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

I have a Toro 521 snowblower with a Tecumseh 5 hp motor. This winter is the first time it's seen snow in about 15 years. I've changed the oil, lubricated the drive gears and auger gear box.

On the first run, it started and idled for about 5 minutes and then stalled out. It wouldn't stay running at anything less than 3/4 choke. I figured it may be from the carburator jet getting clogged (being it sat for 15 years) , so I removed the carb and completely disassembled it, cleaned everything and put it back together. 

On the second run, the engine did the same thing.  Any ideas or suggestions?

Check your fuel cap vent. You can test it by firing it up with a tight fuel cap and see how long it idles. If it dies, loosen the fuel cap and try again. If that doesn't do it, you probably have carb problems. Chances are that your pilot jet (if your carb has one) might be clogged. When you cleaned your carb, did you pull the jets and thoroughly clean them. Did you clean all air and fuel passages in the carb body?

Have you ruled out temperature?I mean I have seen some very large nests  in units  that have not been used for years

Also is the float ok ,and the float level ok?.

Have you ruled out temperature?I mean I have seen some very large nests  in units  that have not been used for years

Also is the float ok , and the float level ok?.

Oh I almost forgot to ask if you shook the carb when you had it apart to see if the metering rod in stuck?

flange wrote:

Yo Flange: Don't think these carbs have "metering rods". I work on a lot of older Mikuni carbs and they have a similar device know as a "jet needle". Their primary application is on carburetors that require a lot of adjustability in throttle control, as on a motorcycle for instance. On a snow thrower or other constant rpm application, that type of carburetor would have no advantage Most carbs on OPE that I've worked on have fixed jets and throttle is controlled by a butterfly valve in the carb venturi.

tnichols 747!!!!! you have a private message. also by cleaning the carb did you clean the high speed and low speed jets and orifices out with a fine wire? you problem is most likely a fuel restriction in the jetting or fuel orifices in the carb.lots of carb cleaner and  compressed air to blow every thing out.