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

A winter weather advisory is posted for Chicago, and my new-last-year Craftsman single-stage won't start. I added gas stabilizer at the end of last season, and I've changed the spark plug. I have carb cleaner and starting fluid, but I'm unsure as to where to apply either.

Can either product be squirted into the spark plug chamber? The starting fluid instructions say to spray it into the air intake, but I'm not positive of its location, and I don't want to permanently muck something up.

Many forums suggest a carb problem, but I'm unsure as to how to remove it. Again, I don't want to make things any worse.

I'm mechanically inclined enough that I can follow instructions, but have never worked on a small engine before.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The machine is under warranty, but I'm told I need to bring it to the service center that is miles away, and I doubt it would be fixed while I wait.

Chances are that your problem is no fuel getting to the carb. Spraying engine starter into the engine will not do anything to solve that problem. Skip that step. Does the machine have a fuel valve? Is it in the "on" position? Assume there is fuel in the tank? If yes to the two previous questions, turn the fuel valve off, find your carburetor, and disconnect the fuel line at the carb to ensure fuel is getting to the carb. Open fuel valve and drain some fuel into a clear glass container. Make sure that what's coming out of the fuel tank is gasoline, not water. If that's good, there's a possibility that your float needle might be stuck. You can try to give the carb a whack with the handle of a screw driver to possibly loosen a stuck needle valve. If that doesn't work, you'll have to pull the float bowl to inspect contents there in and check to see if your needle valve is operating. You might want to download some data for your machine. Particularly an exploded carburetor diagram. Best of luck to you.

Borat's suggestions are good.  I just wanted to ask if you've successfully run the mower with the new plug?  Possibly it's not gapped correctly,or the wire isn't secured at the end of the plug... or maybe the plug is fouled with gas and just needs to be cleaned with a paper towel.

I don't think its the plug or the the plug cap end not being tight on the engine.....  When was the last time the unit started and how long has the gas been sitting in it?

Friiy

I've not yet been able to start it this season. It ran last year until about March or so. I added stabilizer to the tank and it sat in the garage until now. Without taking the entire machine apart, I can access the carb only from the bottom. When I unscrewed the metal bowl, gas poured out, and kept pouring until about I had about a quart. So if there was a problem with the gas, I'll soon know, as it seems to be getting to the carburetor okay. The cable to the spark plug attached with a secure "thwup", so I think the connection's good. I held the end of the cable while attempting to start it, too, and felt small shocks, so I think (think) power is getting to the plug. Everything I've looked at (and I think it was the float I was seeing, from the bottom) looks clean. The only exception being what I can see when I remove the spark plug. The surface directly below the opening is clear, but it seems like there's some gunk around the edges. Is there something I can spray in there to clean it up, if it is indeed dirty? I'm about to put it back together and try it again. Thanks for your help.

It ran last year until about March or so. I added stabilizer to the tank and it sat in the garage until now.
Adding stabilizer too the tank without running the machine afterwards isnt going too stabilize the fuel that was in the carb or fuel line.
Hopefully the fuel inlet needle didnt drop out or the bowl gasket wasnt distrurbed when you removed the float bowl. (You will know if that did happen when you add fresh fuel and it leaks from the carb.)
If adding fresh fuel doesnt cure the problem, make sure that the carb is actually squirting fuel into the carb (priming) as you are pushing the primer bulb. If not, suspect that the bowl isnt sealing from an unseated O-ring between the float bowl and the carb body.
You need too see that the primer is operating, which may be difficult on a newer MTD single stage with a 4-cycle engine. Removing the heater box (cover) from the carb should allow this.

Fresh fuel added, no leakage, but no success, either. I'm not positive, but I think I did run the machine for a few minutes after adding the stabilizer in the spring.

Clint, which part is the heater box? In looking at my parts diagram, there are a few layers of covers to get to the carb. Is it the muffler shroud or shield?

Is there a chance your engine is flooding? Does the spark plug smell like gasoline. Suggest you pull the plug, take it into a different room to smell it. Might want to wash your hands if you had fuel on them. If the plug smells like fuel, you might have a flooding problem caused by the needle valve not completely closing. However, if that was the case, you'd have gasoline leaking out of the carb. Have you tried a spark plug replacement? It's very rare but the plug might be bad. I know you said you felt shocks from the spark plug lead but that will not confirm that the plug is good. Try a plug swap and let us know how it goes.

I have a new plug, changed a couple of days ago, when I was starting this diagnostic process. I don't think, when I pulled it last night, that it smelled of gasoline, but I'll double-check when I get home.

On the up-side, the projected foot of snow hasn't materialized, which gives me some time to sort this out, and I've been told by a Sears phone rep that it's still under warranty. I have to take it to them, but it's not too far away. Hope they aren't swamped with other work.

Does your blower have a plastic key that needs to be inserted before you can start it?  I removed my key before last weekend when we took a overnight trip, and forgot to put it back in before cranking up my machine today.  After a frustrating few minutes of trying to start it, i realized my mistake and grabbed the key.  Stupid of me, I admit.

I guess if you felt small electric shocks while cranking the engine, your blower is at least getting power to the plug.  But I thought I'd mention the key, since that simple oversight will prevent a machine from starting.

Heh. I'll admit to making that mistake at least once, but this time the key is securely pushed in to the slot. Even tried the alternate key, just to be sure. Thanks, though.