Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

What can cause a total carb failure? I bought a used 10 hp craftsman snowblower last year and have yet to have it blow snow. The engine stalls when coming under any load. I have soaked and rebuilt the carb numerous times without solving the problem. When I prime the engine (typically the first pump) gas sprays out the side of the carb body through a small pinhole. This hole is to the right of the welch plug, in the area of the heater box bracket. What would cause this, and is it time to just break down and put on a new carb? The engine is running WOT at 3600 rpm, and making the mixture richer has not solved it. New spark plug, loosened fuel cap, no help. No stuck valve. When engaging the auger after the previous stall the engine will toss the remant snow well, but once I move into new snow it bogs and stalls almost immediately. Any other thoughts on the cause?

When going from idle the full throttle the engine has some hesitation, occasionally will spit some blue flame from the muffler, but generally revs up fairyl smoothly. And once there the engine sounds strong, no surging or missing. The only problem is under load. The thing that seems like a red flag is the gas that will squirt out the side of the carb when I prime. I don't know why it does this. I have a picture of the hole here: http://www.studiomule.com/snowblower  I don't know if there's a check ball somewhere that has been lost, or what the purpose of this hole is. The carb is a Tecumseh 632370A