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

Hi. new here:

I have an older 8 hp Ariens with electirc start. It had a bad fuel line leak, needed a tune up and oil change when I bought it used at a flea market for $175.

I changed the oil and spark plug, and had a small engine shop replace tubes in tires, new bosch plug, and adjust carb and replace fuel line and add fuel filter (as it had no filter).

It ran great both of the last 2 times I used it this winter .  I put it back in the garage 2 weeks ago and haven't brought it out till today.. Today we got 1/2 a ft of snow and I tried my best to start it any way I could. Electrically and with the pull start. I then resorted to  reading the adjustment manual. I removed the carb cover, seated both idle and main jet adjusters, and backed both out 1.25 turns. Choke on, partly on, off. Doesn't matter. I spent 2 hrs out there trying to get that sucker to run, but no avail. I removed the spark plug and sanded it clean, tried a tighter gap, a looser gap. Nothing.

Any ideas before I drop it off at the small engine shop?

Maybe a dumb question but....did you shut the gas off when you put it away last time?  Three magic ingredients, fuel, air,spark

The first time or 2 I tried starting it on Sunday, It ran for 15 seconds then died. That was full choke, full throttle, 3 pumps primer. Fuel petcock is open, as I didn't turn it off when I put it away 2 wks ago.

Then I tried starting it to the point the safety cutout for the elec starter came on. No running, just tons of backfiring. So I took carb cover off and then pumped primer again to be sure fuel is flowing. Yup. If I pump it twice or more fuel drips out of carb mouth. Spark plug is new, but I dunno what correct gap is supposed to be, nor do I know for sure if it's the correct plug for this motor.  It was wet with fuel. I cleaned the electrode up with a little sanpaper. it had no deposits on it, but was black, i am assuming from running a little rich the last 2 times I used it (and those times it ran great).

To be sure I had spark, I unhooked plug wire and tried starting it. Nothing at all. As soon as I hooked plug wire back up and tried starting it, it began backfiring again while I try to start it, but won't start.  I searched online then, and found the settings for the jetting adjusters, and set them both at 1.25 turns out, then tried 1.5 turns out. Still wouldn't start. So I turned the throttle down, and choke to 3/4 closed. It started right up and idled low for about 30 seconds, then died again.

I tried again and again after that and it never started again.

So that's where I am at right now. I will check the comprssion like you said tmw, and try to restart it. I will add fuel line antifreeze to it to see if that helps, but I don't think it's frozen as my fuel lines are new (2 wks ago) and filter too, and they are all clear and I can see fuel flowing through them.

the diagrams posted above are what my carb appears to be (judging from the outside appearance of my carb-have not disassembled it yet to be sure), so that possibly will be my next step. Anyone know what Bosch plug I need for the machine? And the gap? Thx guys.

RJ19LM,  J19LM

If your pulling and pulling or using the electric start a lot make frequent checks for the plug being wet.  It should be wet with lots of start attempts so useless to keep trying until it dries out. 

If the plug is dry after lots of start attempts dump some gas directly into the pulg hole to fire up,  If you have spark then you'll have gas, air and should be compression so a start.

If you can get it going you can try pushing the primer to keep it going.  Sometimes it works and just another verification that the carb needs cleaning.

There are a number of gas/carb possibilities for your problem mentioned above and spark worth checking also.   If  you have spark and cleaned the carb then it could be a sheared flywheel key.   

Ke http://www.kedawei.com/snowblower.htm