# Ariens ST824 Leaking gas after carb cleaning



## jcerillo70 (Dec 17, 2013)

Hi i bought this used, i wanted to clean the carb incase nobody had yet and ran into this problem. 

The float pin wont hold in the hole and its causing gas to leak. It cant be the seals/gaskets because it did not leak before i took it apart.

I place the pin and spring onto the float and secure it back into place with the pin. Place the gasket on the can, screw it back together and every which way i try it, when i prime it leaks from both the bolts on the bottom of the can.

Now i notice in some post i read about a rubber tip on the float pin which i dont see. and i also dont see a white gasket/washer in the hole that is supposed to hold the float pin in place inside the actual carb.

I tried making a video but its not much of a help. Im going to have to bring it to the shop tuesday because i dont want to risk it when im using this for residential snow removal this season. But, any ideas so i know for the future?

Thanks!
Joe


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## jcerillo70 (Dec 17, 2013)




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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Did you watch any of donyboy's videos?

donyboy73 - YouTube

Tecumseh's have the gasket for the float pin/needle in the hole.

Honda's and clones have the rubber tip on the actual needle.

It is possible that if you didn't remove that rubber o-ring when you cleaned the carb that the rubber got damaged. It is also possible that if you use an air compressor to blow out where the fuel line connects that that o-ring got shot across your garage.

If you reused all the old gaskets it is possible they tore.


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## jcerillo70 (Dec 17, 2013)

I just used his tip with the screw to take out the oring in the float pin hole. ITs a little ragged but seals when i put them together outside the carb.

I have to wait until tuesday till the local small engine repair guy opens. Unless home depot sells what i need, but i doubt it.

Anything over 3 primes floods the carb now, before it didnt do it but ran rough.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

Or, you could use a paper clip, slightly bent at the end, to fish the o-ring out. I have also used safety pins, mis-acquired bobby pins, and ultra small crochet hooks. The crochet hook worked the best, until my wife found it on the work bench. I blamed the kids, that's my story and I'm sticking to it...... 

Once you find the replacement, it's a snap to install the new one, just use you needle valve and push it down into place. But use it separately from the float, you do not want to bend the brass float and get it out of spec.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

I wouldn't worry about priming causing flooding. Just don't prime it as much. Most any engine is going to drip gas if you over prime it.


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## Blue Hill (Mar 31, 2013)

Shryp said:


> I wouldn't worry about priming causing flooding. Just don't prime it as much. Most any engine is going to drip gas if you over prime it.


Over priming won't cause flooding??  I have a very hard to start lawn mower and I always worry about flooding it with over priming. It is the first machine I ever had that needed to be primed. Maybe all this time, I just haven't been priming it enough.


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## milmauserm98 (Dec 27, 2013)

On my old stiga it was a small hole in the float, that will make the float full of gas and it will not float up. It seems like old and maybe there is a small hole in yours also. Or maybe you have turn the floatcap/house in wrong direction? Is the cap round or does it have a flat side on one side? It is many nice wideos in youtube also. How to adjust carburetor on tecumseh/ B&S engine for example...


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

If you over prime the carb it will leak gas out of the inlet on most engines. Only prime as much as necessary to make starting easier. does it leak gas if you don't prime it? after the engine starts and the choke is opened does it run rich? if you answered no to these questions then its probably not a needle/float problem. I see you have an adjustable main jet so you will need to adjust it properly to get the correct fuel mixture at high rpm. you will also have a low speed / idle adjustment on that carb.


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## jcerillo70 (Dec 17, 2013)

We have snow coming on thursday, I had to drop it off at the shop. I was in panic mode watching the weather today lol

When i put everything back together before taking it to the shop the float wasn' making a clicking sound when moving it... So we'll see what he says and ill relay the info

Thank You so much guys! I really mean it


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