Help me fix my snowblower so I can RAHAHB

[Dgallo]

craftsman 208cc with electric start snowblower won’t start manually or with the estart. It was new last season but left gas in it. I drained the gas tank and carb. Cleaned the spark plug. Still won’t start. So, what’s next to do my mechanically inclined brewers?

 

[day_trippr]

"Got Starter Fluid?"

Take the heater box off, get the starter spinning with the both choke and throttle totally open, and spray some starter fluid down the carb throat and see if it'll catch. If the engine catches with the starter fluid everything is working except the fuel passages in the carb are probably varnished up and could use cleaning...

Cheers!

[edit] I'm going to mention this because it happened to me: if your blower needs a "key", make sure you stuck it in

 

[grampamark]

+1 on the ether. Small engines have very small passages for fuel to flow through. If it won’t fire on ether, try a different spark plug. Those are notorious for failing, as well. The ignition coils on these little motors are pretty bulletproof. The plugs-not so much.

We have about a dozen small engines on our farm. This is a year ‘round occurrence for us. If it will fire on ether but won’t continue running the next thing to check is the needle valve in the carburetor. The hole in the seat is about the size of a human hair. Doesn’t take much to plug it up.

 

[triethylborane]

when you stop use of the snow blower for the season, run some sta-bil through if you arent going to use up the fuel. that should help with preventing the fuel in the carb passages from decaying

 

[Dgallo]

when you stop use of the snow blower for the season, run some sta-bil through if you arent going to use up the fuel. that should help with preventing the fuel in the carb passages from decaying

Lesson learned. Now I just need to get it started before the 18-24in they’re calling for through Tuesday lol

 

[day_trippr]

Also, if you try to start with full throttle & closed choke for 10-20 seconds or so (SOP for a cold engine) and then remove the plug see if it's wet or dry...

Cheers!

 

[passedpawn]

Always use stabil in gas.

Just replace carb. I’ll bet $15 on Amazon. Usually a 5 minute job.

 

[VTX1300]

Try to find ethanol free fuel in The future. The ethanol will deteriorate all of the rubber fuel lines and corrode the metal the carb is made of. It Also absorbs moisture contributing to the corrosion problems. Most lawn care services in my area buy aviation fuel at a small local airport. No ethanol allowed in avgas. The additional cost is offset by the reduced maintenance costs with their small engines. And no need for stabil for off season storage.

 

[CodeSection]

when you stop use of the snow blower for the season, run some sta-bil through if you arent going to use up the fuel. that should help with preventing the fuel in the carb passages from decaying

Perfect timing to read this post. We are experiencing our first winter in CO and after getting 18" of snow at our house, we decided to buy a snow blower and should get it this coming week sometime. Sta-Bil sounds like a great preventative maintence product. I never thought of the need to use something like that. Thank you for posting that!

 

[mongoose33]

I'm going to recommend a different stabilizer: Pri-G.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pri-g+ga...08HJ&sprefix=pri-g,aps,148&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_5

It's not as cheap as Stabil, at least in terms of how much you have to spend up front, but the stuff is amazing. I have some gas set aside and treat it with Pri-G. I will rotate it every few years on general principle. I've had it sit 3 years or more after having treated it with Pri-G, and it worked just fine.

It'll even rejuvenate bad gas. We found a jug of old gas at my MIL's place that my FIL had apparently filled one time in the distant past. I'm talking more than 10 years old. I added an overdose of Pri-G to it, mixed well, and have been feeding it into my car over time, typically a gallon in ten. Works fine, no reduction in gas mileage, no problems whatsoever.

 

[grampamark]

Using avgas, if a source is available, is a good idea. Higher octane, no ethanol, and very long shelf life. The cost can be up to 2X the price of regular unleaded, but considering the relatively small amount used in lawn and garden equipment, the extra expense is minimal.

 

[dwhite60]

... and if you get it running and get fresh fuel into it I'd add a couple ounces of Sea Foam to clean the carb, etc.

Good stuff I've found.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[Kirkwooder]

Skip the starting fluid. As an experienced (ASE Master Certified) auto technician, who cut his teeth in my fathers lawn and garden/ snowmobile dealership, I can testify to the damaging effects of either. It can be explosive if used improperly, even to the point of blowing large diesel engines apart, and when used properly, causes excessive premature wear on pistons and rings, causing very expensive repairs. Instead use a spray carb cleaner as a starting fluid.

Open the choke, if so equipped, spray a heavy dose of carb and choke cleaner in the opening of the carb, close the choke and let it set for a minute or so. Then try and start with the throttle fully open. The carb cleaner is flammable enough to start the engine, loosens minor gunk in the passages, and is often all that is needed to get you up and running. If it starts, ad a dose of cleaner to the fuel tank as well. Fuel stabilizer's like Stabil work great at keeping your equipment from becoming gummed up, but don't help once they are. Castle has a product that works very well for both stabilizing e10 fuel, and cleaning gummed carbs. It's called Highway 95. Give it a try if you can get your hands on it.

 

[The_Bishop]

Easiest way to prevent fuel system issues when storing power equipment that doesn't get used regularly is to drain the tank and run the carb dry. Stabil helps but doesn't do much when the fuel is evaporating away in the carb bowl and causing varnish.

 

[WBB]

So after you drained the tank and carb, did you put new fuel in? I’m assuming you did.

I would do again and get a new spark plug and try some of this up for initial starting and running and then use regular gas again.

I think I have the same snowblower you have. Never used stabil and used only regular 87 pump gas, ever. At the end of the season I run dry and put away. When in started it up this season for first time, put fresh pump gas in and when I hit the button for electric start it fired over even before I removed my finger from the start button.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/TruFuel-4-Cycle-Ethanol-Free-Fuel-6527238/203571144

Did you press the choke button 3 times with your finger covering the whole so it creates a vacuum? Did you push in the key? Did you slide the lever over to the rabbit position? Did you rotate the know to full choke?

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

when you stop use of the snow blower for the season, run some sta-bil through if you arent going to use up the fuel. that should help with preventing the fuel in the carb passages from decaying

I take that a step further. I add stabil to the gas can every time I get gas for my small engines. That way if the last snow comes in January, I'm not scrambling to add it to the fuel in the snowblower. Plus, every small engine is automatically treated...the weedeater, the leaf blower, the lawn mower, chainsaws, etc.

At the start of each season, my engines start up like a dream. My snow blower this year started with 2 pulls...

I have a coleman generator that I fire up about once every 3 years. It starts and runs like a dream each time.

Oh, and, as noted above, no ethanol fuel. Luckily, in Iowa we can still get straight 97 octane gas, but you have to know where to go. Most stations don't carry it, but there are a few chains that do (Casey's, Hy-Vee and the local Fleet-Farm all have it).

 

[SEndorf]

All great ideas, but first pour a pint, then check that your kill switch is un-killed......

 

[jjw5015]

Did you try adding more hops?

 

[rkhanso]

Did you get the snowblower started?
One other thing to check -
I have an old MTD snowblower with a 10hp Tecumseh. The primer hose came off and it would never start without starting fluid. I burned up the electric start on it because of this.
But once I got the primer line fixed/connected, pump the primer until it drips gas on the garage floor, choke full on, throttle wide open and it always starts with just 1 pull now.

 

[BrewerBrad82]

Be sure that there is sufficient oil in the crankcase. There is a sensor in there that will kill the ignition circuit if the oil level is low. As a new engine, you will want to change the oil either way.

 

[balrog]

I'm curious as to the eventual outcome as well, @Dgallo .
Was it the key, oil kill switch, lack of spark from plug due to wire, connection, plug, gremlins, did it even ever fire?

I gots to know.

 

[dwhite60]

On a tangent.....

I've got friends and know LOTS of people that couldn't change a spark plug with a gun at their head. I don't see how people that can't fix at least some of their own stuff make it in the world.

Between plumbing, electrical, car, and camper repairs I did myself this year alone I bet I saved $5000+. I did front and rear brakes, and front sway bar links and sway bar bushings on my Charger a couple weeks ago. This alone at a dealer would have been $1000+.

Some friends of ours had their RV in the shop for six months because the dealer was waiting on a part for their generator. Think I could have fitted a new generator in a weekend.


.... back on track now.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[Dgallo]

I'm curious as to the eventual outcome as well, @Dgallo .
Was it the key, oil kill switch, lack of spark from plug due to wire, connection, plug, gremlins, did it even ever fire?

I gots to know.

Still no luck. Changed fuel, spark plug, cleaned carborator and changed / topped up oil.

Fuel is making it into the carborator but I can keep combustion. I Have a feeling that it’s the throttle and it’s not opening fully. My pops is stopping over tonight and he bet me dinner and beer that he can get it going. We will see

 

[day_trippr]

Fuel getting to carb is no big trick, but fuel getting from carb to plug is.
Was the plug wet with fuel at any point or not?

Cheers!

 

[Dgallo]

Fuel getting to carb is no big trick, but fuel getting from carb to plug is.
Was the plug wet with fuel at any point or not?

Cheers!

Not on its own. Only when I dunked it in the fuel tank then put it back in lol

 

[passedpawn]

Still no luck. Changed fuel, spark plug, cleaned carborator and changed / topped up oil.

Fuel is making it into the carborator but I can keep combustion. I Have a feeling that it’s the throttle and it’s not opening fully. My pops is stopping over tonight and he bet me dinner and beer that he can get it going. We will see

New carb. Amazon. $15.

 

[day_trippr]

Right, it surely sounds like a thoroughly plugged up carb or the float is frozen closed.
Either way, swapping out a carb is a minor chore and as @passedpawn says Chinese carbs can be had cheaply...

Cheers!

 

[rnorman57]

New carb is best option but you could also remove the screw that has the main jet and clean out the hole with a piece of wire. That is usually the problem with these ridiculously lean carbs.

 

[downzero]

The carb passages need to be cleaned out completely or it's never going to run. I know that sounds intimidating but it's easier than it sounds, but it does have to come all apart.

 

[rkhanso]

On my carb, there are a couple screws that have holes in them. One in the bowl, one on the side. It is critical they are clean in order for it to run, and then run well.
There are some videos on Youtube for this.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=snowblower+clean+carburetor
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=snowblower+won't+start
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=snowblower+surging

And yes, make sure there's oil in the crankcase. After you get it running well, change the oil so you know the last time it was changed.