snowblower carb

Hoping to get the snow thrower fixed because we're supposed to get a foot of snow this week. There was gas leaking out somewhere around this thing when pressing the prime button and machine came nowhere near starting. Used it two months ago with no problems. Took off the plate covering this and saw the gas was squirting out the bottom of this big hollow round space, shown right in the middle of this picture, behind that screwed on piece. About to take it apart further and am hoping to find an easy fix. Wondering if it's just a gasket leaking under this round space/on top of the bowl, and is being pushed out above. Here I go to see what I can find. Or maybe someone knows right now what would make it leak gas there. Or maybe gas is supposed to leak there!?

I'm guessing that is a bowl vent. If it is, and gas was coming out there it is flooding.

Probably a stuck open needle/seat from storage.

Gas should not leak from anywhere. Most probable cause is a stuck float bowl in the flow position(all the way down, leaving the needle open).

try this:

1. Turn upside down. Locate the main mixture screw(shown in pic at the very bottom), with a gland nut and washer.

2. Unscrew the main mixture screw, including the spring and set aside.

3. Using a wrench, loosen the gland nut. Remove the nut and washer.

4. Gently pry the float bowl up and off the body of the carb. There will be a thin rubber seal around the edge of the float bowl, note the orientation of the rubber seal on the carb body.

5. You will see the float, and also the articulating pin that allows it to pivot up and down. There is a small tab with a needle valve attached or under that tab.

6. Pull the pivot pin sideways and set aside. Carefully lift off the float asm. The needle valve may come with it, or may remain inside the seat in the carb body.

7. If the needle has not come with the float, remove it from the brass(maybe) seat. Inspect the needle for damage on the tip, or corrosion anywhere along the shaft.

8. Spritz some carb cleaner down into the seat well.

9. Clean the float, inside the float bowl, and inspect the pivot pin, and pivot pin holder for corrosion. This must all be very clean. Be gentle with the float.

10. Once everything is clean, put the needle, and float back in place, and secure it with the pivot pin. The float will pivot up and down.

11. Test now. With the carb upside down, the float will press the needle into the seat and close off fuel flow. Try to blow into the fuel line port of the carb. You should not get any air flow.

11b. Turn the carb over, correct side up. Blow into the fuel line port again. The float should have pivoted, opening the needle and seat, and allowing air to flow. Repeat step 11 again, to insure it closes.

12. Install the rubber ring on the carb body base where the float bowl will attach.

13. Install the float bowl to the carb body, make sure you do not disturb the seal.

14. Install the gland nut, and if there was a washer install that back in the same orientation.

15. Install the main mixture screw and spring. Tighten all the way in, and then turn it back out 1-1/2 turns.

16. Set the carb back on the snowblower, attach the fuel line, open the fuel valve with fuel in the tank. You should NOT have fuel leaking out the back or front of the carb.

17. If that is all good, attach the nuts to the carb, install the air cleaner and throttle and choke lines.

18. Start the engine. You may need to leave the choke off to start as it is likely flooded with fuel.

19. Once the engine starts, you may need to adjust the main mixture on the bottom of the float bowl. Adjust inward until the engine begins to die out, then adjust it back outward for smooth running.

okay, thanks, guys. I'm working on it!

That was a great reply!

yeow! a few fingers are froze. one finger typing now. so i got everything good except I was looking at the throttle group pieces and it doesnt seem correct. i have to research adjusting throttle before start it.

I think I have the throttle good now. The moving part that the metal rod goes to on top of the unit I took off, when hooked back up would not spring back to the position I assumed is the off position when I pushed the throttle lever down to stop position. The round "door" in the unit wasn't closing. I haven't found any info on this, so correct me if I'm wrong. Adjusted the spring screw behind the throttle lever and the governor arm back where rods hook to, and it goes back to the off/closed position now. I know people usually adjust after they start it and when they see if it's running too fast or slow or rich or poor or whatever. I just think I could see it was way off before even starting it and was afraid that if it did start, it wouldn't shut off if I left it like that. So, I did try to start it then after I got it adjusted, in the dark, in the storm, and it didn't start. I don't know... I did the whole list recommended here and am sure that was needed. Lots of crud was in there and now I know that float needle seals and it's not leaking like it was. could it be spark plug? Or, I did have the throttle all the way up. I think it supposed to be half for starting? Had choke off then put on, then put back off. Maybe I did too much trying to start it. Will try again tomorrow after it is rested.

OK, there are two closure 'plates' that interrupt the airflow from outside to inside. Working from the air cleaner, the first plate is the choke plate. This is either operated manually by a lever on the snowblower, or more likely by that little bent rod at the top back of the carb housing.

The choke makes the fuel air mixture richer to start the engine when it is cold. It must be fully open in the normal position, and you must be able to close it fully by pressing or moving the choke lever.

The throttle plate is the one that runs the speed of the engine. It must be able to close, and fully open by operation of the speed control lever. Nevermind the governor for now.

More important, by your description, it appears you have the throttle hooked up right now. Again, when the lever is in the 'stop' position, the throttle plate(inside one) should close fully. When the elver is in the 'full' position it should open fully or almost fully, depending on design.

Moving forward. Take the spark plug out, lay it on the metal of the head, attach the hi tension lead to it, put the throttle in the middle, make sure all the blower safety locks are made, and pull the handle. Look for a good blue/silver spark.

If you do not have a good spark stop now, and get a new plug, and gap it correctly. If you do have good spark, put the plug back in, attach the hi tension lead to it.

With the choke open, and the throttle about half open, use your carb cleaner and give a quick spritz from the little red tube right into the back of the carb air intake. Try to start, and see if it runs, and then just dies quickly. This will indicate you are getting spark, but no fuel through the carb.

Let us know what happens with some spritz from the carb cleaner.

Well for a three day fix look on Amazon and find a new carb . a place in Florida has them and sells on Amazon BUT look close at the one you looking at to match it up , also having make and model off the blower and engine model helps. I got a new carb for and OLD Areins ST 724 , my first try was not successful and a phone call to them direct and talking to a nice young girl and getting into there catalogue we came up with one that matched and for 8,53 and three days i had a carb that matched other then the choke shaft as it was nylon verses brass as on the old one , everything else matched and after some adjustment it runs great . Your carb is probably leaking around the Bowl gskt like mine was because the new gas dried up the old style gskt. and mine had other problems from someone before me . BUT for now i am happy . Looking at another Junk blower that runs but does not move for 75 bucks . As i hate putting out big money to move snow when ya can find something that needs a little tinkering that when fixed ya get several good years out of them .

problem. The screw, on picture NW of my thumb just out of sight below top screw and above bottom screw, I think it's called low idle adjusting screw, is broken in half and stuck with the threaded end in the unit. That's probably not retrievable and I'm thinking there is a hole (Called jet?) in the screw and that would made it leak gas and not run? And installed a new spark plug today and I couldn't see any spark doing that test. either no spark or I can't see very well.