TroyBuilt Super Tomahawk Chipper starts, backfires and then will not start again

TroyBuilt Super Tomahawk Chipper (year not known, bought it at a garage sale)
5 HP Tecumseh gas engine

I bought this chipper a couple of months ago. I clean the gas tank, replaced the gas line, added a filter. replaced the carburetor and spark plug. I did an initial adjustment on the carburetor and got it running, I even engaged the chipper. It started to backfire and then died. After that when it is cold, it starts and runs a few seconds and dies. Then it will not start again.

I believe the previous owner mistreated it. the existing spark plug was broken and the chipper shaft was fairly rusted. When I first engaged it with the motor running the motor bogged down then got it spinning.

 

A good place to start is with the fuel. Did you replace the carb with a new one or a used one?

If it was a used carb and you're good at mechanical things, I would take it apart and clean it. Then run a little Sea Foam through the tank/carb to clean it up.

If it was a new carb, check all the mating surfaces for air leaks. Spray some WD40 around them with the engine running, if you can get to that point. Variations in the rpms would indicate an air leak.

 

Thank you. I bought a new carb but I had to use the existing insulator gasket. I will check for air leaks. I did put a new fuel filter on it, however it did not have an arrow indicating direction of flow. The fuel filter I just replaced on my tractor did have an arrow. I was wondering if the carb was not getting fuel.

 

Just take the float bowl off the carburetor. There's just one screw in the center. See if fuel is running into it.

 

Thank you I will try that and post the results.

 

I loosened the screw at the base of the new carb and gas leaked out. The gas appeared reddish. I tried to start it and it started, ran for 20 seconds or so and died. It would not start again.

The color of the gas makes me think I should have attempted to clean the tank before installing new fuel line, gas filter, and new carb. If the old gas dried up it could have left a buildup of varnish.

However if the new gas mixed with old gas residue is bad, why would it run for 20 seconds?

 

Old gas doesn't work very well in any ratio. Dump the gas out of it and put about 4 ounces of Sea Foam in a pint of gas. Put that in the tank, then pull the engine over a few times with the choke on full, no throttle. Let that sit for an hour, slosh it around in the tank and dump it out. Then put just gas in it and try to start it.