snow blower issues?

2281 Views 15 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Wildie, Jan 8, 2013

BlueBSH

Discussion Starter · Dec 28, 2012

Had to get the snow blower out for the first time this week since last year...

started it up, ran one pass then died... started it back up ran a minute died... kept doing this... started to get darker smoke from the exhaust... drained the gas put new in, same issue... went to drain the oil, which is 5W-30, it came out with the consistency of water! brown and runny as water... drained it completely, put all new 5W-30 oil in which was drastically more viscious and it works fine again...

what would make the oil turn like this? Something wrong somewhere?

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joecaption

· #2 · Dec 28, 2012

Left outside uncovered and water ran into the exhost or air filter would be my first guess.
Did it also smell like gas? If so it's common to have the float stick and flood the carb, which can run over into the cyl.

BlueBSH

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 28, 2012

joecaption said:
Left outside uncovered and water ran into the exhost or air filter would be my first guess.

nope, never left outside, always clean the thing off after usage and stored in a garage.

DexterII

· #4 · Dec 28, 2012

Just a couple of thoughts, but first of all, I'm guessing that it is a little chilly in central PA right now, which means that your 5W30 oil is closer to 5W, and 5 weight oil is pretty thin, so the fact that it runs like water, is not necessarily indicative of a major problem. That is unless of course it smells like gasoline, as Joe suggested. Second, again, just guessing, but last winter was pretty mild overall, so maybe you didn't use your machine as much as you normally would, and had two year old fuel in the tank, not just one year old. Again, just a couple of thoughts. Regardless though, it definitely sounds like bad fuel, so, since you have already changed the fuel, I would remove the bowl and check the float, as Joe suggested, and spray every nook and cranny of the carburetor that I could reach with carburetor cleaner. I'm not big on additives, but, in this case, I would also put some Sea Foam in the fuel, so that it can get sucked through all of the crevices that you don't reach with the carb. cleaner. And, you probably already have this covered, but your spark plug is going to very black and close to fouled right now, if not already there.

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BlueBSH

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 28, 2012

DexterII said:
Just a couple of thoughts, but first of all, I'm guessing that it is a little chilly in central PA right now, which means that your 5W30 oil is closer to 5W, and 5 weight oil is pretty thin, so the fact that it runs like water, is not necessarily indicative of a major problem. That is unless of course it smells like gasoline, as Joe suggested. Second, again, just guessing, but last winter was pretty mild overall, so maybe you didn't use your machine as much as you normally would, and had two year old fuel in the tank, not just one year old. Again, just a couple of thoughts. Regardless though, it definitely sounds like bad fuel, so, since you have already changed the fuel, I would remove the bowl and check the float, as Joe suggested, and spray every nook and cranny of the carburetor that I could reach with carburetor cleaner. I'm not big on additives, but, in this case, I would also put some Sea Foam in the fuel, so that it can get sucked through all of the crevices that you don't reach with the carb. cleaner. And, you probably already have this covered, but your spark plug is going to very black and close to fouled right now, if not already there.

pulled the plug and its clean, and the machine is only a year old, bought it last winter, starting to think gas got in the oil somehow... because I changed the oil and gas back in august getting ready for winter, and it went bad sitting idle for a few months?... *shrugs*

Windows on Wash

· #6 · Dec 28, 2012

joecaption said:
Left outside uncovered and water ran into the exhost or air filter would be my first guess.
Did it also smell like gas? If so it's common to have the float stick and flood the carb, which can run over into the cyl.

This.

Would have been best to smell the oil when it came out but if the machine was running poorly before and stored with untreated gas, I think you have the source of the problem right there.

joecaption

· #7 · Dec 28, 2012

If there's any way possible from now on only use non ethenol fuel or at least add the additive that treats ethenol fuel do so.
Since I've been using non ethenol fuel I've had 0 issues with any of my gas powered equipment.

BlueBSH

Discussion Starter · #8 · Dec 29, 2012

joecaption said:
If there's any way possible from now on only use non ethenol fuel or at least add the additive that treats ethenol fuel do so.
Since I've been using non ethenol fuel I've had 0 issues with any of my gas powered equipment.

where do you even get fuel anymore with no ethenol? everywhere around me has "may contain up to 10% ethenol" on their pumps

Davejss

· #9 · Dec 30, 2012

Mine died today...again. It starts on the first pull, runs rough and dies after a pass or two. Starts again after a bunch of pulls but dies again after a pass.
Fresh gas, cleaned carb, new plug, fresh oil. Next storm same problems. Dragged it over near my fire pit and dumped oil and gas on it and torched it. Sat back in my lawn chair with a glass of Irish whiskey and laughed like a lunatic while watching it burn!
I will never own one of these infernal pieces of crap again. Tomorrow morning I'm buying a Fisher plow...and another bottle.

BlueBSH

Discussion Starter · #10 · Dec 31, 2012

Davejss said:
Mine died today...again. It starts on the first pull, runs rough and dies after a pass or two. Starts again after a bunch of pulls but dies again after a pass.
Fresh gas, cleaned carb, new plug, fresh oil. Next storm same problems. Dragged it over near my fire pit and dumped oil and gas on it and torched it. Sat back in my lawn chair with a glass of Irish whiskey and laughed like a lunatic while watching it burn!
I will never own one of these infernal pieces of crap again. Tomorrow morning I'm buying a Fisher plow...and another bottle.

I want a tractor with the spinning brush attachemnt, we have them at work to clean the parking lots.. they work really good... neighbor has one also seems to do a good job in the snow

95025

· #11 · Jan 1, 2013

BlueBSH said:
Had to get the snow blower out for the first time this week since last year...

started it up, ran one pass then died... started it back up ran a minute died... kept doing this... started to get darker smoke from the exhaust... drained the gas put new in, same issue... went to drain the oil, which is 5W-30, it came out with the consistency of water! brown and runny as water... drained it completely, put all new 5W-30 oil in which was drastically more viscious and it works fine again...

what would make the oil turn like this? Something wrong somewhere?

This isn't an oil problem, but a gas problem.

Most likely the needle valve in your carb was sticking open, was essentially flooding the engine, and so much gas was getting sucked in that it ran down past the piston rings and into your oil.

The oil needed to be changed, but you still probably need to clean your carb. At the very least, drop the carb bowl & clean it out, and spray carb cleaner up into the underside of the carb.

You'll be fine. :thumbsup:

Missouri Bound

· #12 · Jan 1, 2013

99.9% of the time it's a fuel related problem. Bad gas, plugged carburetor, plugged filter, water in gas, dirt.....etc. It's always about fuel delivery.
Run the fuel out at the end of the season and pour some stabil into the tank. Drain the tank and the bowl in the spring and use fresh gas (not the gas left over from last year) You can always add some 2 cycle oil to any gas, what's a little smoke. It helps lubricate the fuel system and help prevent the usual varnish build up. Start the equipment in the off season if you don't drain the gas at least 2 or 3 times unless you want to take the carb off and clean it.

Wildie

· #13 · Jan 7, 2013

BlueBSH said:
pulled the plug and its clean, and the machine is only a year old, bought it last winter, starting to think gas got in the oil somehow... because I changed the oil and gas back in august getting ready for winter, and it went bad sitting idle for a few months?... *shrugs*

Ethanol will go bad quickly! You didn't happen to use ethanol did you?

BlueBSH

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 7, 2013

Wildie said:
Ethanol will go bad quickly! You didn't happen to use ethanol did you?

intentionally, no, could it of been in the gas last time I bought gas? no idea, gas pump says "may contain up to 10% ethanol" blower has on the cap "up to 15% ethanol gasoline"

Maintenance 6

· #15 · Jan 7, 2013

The problem isn't that gasoline contains ethanol, the problem is that ethanol absorbs moisture out of the air, and that fuel systems on small equipment do not have sealed systems so it is easy for that absorption to take place. Once it has, the fuel is contaminated. Ethanol is also a solvent, so any gunk that found it's way into the fuel system gets lifted off by the ethanol and finds it's way to the carbuerator.

Wildie

· #16 · Jan 8, 2013 (Edited)

BlueBSH said:
intentionally, no, could it of been in the gas last time I bought gas? no idea, gas pump says "may contain up to 10% ethanol" blower has on the cap "up to 15% ethanol gasoline"

Yep! If it mentions ethanol, its got ethanol. If the blower is ethanol rated it will likely run on it, but if its stored with any it, its a good possibility that damage may occur.

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