Snow Blower won't start

[nofishfisherman]

I have an older Snapper snow blower with a Briggs and Straton engine. It has been working fine since I got it last season but quit on me during the snow storm this weekend.

Its been running well this year and was running well as of Saturday afternoon. I was out clearing snow for probably 2 hours with it and it had been starting on the first pull all year.

When I went back out later in the day on Saturday to snow blow again it wouldn't start. I did notice that the bolt holding the gas tank tight to the engine had come off so I replaced that. I also noticed that one of the hoses had come loose. I suspect the hose is responsible for bringing the gas to the engine. I put that back in place (no way to tighten it from what I saw, just sits in the connector) but it sitll won't start.

I pulled the spark plgu and its getting a spark and is dry. I tried pouring just a littel gas in the spark plug hole and it will run for a few seconds and then shut down. had it going for maybe 3-5 seconds at a time.

I suspect that there may be some snow or ice in the fuel line does that sound reasonable?

I've tried warming everythng with a hair dryer since I don't have a heater I can put near the it, that didn' seem to work. I also put a cap or two of Heet in the tank to see if that helps but I haven't tried it since dputting it in.

I had the machine serviced last year when it was givn to me. Carb cleaned, new gas tank, new spark plug.

It has a full tank of gas that is probably a few months old but it has been treated with Stabil.

Any other ideas?

I'd really like to get this thing going again since more snow is in the forecast and I am dealing with snow at my house and I'm also doing my neighbors house since he has a broken foot.

[Surface Tension]

Are you using full choke when you cold start?

Gas turned on

Could be stuck inlet valve, tap the bowl on the carb with a wrench, prime again, and then start.

Use the choke to full when it wants to quit.

[nofishfisherman]

I've been using full choke when starting cold, it needs full choke just about any time I start it.

The gas is on.

There isn't a prime button on this snow blower, not sure exactly how old it is but I'd guess 20 years at least.

I went out again tonight to work on it.

I took off the casing to see what else I could see and I found another bolt was missing. This one held two pieces of metal together and aligned what I think was the air intake. I replaced that bolt and put everything back together.

I'm not very educated in small engines so everything has been guesswork. When taking the housing off I had to remove three bolts and 1 screw. The screw I think may have gone into the carb. It wasn't overly tight when I removed it and fit into a threaded hole inside a circular "do-hicky" (thats my technical term for the day).

Once i had everything back together I tried the pull cord again to no avail. I removed the spark plug again and tried putting a little gas in the hole to see if that worked.

With a little gas in the spark plug hole it fired up and ran as long as i had full choke. The choke on this engine is pretty much either full or none, not much in between.

I let it run for a minute or two and then tried closing off the choke and then it died within a few seconds.

Any more ideas what could be the issue?

After getting it to run with full choke and killing it by closing the choke I tried starting it back up with the pull cord and the electric start but neither worked (tried it with full choke). It only worked with the gas being poured into the spark plug hole.

[croixflats]

Same thing happen to me. I took the sunflower heater set close to the carb area. the extra heat thawed out what I expect ice in the carb that formed after I shut it down while hot.

Man I was ripping mad when it did not start. I was battling bronchitis and other complications at time still am. I would crank on that thing 5 minutes then have to go inside for 10 until it occurred to me that maybe ice in the carb. 10minutes alone time with Mr heater and it popped right off.

[nofishfisherman]

I'll have to see if I can borrow a heater off a buddy, I don't have one for some reason.

[Surface Tension]

So you getting some fuel. Follow these steps.

Warm the engine gas tank and fuel lines. A heated garage would be nice but if you have to throw a tarp over the thrower and a heat source. I'd give it a few hours. If it runs after that you had ice in the tank, lines, carb. What you want to do hear is eliminate ice int he fuel system before you waste your time doing the following.

Check to see if the carb is loose. There are two nuts that hold it on. If its loose fuel can't be drawn into the engine.

Do you have a fuel filter, if so remove the gas line from "out" side of the filter. Gas should run out of the filter and continue to run. If it doesn't you either need a new filter, your gas line is deteriorating and you need a filter and new fuel lines, the Fuel Shut Off is clogged with debris or ice, or you have a plugged screen or outlet inside the tank.

If you don't have a fuel filter do the above at the carb but there is the gas line fitting going into the carb can be accidentally pulled loose from the carb and you do not what that to happen. So be careful about it. If gas is running out the line, connect it back to the carb. If it doesn't run out you have a kink in the line, fuel line is deteriorating, plugged screen or outlet in the tank, or possibly ice in the line.

Carb.

The bowl contains gas and the level is maintained by a float that rises as the fuel level in the bowl rises.

When the correct level is met the fuel is shut off by an inlet valve (needle and seat)which is connected to the float.

If the level of fuel in the bowl is low I'd not look at the float as the cause rather a inlet valve that is stuck or debris in the inlet valve. Tapping the carb will some times be enough for a stuck inlet valve to pop open.

At this point you've done the other steps.

You can bring the thrower in and have the carb cleaned or you can proceed.

You can drain the bowl on carb. Often if there is some blockage to the inlet valve, removing the bowl will drop the float enough for that blockage to pass though. On the bottom of the carb there is a nut, in the center of that nut is a mixture screw.

Don't mess with that screw but remove the nut, don't lose the gasket between nut and bowl.

Use something to catch the gas. Hold the bowl in place or else it'll fall off.

Let the gas run out. If it runs out good and continues to run out replace the nut.

Start the engine. If it won;t stay running you need your carb cleaned.

If it runs a short bit and stops or weeps out slowly the inlet valve is stuck.

Remove the bowl, don't lose the O-ring that seals the bowl to carb. It might be stuck in place and thats OK.

Inspect the bowl for water and sediment.

Carefully lift the float and let it drop. Still won't run out, shut off the gas.

At this point yo might want put the bowl back on.to bring it into a small engine repair shop.

Get down low. You'll see the float, the float is attached with a pin. The float has a tang, on the end of the tang is a needle.

If you remove the pin the float will fall, the needle will fall, and a very small spring between the tang and carb body will fall.

That spring is very light and will fly a long ways. If you lose parts you'll have to buy new ones and more then likely bringing the thrower into a small engine shop.

Once you have all those parts out and accounted for. Turn the gas on. It should run out of the carb at a good stream.

Shut off the gas and put it back together. Careful not to bend the tang on the float.

[nofishfisherman]

THanks for the run down. I'll start with the heater to see if that melts away any blockages. I'll also give the carb a good look over to see if anything else is loose or missing any more bolts/screws. I've lost two already, very well could be another missing somewhere.

I'll then take a look at the bowl to see what I can do. I've never worked on a small engine before but I'm willing to give it a shot. I actually have an even older non running snow blower sitting around I might tinker with that first and maybe take that carb apart based on your instructions first so I know what I'm doing before I start in on the blower I want to get running again.

[Surface Tension]

Good Luck Aaron.

Normally I'd pull the carb and you can do that before taking the bowl off. From there a cleaning of the carb. Take a pic of the linkage so you get that back together right.

[nofishfisherman]

I finally had the time to get back out and work on the snow blower today. I couldn't get ahold of a heater so I took the casing off and warmed everything with the hair dryer again.

I also noticed things were a little loose so I tighten everything back up.

After doing that it started right up on the first pull. Ran it for minutes and all seems good now. I was able to start it and run it a few more times after that so it wasn't just a fluke. I'm glad this worked since I wasn't seeing the bowl to the carb, and the fuel lines didn't seem to have a filter of any sort on them so I was a little lost with the last part of our instructions.

Thanks for all of the help. Sounds like I got it going just in time with another 6-8 inches of snow in the forecast for tomorrow.