Snoblower stops working?

[Quick_lude]

Just picked up an older two stage Craftsman with what looks like a Tecumseh 5hp 4 stroke. It starts fine, I'll be using it for 5-10 min but then it will just die for no reason. It might restart for a bit but it will die again. Oil level is fine, gas is fine, could this be happening because the engine is getting wet with snow or maybe because the blower was not level? In my uneducated opinion

it looks like the engine is getting flooded somehow, other than letting it sit and dry out, is there anything else I can do? The sparkplug is on top and upon inspection looks normal.
Sorry if I posted in the wrong forum but I didn't see any threads about smaller engine troubles in the "Tech help" forum.

 

[7TFord]

It may need some carb work if there are a few hours on the machine. You could try draining the carb to check for dirt. A lot of people don't seem to want to use a screened funnel for some reason. There may be a drain plug on the bottom of the carb or you may have to remove the bottom bowl yourself. Try adding some carb cleaner after to the fuel and running it for awhile as this might help.

If it is flooding out the float may not be shutting off the fuel properly via the needle and seat and should be inspected. There may be a hole also in one or both of the floats which could cause the flooding problem or the needle may just be dirty and sticking in the seat.

 

[slalom44]

These small engines can get gummed up pretty quickly if the fuel isn't drained out of them in between seasons (unless fuel stabilizer is used). It could be in the fuel line, or possibly in the carburetor. But I would highly suspect varnish buildup that's choking off the steady flow of fuel.

Carbs typically have a reservoir of fuel (accellerator pump)that it draws fuel from. If that reservoir can't fill up fast enough, it will cause the engine to kill.

You could try taking the fuel lines off, spray everything with a generous dose of Carb/choke cleaner, and try it again. Also, you might want to use some carb/fuel injector cleaner mixed into the gas to help dissolve deposits. Then run it a long time to let it clean itself out.

And of course, at the end of the season, empty the gas tank and run the engine until it is completely out of gas.

 

[Hasbeen]

Tecumsa engines have to be the most tempermental small engines there are, at leat in my opinion! they have very poor carbs, again (my opinion) If they are not squeaky clean and adjusted properly they can be a real headacke!

Start by cleaning the carb (taking it apart) And adjusting the adjustment screws to 1 1/2 turns to start, then after you get it started make fine adjustments!

Good Luck!!

 

[Quick_lude]

Thank you,

I was kinda hoping I wouldnt' have to open the sucker up but it looks like I'll have to. The weird thing is, on Sunday it worked fine for almost 30 mins, this morning it died after about 15.

As an addendum, the throttle is set to full and it's still dying, while it's doing that, if I pump the primer it fires up of course but then it dies again.
How sensitive are these engines to elevation changes? Would using the machine on a slight incline affect the flooding issue? Once it's flooded, other than opening the engine, I just have to let it sit to "unflood it"?

 

[Quick_lude]

Also, does anyone if there are any tech manuals available for these engines online? Muchos gracias!

Looks like we're getting at least a foot of snow again today.. Viva Canada..

 

[7TFord]

If it seems to run better when you use the primer then maybe it isn't getting enough fuel. I'd drain the tank totally and flush all lines and drain the carb. Try it again after refilling with fresh fuel and fuel treatment. It may just clean itself out. You're not at a high enough altitude to lean out the engine enough to cause any problems.

 

[Brett Miller]

I'll bet ya a dollar the gas cap vent is plugged. My grandfather had the exact same problem so I ran it awhile with the cap loose and it ran like a top. Tightened the cap, and it would only run a few minutes.

 

[Quick_lude]

Thanks Brett, I'll try that too!

 

[Quick_lude]

quote:

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Originally posted by 7TFord:
You're not at a high enough altitude to lean out the engine enough to cause any problems.

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Hehe.. I'm not plowing my roof..

I mean that if I tilt the blower to move it around, etc, would that flood the carb?

 

[cousincletus]

Tilting slightly shouldn't be a problem. You probably have trash in the bowl of the carb getting sucked up every now and then. Try the gas cap thing first. That sounded like a logical solution to the problem. If that doesn't work, first determine if in fact this is a carb problem. Prime or spray ether and see if it refires. If not, replace the coil. If it restarts, drop the bowl and clean the carb. I'm assuming you are using fresh gas and a new sparkplug.

 

[7TFord]

quote:

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Originally posted by Quick_lude:

quote:

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Originally posted by 7TFord:
You're not at a high enough altitude to lean out the engine enough to cause any problems.

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Hehe.. I'm not plowing my roof..

I mean that if I tilt the blower to move it around, etc, would that flood the carb?

---

...You did say "how sensitive are these engines to elevation changes", meaning sea level I thought.

 

[Quick_lude]

haha, it's all good, just a funny misunderstanding.

thanks for all the help guys, will try the gas cap first and use some carb clener, not in a mood to take it apart right now with -20 temps..

 

[cryptokid]

sence it is a fuel delivery problem, see if it doesnt have a fuel filter thats partly clogged and causing a restriction.

 

[Quick_lude]

Hey guys, I think Brett had the right idea. I did buy some carb cleaner and put that in the gas tank but it still stalled anyway. Opened the gas tank for a min or two, restarted nicely and ran again for a long while. Overall it stopped about 3-4 times in almost 2hrs, at various intervals.

There is something wrong with the carb or the throttle linkage, I noticed tiny sparks?

coming from where the throttle linkage went into the carburator/engine.. The funny thing is it ran great for the last half hour and then it wouldn't shut off with the throttle set to the "off" position.

I think it finally ran out of gas... haha.. did the job though,

 

[cryptokid]

so perhaps, sparks comming from the carb area, is where the cutoff switch can be located? you may need to inspect the wiring and be sure this isnt the problem.