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CornHolio
May 20, 2001

Toilet Rascal
It looks like the other small engine repair thread is locked for archiving so here's another.

I'm posting because I can't figure out what I'm doing.

Backstory: My wife's grandparents gave me a mower that wouldn't start. It's an electric-start Toro with a Tecumseh engine. The air filter was soaked with fuel so at the recommendation of the previous thread I replaced the carb (it took me six months but the weather hasn't been nice and it hasn't been a priority). The new carb is in and I'm pretty sure I hooked the linkages up right, at least the same as the old one was.

Right now it will start up (so progress!) but it won't idle at all, and it seems to be running at a pretty high RPM (but I can't verify that because it wouldn't run at all before). If I release the handle it immediately dies.


This is the carb with the air filter off. The two linkages connect to the governer (I think that's what it's called) which is secured with a screw. If I rotate the governer, the bracket on the carb opens up and it closes the and opens the carb. I can't figure out how it's supposed to be actuated, if at all.

The throttle cable (attached to the handle) goes to the other side of the engine, and I can't figure out how it works/connects to the carb at all.

I tried taking the top of the motor off, but after I got the single large nut off, the thing still wouldn't budge.


This is the right side, after I replaced the nut and ignition coil. The throttle cable goes here and somehow it (I think?) actuates the governer which opens or closes the carb.

What relative position should everything be in?

This is babby's first time working on a small engine, so bear with me.

Here are some more pictures:




Old versus new

CornHolio fucked around with this message at 00:35 on Apr 27, 2019

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UnderToad
Mar 3, 2010
I work on them. The cable from the handle is a deadman switch only, it kills the engine when released by cutting the ignition and applying a band brake to the flywheel. It does not control the throttle. The way the carburetor in the photo is configured, it is set up to run at full speed only. I see an idle speed screw, but it will never come into play the way it is set up. The high speed is adjusted by bending that piece of metal the governor spring anchors too. Top speed of around 3200 rpm is reasonable, the engine will run faster, but shouldn't. The carb linkage looks correct from here.

Those carburetors aren't too hard to rebuild. Curious, is the new carb a Techumseh unit or a Chinese varient?

EDIT

It looks like your governor is out of adjustment, between the air filter and engine block. That arm and the shorter part that are joined with a bolt should be roughly 90 degrees to each other. Be carefull not to overspeed it, will grenade. ;)

http://www.barrettsmallengine.com/manual/tecumsehlheadmanual.pdf

governor setting page 27 on the actual manual, on the pdf page 31

UnderToad fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Apr 27, 2019

CornHolio
May 20, 2001

Toilet Rascal
It's probably Chinese... it was about ten bucks. How should the carb be set up? Seems incorrect if its set up to run at full speed and never idle. This is a fairly new mower but it was given to my wife's grandpa as a non runner so I don't know who all has tried fiddling with it.

I've read through the carb adjustment section twice now and I think I just need to print it out and have it in front of me while I work on it next.

CornHolio fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Apr 27, 2019

UnderToad
Mar 3, 2010
The new ones just run at full speed all the time, yours is one of those. I think the only thing you need to do is set the gov arm by loosening the bolt with the torx head, move it so it is 90 degrees to the shorter piece it attaches to, then tighten torx bolt. Yours is at about 120 degrees. Then if you need to set the top speed, do it by bending the tab behind those two vertical bosses on the top of the carb. The older versions had a plate that bolted to the top of the carb with a high and low speed, yours does not have that, it's just one speed, all the time.

I've had good luck with the Chinese Ebay carbs, suprisingly.

revmoo
May 25, 2006

#basta
Trying to fix an old Husqvarna 22R string trimmer. ALL the parts are pretty much NLA. Am I hosed on finding parts or do I just not know where to look?

angryrobots
Mar 31, 2005

I'm seeing parts on eBay? Other than that, hit up your local Husqvarna dealer, especially if they've been in business a while. Might have NOS stuff gathering dust, or possibly junk engines they kept for parts.

Or they could point you to a shop locally that has a small engine "junkyard".

Fender Anarchist
May 20, 2009

Fender Anarchist

Oh nice, I'm working on a pressure washer right now, little B&S 500 series, won't get going no matter how hard or long you yank it. Compression feels strong and there's fuel smell coming from the muffler when I turn it manually. No spark even from the uncovered wire in the spark boot, so I'm getting a replacement coil. The installation procedure seems pretty straightforward, just use the included card to set the armature gap right? I've never really worked on anything that wasn't an electronically controlled car engine so this is an interesting project for me.

mekilljoydammit
Jan 28, 2016

Me have motors that scream to 10,000rpm. Me have more cars than Pick and Pull
Yup, small engine magnetos are simple. There's a wire that gets grounded to stop the spark, a wire that the spark comes out of, then just get it the right distance. If you don't have the special shim, use a piece of thin cardboard and then turn it over by hand relatively slowly to make sure nothing scrapes.

revmoo
May 25, 2006

#basta

angryrobots posted:

I'm seeing parts on eBay? Other than that, hit up your local Husqvarna dealer, especially if they've been in business a while. Might have NOS stuff gathering dust, or possibly junk engines they kept for parts.

Or they could point you to a shop locally that has a small engine "junkyard".

I'll give it a shot. When I can get it to run it runs SO much nicer than the Cryobi I also have.

Really it seems like I need a greybeard that can cross reference parts--I imagine that there are parts that will fit it that aren't necessarily listed as such.

rdb
Jul 8, 2002
chicken mctesticles?

Fender Anarchist posted:

Oh nice, I'm working on a pressure washer right now, little B&S 500 series, won't get going no matter how hard or long you yank it. Compression feels strong and there's fuel smell coming from the muffler when I turn it manually. No spark even from the uncovered wire in the spark boot, so I'm getting a replacement coil. The installation procedure seems pretty straightforward, just use the included card to set the armature gap right? I've never really worked on anything that wasn't an electronically controlled car engine so this is an interesting project for me.

Its probably the stop switch itself.

Fender Anarchist
May 20, 2009

Fender Anarchist

I was about to be mad, but I just checked and nah. Cutoff is integrated into the throttle lever; in the "stop" position there's good continuity from the ground lead to the block, in all other positions it's open circuit.

stevobob
Nov 16, 2008

Alchemy - the study of how to turn LS1's into a 20B. :science:


A while ago I found someone's discarded four-stroke 25cc string trimmer, and it wouldn't run properly. I opened up the engine and found that the camshafts were made of plastic, and the exhaust cam lobe, likely from heat, had been worn down as smooth and round as the camshaft itself. So it wouldn't lift the exhaust valve. I tried hard to find parts but the only "repair" option is an entire engine. :(

CommieGIR
Aug 22, 2006

The blue glow is a feature, not a bug


Pillbug
So, my dad's Craftsman riding tractor has an issue with the carb where its flooding the cylinder with fuel. I suspect the electric float solenoid, what actually drives that solenoid?

mekilljoydammit
Jan 28, 2016

Me have motors that scream to 10,000rpm. Me have more cars than Pick and Pull

CommieGIR posted:

So, my dad's Craftsman riding tractor has an issue with the carb where its flooding the cylinder with fuel. I suspect the electric float solenoid, what actually drives that solenoid?

The solenoid is there to cut off fuel and prevent backfires after shutting off the ignition. It can be gutted to plug the float bowl hole and not otherwise affect operation.

Probably it's the needle and seat. None of these small engine carbs are really OK with ethanol.

CommieGIR
Aug 22, 2006

The blue glow is a feature, not a bug


Pillbug

mekilljoydammit posted:

The solenoid is there to cut off fuel and prevent backfires after shutting off the ignition. It can be gutted to plug the float bowl hole and not otherwise affect operation.

Probably it's the needle and seat. None of these small engine carbs are really OK with ethanol.

We replaced the carb and had the same issue happen with the brand new one.

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
Small Engine Repair Thread - We replaced the carb and had the same issue happen with the brand new one.

charliemonster42
Sep 14, 2005

Fermented Tinal posted:

Small Engine Repair Thread - We replaced the carb and had the same issue happen with the brand new one.

Not an emptyquote

mekilljoydammit
Jan 28, 2016

Me have motors that scream to 10,000rpm. Me have more cars than Pick and Pull

CommieGIR posted:

We replaced the carb and had the same issue happen with the brand new one.

Possibly some crud in the gas tank that kept the new needle and seat from closing, or poor machining, or something got jostled around. These things are really shittily built.

I'd post a picture if I was at the last job and had CAD models of all this poo poo handy - the solenoid is a normally closed plunger that goes into the bit that holds the main jet and blocks off fuel when not energized. It doesn't do anything to affect the fuel level in the float bowl.

CommieGIR
Aug 22, 2006

The blue glow is a feature, not a bug


Pillbug

mekilljoydammit posted:

Possibly some crud in the gas tank that kept the new needle and seat from closing, or poor machining, or something got jostled around. These things are really shittily built.

I'd post a picture if I was at the last job and had CAD models of all this poo poo handy - the solenoid is a normally closed plunger that goes into the bit that holds the main jet and blocks off fuel when not energized. It doesn't do anything to affect the fuel level in the float bowl.

Yeah, its just such an odd issue. I'll drain the tank and check the carbs internals and report back

mekilljoydammit
Jan 28, 2016

Me have motors that scream to 10,000rpm. Me have more cars than Pick and Pull

CommieGIR posted:

Yeah, its just such an odd issue. I'll drain the tank and check the carbs internals and report back

I get it - just want to help eliminate a red herring.

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
If you remember my post in the chat thread a few weeks ago I bought a couple non-running chainsaws and a weed whacker for $100. Got the one chainsaw I wanted to keep running within about an hour and a half. The other one needed a carb kit, primer, and fuel/oil lines and I just sold it for $100. Weed whacker's still for sale but even if it sells for half my asking price I'll have ended up with a free chainsaw.

glyph
Apr 6, 2006



I just picked up a new [to me] three blade husky (yt42xls, welded deck) riding mower. I've fixed the steering (new bushings and some dentistry on the missing gear teeth), but holy motherfucker does the deck drone- even through my ear defenders- compared to my POS, stamped, dual blade poulan pro something something.

Here's the actual question: Is there a way to clock the blades (they all spin the same direction) to minimize the drone? I slapped them on however the splines worked out after sharpening. Or is this kind of drone just a welded deck thing?

glyph fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Aug 5, 2019

Fender Anarchist
May 20, 2009

Fender Anarchist

pressure washer update, got the new coil installed and now the lead makes a nice healthy spark on the block.... but it still won't start when hooked up. gonna run up to the store for a spark plug, hopefully that sorts it. it looked fine when i pulled it out but :shrug:

We've definitely confirmed fuel mist out the muffler when cranking over, so the carb seems to be doing its job. Might be old gas but it didn't even cough on charcoal lighter fluid. I'll pick up some fresh gas while I'm out just to check.

e: hell yes, swapped the plug, primed it with existing gas and it fired up midway through the first pull. And sprayed oil everywhere cause i foolishly left the dipstick out assuming it would at least cough a bit first

[Clarkson] I'VE MENDED SOMETHING! [/Clarkson]

Fender Anarchist fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Jul 15, 2019

Previa_fun
Nov 10, 2004

glyph posted:

I just picked up a new [to me] three blade husky (yt42xls, welded deck) riding mower. I've fixed the steering (new bushings and some dentistry on the missing gear teeth), but holy motherfucker does the deck drone- even through my ear defenders- compared to my POS, stamped, dual blade poulan pro something something.

Hwres the actual question: Is there a way to clock the blades (they all spin the same direction) to minimize the drone? I slapped them on however the splints worked out after sharpening. Or is this kind of drone just a welded deck thing?

Three blade decks mean shorter blades (until you get to real big decks :heysexy:) which means more blade RPM for a given tip speed which means more noise.

46" and 48" three blade decks are usually pretty loud and I didn't even know 42" triples were a thing until now.

Previa_fun fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Jul 17, 2019

Ferremit
Sep 14, 2007
if I haven't posted about MY LANDCRUISER yet, check my bullbars for kangaroo prints



I think my poor MS660 is gonna need another new cylinder and piston. Bolts holding the cylinder on backed out and it went waaaaaaay lean :(

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
Yeah, that looks pretty chooched.

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
My father bought a 16' Jonsered (re: Husqy) chainsaw about half a dozen years ago and while it worked great when it ran, getting it to start was always a real bitch and he ultimately replaced it with a Stihl of similar size.

I grabbed the Jonsered from him yesterday so I could tear into it and get it fixed up for him. Aside from a lot of sawdust and oil and some old gas, it was pretty clean due to having only really seen enough use to cut down, limb, and buck probably ten trees in its life.

Anyways, first order of business with a hard-starting small engine is to put up your middle finger in the general direction of California. Second order of business it to remove the spark arrestor. The spark arrestor really restricts the already tiny opening on the muffler and in the age of 50:1 mix tunes tend to be on the rich side to make up for the lack of oil. This makes the exhaust rather sooty and the soot plugs up the arrestor. Ideally you'd run 30-40:1 and be tuned properly and the spark arrestor would likely not be much of an issue. For stuff I fix and sell I leave the arrestor on, but for personal and family stuff I rip them off because a sooty arrestor is the root cause of most hard starting.

Anyways I didn't take any pictures of that, just imagine a small red chainsaw taken apart enough to get at the carb.

Which I present to you, in all of its two barrel glory.



Also kinda unusual for these Zama carb'd saws, this one has the choke built in instead of being part of the air cleaner.

Fermented Tinal fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Aug 11, 2019

betterinsodapop
Apr 4, 2004

64:3
I inherited a cheap "Lawn Boy" 10685 mower from previous homeowner (he left it in the garage) but the thing was pretty cooked. Used it at the beginning of summer, but it recently crapped out entirely. Couldn't get the engine to turn over at all. Did some research, and ordered some parts.

I drained and replaced the oil, which was BLACK:

Check out the old air filter:

Replaced with:

Old carb:

New carb installed:

Rusty as hell ignition coil and spark plug I replaced.


When I got the whole thing put back together, I gave it a pull and it started, but it was revving VERY high and then going LOW. Also, was blasting blue/white smoke from muffler. I later realized that the governor spring was stuck on a fuel line clamp. Once I freed that up and adjusted the carb screw, it started running just fine. It starts on 1 pull... but now I have to mow the lawn again! :smith:

edit: spelling

betterinsodapop fucked around with this message at 17:35 on Aug 12, 2019

slidebite
Nov 6, 2005

Good egg
:colbert:

How often are you changing oil/filters/plugs in your lawnmowers?

I have an old walmart special more I bought back in 1999 when we bought our first house. Powered by a B&S Classic 3.5HP and I literally cannot kill it.

I don't drain the gas in the winter, park it outside (sheltered under deck), changed the oil literally 2x in 20 years, blow out the filter in the spring and that's it. Starts first pull every spring, 2 pulls at most. Original plug.

I would really like to have a new Honda but god drat, this old thing is tough as nails. If it were automotive it would be a 300 L6 ford or something.

sirr0bin
Aug 16, 2004
damn you! let the rabbits wear glasses!

slidebite posted:

How often are you changing oil/filters/plugs in your lawnmowers?

My lawnmower gets fresh oil every year but the air filter is just banged out and the plug won't get changed until the mower doesn't start or starts running lovely.

The snowblowers get more love. I don't mind working on things when it's summer but in the winter it had better drat well start first or second pull.

angryrobots
Mar 31, 2005

slidebite posted:

How often are you changing oil/filters/plugs in your lawnmowers?

I have an old walmart special more I bought back in 1999 when we bought our first house. Powered by a B&S Classic 3.5HP and I literally cannot kill it.

I don't drain the gas in the winter, park it outside (sheltered under deck), changed the oil literally 2x in 20 years, blow out the filter in the spring and that's it. Starts first pull every spring, 2 pulls at most. Original plug.

I would really like to have a new Honda but god drat, this old thing is tough as nails. If it were automotive it would be a 300 L6 ford or something.

That's why it's a classic.

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
When I remember to do it. So maybe every four or five years or longer.

I've had my mower since new and I have never done a plug or oil on it. Had it about 6 years now, it spends winter in the shed and the rest of the year outside beside the shed.

Here's a video of me starting it up. Keep in mind my left elbow is holding down the shutoff and my phone so I was pulling the recoil start at a funny angle.

https://i.imgur.com/PMWmkMJ.mp4

E: Once again, right-click > open in new tab to get sound.

Fermented Tinal fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Aug 12, 2019

Liquid Communism
Mar 9, 2004


Out here, everything hurts.




slidebite posted:

How often are you changing oil/filters/plugs in your lawnmowers?

I have an old walmart special more I bought back in 1999 when we bought our first house. Powered by a B&S Classic 3.5HP and I literally cannot kill it.

I don't drain the gas in the winter, park it outside (sheltered under deck), changed the oil literally 2x in 20 years, blow out the filter in the spring and that's it. Starts first pull every spring, 2 pulls at most. Original plug.

I would really like to have a new Honda but god drat, this old thing is tough as nails. If it were automotive it would be a 300 L6 ford or something.

Sounds about right. Only thing more I ever did was power wash it in the fall to get the last of the organics off, then hit the bottom of the deck with a fresh coat of rust inhibitor for the winter.

BalloonFish
Jun 30, 2013



Fun Shoe

slidebite posted:

How often are you changing oil/filters/plugs in your lawnmowers?

I have a cheap-n-nasty Champion pushalong with a Chinese Briggs flathead clone engine - I change the oil once per year after the last cut of the autumn and run the fuel tank dry. I take the plug out to see how it looks but I'm treating that as a 'change when it starts running badly' sort of thing.

My mum still has a Hayter Harrier pushalong from 1990 with a B&S 3.5 and I'd put money on that still running on the oil I put in it in 2004, and I'm pretty sure the oil that came out then had been in there since it was new. That thing can sit in a shed with a 29-year old plug, 15-year old oil and stale fuel and still fires up on the second pull - once you've primed it by tipping it on its side because it's one of those ones with the tank below the carb but no squeezy plunger bulb.

Black88GTA
Oct 8, 2009
Earlier this week, I learned that Nextdoor.com is good for something other than reading about Karens bitching about the ice cream truck. I came across this ad, with a single not great pic:



Although the timing of this is terrible due to current life events, my current snowblower is a plastic "homeowner grade" one from 1994, and is kind of falling apart. And the price was right on this one. So, I emailed the guy to inquire about it (not really expecting much), and he somehow still had it(!) After a little back and forth, I went the next day on my lunch break and picked it up. Turns out, it's a 1970 model, and it looks to be in amazing shape. No rust anywhere, all of the paint was still shiny, he even had tire chains and the original owner's manual. It fired up on the first pull when he went to start it, although he did confess he had had it running for a couple minutes that morning. He then told me it usually takes 5 - 10 pulls from cold to get going. It's all steel and built like a brick shithouse, which is nice. I'm pretty sure he'd had it since new.

More pics:


I hope I look this good when I'm almost 50, god drat




I looked up the serial number on a snowblower sperg website, which indicates it's a '70 model.


Having never had anything like this to deal with in the past, I noticed that the rear wheels seem to be locked up. By that I mean you can push / pull the machine from front to back, but the wheels appear to be locked together, preventing you from actually turning it without sliding one of the tires against the ground. Is this normal, or am I missing something? I haven't had time to gently caress around with it much at all, since I had to get back to work when I grabbed it and it went straight into a storage unit I'm keeping for the time being, so I don't have it handy to play with. I only tried moving it around with the motor shut off and the gear selector in neutral (maybe it behaves differently with a gear selected, or if the motor is running?).

I guess it's a Tecumseh motor - does anyone know what I'd be looking at for parts availability on something like this, or will I end up replacing it with a HF motor if / when the time comes? I assume I can probably get basic replacement / maintenance parts, but would be curious about bigger non-maintenance type items.

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib
There's usually a "diff lock" that lives in one or both wheel hubs. The one on my Ariens is a pull-style, but some are twist, like the old locking hubs. I see something on the wheel hub of your photo.

As for parts, Tecumseh went under a while ago, but there are some parts available. Carb rebuild kits should still be around, but you'll probably have to buy from an old school place, like Pat's: http://www.psep.biz/ I replaced the 10hp Tec on my ariens with a 14hp HF motor. These really don't like being run on a steep incline, like letting the machine climb a snowbank. They're splash oiled, and the incline starves the big end of oil:

sharkytm fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Sep 27, 2019

Black88GTA
Oct 8, 2009

sharkytm posted:

There's usually a "diff lock" that lives in one or both wheel hubs. The one on my Ariens is a pull-style, but some are twist, like the old locking hubs. I see something on the wheel hub of your photo.

As for parts, Tecumseh went under a while ago, but there are some parts available. Carb rebuild kits should still be around, but you'll probably have to buy from an old school place, like Pat's: http://www.psep.biz/ I replaced the 10hp Tec on my ariens with a 14hp HF motor. These really don't like being run on a steep incline, like letting the machine climb a snowbank. They're splash oiled, and the incline starves the big end of oil:

Ah, that makes sense. I didn't think to look for anything like individual wheel / hub locks. :doh:

I knew that Tecumseh had ceased operations a number of years back, which is why I was curious about parts availability. Thanks for the tip to avoid running it on inclines, I wouldn't have thought of that. It seemed to run pretty well when the guy fired it up when I came to pick it up, but I'm planning on digging into it more when I'm in a new place, hopefully sometime in November.

Mercury Ballistic
Nov 14, 2005

not gun related
I've got a husky 130bt backpack blower, probably circa 2012. I use it year round and sit has never given me any issues till the other day. I had used it maybe 2 weeks back with no issues, but I stored it tilted a bit funny. Now it will start with full choke, and idle for a few min. It idles pretty slowly, and if I try to take off the choke, it will accelerate for a second, then die.

I pulled off the carb which has no adjustments, and sprayed in some carb cleaner and no change. I also blew out the fuel line and filter.

I have ordered a new carb and filter hoses and filter. Anything else to try?

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Mercury Ballistic posted:

I have ordered a new carb and filter hoses and filter.

This will undoubtedly fix it.

It's so nice to be past the point of rebuilding carbs - they are so cheap now and even the ones that are adjustable seem to show up dead on or so close to right it doesn't matter.

I'm going to give my standard plug for Marine StaBil in every jug of regular fuel and using TruFuel or other synthetic and run it through before off season storage or for anything you will use over the winter.

Motronic fucked around with this message at 22:38 on Oct 17, 2019

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Mercury Ballistic
Nov 14, 2005

not gun related
Glad I seem to be on the right track. I have been using the canned 50:1 gas oil stuff in this for a while, and it has never sat idle more than a few weeks.

Update: new carb and gas lines installed. Starts and runs fine at low to 75% or so, but max throttle is a bit low and if I try to open it up it bogs down and stalls. Gonna get a new plug too and see if that helps.

Mercury Ballistic fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Oct 18, 2019

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