# 2410 Cold Start



## guyguy

I have a Troy Bilt snow blower. It is the 24" model. I have an issue with starting it. The last time I started it was back in November and here it is March already. I did leave some gas in it over the past 5 months. I understand it is not a good idea to leave gas sitting in the tank over a period of time.

I moved the slider to CHOKE, I moved the slider to the rabbit and I primed it maybe 6 times. I pulled the handle and didn't start. I let it sit for a minute and pulled the handle again a few times. Nothing. Next, I tried to electric start and nothing as well. I tried to prime it some more and still nothing. 

I am not familiar with the internal parts of the machine or know how to check it. Since I am not familiar I don't want to start taking things apart to replace or fix something. I know it is a machine and it could be any number of part(s) relating to it not starting. 

Is there something I can try to get it to start again?


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## Kiss4aFrog

:welcome: to SBF guyguy

I've had a 2410 for a number of years and I've been happy with it. It's started and worked well over the years. It was a hand me down. At the end of the season I get as much gas out of the tank as I can and I just start it up and let it run till it dies so the tank and carb are as dry as I can get them. Second best would be to add some fuel stabilizer like Stabil and leave it with a full tank and the fuel shutoff, off just in case the carb developed a leak while stored. Once you add the stabilizer you would need to run it for a few minutes to make sure that treated fuel makes it to the carb.

Ok then, no start. Six primes on my machine would likely flood it. It's always easier to prime more than to try and go crazy right from the start. Cold engine, full choke, full throttle, one prime (cold outside) and pull it over two or three times. No start give it two primes and pull again. For the most part I've never needed to prime mine more than twice. More than that and realistically all you have is gas coming back out of the carb and dripping down the machine. When you hit that prime button your'e pushing air into the carb bowl and pushing raw gas up into the throat of the carb. It really can't hold much so more than two really doesn't do much good for starting.

Since you have old gas I would try to use starting fluid. Just a shot. Problem is that on your 2410 there is a plastic cover that wraps around three sides of the engine that also covers the carb so it's hard to get under there to spray into the carb. You could pull the spark plug and give a quick shot, finger tight the plug, pop on the wire and yank it. If it starts then shut it down and tighten the plug properly.
You might want to pull that plug to see if you smell a lot of gas in the cylinder as in it's flooded.

If you have a way to do it I'd recommend draining the old gas out and starting with fresh. If the tanks low you might be able to get away with just filling it full with fresh.

.


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## guyguy

Thanks for the response. Most likely I did prime it too many times and flooded it. How do I remove the gas and drain it? I know I can remove the gas from the tank but how do I drain it if it is flooded?


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## RedOctobyr

You could remove the spark plug, and blow out the plug, if it's wet with gas. 

I haven't had many issues with flooding machines, but my thought would be to just give it some time (an hour or so) to dry out. Then try again, with minimal priming to begin.


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## guyguy

How do I remove the spark plug? I think it uses a special type of wrench to remove it. If not I could buy it from Home Depot or Lowes.


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## RedOctobyr

An appropriate-size deep ratchet socket should do it. You can get spark plug sockets, which also help hold onto the plug as you remove it. But a normal deep socket should work. 

Alternately, an open-ended wrench, or even an adjustable wrench, might work, depending on how much access you have to the spark plug.


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## Kiss4aFrog

The easiest way to drain the gas if you're talking about the tank is to pull the hose off the fuel shutoff valve with the valve off, place a container under it and open the valve. 

.


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## crazzywolfie

how long was the gas sitting in the tank before November? i would guess you may need to pull the float bowl and clean the main jet. possibly even check to make sure the needle is not sticking.


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## guyguy

So, before I taking out the spark plug I thought I would try it again. 

#1 No prime. 3 pulls and nothing.
Waited a minute
#2 No prime. 3 pulls again. Nothing.
#3 3 primes and 3 pulls. Nothing.

Tomorrow, I will have to try and take out the spark plug and look at it. Prior to November there was very little gas in the tank. Again, I don't know the internal parts.


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## RedOctobyr

As Kiss4aFrog said, using a spray of starting fluid (or WD40, or carb cleaner, something flammable) will help you understand if you're just dealing with a fuel-supply problem. I prefer to spray it into the carb, but he said that's tough to access, so just a bit into the spark plug hole is another viable option. 

If it will then start for a few seconds, you know your problem is that the engine isn't getting fuel, or isn't getting good fuel. 

If you still don't get anything, then maybe it's something else. 

Just to double-check the basics: 
- If there's a fuel shutoff valve, that's open? 
- If there's a key, or ignition switch, etc, that's in, or on? 
- The tank has some fresh gas? 

I know what my engines should feel/sound like when I push the primer button. But I'm not familiar with this one. K4aF, should you hear a little "whoosh" or gurgle when priming this? Should gas eventually drip from the carb? Just wondering if there's an easy way to kind of confirm that the carb is actually getting gas. 

I replaced a carb last week, and wasted some time pulling the cord, and getting nothing. Tried priming it, and didn't see gas spraying into the carb where I usually would, which was odd. Checked the tank, and realized it was empty  The primer behavior gave me a hint that no gas was getting to the carb.


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## crazzywolfie

some gas in the tank mean there was probably gas sitting in the carb for over a year which would have probably caused the needle to stick or main jet to clog which would cause your engine to be getting no fuel. you are probably going to have to pull the float bowl and check things over.


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## guyguy

I took out the spark plug and the end had a faint smell of gas. It didn't appear to be wet or damp with gas but there was a smell of it. I wiped it and put it back in. Next I pulled the handle and tried to start it. Nothing. Next I did 3 primes and tried to start it. Nothing. 

At this point, I hope to get through the March without any major plowable storms. I don't know what else to do. Machinery is something I am not familiar with and the machinery language is greek to me. I know basic obvious stuff ie. gas tank, spark plug, oil, etc.. but anything else is talking a foreign language to me. 

Sometime this year or in the Fall, I will have someone look at it. 

Thanks everyone.


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## crazzywolfie

this is my last time saying it but i believe you need to clean the carb. the longer you let it sit the harder it usually gets to clean out. i usually tip the machine on the bucket when servicing the carb but same thing otherwise.


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## Kiss4aFrog

The longer it sits the harder it might be to fix. At this point if you have spark you might get away with just getting it running and getting some stabilizer in it. If it's left with gas in till summer they might need to pull and rebuild the carb.

.


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## RedOctobyr

K4aF, do you have enough access on these to do just a quick & dirty carb cleaning? Remove the carb bowl bolt, spray carb cleaner up the main jet and around the needle valve, then reinstall the bowl? 

guyguy, the only thing you'd need to try this is a can of carburetor cleaner, and a wrench. Plus whatever's required to access the bottom of the carburetor. It's just a question of how badly you want this running for March.


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## crazzywolfie

RedOctobyr said:


> K4aF, do you have enough access on these to do just a quick & dirty carb cleaning? Remove the carb bowl bolt, spray carb cleaner up the main jet and around the needle valve, then reinstall the bowl?


Yup tons of room. I have done a few this year


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## RedOctobyr

crazzywolfie said:


> Yup tons of room. I have done a few this year



Nice! Plenty of access. guyguy, it's at least worth considering. A can of carb cleaner is probably around $5. If you want to go that route, let us know.


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## Kiss4aFrog

If that photo isn't a 2410 it's close enough. Mine looks just like that.


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## crazzywolfie

it was a power more engine off yard works machine with a junk transmission but i know they used a engine that is identical on the troy bilt. my brother in law has a troy bilt and i sent him that pic when i was trying to get his machine fixed without him or me driving an hour to get it fixed. his issue was a sticking needle which stuck in the open position and slightly flooded the engine block with gas. the tolerance on the new carbs are a lot tighter around the needle which seem to make it a lot easier for the needle to stick open or closed when it gets gummed up where the old carbs had some room around the needle.


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## JLawrence08648

I would loosen the 10mm bolt on the bottom of the carb bowl and drain a little fuel out of it then give it a try. You can also drain the gas tank this way and put fresh fuel in it. Removing the spark plug and spraying starting fluid in there is a good idea, you can also put a cap of fuel in the spark plug hole.


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## tpenfield

I'd agree. . . go for that bolt on the bottom of the carburetor. Let it drain and then shoot some (5 seconds worth) starting fluid up into the hole where the bolt was. Let that drain and then put the bolt back in, turn on the fuel, wait a minute, do the prime (3-5 pumps) then give it a 5 second blast with the electric starter.


The 2410's seem to get finicky after a few years of use. . . . not sure how old yours is.



Add some carb cleaner to the gasoline at the beginning of each season . So snow blowing.


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