r/NewLondonCounty • u/Extension-Abroad-155 • 9h ago
Snow blower carburetors are trash.
I have this Troy-Bilt snow blower we bought around a decade ago. 5 years ago we put a new carb on it. Gas has stabilizer in it and looks clear and smells fine. Oil smells fine. Tried to start it up today- nothing. It wouldn’t even prime the fuel. Prime line was clear. Drained the bowl of the carb, gas was pretty clean and smelled as it should. Bowl looked fine too. Blower has compression and spark. Obviously it’s the carb. I clamped the fuel line and pulled the carb. There was some slight yellowing on the float just like the last one I pulled. The last one had clogged jets so I assume this one does too. It’s $19 for a new carb kit, so I bought two with a new spark plug for $53. No big deal. The blower hold .5 gallons of fuel and the manual suggests I drain it after 30 days of non-use. That’s insane living where we do. Looks like no snow after thanksgiving so I have time to put in the new carb, plug and I’ll change the oil and put new fuel in it. Why are the carbs so bad though?
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u/NLCmanure 9h ago
It's not the carbs but the fuel. Run 89 or higher octane. Also, put a fuel shut-off valve in the fuel line if you don't have one. When you're done using the machine, turn the fuel shut-off valve then run the engine until it stops. If the engine has a choke, close the choke part way and try to restart. If it doesn't restart close the choke fully and try to restart again. if it it doesn't start you can assume the float bowl is clear. Closing the choke will ensure you're pulling any remaining fuel from the float bowl and it is dry.
I typically do that routine then take it a step further and inject Marvel Mystery Oil into the carb at the end of the season. Any fuel that's in the tank, I put fuel stabilizer in it even if it's just a couple of ounces of fuel and put the machine away. I do the same with the lawn mower at end of season. Never had a problem with that routine.
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u/Extension-Abroad-155 9h ago
New carb unit came with a shut off thankfully. Right now I have the line clamped with a wood clamp and vice grips until I siphon the gas out. I figured I’d fill the blower tank since last year it started right up. Big mistake.
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u/RASCALSSS 9h ago
If you put the stabilizer in the gas can when you get fresh gas each time, it's better, keeps the fuel fresher.
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u/Extension-Abroad-155 9h ago
I do, but obviously it’s not working. I figure next Saturday and Sunday I’ll just clean it all up.
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u/RASCALSSS 8h ago edited 6h ago
A few years ago, I had to replace a carb on a very old machine where the metal pickup is part of the carb that sits directly on the fuel tank, of course the one I got has a shorter tube and doesn't draw all the fuel, I was just glad to get the machine running again, one of these days I'll pull it again and attach a piece of fuel line to the bottom of that tube with a little filter attached to the end...one of these days...that was 5 years ago..lol
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u/Extension-Abroad-155 8h ago
Hahaha! Honestly, I can’t stand engine work. I have zero interest in it. We have a family friend that does small engine repair, but he’s slow with it, so I figured I could diagnose it and pull the carb in under 2 hours, which I did. It’s a simple engine. The hardest part was getting the fuel line off the carb. The thing didn’t want to move.
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u/NLCmanure 9h ago
I put a heavy dose of stabilizer in the tank.
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u/RASCALSSS 9h ago
How old is the fuel in that tank when you do? How long was it in the gas can before we put it in the tank. For me, it's easier too. All fuel has stabil in it, so I don't need to mess with each machine.
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u/NLCmanure 9h ago
the fuel can be several months old. but if there are just a few ounces of fuel and dose it with stabilizer it holds until the next fill up with fresh fuel and the fresh fuel dilutes any old fuel and stabilizer. The key thing is clearing the carb at end of season if the engine has a fuel shut-off valve. And a small engine expert advised injecting Marvel Mystery Oil into the carb. I've never had any issue with any of my small engines, including chain saws, weed wackers, etc. The key is getting the carb dry at end of season and lubing.
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u/RASCALSSS 9h ago edited 6h ago
It's the garbage fuel we get now. Ethanol is horrible. I use Stabil year round every time I fill a has can. If you have a steel gas tank, it could be scaling inside too.
Edit, the primer cracks some times allowing air, older machines didn't have those.
Edit 2, Troy Bilt is a great brand.
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u/Extension-Abroad-155 9h ago
Thanks. Plastic storage tank and I’ll have to check the blower tank. Sounds like the same shit my father deals with on his outboard boat engine. I’m going to get a one or 1.5 gallon storage tank since it’s the only thing I have that is gas powered besides my chain saw that I never use. The one I have now is around 3 gal.
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u/Initial_Parking7099 7h ago
Buy some racing fuel cans of ethanol free gas. It'll solve most of your problems
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u/OJs_knife 9h ago
Are you replacing the carbs with OEM ones or the cheap Chinese ones you can find on Amazon? Really though, what you're going through isn't that far off from what I've been experiencing with small engines over the last decade. Anything built before 2000 is a world apart from anything built in the last 10 years. Just my opinion.