# Craftsman 5hp 22". Carb problem?



## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

Hey guys. I've got a 5hp Tecumseh blower engine and it will run on Ether or brake clean as long as ur spraying it right into the carb but as soon as u stop it shuts itself off. Can't figure it out. Any ideas?

Thanks


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Sounds like you need to clean the carb. You can probably get away with just removing the bowl nut and cleaning the inside of the bowl and the jet out. Pay special attention to the 3 little holes in the bowl nut.










Also watch some of Donyboy's videos on Tecumseh carbs.

The Small Engine Doctor - YouTube


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## bwdbrn1 (Nov 24, 2010)

Welcome to the forum. Common sort of problem you have there, so I'd ditto what Shryp said. Watch the videos, they're pretty darn helpful, and a whole lot easier than reading directions.






















Let us know how it goes for you.


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## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

Thanks alot guys I really appreciate it. I'm off for the next 7 days so I'm gonna try fixing it and I'll let ya know how it goes


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Carbs*



grav898 said:


> Thanks alot guys I really appreciate it. I'm off for the next 7 days so I'm gonna try fixing it and I'll let ya know how it goes


In addition to what has been said, add one more to the list. Take alot of pictures and make alot of drawings or mark things up accordingly if this is your first carb (or 2d, 3d, or 14th). There's always some linkage or fitting that's always a little unique to each engine and nothing worse than having it almost together and have something left over.
You'll do fine as long as you work through it. Doing another one this week myself, and I'm doing my photo log of the setup and disassembly.


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## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

There is a penny sized dome shaped piece of metal above the float that rusted all to bits so I popped it off and now I'm wondering how the heck I put the new one back in. It fits in the "groove" but it seems like there is nothing holding it in place.


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## bwdbrn1 (Nov 24, 2010)

Are you talking about the round thing that appears just above the main jet tube at about the 6 second mark in the third of the four video? Those things are called Welch plugs, and you sort of give them a bit of a whack in the center of the dome. Not so much that you squeeze it flat, but just enough to sort of spread it out so it pushes against the side of the hole you took it out of. There are special tools for that sort of thing, but I've used a flat punch and did it very carefully on those I've replaced. 

Somebody else might have a better description of how to do it.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Welch Plug*



grav898 said:


> There is a penny sized dome shaped piece of metal above the float that rusted all to bits so I popped it off and now I'm wondering how the heck I put the new one back in. It fits in the "groove" but it seems like there is nothing holding it in place.


Yes that's a Welch Plug. You want to be careful driving in the new one. There's a flat spot on the opposite side of the carb. When I drive them in I use a large block of wood and place that flat spot on it. When driving them in, I use a small socket just slightly smaller than the plug, place the socket on the plug and drive it in carefully with a couple of light blows with a hammer.

If you take the one out of the side of the carb, be careful. There's very little space under it so you need to be careful or you could damage the small port holes under it. I use the same method when installing that one also.


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## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

Thanks guys I got it in there. I cleaned the carb thoroughly, replaced the float needle and that little metal spring thing and the bowl gasket and cleaned the bowl screw and it STILL won't suck fuel


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Fuel Issues*



grav898 said:


> Thanks guys I got it in there. I cleaned the carb thoroughly, replaced the float needle and that little metal spring thing and the bowl gasket and cleaned the bowl screw and it STILL won't suck fuel


So do you get fuel into the fuel bowl or not?
If not then start at the tank and work through to the needle valve, it's got to be somewhere.
If fuel is getting to the bowl, Then it pretty much has to be in the carb.
Needle valve at the bottom of the bowl - open 1 turn. Valve on side of the carb - 1.5 turns.
Often overlooked, there are 3 tiny holes through the side of carb throat, they need to be open. Float hooked the needle valve, bowl properly oriented.
Watch the videos, they should cover all the normal stuff.


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## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

It's getting into the bowl. It WILL run on quick start and is getting a good spark however will not run on its own. I didn't realize u could fully remove the valve on the side of the carb so ill try that and how do I get the welch plug out on the side of the carb.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Misc*

Here's what I do with the welch plug in the side. I take a small drillbit and bore a hole through it on the side closest to the throttle plate. You want to be very careful because there's not alot of air space under it, you just want to puncture it. I then use a heavy awl, put it in the hole at an angle and lever it out. 

You may not have to take it out though. If you open the choke and look down the carb, to the right of the choke are 3 or 4 little holes. They just happen to be the same size as the copper strand of a piece of phone wire. I take a piece, strip the insulation and bend a small L end on it. You should be able to run it through each of the holes without a problem, going from the carb bore side with the welch plug still in there. If they're plugged, it may or may not run well, if at all.

The jet on the side of the carb is for medium rpms while the one at the bottom of the bowl is for high speed. You can try a couple of things first.
Press the primer bulb, see if gas comes through those little holes or not. There should be some gas come in. I'm assuming you're trying to start it with the throttle wide open. Try it around half way and see what happens. Also, if you're tried starting it a few times, pull the sparkplug and see if it's wet or not.

The fact that it runs a little if you spray starting fluid or gas into the throat of the carb says gas is not getting in from the carb. I don't remember if you said you put a carb kit in or not. If you haven't, sometimes it's the cheapest $10 you'll spend when trying to diagnose problems like this.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

After cleaning it did you open the needles back up? I believe the recommended starting place is 2 turns out on the bottom and 1.5 turns out on the side.


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## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

It doesn't have a needle in the bottom it's just a bowl screw like in the first response to this post. I'll have to try the phone wire trick. After priming for about 30seconds straight it will turn over for about half a second but that's where it stops.


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## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

Could this be part of the problem? I sprayed some carb cleaner directly into it earlier and pulled it over and at half throttle it turned over for a second or two WITHOUT a key in it. Is that supposed to happen and have i been getting false "starts" all along? Tried with the key in right after and same thing. As well I popped off the side plug and cleaned the holes out and I also cleaned the mid throttle jet. This this is boggling my mind


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Running*

If you can pump the primer and get it to run alittle, then you have gas and spark. If it then dies, it's likely in the jets or adjustments in the carb.
I'd go through it one more time and check everything. If it still doesn't go, new carbs are available and that may be your best option. Carbs aren't that hard to rebuild but they can be a real pain at times.


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## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

So I re cleaned everything and made sure all the o-rings were changed and put together right and the throttle flapper sprung back properly however when I re installed the carb the throttle flapper won't spring back anymore and when you press the primer fuel jets out the side of the carb out a pinhole towards the chute. I am now totally baffled. Any help would be awesome. Oh and when I first undid the fuel line I didn't have the primer line on the carb fuel pissed out the primer line fitting. Once again, puzzled


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## jfmtnbiker (Dec 2, 2012)

Here are a few things you should check if you haven't already:

1) Be sure to clean the carburetor thoroughly. As everyone indicated, you must be sure you remove the welch plugs, because typically the passages behind the welch plugs are where the problem lies.

2) By the sounds of it, you have a fixed jet carburetor (an EPA initiated modification to the original Tecumseh Snow King with an adjustable jet). As mentioned above, be sure you verify that the passages in the jet are clean. I actually went to a craft store and purchased a small spool of floral wire. This is the perfect diameter for cleaning the passages on carburetors in general. Some people use the wire from a twist tie.

While you are cleaning, you will notice a black cap on the choke side of the carburetor. This black cap covers the idle restrictor screw. The black cap should pop off and then you can simply remove the screw to clean the passages. Keep in mind that the screw has a small passage at the tip.

3) Be sure to double-check that you have the float set correctly. In most cases, an incorrectly set float will result in the engine not running, but tecumseh carburetors always seem to defy the odds.

4) Be sure that the seat is inserted correctly (groove side down).

5) Have you replaced the gasket that connects the carburetor to the intake? This gasket usually costs about a $1.00, it can cause lots of problems.

6) As far as the key is concerned, if your machine has the red key that must be inserted to run, you can always disconnect the connect from the terminal and operate using only the throttle which will still kill the engine when positioned all the way down. 

7) Is your primer bulb mounted just above the recoil starter? If so, then it has a small hose leading to the carburetor. Keep in mind that this entire system works because of a vacuum. This means that if you do have a hole in the primer system at all this can cause problems. When you have the carb removed, simply push in the primer bulb and hold it there for a moment. Place your finger over the end of the hose. Now, let your finger off of the primer bulb. If you have no leaks, the primer bulb should stay depressed. However, if there is a leak, the primer bulb with go back to its normal position while your finger is covering the end of the hose. 

8) One thing that many people forget about is that many tecumseh gasoline tanks have a small screen glued directly above where the fuel outlet comes off the bottom of the tank. This screen can be plugged. Drain the fuel and verify that this screen is clear and also verify that the gas cap is venting properly. Older tecumseh gas caps have a cone shaped piece of metal that activates the vent. Newer models have this same piece, but it is enclosed in the plastic molding of the cap itself. It never hurts to check those little things.

9) Last but not least, if all else fails I would recommend replacing the carb. Keep in mind that a tecumseh carburetor that has experienced corrosion will only get worse. You could have corrosion on the emulsion tube. Even the best mechanic can rebuild a corroded carburetor, but time will eventually render it useless.


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## grav898 (Nov 22, 2012)

Thank you for that response I'm sure it will help me and alot of other members. Can you think of a reason that fuel would pour out of the primer line port onto the ground (when the primer line is not on the carburetor.


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## jfmtnbiker (Dec 2, 2012)

Does the fuel pour out continuously? If so, then I definitely think your problem is with a bad needle/seat, or you have the float set incorrectly. Too much fuel is entering the carburetor and it has no other way to escape. That said, when you prime a Tecumseh engine 2-3 times, it is totally normal that fuel drips out the choke side because it has no where else to go. In your case, the fuel just keeps rushing in and it doesn't have anywhere else to do. It sounds like you need a new needle and seat and possibly a float adjustment. Also, double check that you have the bowl gasket installed correctly and that the nut is tight. If a bowl gasket is installed incorrectly, you can get air into the carb. Usually it will leak, but sometimes not.


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## jfmtnbiker (Dec 2, 2012)

I should have also mentioned...be sure the bowl is installed correctly. You will notice a shallower portion on the bowl itself. The shallower portion must be lined up perfectly with the pin side of the float. If not this can restrict the movement of the float.


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