I know enough about engine repair to know I don't know enough about
engine repair...

Storm hit NE yesterday and trusty snowblower won't start.

1. Drained the gas
2. Changed the plug
3. Blew carburetor cleaner in through the gas line to the carburetor

It will turn over with the electric starter and let's out a puff or
two of exhaust and then stops.
I tried messing with the carb float screw (as this had been a problem
in the past) but the best I get is it running for about 3 seconds and
then stops.

This is a fairly new Ariens 8HP model.

Can anyone pass on some ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!

On Dec 14, 9:08 am, wrote:
I know enough about engine repair to know I don't know enough about
engine repair...

Storm hit NE yesterday and trusty snowblower won't start.

1. Drained the gas
2. Changed the plug
3. Blew carburetor cleaner in through the gas line to the carburetor

It will turn over with the electric starter and let's out a puff or
two of exhaust and then stops.
I tried messing with the carb float screw (as this had been a problem
in the past) but the best I get is it running for about 3 seconds and
then stops.

This is a fairly new Ariens 8HP model.

Can anyone pass on some ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!

You drained the gas, meaning it had old gas left in it which probably
gummed up the carb, carbs should be run dry at the end of a season.
You might try either and drain the gas and open the float bowl and
clean it, add gas with carb cleaner. Also try the old plug, you dont
know if the new one was dropped and is any good.

On Dec 14, 9:08 am, wrote:
1. Drained the gas
2. Changed the plug
3. Blew carburetor cleaner in through the gas line to the carburetor

It will turn over with the electric starter and let's out a puff or
two of exhaust and then stops.
I tried messing with the carb float screw (as this had been a problem
in the past) but the best I get is it running for about 3 seconds and
then stops.

Could be couple of things. Is the tank valve open to the carb?
Sometimes easy to forget about this. Was the spark plug wet or dry
when you took it out? If dry, it is not getting gas. If wet, could
be weak spark or bad gas. Check for spark by leaving the plug wire on
but leave the plug out of the plug hole and crank over the engine a
few times. May be a little hard to see in bright light so look
closely. Don't leave the plug too close to the plug hole or it may
ignite the gas in the cylinder though. Been there done that. Good
luck.
Steve

On Dec 14, 9:34 am, Steve wrote:
Could be couple of things. Is the tank valve open to the carb?
Sometimes easy to forget about this. Was the spark plug wet or dry
when you took it out? If dry, it is not getting gas. If wet, could
be weak spark or bad gas.

If plug has spark but is wet and with new gas, the engine could be
"flooded" so try opening the choke and crank over the engine a bunch
of times (don't burn out the starter though). Have the throttle
control about half open.

Steve

Also check the gap on the plug. Set it to the proper specs.

wrote:
I know enough about engine repair to know I don't know enough about
engine repair...

Storm hit NE yesterday and trusty snowblower won't start.

1. Drained the gas
2. Changed the plug
3. Blew carburetor cleaner in through the gas line to the carburetor

It will turn over with the electric starter and let's out a puff or
two of exhaust and then stops.
I tried messing with the carb float screw (as this had been a problem
in the past) but the best I get is it running for about 3 seconds and
then stops.

This is a fairly new Ariens 8HP model.

Can anyone pass on some ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!

This may sound stupid, but did you use your key?

Frank frankdotlogullo@comcastperiodnet wrote in news:jJednQULea-
:

wrote:
I know enough about engine repair to know I don't know enough about
engine repair...

Storm hit NE yesterday and trusty snowblower won't start.

1. Drained the gas
2. Changed the plug
3. Blew carburetor cleaner in through the gas line to the carburetor

It will turn over with the electric starter and let's out a puff or
two of exhaust and then stops.
I tried messing with the carb float screw (as this had been a problem
in the past) but the best I get is it running for about 3 seconds and
then stops.

This is a fairly new Ariens 8HP model.

Can anyone pass on some ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!

This may sound stupid, but did you use your key?

did you have stabilizer in the gas sitting in the blower for all those
months?

Your carbs may be gummed up bad if you didn't. If so, get a shovel.

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:08:36 -0800 (PST), wrote:

Can anyone pass on some ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!


Use the correct oil:fuel ratio.

My earlier post elsewhere.

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:11:35 -0600, "S. Barker"
wrote:

too much oil makes them run lean. the oil takes up space that would
normally be occupied by gasoline in the mix. a very interesting
demonstration by the stihl people one year at the kansas speedway .
involved a bunch of infared thermometers and little engine dynos and the
like.

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:17:45 GMT, PaPaPeng wrote:

My Toro snowblower needs a 50:1 fuel oil mix and it felt too lean in
my estimation. Like what someone said a bit more oil would seem a
harmless idea. So I used guesswork to do my mixing and inevitably the
oil ratio crept up. I had three seasons of increasingly difficult
starts and difficulty to keep running including the necessity to run
it on full choke. It was an old machine I inherited from my brother
so I thought it was showing its age. I took the carb apart and later
the engine apart too a number of times each season to service it. It
would work okay for a few jobs then would stall again. It seemed
mechanically okay and there wasn't much else left to fix. That left
only the oil fuel mix to check up on. Sure enough that lean 50:1
ratio fixed the problem. I can now start my snowblower with a few
pulls even in the coldest weather. I need to be very careful to prime
the engine with only three squirts of gas. Start with a full choke
for the first two or three pulls then half choke. The first sputter
and I have to open the choke fully to start.

The engine runs smoothly, no smoke and really sips gas. I use less
than a liter where before I would use 2 liters. I mix gas only as
needed using a 2 liter pop bottle and a dollar store graduated bottle
for dispensing 40 ml of oil. The snowthrower tank is topped up after a
job so there is very little gas in the pop bottle (minimal fire hazard
and cold in winter anyway.) My lawn mower is 4 stroke and needs
straight gas that I can use from the gas tank thereby avoid storing
gas in multiple containers and having to remember which tank is for
what. I need to store only a 5 gallon tank of gas.

On Dec 14, 9:08 am, wrote:
I know enough about engine repair to know I don't know enough about
engine repair...

Storm hit NE yesterday and trusty snowblower won't start.

1. Drained the gas
2. Changed the plug
3. Blew carburetor cleaner in through the gas line to the carburetor

It will turn over with the electric starter and let's out a puff or
two of exhaust and then stops.
I tried messing with the carb float screw (as this had been a problem
in the past) but the best I get is it running for about 3 seconds and
then stops.

This is a fairly new Ariens 8HP model.

Can anyone pass on some ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!

Since you said it ran for 3 sec...unscrew the carb (hex) valve (bottom
of the bowl) with adjusting screw in place. There is a large hole and
a very small hole in the body of the valve.
You need to spray-out the small hole with carb cleaner or replace the
entire assembly and lightly bottom-out the adjusting screw and turn it
out one and half turns.
HTH

On Dec 14, 2:27 pm, PaPaPeng wrote:
On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:08:36 -0800 (PST), wrote:
Can anyone pass on some ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!

Use the correct oil:fuel ratio.

My earlier post elsewhere.

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:11:35 -0600, "S. Barker"
wrote:

too much oil makes them run lean. the oil takes up space that would
normally be occupied by gasoline in the mix. a very interesting
demonstration by the stihl people one year at the kansas speedway .
involved a bunch of infared thermometers and little engine dynos and the
like.

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:17:45 GMT, PaPaPeng wrote:

My Toro snowblower needs a 50:1 fuel oil mix and it felt too lean in
my estimation. Like what someone said a bit more oil would seem a
harmless idea. So I used guesswork to do my mixing and inevitably the
oil ratio crept up. I had three seasons of increasingly difficult
starts and difficulty to keep running including the necessity to run
it on full choke. It was an old machine I inherited from my brother
so I thought it was showing its age. I took the carb apart and later
the engine apart too a number of times each season to service it. It
would work okay for a few jobs then would stall again. It seemed
mechanically okay and there wasn't much else left to fix. That left
only the oil fuel mix to check up on. Sure enough that lean 50:1
ratio fixed the problem. I can now start my snowblower with a few
pulls even in the coldest weather. I need to be very careful to prime
the engine with only three squirts of gas. Start with a full choke
for the first two or three pulls then half choke. The first sputter
and I have to open the choke fully to start.

The engine runs smoothly, no smoke and really sips gas. I use less
than a liter where before I would use 2 liters. I mix gas only as
needed using a 2 liter pop bottle and a dollar store graduated bottle
for dispensing 40 ml of oil. The snowthrower tank is topped up after a
job so there is very little gas in the pop bottle (minimal fire hazard
and cold in winter anyway.) My lawn mower is 4 stroke and needs
straight gas that I can use from the gas tank thereby avoid storing
gas in multiple containers and having to remember which tank is for
what. I need to store only a 5 gallon tank of gas.

An 8HP would not have a mix. 8^(

wrote:
I know enough about engine repair to know I don't know enough about
engine repair...

Storm hit NE yesterday and trusty snowblower won't start.

1. Drained the gas
2. Changed the plug
3. Blew carburetor cleaner in through the gas line to the carburetor

It will turn over with the electric starter and let's out a puff or
two of exhaust and then stops.
I tried messing with the carb float screw (as this had been a problem
in the past) but the best I get is it running for about 3 seconds and
then stops.

This is a fairly new Ariens 8HP model.

Can anyone pass on some ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!

This isn't the answer to your question, but may be worth considering.
This year I gave up trying to start small engines (snowblower,
generator, etc) at cold temperatures and bought small 50 watt heaters
that are attached with an adhesive to the block or oil pan. They
provide enough heat to make starting quite easy. Gasoline really
doesn't have much vapor pressure at 0 F.

http://www.padheaters.com/sizing.html

Boden