# Tecumseh stalls when warm, under load



## B-Roc (Dec 17, 2020)

I have a 15 year old Ariens 926LE with a Tecumseh engine. It has always been well-maintained. Last year I sucked a stick into the impeller and the machine screamed and smoked until I quickly stopped it. I thought I seized the engine but the repair shop said it was just two damaged belts and had the device tuned and repaired within a week. The very next storm it ran better than ever and the last storm of last season it ran great for 5 minutes then stalled under load and wouldn't restart. I blamed it on the gas. I ran a tank of gumout through it and Over the summer I cleaned the carburetor. Last week we had our first storm of the season and the same issue occurred. Ran fine for five minutes then stalled. So over the past week, I have replaced the gas, changed the oil, replaced the spark plug, replaced the carburetor, and replaced the gas cap. On Sunday when I started it up and the temperatures were warm, it ran fantastic for five minutes in any gear with and without the auger but after 6 minutes it would stall in reverse or when engaging the auger. At this point I don't know what to do and given the impending blizzard it will take forever to be serviced. Tonight, in preparation for the storm, I attempted to run it again, and it ran great for 10 minutes but there is no snow on the ground, And the temps are much colder. Tomorrow will be the big test. If it stalls under load, given all that I've replaced or repaired so far, any input or advice on what I can try next? It seems to stall when the engine gets warm and that occurs quicker with warmer temperatures. Could this be the ignition coil? Or could it be a sign that I damaged something more significant when the stick was sucked into the impeller last year?


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## B-Roc (Dec 17, 2020)

Other info... when it's running, if you listen closely you can hear a muffled sputter every 10 seconds or so. It doesn't cough or misfire but you can hear a low "puff" sound in the engine and when it stalls, I think it smells hot. It does not appear to be burning oil. The tip of the spark plug does have oil on it after running for 5 minutes and the dipstick smells hot.


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## ou2mame (Dec 23, 2019)

If it does stall when warm again, check the the plug for spark while its warm to rule out the coil. If you suspect the gas cap, loosen it slightly and see if it stays running. There's a tiny hole in it for venting that can get clogged. If you rule out the coil and the gas cap, my next guess would be tuning. I doubt that you damaged the engine from the stick. Are you able to adjust the tune? Some aftermarket carbs come with a high and low adjustment screw. If its a tuning issue it would be the high needle that needs adjustment


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## ou2mame (Dec 23, 2019)

B-Roc said:


> Other info... when it's running, if you listen closely you can hear a muffled sputter every 10 seconds or so. It doesn't cough or misfire but you can hear a low "puff" sound in the engine and when it stalls, I think it smells hot. It does not appear to be burning oil. The tip of the spark plug does have oil on it after running for 5 minutes and the dipstick smells hot.


Sputter in the muffler could be also be a tuning issue. it might be running a little rich.


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## B-Roc (Dec 17, 2020)

Thanks for responding. The new carburetor has no adjustment options for fine tuning high or low settings and instructions said it requires no adjusting. It does have one nut on the bottom for the jet. I have already replaced the gas cap.

on Sunday, it backfired heavy when stalling out after being restarted. Tonight, when running well, it backfired as I turned it off.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Another possibility is a valve clearance getting tight that may have to be adjusted.
Tight valves will usually start giving problems when the engine gets hot.


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## NG_518 (Dec 17, 2020)

I seem to have a similar issue going on. I lost the drive in my blower today, then it started acting like I was running low on gas. Turned it off, filled up, restarted and it was running and sputtering, starting to cut out like what was described above. If I turn my rabbit/turtle lever down I can hear what sounds like the engine starting to knock. Could this be valves?


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## ou2mame (Dec 23, 2019)

ST1100A said:


> Another possibility is a valve clearance getting tight that may have to be adjusted.
> Tight valves will usually start giving problems when the engine gets hot.


yeah I was going to suggest that but the sputtering sounds more like tuning and less like valves. In my experience valves out of adjustment give the symptom of bad timing, like backfires or not starting at all. Could be sputtering I suppose though.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

A tight valve will usually give a problem more at idle speed, sometimes not letting the engine stay running at idle. It can also cause a Lean running condition, backfire either out the exhaust or a spit back through the carburetor depending on which valve is too tight.
It shows up more when the engine is hot because the valve stems expand and become longer, thereby decreasing the valve clearance and not letting the valve seal itself properly when it closes because the tight clearance wont let it close tight enough to seal properly.


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## B-Roc (Dec 17, 2020)

Thanks all for the comments. Both valves and ignition coils were a bit too much for me so I had it picked up for service. Local shop just called and said after testing it appears to be the coil so they are replacing that and I'm hoping the problem is solved.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Yes its possible a coil "Leaking" voltage and shorting out causing a miss fire. 
Good luck with it, hope it solves the problem.


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