Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I am chagrined (distressed) in asking for help in starting my new Ariens snow thrower.
Of course, when I picked it up in Buffalo about a month ago, the dealer showed me how to start it (it started with the pull cord)
and gave me operating instructions.

Yesterday, we had our first decent snow of the season on the eastside of Cleveland of about 16 inches.
The Tecumseh manual says (1) Set engine speed to Fast & Full Choke (2) push primer 3 times and (3) push the starter button, but for no longer than 5 seconds.

At first I thought I had flooded the engine, but I did not smell any gasoline fumes. I called the dealer; we went over what I had read in the manual. We doubled checked that I had the fuel value turned on and the key fully inserted. It would not start; not even one firing sound.

Today, I removed the spark plug; it was dry, which could have been from sitting overnight. I called the dealer again (I really can not say enough good about this dealer, who has been responsive since I first called them). John told me that they had to prime one many more than three times this morning, so he told me to go for six or eight pumps. I also checked the spring cut-off valve in the bottom of the carb to see that gas would flow out when I pushed up on the spring. I removed the plug again and it was still dry. Do you think the primer button could be defective?

The only other thing that I can think of is No spark. I think there is a test light at the auto parts store that when connected between the top of the spark plug and the spark plug wire, I should see a light when I hit the starter button. If I have spark, and it still does not start, I will load it up in my pick-up and take it to my Cleveland Ariens dealer. This dealer, who I have bought from in the past, did not have a 926 DLE when I decided that was the model I wanted, based the good advice I received from this helpful discussion group.

Gary
Cleveland, OH

Here is a clipping from the Arien's manual



If you use these positions, based on figuring the tank would be at the top of the illustration, as though you were standing along side the machine, you'd have the valve closed, not open in the position illustrated on the right.

Looking at the illustration again, I think the valve is pictured on its side, and the stubby thing they show coming off the round part is the part of the valve that's connected to the hose from the fuel tank. So, in this illustration, the tank would have to be to the left of the valve, rather than on top. This led to confusion the first time I tried to start the machine, unsuccessfully. I tried the valve the other way on a hunch that maybe the book was wrong, and I was right.

The Tecumseh engine manual illustrates it correctly.



There we go.

nursedaddy wrote:
The easy way to remember is that it is just like a regular ball valve - the handle is in line with the fuel passage inside the valve. When the handle aligns with the fuel hose from the tank, gas will flow. When it is 90 degrees to that inlet port, the flow will stop. The Tecumseh valve is a little confusing because it isn't a 180 degree design.

The next time you are near the plumbing department at Home Depot or Lowes, look at a brass or plastic ball valve to see how they are designed. When the handle is across the valve body, flow is stopped. It is a standard design so that you can see at a glance the status of a valve, without having to rely on a lable.

John Davies

John Davies

nursedaddy wrote: