# 726 TE Smoking and spitting oil



## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

So I just picked up this machine, worked in the garage this morning. Took carb off cleaned it as best I could put it all back together with a little squirt of starter fluid, she fired right up. Decent amount of smoke at first turned into just enough you could see the engine breathing smoke. Let it run for maybe 3 minutes. Turned it off. Wiped off the right side of the bucket. It has oil on it from exhaust I’m guessing. Let it sit for a few then did it again.










This is after I wiped it off once and then ran it a second time for a few more minutes. I’ve watched a few videos to know that this one seems to run a tad dirty with the smoke and oil. I have not changed the oil in it yet nor the spark plug. Wondering what I can do to clean things up a hair. Wish I knew how to get a video of it running from my messages on iPad to share on here but I can’t figure out how to make that work.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

If this machine is a 2 stroke, there is no oil to change, the engine is lubed by your fuel/oil mix.

You should check the plug for fouling, clean and gap the plug before you go any further.

If the previous owner had added some oil down the spark plug hole before storage, you can get some excessive oil spray out of the muffler for a short time when starting it for the first time. It should clear up after 5 minutes of run time. The 2 stroke engines will smoke a little, that is normal, excessive smoke is usually caused by too much oil in your gas mixture.
Is the recommended mix 50:1 for these machines? Are you sure that is how your gas/oil is mixed? If you have way too much oil in the mixture, it could cause issues with starting and maybe even cause oil residue out of the muffler?
Confirm you have the right mix ratio (if not drain fuel system and fill with fresh gas and correct mix ratio). I would clean the oil off the machine and let it run for 5 - 10 minutes to see if it clears up.

I have never seen one of these 2 stroke, 2 stage Toros in person, they are quite rare, although I see the occasional one for sale online.
I think they are interesting machines and some on here say they perform very well.










I do have an 1983 Toro 2 stroke Power Shovel, that is also quite rare (only made from 83 -85).


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

Thought I’d go give it one more go. Fired it up, super easy. Smoking spitting but a lot less. I noticed oil almost dripping out of the exhaust tip and running down the corner of the muffler. Took the 2 bolts out holding the muffler on, cleaned it all up. Found a triangle plate and figured it out it was supposed to go between muffler and engine, so I put it back together correctly. Started it up and not long I noticed this.










Leak coming from the middle seem in the muffler and more coming out the exhaust tip. Not sure if this helps anyone figure out why it’s smoking or not. Also not sure what I need to do to get rid of the leaks.


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## paulm12 (May 22, 2015)

so as Ziggy asked, is it a 2-stroke or 4-stroke engine? If 2-stroke did you check what he mentioned? If 4-stroke, did you check the oil level?


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

This is the 2 stroke version. And yes I am confident in my gas mixture, not so confident in the gas it had in it prior to me that I’m sure I’m going to burning for a little while. The smoke may and pry will go away over time. I’m not sure why or how oil found a way to leak out that seem in the muffler and is spitting out the exhaust tip though. That seems like excessive oil.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

If it is a 2 stroke, then it is probably flooded with fuel (excessive fuel). When my gas string trimmer was flooded with fuel, it did the same thing. Gasoline + carbon from the exhaust looks just like oil.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Two-strokes can blow junk for a while if they've been sitting. When I fire up my 360cc two-stroke Suzuki Jimny after it's sat it's a very efficient and thorough mosquito killer.

Clean and gap the plug and run it for a bit, see what happens.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Yup, and if the carb is adjustable, make sure that you are not too rich. If so, proper combustion temps will not be reached, and a lot more oil will be blown through as opposed to burned off.

And, as others have noted, if the case was "loaded up" with oil when it came to you, it will take a bit of running for the fresh correct fuel to flush the old oil through.


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

Seems like I just need to put more of my gas in it and keep running it when I’m in the garage and with any luck it just needs run and smoke and the spitting will correct itself. Who knows how long it sat before I came a long. It’s possible there is some oil build up from sitting for years that just need burnt up and worked through the system now that it’s running again. Someone said what I thought was oil coming out may be a gas and carbon mixture and that’s completely possible too. As for carb adjustment, I don’t see anywhere to adjust anything. It’s a black plastic car with one spot for throttle linkage to connect and o e spot for idle spring and that’s all I see. I’m not seeing the typical screw on top or needle on bottom to adjust idle.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Often the mixture screw on a two-stroke is in the center of the throttle cable 'pivot' where it is attached to the carb. You have to hold the thing steady and adjust.

Show us a picture?


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

Best pic I can get of top of carburetor.









I did just notice on the bottom half of the cadb a green ring. I guess I didn’t make the screws right enough when I had it apart and put back together. Going to have to take that apart and tighten. Getting fuel leakage from somewhere. Possibly incoming gas line.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Yeah ok... maybe not. Pulled up a few images of the carb elsewhere and I don't see any adjustment screws. May be 'nannied' non-adjustable to save the planet.

There may be an adjustable replacement carb available...


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

I think I’m just going to make an effort to run it for 5 minutes or more a couple nights this week, maybe more and see if it works itself out. I’m guessing it’s just going to take a little bit. Probably been sitting for quite some time.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Sounds like a good plan.

Did you check the plug and see how bad it's crudded up? Cleaning it may help.


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

I also looked for a diagram of the carb but haven't found one yet.


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## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

The 726-TE is Toro model number 38611. The motor is a Briggs & Stratton 2-cycle model 084000 and the original carb part number is 801255 that seems to be replaced by a metal bowl carb with part number 801396.


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## Mossing (May 29, 2021)

This might help:


https://www.toro.com/getpub/13300



Give the carb a good clean and make sure you dont over do it with the oil in the gas.
I remember from my 2-stroke moped days that a little too rich fuel mix caused oil to be spitting out from the exhaust.


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

Thought while it was sitting there burning fuel, I’d make sure the auger still worked. Any reason the 2 shear pins back in there would break supposedly spinning freely? One broke last time I worked on it, one broke today.


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

Now that I’ve had a chance to use this in the snow, I thought I’d revisit this post. Not real sure if I burned all the old gas out or if it was because I ran it in the proper season and conditions, but it ran fantastic! Went through 2-3 tanks of gas over 2 days. Seems like it doesn’t get real good fuel economy, but not worried about that. Once it warmed up after a couple minutes, I don’t remember it smoking at all or spitting any oil like it was doing over the summer. Only thing I remember seeing were oily looking runs coming out from under the plastic cover running down the back of the machine. I’m guessing this was more dirt and oil that had accumulated over time. I ran it with all the covers off so there was surely some blow back that was melting and collecting dirt as it ran out. Overall very pleased with this machine. Seems like a tank.


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## asavage (Dec 20, 2021)

Chevy88 said:


> Any reason the 2 shear pins back in there would break supposedly spinning freely? One broke last time I worked on it, one broke today.


For 726-TE 38611:










The impeller bolts are Ref. #39:
*321-44 SCREW-HHF* (Hex Head Flanged)

https://smile.amazon.com/Toro-321-44-Snowblower-Screw-HH-Pack/dp/B08RWSTYPR:










Those sure look like off-the-shelf G5/cadmium plated/fully threaded to me. But some non-Toro sellers are calling them shear bolts.

I like the idea of bolting the impeller to the shaft, rather than keying it like my old 38150 is. Keyed shafts require a reasonably tight fit, whereas bolted doesn't.

Anybody: does this impeller need to have shear bolt capability? Is this impeller especially weak and needs overtorque protection? Or is it just a good idea?

---

From back in the day, when I worked more with 2-cycle engines, I recall that once the exhaust system loads up with excess fuel and oil -- from whatever cause -- it takes effort to clean it out.

Idling will never evaporate gasoline and/or oil in the muffler, because without a load it won't get nearly hot enough. And even with the engine under a load, in cold weather that muffler may not see high enough temp for long enough to do a good job of cleaning it out.

We used to put 2-cycle mufflers in our dunk tank (Lawn Boy mowers were esp. bad, if run using motor oil for the mix instead of true 2-cycle oil) so we didn't get customer complaints. But with the muffler off the machine, dunking in gasoline would work as well . . . it's just dangerous (and, these days, expensive).


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## LouC (Dec 5, 2016)

Toro recommended TCW-3 2 stroke oil in their 2 stroke blowers because they run cool and at lower speeds than most 2 stroke machines. These oils have no ash vs low ash TC oils. So using the TCW-3 may result in less build up in the exhaust port and muffler. I’ve never had to clean mine in 24 years of use…


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

That’s good to know. I’ll have to see about finding that. Ive been using the same mixed gas I use for my stihl chainsaw. Like I said, seemed to run a lot cleaner whatever the reason actually out throwing some snow. Not sure if it was being in the colder temps, being cold and under load for sustained periods?

At some point, I am going to have to look at the drive system. There were times I put it in what I thought forward 1 and either it went super slow or seemed to almost go backwards. There were times when it didn’t want to go as easy as the rest. I think if I got to close to the curb, the bottom of the bucket could have been hitting in the crest of the edge of the blacktop and the side apron of the street. Very slight high spot there if you have tires on both sides of the line. Could even possibly raise the feet ever so slightly but not sure I want to mess with it for such a minor adjustment.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Chevy88 said:


> Now that I’ve had a chance to use this in the snow, I thought I’d revisit this post. Not real sure if I burned all the old gas out or if it was because I ran it in the proper season and conditions, but it ran fantastic! Went through 2-3 tanks of gas over 2 days. Seems like it doesn’t get real good fuel economy, but not worried about that. Once it warmed up after a couple minutes, I don’t remember it smoking at all or spitting any oil like it was doing over the summer. Only thing I remember seeing were oily looking runs coming out from under the plastic cover running down the back of the machine. I’m guessing this was more dirt and oil that had accumulated over time. I ran it with all the covers off so there was surely some blow back that was melting and collecting dirt as it ran out. Overall very pleased with this machine. Seems like a tank.


Between the colder, denser winter air giving a leaner mixture, and running it under load, you are now likely hot enough to fully burn off the oil, as intended! Good to hear!


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## LouC (Dec 5, 2016)




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## jkp (Dec 15, 2019)

Chevy88 said:


> That’s good to know. I’ll have to see about finding that. Ive been using the same mixed gas I use for my stihl chainsaw. Like I said, seemed to run a lot cleaner whatever the reason actually out throwing some snow. Not sure if it was being in the colder temps, being cold and under load for sustained periods?
> 
> At some point, I am going to have to look at the drive system. There were times I put it in what I thought forward 1 and either it went super slow or seemed to almost go backwards. There were times when it didn’t want to go as easy as the rest. I think if I got to close to the curb, the bottom of the bucket could have been hitting in the crest of the edge of the blacktop and the side apron of the street. Very slight high spot there if you have tires on both sides of the line. Could even possibly raise the feet ever so slightly but not sure I want to mess with it for such a minor adjustment.


I have had one of these since new- has easily handled the worst Western NY has thrown at it . Once warmed up and under load, runs clean, sounds very industrial ( to me ) . Motor still feels as strong as new , though I think I will need to replace auger bearings . IMO, you picked a great machine .


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## Chevy88 (May 27, 2021)

I’ve never owned a snowblower before and have only used this one twice now but I’m impressed with what it’s willing to do and go through. We don‘t get much snow here but it usually ends up fairly heavy which is why I decided to say heck with shoveling if I don’t have to. At some point I am going to need to give the self propel a look and adjustment. Pretty sure in 1st gear if you lift the wheels off the ground and engage them, they actually go backwards. Not sure if that’s easy or difficult to take care of. Last time I had it out we had some clogging issues but I would say it shot the snow well at times and others it was more like vomiting snow. Just real heavy very wet slushy snow stuff. 

Now that I have one and have been looking and reading at tons of machines, I will say I love the looks of all the older ones that have been restored. Super sweet units out there older than me. If We got the snow to warrant a fleet as some on here have, I would love to own a Honda. They just look bada** and I have a couple 80’s Honda mowers so I know what the engines are capable of. Run forever with just a little preventative maintenance.


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