# Glowing muffler on 2015 Toro 826 HD OXE



## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

Hi. I have a 2015 Toro 826 with the Briggs 1150 engine. The snow blower is 2 years old but has only been use for 3-4 hours. I bought it this year so this is the first time using it. The inside of the muffler glows red within 5 minutes of starting it. Is this normal?

It ran great for the 8 inches of snow I moved and for the 45 minutes I used it. There was a slight quiet popping here and there. The carb bowl looked like new but i sprayed cleaner in there anyways. 

I called Briggs and Stratton and the guy sounded like he was in outer space and unconvincingly said I should get it checked out with no other advice.

Thanks


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## Bluejoe (Nov 29, 2016)

The popping noise and the muffler glow could mean it's running a little rich.


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## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

Its running lean. The carb needs cleaning. You could try running a tank with some Sea Foam or Berrymans B12. It that doesn't clear it up, the carbs going to need to be removed and cleaned. Did you drain the gas and run it dry after last season?


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## scrappy (Dec 7, 2014)

Plus 1 for lean. Clean the carb.


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## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

THanks for the advice. I just bought it this year and the previous owner bought it in 2014 but got hurt and didn't use it so i suppose it's very possible he didn't store it correctly. I'll probably take the carb off and clean it. 

I removed the bowl and cleaned the one jet and sprayed cleaner up the carb but that didn't help. 

I hope that's all it is because there's a 3-4 week wait on snowblower repairs and I don't have the sales receipt either, so itll be a hassle to get warranty work done. 

I'm going to have to use it tonight as it isn't. 6-8 inches of snow. 

I'll let you know if it the cleaning works. Hope that's all it is because I paid $1000 for the blower so that I would have something without problems.


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## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

Should I try sea foam first though?


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

try running it with the choke set in the first notch and see if the muffler still runs hot.


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## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

davidjp3 said:


> Should I try sea foam first though?


Yes, run it on the strong side 2oz, or so, to a full tank. When you say you cleaned the jet, what do you mean? The jet is screwed up the center of the carb, where the nut that holds the bowl goes into. Find a good screwdriver, that fits up there, without damaging the jet, or the threads that are in the casting (The nut threads into) and clean that.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

Warranty won't cover a dirty carb in most cases. They blame that on the user.


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## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

I took the bowl and nut/jet, sprayed the jet w/carb cleaner & stuck a needle through the hole. Sprayed carb cleaner up the carb. The bowl looked like new when I took it off--no residue. 

I ran a whole bottle of sea foam w/no gas. Shut it off and let it sit for 10min. Ran the rest through. May have helped a small amount. Muffler still glows but not quite as bright. Didn't smoke at all though. I thought that stuff made a lot of smoke.

Blower ran fine for 45 min clearing 6-8 inches i snow. Had choke on 2nd click but it ran ok on any choke setting except the first. 

Should I still take the carb off and clean it? Run more sea foam through it?


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## Ariens hydro pro (Jan 24, 2014)

Running lean. I don't think the new carbs have adjustment screws. Like the poster above, just run the engine with the choke on the first notch. Easy fix. Later service / replace that carb.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

I'd want to pop the valve cover and check the clearance on the exhaust especially if you still see red after a cursory cleaning.


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## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

Those non-adjustable carbs tend to run lean right out of the box. You really need to be sure that the jets are free of any dirt/grunge and all the snake oil in the world won't fix it. I have never seen a dirty carb "fixed" with any of that junk. You need to physically clean the passages. That's not to say it's your problem for sure since they are not the best out of the box. opening up the jets to enrich the mixture is your best bet. But, you can try to make sure that they are as clean as possible first and see how that goes. There are a few vid's of how to modify the jets for better performance out there.......


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## MrDman (Oct 18, 2014)

davidjp3
Did you change the spark plug by chance? Can you pull the plug and post the part number. Just want to make sure you don't have the wrong heat range plug in it.

Second question what are you using for gas.Just making sure your not using 100 plus gas or avgas 

I wonder if it's been running lean all the time.I have seen carbs not drilled all the way though or have a dill broke in a hole and you blow air into thinking it's open.only to be half plugged.


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## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

MrDman said:


> davidjp3
> Did you change the spark plug by chance? Can you pull the plug and post the part number. Just want to make sure you don't have the wrong heat range plug in it.
> 
> Second question what are you using for gas.Just making sure your not using 100 plus gas or avgas
> ...


well I'm back at it a year later. Took the carb off and apart and cleaned it with carb cleaner but same issue. I'm using 93 octane. I'll check the spark plug as soon as I get a chance. Thanks


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## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

Should I just buy a new adjustable carb? I'd hate to spend hundreds of dollars to have the engine taken apart if that's not it.


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## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

Thanks for all of the replies


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## driz (Dec 19, 2013)

Just get a new carb. Fleabay / Amazon. Probably cost less than $15 . Stick it on and go! Look up the carbs application or model number on Jacks Small Engine site . It will tell you everything you need to know that find one cheap on eBay or Amazon. For that kind of money it is not worth screwing around modifying carburetors with drill bits. Just toss it in a bin somewhere for spare parts if you need something someday. 

Like all things small engin your machine is probably a victim of that wonderful ethanol that the government keeps insisting doesn’t hurt carbureted engines. You said that guy used it once and let it sit until you bought it, that’s probably what did it. Leaving that stuff in for an extended period is almost sure that screw up the internals of the carburetor . Stick to booze free , Run the carburetor dry using the shut off at the end of the season and you’ll be golden.


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## SkyLight62 (Oct 6, 2017)

I'm repairing an old snowblower that sat outside for a couple of years. I replaced the carb with an ebay china carb and the muffler starting to glow on my machine as well. I don't know if it was doing this previously with the old carb or not since I never had it running for that long.


Like the poster above said its a non adustable carb and it may be running lean out of the box. I'm first going to check to make sure the valve clearance is correct before I start modifying the jet on the carb.


With your machine not being as old do you think the it would require a valve adjustment so soon?


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

87 Octane should be just fine. I bet that 93 crap is part of the problem right there.


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

it's running way to lean to make the muffler glow, 93 octane has nothing to do with lean, it has a very bad carb or a super big vac leak,
when it's running take some brake clean or choke cleaner CAREFULLY spray around the carb and adapter if it uses one. if the motor starts running smoother you know it a leak and from where, if smoother when down the intake of the carb,bad repop which is very likely with the cheap ones passages have been found not drilled, missing floats or needles. 
.


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## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

Here is the spark plug.


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

davidjp3 said:


> Here is the spark plug.


ouch! to lean,should be a light brown . that one even shows the tip is to hot


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## NeoGP (Jun 21, 2017)

87 powershift said:


> ouch! to lean,should be a light brown . that one even shows the tip is to hot


That grey/white electrode is bad.. way way to lean, rebuild that carb and adjust everything back to stock settings. there was another mention of a vacuum leak, have you tested that yet?


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## davidjp3 (Dec 17, 2016)

NeoGP said:


> 87 powershift said:
> 
> 
> > ouch! to lean,should be a light brown . that one even shows the tip is to hot
> ...


Carb is basically brand new. The snowblower has been used 5 times since 2015 probably. Cleaned it twice and ran a wire through the holes in the jet. New carb? Bad exhaust valve? Bad spark plug?


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## Boston_Rob (Feb 24, 2017)

David, Bite the bullet and replace the carb. There are too many internal passages you can't clean without a full disassembly. New or not, the carb is not right.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

.........did you ever try running it partially choked ??


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

carb cleaning trick
if you are know someone who plays a guitar ,keep a set of old strings around the shop area, they make darn good cleaners when working on carbs, a little carb cleaner spray and a string one has perfect clean ports and jets.

i'm leaning on a vac leak or clogged port on that carb


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## jonnied12 (Jan 14, 2017)

87 powershift said:


> carb cleaning trick
> if you are know someone who plays a guitar ,keep a set of old strings around the shop area, they make darn good cleaners when working on carbs, a little carb cleaner spray and a string one has perfect clean ports and jets.
> 
> i'm leaning on a vac leak or clogged port on that carb


 Or pick up a torch tip cleaning set.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Bluejoe said:


> The popping noise and the muffler glow could mean it's running a little rich.


Lean. Glowing exhaust is either too little timing, which with 1 cyl is unlikely, or it's running lean. 

Probably a float sticking/carb issue.


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## jsup (Nov 19, 2017)

Motor City said:


> Its running lean. The carb needs cleaning. You could try running a tank with some Sea Foam or Berrymans B12. It that doesn't clear it up, the carbs going to need to be removed and cleaned. Did you drain the gas and run it dry after last season?


What he said. At the end of the season you have to drain the gas tank, and either run it dry, or I like dropping the bowl of the carb and spraying inside it with carb cleaner, followed by a light lube like CRC Marine Spray. 

These small engines tend to give up carbs frequently, and since the EPA got involved, the carbs are all sealed, can't be adjusted.


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

ultrasonic cleaner with pine sol or 50/50 mix of purple power and water works wonders. just dont leave it in the pp for more then 2 hours or it can corrode the carb body


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

jonnied12 said:


> Or pick up a torch tip cleaning set.


true but not as flexible as strings


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## jonnied12 (Jan 14, 2017)

87 powershift said:


> true but not as flexible as strings


 Not as flexible, but more choice of diameters.
Tip Cleaner Set, Includes Size NO 6 - 26 Tip And File. Tapered ends.


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

jonnied12 said:


> Not as flexible, but more choice of diameters.
> Tip Cleaner Set, Includes Size NO 6 - 26 Tip And File. Tapered ends.


AHH! please take a better look. i play with very light to very heavy depending on the AX, so i could have number 6 on one of my strats up to the heaviest made for my bass. we play heavy blues broken strings come along for reuse for free,


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