Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): toro ccr1000, vacuum leak, tecumseh engine

Question
QUESTION: keith,
i recently got a used toro ccr1000, model 38190, 3hp, serial#3902179.  the guy that i got it from said he had trouble with it in the past, but admitted he was not very handy.  i got rid of the little bit of gas he had in the tank and put in a fresh mix.  primed it about 20 times and it started right up.  i used it for about a half an hour on some pretty heavy snow and it seemed great.  i did notice that it needed new paddles.  i let it sit for about 2 weeks until i had time to change the paddles.  i started it up, but did not use it, 2 or 3 times in that 2 week period just to double check, and it started each time after 2 primes and on the first pull.  now, 2 weeks later, it has trouble starting, 5 or 6 pulls, extra primes, different choke settings...  when it finally did start, i set the choke on full for a minute or so, then turned the choke back down all the way and tried to move some snow, okay for a minute or two, then the revs go down and up a couple of times before it stalls.  it did this several times before i decided to call it quits.  it did seem to want to stay running with the choke on full.  i have never worked on one of these before, other than maintaining, and never having problems with, my own.  i am fairly mechanical, but before i go tearing into something that i don't need to, any advice?  i doubt that i will see this guy any time soon, but if do, i will try to get some history.  thank you, neil

ANSWER: Neil,
I looked up your blower at Partstree.com (ck it out!) Your blower has a Tecumseh engine. The bad news is it has a nonadjustable carb. The problem could be one of two things. 1 - carb needs cleaned (not too bad), or 2 - the crankcase has a vacuum leak (bad). Tecumseh carbs are notorious for being hard to fix. If you feel up to it, disassemble the carb and soak it in a cleaner. The spray stuff won't clean it. Be sure to remove all the rubber parts from the carb prior to soaking. The seat for the float needle is rubber too.Don't reuse the rubber parts, get new one and new gaskets. If this doesn't work, you may have to replace the carb. Vacuum leaks are hard to trace down. It takes special tools to test. If cleaning the carb doesn't work, I'd take it to a shop. Hoope this helps.

Keith

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Keith,

Thank you for the quick reply!  I did get some background today!  Snowblower is 5 or 6 yrs old.  He would drain the gas tank every year, but always left it outside year round under a tarp (no garage).  At the beginning of every winter season he would have to take it in for service and have the carb cleaned and serviced(?).  The tank was NOT drained (as my 18 yr old confessed) as i originally claimed, just had fresh gas added to whatever was in tank.  tarp - moisture?  carb rebuild kit (gaskets, seals, needles?) local hardware/snow machine store - less than $20?  If you still think it is the carb i will get at it this weekend and get back to you.

thanks, Neil

ANSWER: Neil,
That engine has electronic ignition, they usually work or they don't. If it tries to run on choke, I think it's a fuel delivery problem. I would drain the tank and try fresh fuel first,(drain the bowl too) then the carb cleaning. Make sure fuel flows through the line good. Let me know how it goes.
Keith

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Keith,

took apart carb today. wrote down details of what goes where. Eureka! lots of little flecks (what is that stuff from?) of crap in bowl. float had a little crusty black stuff on bottom. soaked and cleaned everything. got a little bag of parts from local mower shop. bowl gasket, bowl screw gasket, needle and clip, little tiny needle gasket (i know, the grooved side goes up inside the carb, not down towards the needle).  ready for assembly, but my detailed notes are not helping me get that little float shaft spring in place. the longer 90 degree L shaped end goes against the outside of the bowl, right? now my problem is where the short end of the spring goes? was there tension on it to make the spring tighten smaller or larger (larger seems right, because it would help push the bowl up)? any hints on how to get this on? i want to fire this baby up.
thanks, neil

Answer
Neil,
I think I'm right so here goes (I'm going on memory here). I think the spring your talking about is just a "hook" that attaches the needle to the float. Thanks the only thing I can think of that would look like a spring. It'll be Monday before I can get to the shop to look it up on the breakdown. OOOOH, I just remembered what your talking about. I haven't seen one of those in years! The tension should go towards making the float go down. They haven't used that in years, so I don't think it's even necessary. The weight of the float going down will unseat the needle. Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes.

Keith