# No Primer Inlet on Chinese Carb?



## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

I'm working a nice John Deere 928E (Simplicity-Briggs) with a 305cc Briggs engine. It has a Nikki carb (793784) that was completely trashed- one of the worst I've ever seen. The bowl looked like a science experiment. This is a non-adjustable fixed RPM carb (not my favorite). I usually give a filthy carb a good cleaning, including ultrasonic, but I just ordered a Chinese replacement from Amazon in this case.

I had to swap out the choke shaft but it otherwise appeared to be a perfect replacement. I bolted it on, it roared to life and sounded smooth. When I started to button everything up I realized the carb has no primer inlet!

Yes, it cold started instantly with choke in August but I plan to resell this blower and don't want an unhappy buyer when this thing is nearly impossible to start in January. *Are some carbs now designed to eliminate the need for a primer? *

As of now, I'm planning to give the OE carb a good cleaning and cross my fingers.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

You really have to cross reference and look over the replacement carefully before purchase.

There are multiple ones that will fit and work with multiple engines.

The main difference with many is just the choke lever set up, as well as the winter ones for like the "SK" Snow King models will usually have a primer port inlet for the colder starts on the snow blower engine models.

It is nice also to get the adjustable ones from the bowl bottom, if you can. If not, no problem.


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## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

oneacer said:


> You really have to cross reference and look over the replacement carefully before purchase.


Understood but I know some lawn mowers (such as my Honda) have an automatic choke and no primer bulb. It makes me wonder if they've somehow engineered this carb to start only with a manual choke and not require a primer.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

"Primers? Primers? We don't need no steenking Primers! Primers are for 2-strokes!"









That said, the only 4-Stroke I've ever had with a primer is the Troy-Bilt Storm Tracker blower I gave to my son. Manual or auto chokes on every other one... 20ish and counting.


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## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

tabora said:


> That said, the only 4-Stroke I've ever had with a primer is the Troy-Bilt Storm Tracker blower I gave to my son. Manual or auto chokes on every other one... 20ish and counting.


Very interesting, I learned something new. I can't remember ever working on a 4-stroke, 2-stage Tecumseh, Briggs or LCT blower without a primer. Then again, I can't remember what I had for lunch.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@tabora,

I guess you have not seen many snowblowers.

Just about all the snowblowers I have with the original engines have both a primer bulb as well as the manual choke lever.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

Older Tecumsehs did not come with Primers. but they had the Push button to Totally Choke it Manually. IIRC, they started with bulbs in the Late 70s, Probably about the same time they did away with Points and Condenser Ignitions.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

oneacer said:


> I guess you have not seen many snowblowers.


Yeah, but they were all Hondas... No primers. I know MTD and other brands have them (as I mentioned, the Troy-Bilt I gave my son has one), but none of my many Honda, Tecumseh, Toro (B&S), Onan, Coleman/Kawasaki, Generac, Powermate/LCT, 4-stroke motors have/had them. Even my old Craftsman (Homko?) blower didn't. A choke alone works just fine.


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## jerryvvv (Apr 23, 2020)

as was said, you should make sure you inspect all the pictures before purchase, but that doesn't help now,

having said that, if the carb does not have a primer location, it should not NEED to be primed....ever

another option would be to remove all of the parts from the carb you bought, and install them onto the body of the old carb,

after you strip the old carb down to the bare body, i submerse, and soak the body in a small bowl/bucket filled with gasoline for a day or two


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

rod330 said:


> Very interesting, I learned something new. I can't remember ever working on a 4-stroke, 2-stage Tecumseh, Briggs or LCT blower without a primer. Then again, I can't remember what I had for lunch.


Honda snowblowers dont have primers. not needed with choke. the choke closes off air and that sucks in the gas to start. I think that is how it works.


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## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

A little update....as jerryvvv suggested, on Saturday I dismantled and cleaned the old carb and scavenged several pieces 'n parts from the new carb. The Frankenstein carb is running like a champ so mission accomplished! Thanks for the feedback from all.

This thread reminded me that the old Honda HS-55 I refurbished did not have a primer....and ALWAYS starts with just one pull.


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## HillnGullyRider (Feb 9, 2014)

rod330 said:


> A little update....as jerryvvv suggested, on Saturday I dismantled and cleaned the old carb and scavenged several pieces 'n parts from the new carb. The Frankenstein carb is running like a champ so mission accomplished! Thanks for the feedback from all.
> 
> This thread reminded me that the old Honda HS-55 I refurbished did not have a primer....and ALWAYS starts with just one pull.
> View attachment 168185


Ahh ...the old reverse rebuild! Works most every time. Sometimes you have to be careful with throttle shaft bore wear. Ususally the tiny passages can be cleaned with dip, a wire, and air pressure because the bad gas does not usually sit up in the passages. They can still get clogged (almost) beyond repair if someone tried to run on bad gas with crud in the bowl, or, the real carb killer, which is aluminum bloom (corrosion in the upper body).


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## jerryvvv (Apr 23, 2020)

as an added side note.....if a carb, and an engine are both in good operating condition, a primer is not normally needed or nessessary.....even if the engine has one


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## Hoagy56 (11 mo ago)

rod330 said:


> I'm working a nice John Deere 928E (Simplicity-Briggs) with a 305cc Briggs engine. It has a Nikki carb (793784) that was completely trashed- one of the worst I've ever seen. The bowl looked like a science experiment. This is a non-adjustable fixed RPM carb (not my favorite). I usually give a filthy carb a good cleaning, including ultrasonic, but I just ordered a Chinese replacement from Amazon in this case.
> 
> I had to swap out the choke shaft but it otherwise appeared to be a perfect replacement. I bolted it on, it roared to life and sounded smooth. When I started to button everything up I realized the carb has no primer inlet!
> 
> ...


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## Hoagy56 (11 mo ago)

I just. Read this and lmao cause i just went to replace carberator installed exact same one you did got disgusted and set aside.jd 928e bloer here also. The old nikki carb had been beat to crap also. Still havent found any info on it


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## Auger1 (Dec 4, 2020)

My 2nd Predator starts on the 1st pull with no primer, Just have to get the other one to do that.


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