of the brand names we're all familiar with.

[TheProfessor]

Originally Posted by Wolfeboro_Baja

Here's another .02 cents; next time, buy an Ariens Sno-Thro! I've been using them for over 40 yrs and I've never had a complaint. THE BEST snow blower ever and it's made in America!

Also, whatever you buy, don't buy from Lowe's or Home Depot, buy from a real small equipment dealer. It seems like Lowe's and HD sell a lower grade variation of the brand names we're all familiar with.

Excellent advice. Purchase from a place that repairs them.

SEARS.
All of Sears snow blowers have engines that are made in China. Sears made a deal with Briggs & Stratton for these "special" engines. Good luck with any parts or repairs.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by TheProfessor

SEARS.
All of Sears snow blowers have engines that are made in China. Sears made a deal with Briggs & Stratton for these "special" engines. Good luck with any parts or repairs.

Have not researched Craftsmen recently but mine is about 10 years old and has a Techumseh that was manufactured here.

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by Wolfeboro_Baja

FLL, I wonder if your original problem with this snow blower involved the carb choke? It sounds like it may have been running a little too rich and the excess gas was collecting in the muffler. I presume you had to choke it to do a cold start but I wonder if you didn't get the choke fully open once you began using the machine? Just my .02 cents.

Here's another .02 cents; next time, buy an Ariens Sno-Thro! I've been using them for over 40 yrs and I've never had a complaint. THE BEST snow blower ever and it's made in America!

Also, whatever you buy, don't buy from Lowe's or Home Depot, buy from a real small equipment dealer. It seems like Lowe's and HD sell a lower grade variation of the brand names we're all familiar with.

I bought an Ariens snowblower in 1974. Had it serviced "once in a while", maybe 3 or 4 times while I had it. Around 1995 or so, the carburetor got a bit gummed up so I had it rebuilt. In 2008, trying to start it, the pull rope broke. 34 years and that was the first time it failed me. I went out and bought a new machine that day (another Ariens) and gave my 1974 model to my son's inlaws. It is still going strong. My old one and my new one have Tecumseh engines, probably the factor that set them apart from other machines. Tecumseh has since gone out of business. I bought both from a dealer who fixes them...Nashua Outdoor Power Equipment. If my new one lasts 34 years, I won't have to worry about replacing it until I'm 97 years old!!!

[ITD]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

I bought an Ariens snowblower in 1974. Had it serviced "once in a while", maybe 3 or 4 times while I had it. Around 1995 or so, the carburetor got a bit gummed up so I had it rebuilt. In 2008, trying to start it, the pull rope broke. 34 years and that was the first time it failed me. I went out and bought a new machine that day (another Ariens) and gave my 1974 model to my son's inlaws. It is still going strong. My old one and my new one have Tecumseh engines, probably the factor that set them apart from other machines. Tecumseh has since gone out of business. I bought both from a dealer who fixes them...Nashua Outdoor Power Equipment. If my new one lasts 34 years, I won't have to worry about replacing it until I'm 97 years old!!!

Tecumseh is still in business, they just stopped making small engines. Their main business was always refrigerator compressors. They got their pants sued off by an engineer who figured out that their horsepower ratings were inflated. It was pretty large settlement sounded like the last straw for them. If you notice now many motors don't use hp ratings now, they list gross torque. Part of the issue with HP ratings, (and I'm sure torque ratings too) is that atmospheric pressure can affect output. Atmospheric pressure can be a function of altitude, temperature and weather. There is also a variation in manufacturing that can cause differences. This guy got a lot of money, I think he should have just got a refund for his engine. Part of the problem with the litigious society we live in with most of our legislators coming from the law field.

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by ITD

Tecumseh is still in business, they just stopped making small engines. Their main business was always refrigerator compressors. They got their pants sued off by an engineer who figured out that their horsepower ratings were inflated. It was pretty large settlement sounded like the last straw for them. If you notice now many motors don't use hp ratings now, they list gross torque. Part of the issue with HP ratings, (and I'm sure torque ratings too) is that atmospheric pressure can affect output. Atmospheric pressure can be a function of altitude, temperature and weather. There is also a variation in manufacturing that can cause differences. This guy got a lot of money, I think he should have just got a refund for his engine. Part of the problem with the litigious society we live in with most of our legislators coming from the law field.

Thanks for the correction/clarification. A friend recently asked me to help her purchase a snowblower. I told her thet the only one I know of that used Tecumseh engines is Ariens. The salesperson told us that Tecumseh was out of business, but I must have misunderstood him. All they had left for Ariens was the 32 or 36" wide models, way too much for her to handle. On their recommendation, she ended up with a Simplicity machine that has performed flawlessly so far, and she's had a chance to use it a lot this year!

[loony]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

I bought an Ariens snowblower in 1974. Had it serviced "once in a while", maybe 3 or 4 times while I had it. Around 1995 or so, the carburetor got a bit gummed up so I had it rebuilt. In 2008, trying to start it, the pull rope broke. 34 years and that was the first time it failed me. I went out and bought a new machine that day (another Ariens) and gave my 1974 model to my son's inlaws. It is still going strong. My old one and my new one have Tecumseh engines, probably the factor that set them apart from other machines. Tecumseh has since gone out of business. I bought both from a dealer who fixes them...Nashua Outdoor Power Equipment. If my new one lasts 34 years, I won't have to worry about replacing it until I'm 97 years old!!!

I also have a vintage 1973 ariens snow blower. still going strong on it is on it 2nd (used) engine. Mine has a single belt for the auger and drive wheels with a lever mid way up the handle to disengage it. It also has the advanced drive wheel dead-man clutch on the handle bar instead of the opposite (car-like) clutch on earlier models. This blower is really dangerous but goes through anything!!!

I found that in recent years I have to drain the carburetor bowl and gas tank to store it or I'd find rust and have trouble the following season. Must be the ethanol.

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by Wolfeboro_Baja

FLL, I wonder if your original problem with this snow blower involved the carb choke? It sounds like it may have been running a little too rich and the excess gas was collecting in the muffler. I presume you had to choke it to do a cold start but I wonder if you didn't get the choke fully open once you began using the machine? Just my .02 cents.

Here's another .02 cents; next time, buy an Ariens Sno-Thro! I've been using them for over 40 yrs and I've never had a complaint. THE BEST snow blower ever and it's made in America!

Also, whatever you buy, don't buy from Lowe's or Home Depot, buy from a real small equipment dealer. It seems like Lowe's and HD sell a lower grade variation of the brand names we're all familiar with.

This is not always true, as is the case with the Ariens snowblowers. They are the same from what I was told. The small engine shop that I go to sells Ariens. He told me they are the same as the ones sold at HD. The big difference is that when he does warranty work, he does the work on the machines that he sells first. But it at HD/Lowes and you end up at the bottom of the list, and it may take quite a bit of time to get it fixed.

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by chipj29

This is not always true, as is the case with the Ariens snowblowers. They are the same from what I was told. The small engine shop that I go to sells Ariens. He told me they are the same as the ones sold at HD. The big difference is that when he does warranty work, he does the work on the machines that he sells first. But it at HD/Lowes and you end up at the bottom of the list, and it may take quite a bit of time to get it fixed.

Exactly correct. If the part numbers match, then the machines are exactly the same. If service matters, buy from a local shop that repairs them. It will make a difference when you have a problem you need addressed quickly.

[SIKSUKR]

I recently inquired about buying a new Ariens. HD had the exact same model numbers and technical numbers. They are the same. What did surprise me is my local dealer (Stills) had almost the same price.