Ok so I have a 1027LE Ariens snowblower... snowthrower... whatever. It is a year old. I started it up last snowfall and it was rough. I just thought it was bad gas. I did drain it for the summer but I thought maybe something was left in the lines. Last year it would start on 1st or 2nd pull every time. It would run like a champ and never had any issues. This year it is acting very weird. First of all it almost dies when i start it up and i am letting it warm up for the first minute. I have to take it off of choke to keep it running..... because it almost dies with the choke on while warming up.... Then it just dies when i take the choke off. And it isn't that i am not letting it run enough.... it is just part of the "new" problem. I am starting it the same way this year as i did last year. It is just acting weird..... Then if i put it in gear and try and run it without engaging the blades it just has a stead studded and backfire. It doesn't change if I am on idle or moving. However, as soon as I engage the blades it runs normal. Then when I disengage the blades it starts to sputter and has a continual backfire. Any ideas?
Not sure if this is an obvious suggestion or not, but have you pulled and cleaned out the carb? It could be varnished up a little from whatever old gas was left in it from last season and causing the float valve to stick. I know my lawn mower was having problems staying running and after I pulled/cleaned it out it runs like a champ now. I also need to clean the carb on my snowblower, it's not running right either. -Steve
Definately jets... Plugged jets need to be 'really' clean. It'll make all the difference. I've used a stripped piece of cat5e wire (1 strand) to be sure the little holes are open.
used to have the same blower. same problem. we upgraded to a big one due to long driveway. clean carbs. it runs fine when u engage the blades because it move the throtle up just alittle bit. its like a car with big cams it runs rough at idle but when u give it alittle gas(engage the blades) it smooths out and runs fine. so it wont happend next year drain the gas but then start the motor to get all the gas out of the carb/lines, run the motor until it dies.(usally no more than a min)
you can also clean jets with a torch tip cleaning tool. Works pretty swell can probably pick one up at harbor or northern for a few bucks
You sure you want to be doing anything yourself? Didn't you just have the issue taking a oil filter off?
funny, yeah i had trouble. but that was the 4th oil change i have done on my car. and i put that oil filter on.... so i am going to tack that up to bad luck. i think i am going to try and run some carb cleaner through the engine tonight when i get home. I hope that will clean it out. if that doesn't work then i will take it apart.... and may ask for some help because i don't know anything about anything about small engines.
That probably won't work. You will have to take it apart -- old gas leaves rock hard deposits in the jet passages that basically needs to be scraped out with wire or some sort of tiny tool.
^-----This. Get yourself a can of brake cleaner and some rags. My lawn mower had the float valve stuck hard to the float bowl and I pretty much had to chip out the varnishing after hosing it down good with brake cleaner. Worked pretty well. -Steve
If it is a Tecumseh engine(appears to be from the Ariens photo) with the adjustable main jet(screw on the underside of the float bowl with a spring over it). They are known to vibrate out of the preset tuned position. Get the engine warmed up and adjust as needed. Back the screw out to richen it up, turn it in to lean it out. If it does need to be cleaned out you can do it with out taking the carb off, just by pulling the float bowl off. Standing the snow blower up on the front with the handles in the air makes life easier. Also pull out the screw for the main jet and make sure it is clean in there.
