Snowblower time!

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JTK, thanks, ya I ran into that same problem a few years ago. I have a new line that is actually fuel rated in its place. I have fuel to the carb, spark but even with the electric starter I have nothing. I could not get it to pop. After an extended crank session I had some smoke emanating from the exhaust. Its getting fuel as the spark plug is wet. Pull the plug and ground it and its sparking strong. The fun continues.
 
Originally Posted By: BrianF
Well I the thing in a warm garage for a few hours and it now runs fine!! God love this thing.


Sounds like it was flooded.

When that happens, you can let it sit for a while or you can shut off the fuel, pull the plug dry it with a butane torch, spin the engine with the plug out/fuel off for two seconds or so, replace the plug, supply fuel and try to fire it.
 
I am jealous of you guys and all the fun you have with your snowblowers.

NOT

We do get snow occasionally, bought MTD snow blower at a auction once cheap. Used it once or twice a year. Old Tecumseh snow king engines sitting a lot eventually plug the feed to the oil pump and then the rod exits the crankcase.

Junked it then as it used one of the extended cam shaft as a counter rotating power source for reverse.

Those engine are pretty scarce now.

Rod
 
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Originally Posted By: ragtoplvr
Old Tecumseh snow king engines sitting a lot eventually plug the feed to the oil pump and then the rod exits the crankcase.



Not exactly. The snow king engines are horizontal shaft engines, and have a splash lubrication system. I've seen many blown rods, but they happen usually from these reasons:

-low oil
-no oil
-using on a steep hill, so all the oil goes to one side, no lubrication
-over revving from sticky or frozen governor/throttle linkages on the carb
-over revving from people using a coat hanger to hold the throttle wide open (I've seen this 3 times)
 
Tecumseh engines have a habit of plugging the
low speed jet if they sit for a while with E10
and no stabil.
I can get E0 premium gas and I use stabil every season.
No problems.


My 2¢
 
With a nice temp of 15* this mortning, I figured it might be time to bring out the snowblower from storage position. It always ran choppy, but I got tired of messing with it. It always ran well enough to blow snow. On a whim today before firing it up I added 1/2 a can of Berrymans to the 1/2 tank of fuel. Plugged in the electric start and it fired right off! After a minute or two it ran perfect; fact the best its ever run. Best $5 I've spent on the thing!
 
Not sure if it has already been mentioned in this thread (didn't read it all) but I think these little Toro snowblowers are the cat's a**!
I purchased this one 3 years ago now (4 stroke) and it works mint for our 4 car driveway. (2 abreast)
https://www.toro.com/en-ca/homeowner/snow-blowers/power-clear-721-qzr-38743

My neighbor, who has a big honking walk behind, for the same size driveway, takes 2X as long to do his driveway.
 
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Those 2 stroke single stage blowers are great for roofs.
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irv said:
Not sure if it has already been mentioned in this thread (didn't read it all) but I think these little Toro snowblowers are the cat's a**!
I purchased this one 3 years ago now (4 stroke) and it works mint for our 4 car driveway. (2 abreast)
https://www.toro.com/en-ca/homeowner/snow-blowers/power-clear-721-qzr-38743

My neighbor, who has a big honking walk behind, for the same size driveway, takes 2X as long to do his driveway.
[/qu

I purchased a 721 a year ago for that very reason. My MTD isn't all that heavy but got tired of wrestling it around for those pesky 4-6 inch snows we get all the time. My drive way runs north and south in between two houses and it's nice to be able to pull it backwards so I can blow from north to south with out eating all that snow blowing back at me, the MTD's reverse it just to slow. My favorite feature is the Quick Shoot, being able to adjust on the fly is a must.
 
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
irv said:
Not sure if it has already been mentioned in this thread (didn't read it all) but I think these little Toro snowblowers are the cat's a**!
I purchased this one 3 years ago now (4 stroke) and it works mint for our 4 car driveway. (2 abreast)
https://www.toro.com/en-ca/homeowner/snow-blowers/power-clear-721-qzr-38743

My neighbor, who has a big honking walk behind, for the same size driveway, takes 2X as long to do his driveway.
[/qu

I purchased a 721 a year ago for that very reason. My MTD isn't all that heavy but got tired of wrestling it around for those pesky 4-6 inch snows we get all the time. My drive way runs north and south in between two houses and it's nice to be able to pull it backwards so I can blow from north to south without eating all that snow blowing back at me, the MTD's reverse it just to slow. My favorite feature is the Quick Shoot, being able to adjust on the fly is a must.


That is one of the biggest reasons why I updated to this one. My last Toro, which was a great little blower too, didn't have that feature and I found it a PIA reaching down all the time manually adjusting the shoot.
mad.gif
I also face the North and with an open field to the left/west of me just down the street, the snow blows and drifts pretty good in front of our garage/vehicles. I keep my blower in the garage so it's real easy, as I am coming out of the garage, to just aim and move where I want as I am moving forward clearing the drifts/snow in front of the our vehicles.

With this guy being a 4 Stroke and being much quieter and also no mixing of oil, it is absolutely perfect for us as even my wife and son can use it. There is no way my wife would use a big honking walk behind, and most likely not my son either? I also love the fact I can store it in my basement/crawl space after the season is done. It is real light, and although I usually get my son or wife to help me carry it down the stairs, it is something I can do by myself if I want to.
thumbsup2.gif
 
I would agree that if it's a single stage, rubber auger machine you're after, get a Toro or a Honda.

I bought a Ariens 2-stroke, single stage junker a few years ago to rehab. Paid too much for it as-is and I put a ton of money (for me) into it. A new molded rubber auger assy, new wheels, drive belt, etc. It's still doesn't perform nearly as well as a Toro CCR 2-stroke I had years ago. I've never used one, but I hear the Honda single stagers are quite good.
 
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
irv said:
Not sure if it has already been mentioned in this thread (didn't read it all) but I think these little Toro snowblowers are the cat's a**!
I purchased this one 3 years ago now (4 stroke) and it works mint for our 4 car driveway. (2 abreast)
https://www.toro.com/en-ca/homeowner/snow-blowers/power-clear-721-qzr-38743

My neighbor, who has a big honking walk behind, for the same size driveway, takes 2X as long to do his driveway.
[/qu

I purchased a 721 a year ago for that very reason. My MTD isn't all that heavy but got tired of wrestling it around for those pesky 4-6 inch snows we get all the time. My drive way runs north and south in between two houses and it's nice to be able to pull it backwards so I can blow from north to south with out eating all that snow blowing back at me, the MTD's reverse it just to slow. My favorite feature is the Quick Shoot, being able to adjust on the fly is a must.


I LOVE the quick shoot. I have a similar Toro but it has the R-Tek 2 stroker in it. Quite the beast.
 
About two weeks ago I tried starting my almost new Ariens Deluxe 24 (254cc AX engine) with the eight month old gas that may have been untreated. No joy. Topped the tank off with fresh, treated gas and came back the next day. Now she started but was running rough, especially with the choke wide open. It refused to run at idle with any choke position.

The following weekend I added one ounce of sea foam. By now it was starting easily, and I ran it for ten minutes. It didn't seem any better, so I added another ounce of sea foam and ran it another ten minutes. It was still hunting and poppig at full throttle with the choke wide open.

Step forward another few days to Thanksgiving. Now it starts very easily, runs quite smooth at mid-throttle and choke wide open. Also will idle, but only at full choke. Still hunting and popping at full throttle and choke wide open, but less popping now.

So what's next? Drain and replace fuel, check the plug, or bone up on the carburetor adjustments?
 
Originally Posted By: Astro_Guy
About two weeks ago I tried starting my almost new Ariens Deluxe 24 (254cc AX engine) with the eight month old gas that may have been untreated. No joy. Topped the tank off with fresh, treated gas and came back the next day. Now she started but was running rough, especially with the choke wide open. It refused to run at idle with any choke position.

The following weekend I added one ounce of sea foam. By now it was starting easily, and I ran it for ten minutes. It didn't seem any better, so I added another ounce of sea foam and ran it another ten minutes. It was still hunting and poppig at full throttle with the choke wide open.

Step forward another few days to Thanksgiving. Now it starts very easily, runs quite smooth at mid-throttle and choke wide open. Also will idle, but only at full choke. Still hunting and popping at full throttle and choke wide open, but less popping now.

So what's next? Drain and replace fuel, check the plug, ore bone up on the carburetor adjustments?



For $5 grab a can of Berrymans Chemtool B12. Drain and fill gas tank with fresh fuel and a can of B12. Run it as much as you can; since you can get it to run somewhat you might not be too bad off. If that doesn't work than it will probably require a carb teardown and cleaning.
 
I just treat mine with stabil and it will sit for 6 to 7 months. I pulled the carb apart a few weeks ago to fix a my no start problem. Inside was pristine. Thing runs like a top now.
 
Drain as much fuel as practical. All is best. Easiest way to do this is take line off carb and drain. If there are black granules in the bottom , thats from the fuel hose. Probly not good for carb. Berryman's B 12 Chemtool is best working for least money. Use savings on a new fuel line. Berryman's doesn't always work instantly, but it the carb will eventually clear itself out.
 
Originally Posted By: Astro_Guy
About two weeks ago I tried starting my almost new Ariens Deluxe 24 (254cc AX engine) with the eight month old gas that may have been untreated. No joy. Topped the tank off with fresh, treated gas and came back the next day. Now she started but was running rough, especially with the choke wide open. It refused to run at idle with any choke position.

The following weekend I added one ounce of sea foam. By now it was starting easily, and I ran it for ten minutes. It didn't seem any better, so I added another ounce of sea foam and ran it another ten minutes. It was still hunting and poppig at full throttle with the choke wide open.

Step forward another few days to Thanksgiving. Now it starts very easily, runs quite smooth at mid-throttle and choke wide open. Also will idle, but only at full choke. Still hunting and popping at full throttle and choke wide open, but less popping now.

So what's next? Drain and replace fuel, check the plug, or bone up on the carburetor adjustments?



I would use a bit more Seafoam as you can't over treat it, (To a limit) then do as you already did. Run it until hot, let it deep soak then try it again.
Imo, and not trying to be a smart as*, you should have put Seafoam in there throughout the season and especially a bit more just before storage.
Despite me running Seafoam in mine and all my toys, I still believe in syphoning out the gas prior to storage. I know I don't get "ALL" the gas out, but it is much better, imo, to add more fresh gas to old, than it is only adding a little bit of fresh to old.

Seafoam is also an excellent fuel stabilizer, among other things, and again, imo, works much better as such stabilizer than what actual stabilizers are suppose to do. I have at least 3 half used bottles of Stabil and like on my shelf that I haven't used in years. Seafoam is all I ever use anymore for all my equipment, 2 lawnmowers, snowblower, 2 snowmobiles, boat and 2 vehicles.
 
got a Husqvarna ST324P end of last year, tried it on a big pile of melting snow by my garage at winters end , WOW what a beast!!! come on snow!!! i will be able to blow it across the road instead of on it + reblowing it off!!!
 
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