# Spitting/backfiring new toro



## armin (Jan 9, 2022)

Little confused and annoyed here…..I purchased a new toro 1232, model number 38842, snowblower last year at the beginning of winter. But now, this is the second winter of using this machine and suddenly I’ve noticed it spits/backfires out of the muffler. It doesn’t backfire to the point where it doesn’t run, the backfiring is subtle. There’s no flames and the muffler doesn't glow red or anything but it kind of sounds like it’s backfiring or missing kind of. Spark plug looked Completely normal, a little black a little white…. and I’ve only ever ran shell 91 octane fuel.…..this “backfiring“ only happens when the choke is turned completely OFF. When I turn the choke to about 1/2, the backfiring sound completely disappears and the engine purrs like a kitten. Under load like blowing snow it seems to run fine……I wouldn’t suspect bad gas or the valves needing to be adjusted, although I also couldn’t find any valve specs for this machine.….maybe it’s in my head that it’s backfiring and it’s normal and has always done it but any help is appreciated!


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## Cstanis (Oct 19, 2021)

Was the gas treated with stabil or drained at the end of last season?


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## armin (Jan 9, 2022)

I drained the fuel last season. I opened the bolt on the carb and drained the entire system…..this season though, I think it was around September that I did the first oil change and that’s also when I first added fuel after I drained it last season. after adding fuel in September, I never drained it and just let it sit until the end of December (couple of weeks ago) when I actually first used the snowblower this season to clear my driveway….so for about 3 months I had shell premium fuel sitting in the fuel tank


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## jherbicide (Oct 14, 2021)

Sounds like low speed (idle) jet is plugged or partially plugged.


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## armin (Jan 9, 2022)

that may be it @jherbicide because now that I think about it (I also forgot to mention), when I set the throttle to the lowest point before ”turning off” the engine, it will only run for a minute or two before it dies and only at full throttle is the backfiring subtle…in other words, the lower I set the throttle, the more the machine runs like crap. So do you think a fuel additive like STP would fix the problem? I know they make a carburetor friendly additive that you can add to the fuel to help clean gunk out, and I’ve ran the same STP additive in my atv and riding mower with no issues


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## jherbicide (Oct 14, 2021)

When not under load, the engine will be mostly on the idle circuit no matter the rpm. Carburetor circuits are dependent on throttle opening, not rpm. (No load and high rpm still has a relatively closed throttle butterfly). This explains your symptoms; the more the throttle opens the more it can “feed” from the main, but it’s still relying on the idle circuit too. 

It might help. I’d try seafoam, with fresh gas. it tends to have the best reputation. Don’t overdo it though, follow their directions. Too much might cause more problems than it solves.


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## armin (Jan 9, 2022)

alright I’ll get that done within the next couple of days and see what happens…Im more if a car mechanic so I understand fuel injection, but when it comes to small engines I’m like a noob, Although the actual ”mechanic skills“ come in handy, its the carburetors that I dont understand for some reason, they just seem so complicated

thanks for the help!


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## jherbicide (Oct 14, 2021)

Carburetors are so simple they’re complicated, or so complicated they’re simple…

There is an old saying that goes something like “a carburetor is a highly precision device that precisely provides the incorrect fuel air mixture under all circumstances.”

Carbs are basically glorified siphon tubes, usually at least two glorified siphon tubes per carb. But the deeper you dig into them, the more inadequate and/or complicated they become.

There is good reason that FI is generally superior to them, but In some applications they still have their advantages over FI.


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## Herve (Nov 4, 2020)

A full tank of fresh gas is a very comforting thing when you begin a job, but a half-full tank of gas at the end of the job begins a period of discomfort leading to, as time drags on, downright consternation.

Therefrore, after you get the carb's jets cleaned to perfection, in the future make believe that the end of this particular job will likely be the "last one of the season". So add only enough fresh fuel to the tank to do each job, and no more. If you run out of fuel during the job, resist temptation and add only enough fuel to finish the job. When the job is complete, let the engine idle until both the tank and the carb and the engine "run out of gas". Doing this is a bit of PIA, but not as bad as the hassle you're going through now, right? 

Carbs of the past were very adjustable. "Modern", non-adjustable carbs are not. They and their jets are manufactured and adjusted for maximum fuel efficiency, lowest emissions, at a particular temperature. Brand new engines sometimes surge and sputter and slightly back-fire the first time they are started and it's only downhill from there. From what I'ver read, many people run their engines with the choke slightly on and just live with it. Some enlarge the jets just a bit. Some install an adjustable main jet. 

Although your engine is not the popular Predator 212cc engine, pretty much all small engines in lawnmowers, snowblowers, wood-splitters, etc. are basically the same. Here's a video in which its maker describes his experience with an adjustable main jet. 





Good luck.


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## leonz (Dec 12, 2014)

All very good comments so far; I always pour a little 
extra seafoam in the tanks of the snow pups as a 
security blanket. 

Seafoam also makes a good carburator cleaner/engine 
fogger that you spray in the air intake too.


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