# Craftsman C950 - Throttle and Carb Linkages Question



## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Hi, a neighbour asked me to look at their blower. I work on motorcycles a lot but have only done routine maintenance on small engines before.

I think the blower is about 17 years old, everything is unknown since over the years other neighbours have tinkered on it and made it worse. At the moment it looks in ok shape aside from not running smoothly.

Craftsman 9.0/24
C950-52109-1
143.039005
Carb - 5002 H2L (I saw this stamped on the carb housing when I took it off)

The short story, the linkage for the throttle body was not there. While waiting for parts, the carb has gone through an ultrasound and was blown out with air, I don't believe there are any blockages. The fuel line was changed, the spark plug and oil, etc. 

I attached the new linkage to a hole on the throttle body that had a shiny edge (I assumed that was where it was suppose to go), but the engine was hunting and would stall when not on full throttle. I moved the linkage to another position and the engine is running better, however the exhaust pops about every second, and the engine dies below half throttle.

As far as I can tell the carb is not adjustable aside from the idler screw. I am assuming that this is the correct carb for the machine, but I don't know. My question, can anyone tell me if the linkages for the throttle body and throttle lever are attached in the correct spots, or are they in wrong spots? If anyone knows where online resources or service manuals are, it would be nice to have them for reference as well,


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## paulm12 (May 22, 2015)

is it 143.0*2*9005? if so, that is Tecumseh engine HMSK90-156537E . Parts diagram here including carb Tecumseh HMSK90-156537E Parts Diagrams

tx


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

I will double check the 143.xxx this evening, make sure I didn't write it down wrong,

Thanks for the Parts diagram, but it doesn't show which hole the linkage is suppose to sit in on the throttle body or the throttle lever. There are three holes on the throttle boy, and 6 holes on on the throttle lever,


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## Craftsman2 (Oct 12, 2020)

It goes here


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Thanks for the post and the photo. 

I initially tried the linkage for the throttle body in that spot and the engine was hunting. If that is where it should be, any suggestions on what I should look at next?


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## Craftsman2 (Oct 12, 2020)

How bad is it hunting? Is it dying at the new position? You say others have tinkered with it over the years. It's always tougher when you don't know the overall history of the engine. First thing I'd do is to make sure the carb is "like new":
1. Remove jet and run a tiny drill or piece of solid core electrical wire through all passages. Your soaking may not have got everything.
2. Get a rebuild kit. For me the needle seat has to be newish for any small engine to run well.
3. Replace intake gasket. Clean intake pipe.
4. Make sure mixture is set correctly if adjustable carb.

When you can sign off on carb then you need to go through the following items.
1. Gov linkage set correctly. 
2. Accel screw set correctly. (will need a clamp on tach to check rpms)
3. Throttle lever is clean and moving freely.

If none of that works you may need to replace the gov spring in the throttle lever assy.


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## Craftsman2 (Oct 12, 2020)

Probably not a factor but other things that can make a minor difference if your hunting is not too bad. 
1. Fresh regular gas with an ethanol treatment of your choice.
2. Outside temperature.


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Craftsman2 said:


> How bad is it hunting? Is it dying at the new position? You say others have tinkered with it over the years. It's always tougher when you don't know the overall history of the engine. First thing I'd do is to make sure the carb is "like new":
> 1. Remove jet and run a tiny drill or piece of solid core electrical wire through all passages. Your soaking may not have got everything.
> 2. Get a rebuild kit. For me the needle seat has to be newish for any small engine to run well.
> 3. Replace intake gasket. Clean intake pipe.
> ...


Thanks for the detailed list, is appreciated. From what you listed the issues is still probably with the carb, at least I have a direction to go in,

To me it seems like it is hunting fairly badly, from full throttle down close to idle.

I only blew compressed air through the passages, I can see about running wire through them as well. I agree with you about a rebuild kit, will see about getting one.

If the intake gasket is leaking a little it can make that much a difference? Interesting. I will see about replacing it, as well as cleaning the intake pipe.

I don't believe this carb is adjustable, the screw has a plastic cap on it. The tip of the screw is hollow and drilled thru, also when unscrewed a little the threads are so loose that the screw moves with vibration when the blower is on.

I cleaned and sprayed the throttle lever, it seems to be moving fine, although I don't know how much sticktion is considered normal. The governer spring seems loose, but I don't know if that is normal. Could you tell me if the governer linkage is in the correct spot from the photo in the first post?


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Craftsman2 said:


> Probably not a factor but other things that can make a minor difference if your hunting is not too bad.
> 1. Fresh regular gas with an ethanol treatment of your choice.
> 2. Outside temperature.


It has fresh gas, shell 87. I ran the blower last night, it was about 3 degrees Celsius,


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## Craftsman2 (Oct 12, 2020)

Here's a good vid on gov adjustment. 



But 90% chance it's the carb if your neighbour says the machine was running ok before hand. I'd say rebuild the carb then continue to troubleshoot from there. Intake gasket is not as critical. Make the carb "like new" first. Scan youtube for "setting up" a similar model.
Here's one of many vids on the rebuild.


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Craftsman2 said:


> Here's a good vid on gov adjustment.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the videos, I'll watch them and look in to the carb before moving on to other things. I'll try searching youtube as well.

The owner is a sweet old lady who doesn't have a clue about machines or engines. She told me the blower isn't as strong as it used to be, which makes sense since it hasn't had the throttle linkage for who knows how long. And I'm thinking it has been stored every year full of last year's gas since that's how it was given to me this fall.


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## Craftsman2 (Oct 12, 2020)

Yup, dirty carb. Fix that and you will be most of the way there.


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## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

Welcome to SBF cj. In your second photo from your first post, there is a plastic cap on the left side of the carb that covers the low speed idle jet. Remove that jet and clean all the little holes with a strand from a wire brush.






Disassembly, Cleaning and Repair of Tecumseh Series 1 Emission Carb 640084B







outdoorpowerinfo.com













C950-52109-0.pdf







drive.google.com


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Grunt said:


> Welcome to SBF cj. In your second photo from your first post, there is a plastic cap on the left side of the carb that covers the low speed idle jet. Remove that jet and clean all the little holes with a strand from a wire brush.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Evening, I removed the low speed idle jet and the other accessible bits from the carb when i put it into the ultrasonic cleaner. But you are right, I shouldn't assume anything, I'll remove that and whatever else I can and poke at. Thanks for the tip,


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Grunt said:


> Welcome to SBF cj. In your second photo from your first post, there is a plastic cap on the left side of the carb that covers the low speed idle jet. Remove that jet and clean all the little holes with a strand from a wire brush.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


And thanks very much for the links, they will be useful to me,


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## Craftsman2 (Oct 12, 2020)

+1 on the info from Grunt. Also make sure the carb is upright (as installed on machine) when re-installing the idle jet. So as not to damage the needle behind it.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

cjbenedict said:


> It has fresh gas, shell 87. I ran the blower last night, it was about 3 degrees Celsius,


for future reference shell 91 is better for the carb since it is ethanol free. it shouldn't make a difference with the issue your having but just so you know it is better for the carb and seals. also if you think you need any parts i got a machine very similar to yours and i am only about 40 minutes north of you but i do occasionally travel down to Brampton.


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

crazzywolfie said:


> for future reference shell 91 is better for the carb since it is ethanol free. it shouldn't make a difference with the issue your having but just so you know it is better for the carb and seals. also if you think you need any parts i got a machine very similar to yours and i am only about 40 minutes north of you but i do occasionally travel down to Brampton.


Afternoon, when I bought a Sthil trimmer a few years ago I was told the same, to use shell 91 because it's ethanol free and better for the seals. The owner of that shop said he had also tested the Shell 91 by him and could confirm it. I will keep that in mind for all small engines, I'll also mention it to the neighbour who owns the blower, and I will sharpie it on their gas tank.

As a side note, the Canadian Tire gas stations in my area have labels on their 91 pumps saying ethanol-free. I haven't googled to see if people have tested and confirmed this, but is always good for there to be other options available.

If I can get this blower running ok, I'll chat with the owner about the machine, see if they want to invest more into it to make it run like a top. If that's the case then I might be in touch with you if parts are needed. But that's all speculation until she is running reasonably well. Also, I'll assume you've come across the different types of ppl that I have. Some want their things running mint, some ppl just want it to run,

The next few days are warm, I will post again when I've made progress with the carb or anything else on this blower.

Again, want to say thanks for the helpful tips so far, I've received more assistance than I expected with my issue,


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i recommend the ethanol free gas for any carburated engines. this includes mine and my dads summer vehicles. project farm has a pretty good video kind of showing how the ethanol free fuel doesn't quite break down like the fuel with ethanol which prevents the carburator from getting clogged up and it is also better for the seals. people keep telling me the Canadian tire 91 is ethanol free also but there is no Canadian tire gas stations here. have to drive about 30 minute to get to any which is why i usually recommend shell since it is a lot more common. 

ok no worries. the machine your working on looks to be in really good shape so i doubt it really needs any parts but i figure i would throw the offer out there just in case since you are within reasonable driving distance. yup i have known people like that. as long as it does what it is suppose to does it matter if it doesn't run perfect? i do know the older flat head engines usually don't sound as smooth as the newer OHV engines and when you jump back and forth it can get difficult to tell if the engine sounds like it should.


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Morning, so an update for this snow blower, it looks to be completed and I gave it back to the owner this past weekend. Here's a breakdown of the issues that were resolved.

The throttle body linkage was missing, it was replaced.

The fuel line was replaced. It was partially kinked where it connects to the gas tank. Don't know if that was an actual issue, but was changed anyways. I put a fuel valve on as well.

The carb bowl seals were cracked and needed to be changed, and fuel needle seat was changed on recommendation by Crafsman2. I looked for the Tecumseh tool (I likes tools, and will probably be doing this for neighbours in the future) but can't find it in Canada. There is a copy of the tool from china on Amazon.ca for $4 plus $6 shipping, it looks the same as the original, hopefully is decent. I got a plastic crochet hook like you mentioned and that worked fine as well.

Craftsman2, your youtube videos on the same carb that I was working on were extremely useful. Watching it, I noticed that I missed the really small hole on the jet. I took the jet to the wirebrush wheel like you mentioned and then saw the hole, and it was completely clogged, the ultrasound didn't touch it. I don't have drill bits as small as yours so made due with a strand of a wire brush, that was a good suggestion. I'll probably pick up a small cheap set of really small drill bits when I see one. 

I also like the idea of a tach meter, I've ordered a cheap induction one from amazon that wraps a wire around the ignition coil, only because I couldn't find an ok or good quality tool online. If anyone knows of a decent induction tach meter tool please post a link. I'll adjust max rpm on the blower when I get it.

The governor linkage was bent. How it was bent, or why someone bent it, I don't know. It was fine to straiten rather than replace. However, the governor spring wasn't doing it's job also, it was too soft. I regret wasting an hour of my life bending it back to shape, but I can't get parts locally, and eventually got it bent it to a shape where it is doing it's job.

The engine starts first pull (the plug and oil were also changed), the engine runs strong and well with the choke off. The throttle works through the range, everything looks good now. Won't know until the first snow fall, but for now this blower is done. I don't know the last time the belts and other bits have been looked at, if she gives me back the blower in the spring time maybe I will learn about checking those and/or replacing if needed. Any suggestions on other common things to check or adjust on blowers?

Thanks again for everyone's help, it proved to be very useful to me in getting this blower working again. Maybe I'll look around for a good small one for myself, just a toy to play with in the winter,


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

crazzywolfie said:


> i recommend the ethanol free gas for any carburated engines. this includes mine and my dads summer vehicles. project farm has a pretty good video kind of showing how the ethanol free fuel doesn't quite break down like the fuel with ethanol which prevents the carburator from getting clogged up and it is also better for the seals. people keep telling me the Canadian tire 91 is ethanol free also but there is no Canadian tire gas stations here. have to drive about 30 minute to get to any which is why i usually recommend shell since it is a lot more common.
> 
> ok no worries. the machine your working on looks to be in really good shape so i doubt it really needs any parts but i figure i would throw the offer out there just in case since you are within reasonable driving distance. yup i have known people like that. as long as it does what it is suppose to does it matter if it doesn't run perfect? i do know the older flat head engines usually don't sound as smooth as the newer OHV engines and when you jump back and forth it can get difficult to tell if the engine sounds like it should.


I only mentioned the CT gas because of the sticker on the pump saying no ethanol, but yeah, their gas stations aren't as common as Shell,

This machine hasn't led a hard life (since it probably hasn't worked correctly for most of it) and has sat in a garage for all of it, not much or any rush at all. It's a nice small size for a 9hp machine, I mentioned to her that if she ever decides to part with it that I would like first dibs. I'm not willing to dedicate the garage space for a larger machine, and the double driveway doesn't really need a larger machine. First good snowfall I'm going to go by her house, I'd like to see what it can do now that it's running.

If I check more of the machine in the spring time and other things need replacing I'll send a message,


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

realistically a 24-26" machine works pretty for most people. i have had a few machines of different sizes and found 26" worked good for me. i don't know if your in the market for a snowblower but i did see a post on facebook. they were asking $50 each and were only in brampton. they didn't say much about the blowers so i would assume they likely need work but i had my eye on the red mtd. i believe it is a 26" but looks like it may have upgraded tires. if the engine feels good and it looks as good in person as the pics it is well worth the $50
Three snow blowers for parts. $50 each.


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

crazzywolfie said:


> realistically a 24-26" machine works pretty for most people. i have had a few machines of different sizes and found 26" worked good for me. i don't know if your in the market for a snowblower but i did see a post on facebook. they were asking $50 each and were only in brampton. they didn't say much about the blowers so i would assume they likely need work but i had my eye on the red mtd. i believe it is a 26" but looks like it may have upgraded tires. if the engine feels good and it looks as good in person as the pics it is well worth the $50
> Three snow blowers for parts. $50 each.


That is a suspiciously good price, but if the engine is good then like you say could be a good deal. I'll ponder over it, if the rest of November is good weather I might inquire, but my garage isn't heated so when it gets cold I pack up the garage for the winter. Neighbours always say I should winterize the garage, but would be a considerable amount of work so is back burnered for now. And realistically it would take me 2-3 times longer than you boys to fix up since I'm a novice and haven't done this stuff before,


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

it is a good price but it is a older looking machine being sold as parts and generally that will scare a lot of people away. most people won't look at the fact someone has replaced the tires and engine. someone likely spent quite a bit of money at some point doing that. heck if it is complete i would say it is worth every penny.there is a similar snowblower for sale in caledon that they are asking $100 for but has the stock engine and tires so it likely wouldn't do a good in the snow as the $50 machine. the tires do help it get better traction and the OHV engine would be a pretty good upgrade over the stock engine. 





Войдите на Facebook


Войдите на Facebook, чтобы общаться с друзьями, родственниками и знакомыми.




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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I also like the idea of a tach meter, I've ordered a cheap induction one from amazon that wraps a wire around the ignition coil, only because I couldn't find an ok or good quality tool online. If anyone knows of a decent induction tach meter tool please post a link. I'll adjust max rpm on the blower when I get it. 

I was looking at those last week, which one did you get?
And update how it works here.?
Please.


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Big Ed said:


> I also like the idea of a tach meter, I've ordered a cheap induction one from amazon that wraps a wire around the ignition coil, only because I couldn't find an ok or good quality tool online. If anyone knows of a decent induction tach meter tool please post a link. I'll adjust max rpm on the blower when I get it.
> 
> I was looking at those last week, which one did you get?
> And update how it works here.?
> Please.


I am up in Canadaland so options are fewer than in the states. Note, I am a novice tinkerer, other people will know better than me. There are lots of youtube videos for their use, good luck sifting through the poorly done ones like I did. Curse you Youtube with your ads for every 3 minute video!!

The tach meter measures the rpm of an engine. From what I've seen the tool for cars are optical, but for small engines it can be easily done via induction, same as an hour meter. It measures the pulses of electricity going through the spark plug wire. To do this you get the device and wrap its wire around the spark plug wire 4-5 times and zip tie it down so it won't move. I picked up the tool for setting the max rpm of the machine on rabbit so it's not over-rev'ing.

The cheapie tach meter I got has some settings, you tell the device what type of motor it is. 2 or 4 stroke, 1 or 2 or 4 cylinders. For the snow blower, with the cover off of the throttle lever, there should be a screw to adjust the tension on the governor spring. The device should automatically start picking up the rpm when the engine is started. With the engine warmed up and the throttle on rabbit, the device should tell you what the engine rpm is at. Adjust the screw so the engine rpm is what the factory recommends for that engine. If the rpm is higher than recommended it will throw snow further, but long term will cause excessive wear on the engine internals. 

Vetrans can probably do it by ear, I am a noob, need a tool to tell me what to do,






Runleader Digital Hour Meter Tachometer, Maintenance Reminder, User Shutdown, Use for ZTR Lawn Mower Tractor Generator Marine Outboard ATV Motor Snowmobile and Gas Powered Equipment: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement


Runleader Digital Hour Meter Tachometer, Maintenance Reminder, User Shutdown, Use for ZTR Lawn Mower Tractor Generator Marine Outboard ATV Motor Snowmobile and Gas Powered Equipment: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement



www.amazon.ca


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Ok, I was wondering what model you ended up with and how it works for you.
Yes, there are a few on my Amazon. I was looking at them last week when I stumbled on them in Amazon.
The price varies too, but I was looking for something on the cheap side, but fairly reliable. 
It's not like I will be using it a lot. But would be nice to have in my tool collection.


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## cjbenedict (Nov 3, 2020)

Big Ed said:


> Ok, I was wondering what model you ended up with and how it works for you.
> Yes, there are a few on my Amazon. I was looking at them last week when I stumbled on them in Amazon.
> The price varies too, but I was looking for something on the cheap side, but fairly reliable.
> It's not like I will be using it a lot. But would be nice to have in my tool collection.


I would like a better quality tool, but wasn't able to find one,

All the tach meters on amazon and the rest of the internet have two different styles, I'm guessing they all come from the two factories in China and there is no quality difference, so I just ended up doing with the best price for this style. If anyone has come across a better quality tool please post a link,


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i got one that i use occasionally. i think i have tried it with a v8 and it has work also. you just have to make sure it is set right. the only thing that sucks is new batteries for these things are about $10 when they are needed, might be able to get them cheaper online but i had to buy one the other day for my welding helmet. 
the one i got looks like this.





Runleader Digital Hour Meter Tachometer, Maintenance Reminder, User Shutdown, Use for ZTR Lawn Mower Tractor Generator Marine Outboard ATV Motor Snowmobile and Gas Powered Equipment: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement


Runleader Digital Hour Meter Tachometer, Maintenance Reminder, User Shutdown, Use for ZTR Lawn Mower Tractor Generator Marine Outboard ATV Motor Snowmobile and Gas Powered Equipment: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement



www.amazon.ca


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## Craftsman2 (Oct 12, 2020)

> *cjbenedict said*
> I'll probably pick up a small cheap set of really small drill bits when I see one.


Congrats on getting it running. If you're having a hard time fine tiny drills you can always try the hobby stores. Ask for a pin vise. They have really microscopic drills. A shop that specializes in model trains will know what you are talking about.


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