Tecumseh Snowking LH318SA snowblower engine no start

[theoldwizard1]

Well, I finally got to town today and bought a new plug. I’ll be darned if it didn’t fire IMMEDIATELY! I frankly would have never believed it had I not seen it myself.

Been there. Done that !

 

[Skiff Builder]

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[readhead]

Just noticed that you are from Colona. First time I was stopped by CSP after moving to Colorado was in Colona. We had just purchased a new Explorer and he stopped me to ask if I liked it. It was the first year and his wife wanted one. By now I imagine Colona is probably connected to Montrose.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Congratulations on working the problem to resolution! It's was either that or that Snow King was getting a Viking funeral!

I flip 1 or 2 snowblowers a year for "fun" money. People around here put them at the curb for bulk pickup and usually with minor repairs I can sell it on FBMP. 95% of the issues I find are gummed up carburetors so a $20 Chinese carb get it running again. I normally change the auger and drive belts so I need to add "replace spark plug" to the list of standard fixes.

@nbpt100 - how do you deal with the Snow King's counter rotating "drive" pully when doing a Snow King / Predator swap? I saw some videos just using the gearbox in reverse. Are there any tricks?

Cheers

Jim

 

[Uncle murph]

Stored last year and ran carb dry first. Gas was no ethanol with Stabil added. Cleaned carb anyway, no go. Got a new cheap Chinese carb, still no go. Almost wants to start, but no go. Thankfully, it has electric starter.
Strong spark, really strong
Gas is getting to cylinder, spark plug is wet
Compression around 110
Took cover off and it appears valves are moving fine Sprayed starting fluid while cranking and it did not start then, either.
Checked for wasp nests in intake, all clear.

I‘m thinking sheared crank key, maybe, throwing off timing? Anything else to check without taking the whole thing apart or punting it to local small engine guy? I’m pretty handy, but more of a parts replacer than mechanic.

Sometimes a little shot of chainsaw fuel directly into the cylinder is all takes on a mothballed engine. I would try it.

 

[Sumboodie]

Throw the starting fluid away before you ruin the engine.

How do you figure that's going to happen?

 

[nbpt100]

Congratulations on working the problem to resolution! It's was either that or that Snow King was getting a Viking funeral!

I flip 1 or 2 snowblowers a year for "fun" money. People around here put them at the curb for bulk pickup and usually with minor repairs I can sell it on FBMP. 95% of the issues I find are gummed up carburetors so a $20 Chinese carb get it running again. I normally change the auger and drive belts so I need to add "replace spark plug" to the list of standard fixes.

@nbpt100 - how do you deal with the Snow King's counter rotating "drive" pully when doing a Snow King / Predator swap? I saw some videos just using the gearbox in reverse. Are there any tricks?

Cheers

Jim

Yes your flip the gear box and you have to get different pulleys and belts because the cam shaft spins at 1/2 the speed of the crank shaft. Most people end up with only 2 workable gears. A fast and faster. The other positions are too fast for snow blowing. OK for just moving the machine. It also helps if you have welding capability. To do it right it is a lot of work and added expenses. Unless I had all I needed on hand I would not do one now. If you do it right, It would be very tough to recoup your costs/time on a flip.

 

[nbpt100]

How do you figure that's going to happen?

I understand why you should not use starter fluid on a 2 cycle. I have been using it on 4 cycles for years and never a problem. I don't spray it in the spark plug hole. I spray a modest amount in the carb throat and never had a problem in over 10 years.

 

[P0234]

I understand why you should not use starter fluid on a 2 cycle. I have been using it on 4 cycles for years and never a problem. I don't spray it in the spark plug hole. I spray a modest amount in the carb throat and never had a problem in over 10 years.

See, you've been doing it wrong. You have to use at least half the bottle to get it to throw a rod.

Joking aside, I'm sure most of the problems are from engines not starting and people thinking it needs more starting fluid. If it doesn't start on a quick spray, its probably not going to start. That said, carb cleaner works equally well on engines in reasonable condition. My understanding that true starting spray (ether) is best reserved for engines that are ready to pass to the other side.

 

[earl84]

Just noticed that you are from Colona. First time I was stopped by CSP after moving to Colorado was in Colona. We had just purchased a new Explorer and he stopped me to ask if I liked it. It was the first year and his wife wanted one. By now I imagine Colona is probably connected to Montrose.

There's a lot of building going on, but they're not connected yet. We moved from Denver almost 5 years ago and love it here. Durango isn't too shabby, either.

 

[finn]

A modest squirt into the intake tract usually gets the engine spinning fast enough that it will develop enough manifold vacuum to get fuel flowing through the carb. It’s not going to fix a no spark situation.

If a shot or two doesn’t work, stop and do further intervention.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Yes your flip the gear box and you have to get different pulleys and belts because the cam shaft spins at 1/2 the speed of the crank shaft. Most people end up with only 2 workable gears. A fast and faster. The other positions are too fast for snow blowing. OK for just moving the machine. It also helps if you have welding capability. To do it right it is a lot of work and added expenses. Unless I had all I needed on hand I would not do one now. If you do it right, It would be very tough to recoup your costs/time on a flip.

That's what I thought. Several years ago I blew up an 8HP Snow King on a Craftsman 24" snowblower and considered a Predator swap and watched a video or 2. It broke a rod/piston and I wasn't up for that much work to fix the engine and sent it to the curb for someone else to mess with.

Jim

 

[Monza Harry]

How do you figure that's going to happen?

Either is excellent at washing the oil off the cylinder and excellerates wear substantially. New, WD-40 is an ok starting fluid with at least some lubricity. Older WD doesn't seem to be as flammable, IME. A squirt of WD-40 in the cylinder and spray the air filter with either has proven an ok method for me youngest brother is a squirt in the exhaust guy, actually pretty reliable method. Harry

 

[lilredex]

Had a similar issue with my 10 HP Snow King not starting. Nothing worked, so with the plug out, it was cranked over to clear all the mess and it started right up.

Can't see replacing the engine with a single output shaft.......it'll move twice as fast and in reverse, without a lot of rework.

 

[Sumboodie]

Ether is excellent at washing the oil off the cylinder and excellerates wear substantially. New, WD-40 is an ok starting fluid with at least some lubricity. Older WD doesn't seem to be as flammable, IME. A squirt of WD-40 in the cylinder and spray the air filter with either has proven an ok method for me youngest brother is a squirt in the exhaust guy, actually pretty reliable method. Harry

Old WD-40 worked ok. Had propane for the propellant.

Ether isn't going to kill an engine with a even several hundred uses. Lots of equipment have ether injector setups for cold starting.

 

[c39er]

Common no starts hot or cold on small engines...plug/s drop dead.

 

[Sumboodie]

Had a similar issue with my 10 HP Snow King not starting. Nothing worked, so with the plug out, it was cranked over to clear all the mess and it started right up.

Can't see replacing the engine with a single output shaft.......it'll move twice as fast and in reverse, without a lot of rework.

I've put that gearbox on other Briggs. I forget which fit now, been many years. Those engines are easily 30 years old, if not closer to 40.

 

[nbpt100]

I've put that gearbox on other Briggs. I forget which fit now, been many years. Those engines are easily 30 years old, if not closer to 40.

Do you mean MTD? If you do mean Briggs(Snapper, Simplicity, and a few other brands are made by Briggs) I would love to know more. Seriously. Thanks.

 

[P0234]

Common no starts hot or cold on small engines...plug/s drop dead.

It used to be for sure, I remember just having plugs around, but I think stuff just got better and doesn't eat plugs anymore. I still have the original plug in a 15 yo mower, runs like a top. I have a lot of small engines, I'd be like OP and not expect to need a plug.

 

[Sumboodie]

Do you mean MTD? If you do mean Briggs(Snapper, Simplicity, and a few other brands are made by Briggs) I would love to know more. Seriously. Thanks.

No, the gearbox on the 80-90s 3.5-5hp Briggs engines.
Some used the cam for the little pulley too, tillers mostly.

We'd get blowers with rods through the block and dig in the parts pile for a good block and swap parts to make a complete engine.

A guy could probably make an adapter to get to to work with other engines if really wanted to.

Sorry I can't remember the exact details. Had a TBI years ago and it causes me to forget this at random. Like sometimes I.can watch a movie 3 or 4 times with people saying "you already watched this a few months ago" and I remember nothing of it.

I always tell folks I don't lie or spin stories, I often barely remember what really happens, much less lies!

 

[mmb617]

i always run it in the summer and again in the fall before the snow.

So I'm not the only one who does this. I never let my small engine equipment sit more than a couple months without starting them. The neighbors look at me funny when I haul the snowblower out of the shed in July and fire it up but I want to know it's going to start when I do need it. So far in the 25 years I've had this snowblower it always starts when I'm ready to use it.

 

[gizardlizard]

So I'm not the only one who does this. I never let my small engine equipment sit more than a couple months without starting them. The neighbors look at me funny when I haul the snowblower out of the shed in July and fire it up but I want to know it's going to start when I do need it. So far in the 25 years I've had this snowblower it always starts when I'm ready to use it.

I do the same thing. I enjoy watching my neighbors with lawn mower and snow blower issues every season.

 

[DGersic]

I get the snowblower out of the shed and in to the garage for winter usually around early November when it’s starting to get cold out but isn’t yet miserably cold. Oil change and startup, make sure it’s running ok, check the belts, adjust the sliders, pump up the tyres, and generally make sure it’s ready to go. Then it sits for a month or so until we get actual snow.

in the spring, I drain the tank and run it dry, before storing it in the shed.

So far, so good. 30+ years I’ve been doing this for all of the small engine stuff.

 

[jonesg]

So I'm not the only one who does this. I never let my small engine equipment sit more than a couple months without starting them. The neighbors look at me funny when I haul the snowblower out of the shed in July and fire it up but I want to know it's going to start when I do need it. So far in the 25 years I've had this snowblower it always starts when I'm ready to use it.

the directions for predator engines say run every 3 months , I use pure ethanol free gas with some stabilit , starts first pull,
to store I just shut the fuel off and let it run the bowl empty.

 

[Zeke]

Either is excellent at washing the oil off the cylinder and excellerates wear substantially. New, WD-40 is an ok starting fluid with at least some lubricity. Older WD doesn't seem to be as flammable, IME. A squirt of WD-40 in the cylinder and spray the air filter with either has proven an ok method for me youngest brother is a squirt in the exhaust guy, actually pretty reliable method. Harry

First you have to get liquid ether all the way to the cylinders. Secondly, you assume that the engine has not been turned over a few times to at least splash a bit of oil around.

 

[Monza Harry]

First you have to get liquid ether all the way to the cylinders. Secondly, you assume that the engine has not been turned over a few times to at least splash a bit of oil around.

Just sharing some of my experience. Not everyone acceptes these recounted stories at face value, I can only share what I know, or have seen! Remember for most modern males if a little is good, a metric $#!+ tonne is better! As in If you build something to be foolproof someone will build a better idiot... UHM, fool! Harry

 

[Zeke]

Just sharing some of my experience. Not everyone acceptes these recounted stories at face value, I can only share what I know, or have seen! Remember for most modern males if a little is good, a metric $#!+ tonne is better! As in If you build something to be foolproof someone will build a better idiot... UHM, fool! Harry

I hear ya there. Fortunately diethyl ether (what we use as starting fluid)—(notice I did say fluid) has a fairly low boiling point at 35ºC or 95ºF. So in the cold you may be correct that it will wash the cylinders. I'm just saying the path to the cylinders is long and not much of a straight shot. Someone should combine ether and Marvel Mystery oil.