# First start of the year; engine rpm fluctuating



## Fruggy

I've always used Sta-bil mixed with gasoline since I bought it new last year. I poured in fresh gas/sta-bil mix into the near empty tank and I started it and let it warm up. 

I don't know the terminology but the engine's RPM was fluctuating every 5 seconds. Spark plugs were clean as a whistle. It did start easy on one pull (thank you sta-bil).

Many Troy-Bilt owners complain that it wont' start at all after a year. I wonder if this is another problem with the engine??

I'm guessing after more use of the engine, the sta-bil will clean the engine's fuel system and it will go back to normal...


----------



## Normex

Fruggy said:


> I've always used Sta-bil mixed with gasoline since I bought it new last year. I poured in fresh gas/sta-bil mix* into the near empty tank* and I started it and let it warm up. QUOTE]
> 
> Was the near empty tank a left over from last season? If yes then I would let it run for 30 minutes so the old gas gets through for the new gas.
> Good Luck


----------



## nwcove

sounds like a corn juice issue to me, run it, it "should" fix itself jmo


----------



## Kiss4aFrog

I have a Troy that was passed down to me and from day one (used) it's surged. I cleaned the carb and lightly drilled out the main jet and two years later it still surges.
If I get an ultrasonic cleaner this spring the Troy's carb is going to be job one !!
The issue isn't that it's a Chinese engine it's that the engine and carburetor are engineered to pass strict emissions regulations.

Sta-bil will do noting to help it's running condition. It's not a cleaner, just a fuel stabilizer. You need a fuel system cleaner for that. You can try Seafoam but I prefer a dedicated fuel system cleaner like "Lucas" or "Chevron with techron". I've used Lucas for decades on old stuff with 200K plus miles and it works.
Seafoam can be used in the fuel or the oil and because it can do a number of things I just feel it doesn't do any of them as exceptionally well as something formulated to do one.










I try to add sta-bil (Measured) to every 5 gal can I get for the lawn and garden stuff and I'll toss in Lucas (measured) fairly often.


----------



## skutflut

Fruggy said:


> I've always used Sta-bil mixed with gasoline since I bought it new last year. I poured in fresh gas/sta-bil mix into the near empty tank and I started it and let it warm up.
> 
> I don't know the terminology but the engine's RPM was fluctuating every 5 seconds. Spark plugs were clean as a whistle. It did start easy on one pull (thank you sta-bil).
> 
> Many Troy-Bilt owners complain that it wont' start at all after a year. I wonder if this is another problem with the engine??
> 
> I'm guessing after more use of the engine, the sta-bil will clean the engine's fuel system and it will go back to normal...


Is the fluctuation at idle, or at full throttle? Did you run the carb dry when you put it away in spring, or was there still gas in there. Does it run better with a bit of choke on?


----------



## 43128

i just had a craftsman with a powermore 179cc in for repair, i just drained the gas out shot some brake cleaner down the cylinder. she surged for about 5 minutes then cleared up


----------



## micmccon

Brake cleaner in the cylinder? I think washing the protective film of oil off the rings and cylinder wall would be of no benefit whatsoever. Surging is a carburetor problem and is pretty easily remedied.


----------



## 43128

nah it doesnt hurt it its basically the same as starting fluid. i remember working on it and i kept it overnight to make sure it would restart easily, fired up on the first pull the next morning, the carburetor ended up cleaning itself out, but sometimes he only way to completely get rid of surging is to buy a new carburetor, unfortunately a lot of carburetors have extremely tiny, impossible to get to passages and the only way to fix them is to replace them. the brake cleaner is just a bit of a jump start but this engine didnt want to go with 50:1 2 stroke oil as it wasnt potent enough so i had to use the brake cleaner. it will not hurt the engine


----------



## mrfixit

I'm a firm believer in Seafoam. One thing is it's ability to remove carbon. 
Great fuel system cleaner IMO also.
I also use it as a fuel stabilizer. Can't beat the price compared to other products.

Quite a few times at the boat dock in the spring I have saved a fishing trip with a can of Seafoam. Last time old 2 cycle pre mix outboard would only idle, left with fuel in it over the winter and no stabilizer. Drove 3 hours to lake. Sold the can of Seafoam I always have in my truck during fishing season. 15 minutes later that old boat and motor went off at full throttle. 3/4 of a can of Seafoam into a 6 gallon out board tank.


----------



## h15gus

Hi, sorry to raise this old thread, but I have a late 90's TroyBilt 42012 with a Tecumseh 10HP snow king engine. I acquired it used about 8 years ago, stripped it down and rebuilt it and to be thruthful, done nothing else but a few oil changes since. Its always surged, but this year its really bad on idle - terrible. I live in CT and we just got 18" since Wed, and whenever the blower hits a load the surge disappears and the engine kicks in really strong.

I tried a bottle of "Start Your Engines! 4-oz Fuel Additive" from Lowes after the storm last week, and when I tried to clean up todays drop it hasn't worked.

Is it obviously the carb?? Any advice on what areas I should focus on with my first ever carb clean?

Thanks,


----------



## RIT333

Many have excellent luck with a $14 Chinese carb from EBay.


----------



## orangputeh

I usually use Seafoam but I might want to try that Lucas.

Does the engine even out if you apply a little choke and increase throttle? If so, then most likely you have a dirty idle jet or pilot jet as it is caused. 

I have tried cleaning them out but on 3-4 occasions just put in a new one and it ran good as new after that. This ethanol gas is really messing up small engines.

use ethanol free gas if you can find it or buy it in the can at auto parts stores ( pricey )


----------



## Vermont007

If that's the Tecumseh Engine with the non-adjustable carburetor, the surging (only when NOT under load) is due to a clogged *Idle Restricter Screw*, and DonyBoy has a video on how to quickly clean the fuel deposits that make it inoperable.

Here's a link:


----------



## coastie56

Wwell I sure didn't expect to land back on this thread after getting all the wrinkles out of my 2410 Storm but was in Lowes the other day and found a dicounted new/ returned 2840 for less then 600 so I snaped it up as I coulld see they obviousle improperly installed the joy stick shaft and the clerk said it ran fine for them and started right up. It did for me too untill I tried to take off the choke and it died. My old Storm is over 9 years old now and has been fine except for the solenoid cleaning ( once) and the idle air jet orifice issue which is just a nuisance to pull the shroud...and the 2840 has a much bigger motor so I'll finish the carb tody and look forward to enjoyinh the heated grips too. Onward and upward through the fog and snow! Hey it, s better then manning the helm on an icebreaker in Lake Slushperior! I hope the carb is the same setup?


----------



## JLawrence08648

You have a clogged carburetor. It is reasonable that using a carb cleaner one time will not work but you have a reasonable chance using the appropriate amount every time will work but you also must in the off season a fuel stabilizer and drain the fuel. You can either do it this way, the slow way, or rebuild the carb or replace it.


----------



## mrfixit

I would run a fuel system cleaner for the rest of the season and see if it fixes it before working on the carb.

Most of the time in my experience this will fix it.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog

You might try Lucas. I've had very good luck with it.


----------



## Tumble2113

I’ve started running true fuel for the last few years. I don’t seem to have the rpm fluctuations anymore in either of the snow blowers. It’s more expensive but don’t go through enough fuel to make it a big issue.


----------

