"Jcarr" (jcarr)
01/29/2016 at 10:54 • Filed to: None
0
15|
"Jcarr" (jcarr)
01/29/2016 at 10:54 • Filed to: None | 0
| 15 |
I’ve got a ~6 year old Craftsman 24" 2-stage with a 179cc engine. This season it’s been running a little poorly. I can only back the choke off about half way or it will die, no matter how warm it is. I took the plug out and it looks fairly dirty so I figure I’ll put a new one in and see if that fixes everything. Do I need to use a specific Craftsman plug, or will another one work just as well?
crowmolly
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 11:00 |
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Usually you can cross reference the part number with other plugs.
Don’t forget to check any air/fuel filters as well!
Oh, and as a side note: How old is the fuel in it? Sta-bil?
McMike
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 11:01 |
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The dirty plug is a symptom, not the cause.
Running it with the choke open (rich) is fouling the plug. Probably has a clogged/partially gummed up jet or a vacuum leak which is why it’s not running on its own.
Berang
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 11:01 |
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If it won’t run without the choke you may have a vacuum leak between the carb and the intake. As for the plug, just get one that’s quivalent, doesn’t have to be the same brand.
HammerheadFistpunch
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 11:02 |
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What Crowmolly said; the temperature, length and gap are the important bits.
coelacanthist
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 11:03 |
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Just take the plug in, an auto shop will match it. More than likely you will want to clean or rebuild the carb, and make sure there are no air leaks between the carb and the engine. If you wind up needing engine parts, you will have better luck using the engine model number, which will differ from that of the snow thrower. Craftsman doesn't really make the engine, or the equipment for that matter. Finding the actual manufacturers model info will make it much easier to find parts.
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 11:04 |
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Check the jet in the bottom of the carb. No questions, just do it. If it’s a Briggs, a licensed Briggs, or any kind of copy or relative, it has a screw which holds the bowl on and has a set of holes that control gas flow. Crap in the bowl will clog it progressively more and more, and aluminum bowl + pot metal carb + ethanol means you *WILL* have evil shit in your carb. Your problem sounds like textbook fuel problems, and that’s the prime suspect.
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Jcarr
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
01/29/2016 at 11:09 |
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I have zero experience with carbs so I’m pretty hesitant about touching any of that myself.
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 11:16 |
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Don’t worry too much about that. No adjustment enters into anything, and you don’t need to know how the carb works. Here’s an instruction set:
1: Turn off the fuel.
2:Take the bowl off with (usually) a 7/16" wrench.
3: Clean out the bowl and the brass screw on the bottom, including all holes. Poke them out with a bag tie wire if there’s anything stuck.
4: Before returning the bowl, turn the fuel on and make sure there’s an even stream of gas flowing when you do so.
5: Making sure the bowl seal goes back on right, reinstall the bowl with the brass screw.
6: Turn on the fuel again, check for leaks, wipe up all the gas that’s everywhere.
petebmwm
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 12:02 |
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champion j19lm, but yes, carb is your problem
PilotMan
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 12:47 |
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Find out where you can buy ethanol-free fuel, never put ethanol in anything with a carburetor.
http://www.autofuelstc.com/mogas_location…
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Jcarr
> PilotMan
01/29/2016 at 12:48 |
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I can still get plain old non-ethanol 87 at most stations around where I live. I’ll remember that.
Ross Kraz
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 13:20 |
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PilotMan is definitely right. Use ethanol free gas in all your lawn and garden equipment. Use premium if you can.
Unfortunately it sounds like you might already have a plugged up carb, though. Ethanol gums everything up, especially when it sits in there.
Open it up, clean out the jets, use ethanol-free gas in the future, and turn off the gas valve after use. Tends to keep things running better long-term.
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Jcarr
> crowmolly
01/29/2016 at 13:24 |
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Probably too old. I make sure to use up everything in it by the end of the season each year, but I have a 5-gallon tank for filling it and the mower so I’m probably not using it up before it starts to turn.
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crowmolly
> Jcarr
01/29/2016 at 15:50 |
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Yeah, try fresh fuel before anything else.
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Jcarr
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
01/31/2016 at 16:37 |
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You were right, very easy. I got it fixed this afternoon. Thanks!
http://oppositelock.kinja.com/snowblower-upd…