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

Inherited this machine from my father-in-law over 30 years ago, and it has been running fine - mostly.   In starting it yesterday (anticipating today's blizzard) noted the following:

• Started on full choke, but could not back off without stalling (that's just sitting in the garage).
• Let it warm up for 30 min - still on full choke, but try to back off, or try to engage forward motion - stall.
  

 I'm guessing that it's a carburetor problem, likely not helped by year-old gas in the tank (although shutoff valve closed. So I've started removing the carburetor to prepare it for a fix up.

1. removed the manual choke assist (closes the intake throat, but is spring-loaded to release when you let go)
   
2. removed the sheet metal "airbox" that surrounds the carburetor - carefully.
   
3. removed the fuel line from the carb. Note: no sign of either an air filter (note - I've learned from other posts that air filters are not required for snow-thros), or a fuel line filter so far.
   
4. removed the throttle linkage to free up space near the carb.I saw two 7/16 nuts attached (apparently) to studs that held the carb to the intake manifold. Removed the exhaust/muffler to get better access to the left nut, and also removed the carb bowl.
   
5. carefully started backing out the nuts. And here's where I ran into trouble. Both nuts appeared to be firmly attached to their studs. But as I attempted to back them out, I did not see the nut/stud assembly moving away from the carburetor mounting flange. I see no hint of a nut on the manifold side of the carburetor flange.
   

Thanks. We are about up to 2ft of snow so far.

1.   I don’t think Ariens had any 5 digit numbers starting with 9.  They had 5 digit numbers with the 10,000 series but those started with 1. 

   Just guessing, your number is 910962 not 91062 from 1970-71.  That model used an H70-130067.

  

Two chokes???

2.    You mentioned using the manual choke which was spring loaded so that’s one choke.   Those were a button on a shaft at the side of the air cover.   On the carburetor side of that shaft was a cover plate which when pushed in would cover the throat of the carburetor.   You pushed in the button with one hand and pulled the start cord with the other which would choke the engine.   When stop  pushing the button the shaft spring pushes the cover away from the throat.

 

    You also mentioned after starting you ran it with full choke, tried to back off and the engine would stall.   That is a second choke.   I’ve never seen a Tecumseh snow engine with two chokes.  My guess is this choke is really the throttle.   So you started and maybe the engine was running rough, blowing a lot of smoke and could not be throttled down without stalling.  So you figure the carb needs cleaning.

 

3. On trying to get the carb off.

   The H70-130067 carb attachment is like this:

   There’s the carb, a gasket,  a mounting flange then a gasket.  Those all attach to the block.

   The flange is screwed into the block.  The carburetor is attached to the flange with separate nuts and screws.

   Going from the block side of the flange are two screws.   They extend to the front of the carburetor and attach the carb with two nuts.  You are turning the nuts and the screws are turning.  You don’t remove the carb with those nuts.  To get the carb off you unscrew the screws on the mounting flange.  Once the carb and mounting flange are off you can get the nuts off by having a screw driver hold the screw and unscrew the nuts. 

   The two screws that hold on the mounting flange are hard to see and awkward to get at.  You have to offset the screwdriver to get at them.  Having the right size screwdriver to get the best grip helps to get them off without stripping the heads.

Paul7 wrote:

Thanks, Paul7. Anticipating comments after yours, yes, I gave an incomplete model # (it is 910962), and to your post, the engine # IS H70-130067A (!). It looks like TEC631440 is the carb in my machine, and I'm assuming that I can get the carburetor zip kit (Tecumseh 31840) to put the carb back together after cleaning. But my problem is that I'm stuck at the "remove-the-carb" step.

The exploded assembly view of H70-130067A will help me figure out how to proceed. Stay tuned, and thanks again for the help.

Thanks for the note, trouts2, and I hope you are dug out in Marlboro. I finished digging out of our long driveway here just inside of I95 this AM at about 10. I really appreciate the idea of a working sno-thro, especially when I'm using a shovel.

Let me quickly speak to the pics problem. I'm using win7Pro and my browser is Google Chrome. I read the directions on inserting pics. To the 5 steps proposed by admin, I have no trouble with 1 and 2, but can't do 3 because the "insert/edit image" button never shows. I wrote him/her a private note last night, but no reply yet. I may just try with Firefox.

A related issue is that of the "advanced editor:" my account says I have it, but I don't - and assume that there is some sort of editing menu/dashboard that should pop up. Hmm - could it be that I'm blocking popups with Chrome? I'll have a look. Thanks!

Good catch, trouts2 - I left out a digit on the model #; mine is an Ariens 910962, with a TEC H70-130067A engine and a TEC carburetor 631440.

• Choke count: spring-loaded, pushbutton-actuated plate is one (called a "primer"?). A (manual adjust) lever with detents on it that selects full choke, mid-way, and wide open for the choke flap at the carb intake -that's number 2.This lever protrudes from a longish horizontal slot in the air box, and is above the button-on-spring-loaded shaft that moves the cover plate to cover the choke input. I'm not confusing either with the throttle.
  
• on why I'm wanting to clean the carb: I could only make the engine run under full choke. Was not seeing a lot of smoke, but the airbox is black from exhaust coming out of the pipe in the past season. I took off the bowl yesterday and see varnish and dirt.
  

Thanks!

False start. Sorry

trouts2 wrote: 3. On trying to get the carb off.

   The H70-130067 carb attachment is like this:

   There’s the carb, a gasket,  a mounting flange then a gasket.  Those all attach to the block.

   The flange is screwed into the block.  The carburetor is attached to the flange with separate nuts and screws.

   Going from the block side of the flange are two screws.   They extend to the front of the carburetor and attach the carb with two nuts.  You are turning the nuts and the screws are turning.  You don’t remove the carb with those nuts.  To get the carb off you unscrew the screws on the mounting flange.  Once the carb and mounting flange are off you can get the nuts off by having a screw driver hold the screw and unscrew the nuts. 

   The two screws that hold on the mounting flange are hard to see and awkward to get at.  You have to offset the screwdriver to get at them.  Having the right size screwdriver to get the best grip helps to get them off without stripping the heads.

If unstabalized gas has been in the carb bowl for a year it might have gummed up the jets. A thin wire pulled out of a wire brush is the tool of choice to clean that out.

pstaecker,

    Yep, you're right about the side choke.  I mixed up the prime for choke.

    You probably won't need a full kit, just a bowl gasket if it's cracked or stretched.  But the kit is cheap enough.

    My neighbor gave me one like yours.  It's the same base and controls with the side flip levers.  The engine is
original to it and a couple of years newer than yours so has a rubber button prime and top knob choke.  Other than
that the machine is the same as yours.  They are great machines and at least in my opinion as easy or easier to
use than newer machines.  The engine has close to full compression and starts aggressively on the first pull with
the cord slackening before it's fully pulled.  The older 7hp Tecumseh snow engines were some of the best small
engines ever made. 
    About 24 inches here in Marlboro.   Tough to tell.  The driveway had a big bald spot with no snow and other
places 5 feet of drift.   Great snow though and easy to toss.

Paul7 wrote:
Good advice.  Thanks Paul7.