# Murray Snow King problems



## new195 (Jan 26, 2016)

Hello- I am new to snow blowers but not so new to small engines. I just recently bought a murray snow king 5 hp two stage with a tecumseh lh195sa engine. The problems I'm experiencing are the following:
1. Engine surges or hunts for idle. I have cleaned the carburetor and it made no difference. This carburetor has fixed main jet. I have seen new carb on Amazon for this application for $20. This makes me a little leary of quality when my local small engine shop says it will cost $100.

2. Just used snowblower in major snow storm we had in VA and noticed that it appears there is water/condensation in oil. I've looked over the engine closely and did not see any areas where water could be getting in. The only place I can figure is at the base of the dipstick tube..it unscrews when I unscrew dipstick cap. Could this problem be carburetor?

3. I noticed one time while using snowblower that a lot of oil was blowing out of breather tube when under load. Also I think I had it on incline. I drained and filled with new oil to proper level and checked valve in breather and it was not stuck. I am running 10w30. Should I use lighter oil. I have not experienced problem again. 

4. Lastly, and maybe related to carb issue, the exhaust smells rich. 

Overall, the machine worked great. It rarely snows here so I would like to fix what I already have. I realize Murray is not top shelf equipment but I got a good deal on it. To many times I've nickeled and dimed trying to fix something and spent enough money to by almost new. Any thoughts /advice on what any of these problems could be and how to fix would be much appreciated.


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Engine hunting is fairly common these days. The EPA requires them to be jetted so lean for emissions reasons that they barely run right when new. Then a little bit of bad gas gets in there and they really struggle. You can use some torch tip files or micro drill bits and open the jets up by hand.

Oil coming out of the breather could be just from working the engine too hard. If you have a large load on it you might have just been getting some blowby from the rings. Also if the oil is over filled it is likely to spray out the breather. Tipping the machine can make all the oil run to one side.

If you are having carb issues you can also end up with gas dripping through the carb when the engine is off. This gas can make its way into the cylinder and then run into the oil and over fill the oil.

The other issue Tecumseh flat heads can suffer from is the valves expand as the heat up. Eventually they will get so large they won't quite close all the way. When this happens the compression drops and they stop running correctly. This requires you to remove the valves and grind the stems down slightly to get the proper clearance back.

The oil/water issue could just be condensation from storage. The engine needs to run for a while for it to get hot enough to burn the water out. If stored outside you can get snow/rain in through the carb and muffler.

Overall your problems don't seem too bad for a machine that isn't used often. It shouldn't be too bad to fix. Another option you have is you can replace the Tecumseh with a $100 Predator engine from Harbor Freight.


----------



## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

new195 said:


> Hello- I am new to snow blowers but not so new to small engines. I just recently bought a murray snow king 5 hp two stage with a tecumseh lh195sa engine. The problems I'm experiencing are the following:
> 1. Engine surges or hunts for idle. I have cleaned the carburetor and it made no difference. This carburetor has fixed main jet. I have seen new carb on Amazon for this application for $20. This makes me a little leary of quality when my local small engine shop says it will cost $100.
> 
> 2. Just used snowblower in major snow storm we had in VA and noticed that it appears there is water/condensation in oil. I've looked over the engine closely and did not see any areas where water could be getting in. The only place I can figure is at the base of the dipstick tube..it unscrews when I unscrew dipstick cap. Could this problem be carburetor?
> ...



1. Does the engine run ok at full speed when its working on a load? Is the hunting problem only at a low throttle / idle setting? Is there a low speed jet adjustment on the side of the carb, below the idle adjust screw?

2. There should be an O ring at the bottom of the dip stick tube that seals the hole when its screwed in. Is it there? Make sure that stays tight. Hold onto the tube when you unscrew the dipstick so it is not constantly being loosened and tightened.

3. Before you started blowing, did you check the oil level? Do you have a fuel shutoff valve on the machine, and was it open or closed before you started working? Sometimes, a stuck float or needle valve will allow gas to flow through the carb, through the intake valve and into the crankcase. That will cause the oil level to be high, and spray out the breather. If you don't have a fuel shut off valve, make note of the oil level now that you have changed it, should be at the full mark, and check it next time before starting the engine to see if the level is suddenly too high. That would be gas getting into the crank case.

Those engines dont like to be tilted more than about 15 degrees if the horizontal plane. Suppose a large tilt could also cause oil to spray out the breather.

4. Is it blowing black smoke when running? That would indicate rich. Is the choke plate fully open when you are running under load? What about more smoke when under load. Is the engine speed responding when you hit a load, ie,. is the governor working to maintain engine speed or are the RPMs dropping excessively when the machine is working hard?

Attached is a link for the engine manual. Check the oil recommendations and use what Tecumseh suggests.

http://www.manualslib.com/manual/169365/Tecumseh-Lh195sa-Lh195sp-Hssk40-55.html?page=2#manual


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to the forum new195


----------



## new195 (Jan 26, 2016)

*snow king problems*

Thanks for the replies. The machine was used quite a bit in this storm. It got hot enough that I would have figured the condensation would have burned off. I even changed oil. What can I use to flush out block to remove any contamination and refill with oil. Will the water contamination hurt the engine. If I go with Predator engine would you recommen going with a higher horsepower engine.

Thanks


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

I wouldn't worry too much about just a little bit of water. It should mostly be out of there by now. The 212cc Predator is around 6.5 HP. You probably don't want to go any higher than that if yours was originally 5 HP.


----------



## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

new195 said:


> Thanks for the replies. The machine was used quite a bit in this storm. It got hot enough that I would have figured the condensation would have burned off. I even changed oil. What can I use to flush out block to remove any contamination and refill with oil. Will the water contamination hurt the engine. If I go with Predator engine would you recommen going with a higher horsepower engine.
> 
> Thanks


How old is your machine?


----------



## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

Try the stuff Shrp has offered up and see how it goes. I think you can get that thing going well for under $50 easy.... just takes a bit of tinkering. If the carb seems beyond fixing - you can get adjustable ones on ebay for $20 that are just fine. I have used a number of them on various machines. You can pay a bit more from a US supplier - or if you don't mind waiting order one from China...... I like Big Fish Moto and buy most of my Chinko parts from him.....


----------



## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

new195 said:


> Thanks for the replies. The machine was used quite a bit in this storm. It got hot enough that I would have figured the condensation would have burned off. I even changed oil. What can I use to flush out block to remove any contamination and refill with oil. Will the water contamination hurt the engine. If I go with Predator engine would you recommen going with a higher horsepower engine.
> 
> Thanks


Best way to flush the engine is to go buy some regular 5W30 oil to run in it for a bit then drain and re-fill with a good quality synthetic 5W30 (such as mobil-1) what kind of gas are you using?


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

I worked on a Murray with an 8 hp SnowKing last year and I thought it was a well designed machine.

You have lots of good advice from every one so far. I agree with Go blow snow and use fully synthetic 5w-30 oil , for many reasons. 

The $20 carbs on Ebay can be a decent deal. Some carbs just can't easily be cleaned and you are better off getting a new one. Especially for $20. Make sure your carb and intake gaskets are good and replace them if they are suspect.

The Techumseh manual explains how to measure the valve clearance. Good idea to do just to know where you are at. As Shryp suggested over time the valve seats wear and loose clearance. If you don't address it you will loose power and the valve guides will wear and you will loose even more power. The engine will in all practicality will be junk. The exhaust valve is more likely to be a problem than the intake.
Good luck.


----------



## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

Ditto on all of that Toro-8-2-4.
Sid


----------



## Blackfin (Jan 25, 2016)

An engine blowing oil out the breather may be a sign of excessive crankcase pressure caused by blowby. It may also be a sign that the breather system needs service.

If the cause is blowby it's probably a good candidate for a re-power.


----------



## new195 (Jan 26, 2016)

Thanks for all the advice. I will change oil with 5w30 and run it and then drain and refill with synthetic 5w30. To answer some of the questions asked by others if it helps narrow down problems:

1. No smoke from engine.
2. Hunting only stops when auger is engaged and throwing snow and wheels engaged.
3. No fuel shut off valve.
4. Don't know what year machine was made but believe it was sometime after 2006. 

Let me know if you have any other ideas based on information just answered. Thanks again.


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

If it hunts on idle, but runs great during use you just need to open the idle jet slightly.


----------



## new195 (Jan 26, 2016)

Thanks. A couple more questions. The heard on the motor I have now is at the top of the engine. I have a 6hp engine by Predactor from Harbor Freight and that head is on an angle. I assume this will be fine as long as there are no clearance issues? Also if I ditch current motor I will loose electric start. I posed the question earlier but I don't think it got answered. Any idea why the exhaust is so rich….not black…..but leaves a rich smell that stays with your clothes. None of my other gas engines does this. When you reference drilling the jet you are talking about the two holes on the side of the jet correct.


----------



## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

To rich is better than to lean..... always error on the rich side


----------



## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

There are alot of guys now running the predator and I have never heard of anyone wishing they had an electric start. Unless someone has a medical issue I dont see any need for it.

The Predator is an over head valve design vs. the flat head or L-head design used for many years. The only issues people have had is that the chute rod may hit the valve cover. In that case people usually have been able to shim the rod out some amount to clear it. There are a number of members who have posted pictures of what they have done. They usually move it out on the handle bar a bit with a wood block or they make a new sheet metal bracket.

As far as the main jet goes you can drill it with a micro drill by hand or just buy a new jet. They are available in many diameters from the stock .028 up to 062. Most people here like the .032 size. you may want to order a few sizes around that as a starting point so you can play around to optimize your jetting for your environment. You can get them at OMB and a few other online vendors (whose names escape me), who sell Honda and clone carburetor parts for the mini bike and go kart world. You could also buy an adjustable clone jet on Ebay. One of our talented members is a machinist who makes them and sells them at a very reasonable price. If I were starting out that is what I would do.

Good Luck


----------



## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

The jet you want to mod is the idle jet, not the main jet. I don't know your setup but typical Tecumseh fixed idle jet is in the same place on the side of the carb as the idle adjustment would have been. You have to pry a plug off the top of it. Unscrew it, clean it, use jet drills to get it SLIGHTLY larger and screw it back it tight.


----------

