Snow drift may have killed my Toro..
- Thread starter Touring5
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)These are a lot like the Tecumseh 139cc 4hp 2-cycles that were used on Snapper lawn mowers during that era. I have a lot of experience with them and they are not known as top-tier 2 cycle engines unlike the Suzuki 2-cycles that Toro also used on the higher priced models at the time. The Suzuki 2-cycles were bulletproof.
When you pull the starter rope does it feel like it has compression? If it has what feels like adequate compression proceed.
The first thing that I would do is pull the spark plug and check for spark. If OK, replace the spark plug then pull the spark arrester from the muffler, check it for carbon, and clean it. Then pull the muffler and check the exhaust port for carboning, clean if needed. While the muffler is off you can look at the side of the piston and check for scoring. Scoring almost always occurs on the exhaust side. If the piston is scored you are hosed.
One more thing, these engines are known to blow-out the crankshaft seal when overheated, usually on the output side. If the seal comes out the engine won't run.
When you pull the starter rope does it feel like it has compression? If it has what feels like adequate compression proceed.
The first thing that I would do is pull the spark plug and check for spark. If OK, replace the spark plug then pull the spark arrester from the muffler, check it for carbon, and clean it. Then pull the muffler and check the exhaust port for carboning, clean if needed. While the muffler is off you can look at the side of the piston and check for scoring. Scoring almost always occurs on the exhaust side. If the piston is scored you are hosed.
One more thing, these engines are known to blow-out the crankshaft seal when overheated, usually on the output side. If the seal comes out the engine won't run.
There is a guy on youtube whose channel is called Mr. Tecumseh. He has dozens of snowblower videos, including many Tecumseh videos and it seems he got a lot of experience with those machines.
You may reach out to him and ask him what is the most common issues with your model. He may know at least a couple things or give his 2 cents.
Thanks for the responses.
It does feel like it has compression. It really acted like it was turned off and like it's still "off", so ignition related is a prime suspect. As for fueling it has a funky primer bulb behavior - I replaced the original one that had rotted several years ago. The new one looks identical (black rubber) but has almost no flexibility in the cold - to start I have to push it and wait a minute or two for it to return.
It does feel like it has compression. It really acted like it was turned off and like it's still "off", so ignition related is a prime suspect. As for fueling it has a funky primer bulb behavior - I replaced the original one that had rotted several years ago. The new one looks identical (black rubber) but has almost no flexibility in the cold - to start I have to push it and wait a minute or two for it to return.
They don’t make any clear silicone ones for you?
Sounds like a pain to have an engine designed to be operated across multiple platforms, some being cold weather only machines, and they use an inflexible when cold primer material. Sorry you’re dealing with that.
Check a burr coffee grinder for small stones.
Check a snowblower for uncollected 'shoppers newspapers' and the like.
It's the A#1 breaker of shear pins and clogger of chutes around here.
Believe me my Honda was shut down by a small rock that I couldn't find at first. Its possible.
If I do my driveway before the plow goes by, I just plow my side of the road upstream a bit, and/or push back the snowbank upstream so the snow on the plow gets dumped there, instead of in the gap on the driveway. My road isn't busy so its easy to do.
The original bulb was fine and lasted 21 years. The replacement was actually from Stens. I happened to look at the Amazon listing yesterday and there's multiple complaints of it being excessively stiff in the cold. If/when I get it to fire, I'll get a new one from a different manufacturer.They don’t make any clear silicone ones for you?
Sounds like a pain to have an engine designed to be operated across multiple platforms, some being cold weather only machines, and they use an inflexible when cold primer material. Sorry you’re dealing with that.
Unfortunately, it is likely that ALL of the primer bulbs available on the market are manufactured by a handful of parts suppliers in China, and the same parts supplier that sells to Stens also sells the identical primer to dozens of other companies, including OEMs.
Ariens owns Stens and Ariens is the worlds largest manufacturer of 2-stage snow blowers. One would think that somewhere in their parts bins they have a primer bulb that is designed-for and suitable for use at sub-zero temperatures.
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I am just glad I have a
Toro with no shear pins. I live on a road that is very wide and snow plows leave huge rows of snow at the bottom of the driveway and the city has a sidewalk going across my driveway ( another sidewalk plow leaves snow ). Once that snow hardens ( come home late from work after snowing all day ) , it’s extremely hard and I bet I would have had to replace a few shear pins by now.
Toro with no shear pins. I live on a road that is very wide and snow plows leave huge rows of snow at the bottom of the driveway and the city has a sidewalk going across my driveway ( another sidewalk plow leaves snow ). Once that snow hardens ( come home late from work after snowing all day ) , it’s extremely hard and I bet I would have had to replace a few shear pins by now.
Not likely...
Pull the spark plug and check for spark. If no spark replace the plug with a new one and check again.
Certain Toros are notorious for ignition modules going bad.
These machines dont have sheer pins ai believe. And a auger jam woukdnt prevent the motor from starting as the auger is not engaged while starting.
Status report: It was not producing spark. I ordered a new coil, plug, primer bulb, starter spring and "pinion drive" for the starter.
I have verified that the new coil is producing spark but I haven't reassembled it totally as I'm still waiting for the pinion drive (the old one had rotted and disintegrated with only about ¼ of it remaining) which is stuck in the Donkey Express system (aka USPS).
I have verified that the new coil is producing spark but I haven't reassembled it totally as I'm still waiting for the pinion drive (the old one had rotted and disintegrated with only about ¼ of it remaining) which is stuck in the Donkey Express system (aka USPS).
Same, I plow 100' ahead in the direction of the snow plow and push across the road. I'm considered rural even though I'm 10 minutes from the city. The big win is they don't use salt on the road, sand only. Salt makes the snow clearing at the base of the driveway 10x harder to do. Picture from my quad with new back up led light bar installed.
I’ve got my 20 yr old ccr2450 setting in the shed, going on 5 yrs now. That thing moved more snow than a plow some days. I have no doubts that a carb rebuild or new carb and it’ll fire right up. I had a new in box snapper that I won at a hunting fundraiser, so I pulled it out and started using that.
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