craftsman 5/20 snowblower HELP

Just purchased a 5/20 craftsman. It will not start. I have a good spark. good gas flow to carb etc. I lossen the high idle jet at the bottom of the bowl and no gas comes out. If I remive the jet, should i not have gas coming out.
Seems like the engine has good compression. The choke was jammed shut at the carb so I had to loosen up throttle and choke with intake spray which worked fine.

What can I check next. Seems like the spark plug is not wet. Seems like no gas geting to plug.

The blower does have a ket start. I get the spark regardless if key is on or off. The ignition was off the machine when i purchased. i just hooked the one wire up to the one wire i found stranded and figured all should be good to go.

ANyone have any good ideas on where to go next? Do i need to pop thr carb off and do a good cleaning etc?

granatnl

 

Forgot to add something. Is it normal when you open the oil fill cap that the oil is right up to the top? Not even a dipstick in this machine to indicate what a good oil level is. I found that strange. Oil is quite dirty as well. Once i change the oil, I am not quite sure how much oil it takes. Any idea?

 

All,
After buying some quick start and attempting to spray it into the carb, the machine still did not start.

I decided to thake the carb off. First thing was to take the bowl off. Low and behold, once I was in there, all kinds of frozen water. There was no way that there would be any fuel getting to the engine. Looks like i need to rebuild the carb.

I have looked all over this machine for the model number. Nothing. How do i know which carb rebuild kit to order? I have the carb in my hand and cant see any numbers on it either.

Anyone know how I figure this out.

It is a 5/20 craftsman snowblower. I cant even tell you if its a briggs or a tecumseh. Cant find anything on the motor for that either.

HELP!

 

Hi,
Been gonig at the snowblower all weekedn trying to get it started. It starts, it runs. Not for long though.
After getting blisters on my hands from trying to pull start. I decided the only thing to do was build a homemade elctric start with my drill. Works like majic. No more blisters.
The engine wont start on full throttle and full choke. Plenty of gaS, IT BACKFIRES AND i CAN SMELL IT. i go to half to nill throttle and she runs for a little bit. then dies again. When she runs, i give a little more throttle then she dies again.
I just cant seem to keep her running.
I have rebuilt the carb. Adjusted main jet to 1 and a half turns, adjusted low idle at 1.5 turns, still cant get her going.
I have also given more and less fuel with the main jet and still have no luck.
It almost seems as thuogh when i give lots of throttle, attempt start, ease off on throttle, she will fire and run for a little. Once runnnig and more throttle, she dies.

Any ideas on where or what I should do next?

Need a hand here, i am really trying to glick this one and learn something.

 

I assume, you determined what engine you had? Post model # of engine and what carb kit you used

 

hi,
I had a small problem when I bought this snowblower. I cant find the engine or model number anywhere. I called sears and they told me to take the covers off of the chain cover on right hand side and it would be there, nothing.
Nonethelesss. the carb kit i purchased looked exactly the same as the parts i took off. I even thought maybe the main jet was the culprit so I put the old one back in, no change.
I soaked the carb in varsol and blew out all of the holes etc with carb cleaner.
I was just outside again. -15 here in toronto. I can get it running at idle, as soon as I give it any sort of push of throttle, it dies. I thought after half throttel it would die, but no, as I watched the throttle at the carb I see that as soon as i open the throttle ventura, she dies.
if i attempt to restart the blower at full throttle and no choke, she backfires large and i smell a lot of fuel.
I have spark, tonness of fuel. no go.
snowblower sat for two years. picked it up. Water was frozen in the bowl. Rebuilt carb.
Do you think I need to take the carb back out? reclean? or, should i check the spark gap? Could this be the culprit.
I will also mention that when i do attempt to pivk up the throttle, i do hear a minor clunk in the motor.
Im lost here. doing my best and looing for a little guidance.

thank you,

 

With the fact that it sat for 2 years with water in it, I would say replace the carb. Those carbs have a metering rod in the fuel transfer passage that needs to move freely. If you shake the carb you can here it move back and forth (sounds like a bb rattling inside) With water this is most 99% locked up and you need to replace carb. there is no way to access to free up. Varnish is tough but water is almost impossible. For the record I replace as last resort. I clean/rebuild 200+ carbs per year but I believe you are best replacing. Oregon has some replacement carbs for $40-$60.

 

The engine info is probably stamped in the engine shroud by the spark plug, however I will guess that it is a Tecumseh, if so the bowl nut is the main jet and there is a tiny hole in it(almost invisible on some) near the top next to the threads, I clean it with the wire from a twist tie. Refer to the pic below for reference only as there are several styles. Have a good one. Geo

 

Appreciate the help guys.

The pic youposted here of the jet is exactly the one I replaced. I replaced thre main get bolt and jet inside. I tried both the new and old jet.

Its amaxing. I can get it started and it will idle for 5 minutes or so. Or until i touch that the throttle. As soon as I touch the throttle a little bit, adn real slow, i will hear more of a knock on the engine, she will then die.

I can start her right up and idle again no problem. Touch that throttle, dies again.

I would replace the carb but that knock concerns me when i do get a little throttle going before it dies. I dont want to put another 60 bones into her if i have an engine problem.

When i give full throttle, and once it dies i check the plug, if it was flooding, the plug would be wet. This is not the case. The plug is dry. This makes me think it is starving for fuel. I remember when I was rebuilding the carb that i shook it. I did hear something shaking around like a BB so i think the metering needle is free.

Is it at all possible I have a timing problem. Anything like that?

All help is really appreciated here. Its my first serious look at a small engine and the guidance is getting me a lot closer to understand what is happenning.

 

Do you have an electronic ignition or points and condenser? If electronic, no points, timing is set by flywheel key, if points and condenser could be timing issue let us know before we discuss that. Sitting 2 years with water, still feel new carb is most likely in order

 

I will now order a new carb. i bought the snowblower for 30. another 40 wont hurt. As long as I can resell it for a buck 50, it will all be worth it. Ill update you once the new carb is one.

Thank you.

 

Ihave theold carb out in my hand. I am shaking the carb to see if I can hear the fuel transfer rod. I can hear that and it does sound like a bb inside. Im no tin a rush as I have two snowblowers.
I have a strange suspicion that the float needle was not set properly to allow enough fuel on full throttle.

I am also wondering which way the bowl goes on. Do you put the more shallow end on the float needle side? Or is it the deepe rend on the float needle side.

Makes a difference as it will give the float more depth.

Really dont wantto buy a new carb if I do not have to. If I can hear that BB, should I really be buying another carb?

 

Update:
There are two holes in the throat of the carb not including the three very small holes under the welsh plug.

One hole is for the main jet fuel. What is the other hole used for that is at the choke end of the card. Does this hole hook into the main jet or does it go somehwere else? I am trying to figure this out so I can get somethnig down there to clean it. It seems plugged.

 

Hi All,
Been a little bit. I ordered a brand new carb and installed it. I still have the exact same problem as below. I cannot get the motor running. It runs for about 5 or 6 seconds, then dies. Smell lots of gas. Gas is on the plug. Im getting to the poiint where i think i need to rebuild the motor.

Any last thuoghts before I go and do this?

Thank you.

 

Have you checked valve clearances to make sure in spec and valves free? Perhaps Check the flywheel key to make sure its not partially sheared throwing off ignition timing? You mentioned good fuel flow to carb, but if there was water in the carb you might want to double check that all lines are clear. Better yet, just replace them, it shouldn't cost much more than a dollars and then you know your not flushing any sediment into the carb. Of course fresh fuel and a new plug goes without saying. Air inlet free of any obstructions?

I'd check all the easy low/no cost stuff before tearing into engine

 

As pkovo said, check the cheap stuff, if the engine will run a little the it will run a lot, if you have fuel, compression and spark you should be able to make smoke and noise. If you pull start it and it jerks the rope out of your hand it is a flywheel key. to run for 5-10 sec sounds like a fuel restriction or bad fuel(water). Have a good one. Geo