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

Will be draining and replacing the gas (flushing some fresh through the line and what to do with the old?) and clean the carb in place best I can with spray.   The spark plug is aged but has at most a few hours on it.

Thoughts on what else to do?

The fuel bowl is on properly and I adjusted the screws maybe 1/8 turn each time, up to 1/2 turn incrementally, in both directions.

I can pull a gauge through the spark plug gap snugly with a .030 wire.  Have tried starting both with the speed set at max and at 3/4, with and without priming and with the choke at various positions.  And allowing time between attempts with the spark plug removed to address possible flooding.

Axis wrote:

The HSK70 was purchased several years ago as new old stock, in a sealed Teucmesh box.  I was without doubt the first one to set it up.

Got a lot of use out of the original H70 (?) motor that came with the Ariens.  It was one of the most hard worked engines we've ever had, and took us though some mighty big storms.  I consider the replacement engine hardly broken in.

Tempted on one hand to just replace it, but on the other hand really want to get it going.

>>And allowing time between attempts with the spark plug removed to address possible flooding.

   Some Tecumseh engines can require up to a half hour to clear a flood even with a pulled and dried plug.  I’m not sure why that is but it might be gas saturated in the carbon buildup.  ?

    Tecumseh’s can be extremely fussy with primes and choke and flooding easily as mentioned above.  Finding the right combination is a pain and take many attempts over time to get it right for some engines. 

 

    The way sort things out is to pull the plug often to check for dampness or dry.

 

     1 ½ on the main and 1 on the idle should be fine for starting and tweaks not needed.   ¾ to full throttle should not make a difference.  Choke and prime will swamp the small throttle difference and the governor will probably have the throttle butterfly open anyway.

 

    Give it 1 prime and 4 pulls at full choke and pull the plug.  If not damp, two primes, full choke and 4 pulls.   If the plug is not damp 3 primes, full choke and 4 pulls then pull the plug.  If not damp look to carb cleaning.   If the engine puts check for black smoke. 

    If the plug is damp through any of those tries wait a half hour with the plug out and do the same level of prime and choke on one pull and back off the choke one click for 3 pulls and check the plug.  Adjust on the condition of the plug.

 

    Another is: spray ether or gas into the throat, full choke and 4 pulls.  If wet and no start look into weak spark or being grounded. 

 

   Give the engine is fairly new compression, valves and probably spark are ok.  You get the “rumbling” and to me it seems like flooding (not backfiring which would be lean).  If you get that again check for black smoke on the puts as it seems from what you’ve described your flooding. 

 

    I’m working on one at the moment which behaves like yours and it’s flooding for some reason very easily.  It’s takes a single soft prime on this engine every few pulls and backing off the choke after the first pull to get it started.   Just a little over prime or pulling a time or two and not backing off on the choke will flood it.  A very fussy starter.   

   Anyway it’s good not to pull too much and check the plug often to see where things stand.   Whenever wet give at lest a half hour rest with the plug out.

ADD:  If you give it two stiff primes does gas dribble out of the throat?

Joy!

It simply started and ran like it always did.  I have no explanation.  It was rumbling and dying, and one time it just caught.   Let it idle for 20 minutes, adjusted the two screws (low speed side screw is exactly one revolution out from a soft bottom and fast bottom of the bowl screw is out 1.25 turns from a soft bottom), restarted it a few times and put it away.  Like nothing happened!

And yes, trouts2, it does flood very easily when priming and gas was visible in the throat with two pumps, three and it would drip out.  In fact, there were times when I first started this ordeal that I'd tilt it on one wheel to drain the excess fuel from the throat and then wait awhile before trying again.  I was thinking of restricting the rubber prime line that goes to the carb so it's not so potent!  You also wrote "Anyway it’s good not to pull too much and check the plug often to see where things stand.   Whenever wet give at lest a half hour rest with the plug out." which is exactly what was done.

Off topic but will ask in this thread anyways, the HSK-70 calls for a 33328D 120 VAC starter.  Is there one that'll fit the engine that's 12VDC and can be powered off a battery?

I'm really baffled and wondering if I should I have confidence in this carburetor....  would feel a lot better if I could say that xx caused the problem. 

Now that you have gotten it running I would suggest trying to find out how it likes to be started.    I would start by trying to start the engine with the throttle set at mid position without using the primer and set the choke to full.  If it doesn't start after three or four pulls I would then give one shot on the primer and maybe even take the choke off and give it another two or three pulls. 

The key is not to flood the engine trying to start it.  If it still doesn't start I would then put the choke on full and give it a few pulls.  After a bit you will find out how it likes to start cold.