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

Have a new old stock HSK70 that has maybe six hours running time.  It's on an old Ariens 724, and until the end of last season ran great.  The engine was delivered still in the original box and had never been used.

Problem is that at no particular time it just stalls out as if it's grounded, and is impossible to restart for awhile.  Then it starts up as if nothing had happened.

I suspect that melting snow is grounding it somewhere.  I thought it might have been from the chute control rod which passes close to the engine, but it wasn't contacting last time it shut down.  The ground wires around the carb area are fine, and the key circuit appears to remain open in use.  Checked once just after it stalled and the carb had fuel (at least there was a flow from the fuel drain valve).  Plenty of gas in the tank.

Does this model have a known problem?

Are you sure you mean grounding it. With my experience with small engines there is a seperate insulated lead which comes of a terminal on the coil, and when you push the stop button, it grounds that. Are you sure this isnt the case, it is very difficult to isolate a metal engine entirely from a metal blower. If it was shorting out from water it is unlikley it would stall all at once, it would most likely stall over 10-20 seconds sputtering on and then off, and then on and then off. I still find electrical malfunction due to liquid unlikely. How long is a while? Enough time for snow to melt and evaporate?

It stops instantly when in use - just as if the key were pulled out when it's running.  That's what makes me think that something is getting grounded.  Could be a totally wrong diagnosis on my part...

I let it run over the summer for 30 - 40 minutes in hope of finding a problem, but it ran fine.

Snowman,

Try it with the gas cap off.

You may have a venting problem!!!

                                     Fred