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

It's in decent condition, new rubber impeller, scraper bar and overall good shape. The guy I bought it from said it had been professionally serviced 2 years ago but had seen little use since then as he decided to hire a plow guy to do his average residential driveway. I could not get it to start after adding some fresh fuel that I brought with me so I offered him $ 40.00 and said OK. - he had it listed for $ 75.00 on CL. I'm pretty sure he left some old, unstabilized fuel in there and it turned into varnish.

I removed the top and back covers and dropped the fuel bowl. It looked like a bad batch of applesauce in there so I cleaned it out and shot the carb with carb cleaner and reinstalled the bowl. It fired up for a few seconds and then died. A good carb cleaning appears to be in order and I'm wondering if I can do this with the carb installed or is it easier/better to remove it from the engine (Suzuki 47P)? I've never removed a carb before but am mechanically inclined and would like to get this operational for next winter.

I remember Borat discussing a cleaning of the jets using wires to remove any build up inside that could cause fuel starvation. I have never done this so any suggestions or tips will be very much appreciated.

I'm going to try a bit more to get this resolved. Maybe another good cleaning in and around the seat will get her fixed. I'll replace the needle and seat if this does not work and will take you up on your offer trouts, if I still cannot get this running correctly. There has to be an obstruction in the seat area that's creating this problem. I'll try to get to it again in the next day or so and will advise.

    I'd get a strong light and magnifying glass peep into the needle area.  Taking a picture is easier if your camera can focus close.  On high res you can back away a bit and then blowup the image on the computer.  The area should be very clean. 

    In back of the seat you can only deal with poking and flushing.  

    Worse case bring the machine over and we'll take a look at "the carburetor that ate Cleveland". 

So, just a recap...  The unit runs, but still surges under no load ?

Are you sure the upper fixed jet is clear ?  (The one that screws down in on the top to the carb) ------  sorry, just have to ask...

Most people don't realize that the jet has a small metered hole on the bottom that intersects with the main hole that is drilled straight through....

It may be that some shop has replaced this metered jet  in the last 14 years with something they had "laying around" out of another carb.... (a smaller leaner jet)

....Or drill the hole out one size larger with a small wire gauge drill bit, going just  one size larger then what  will currently fit..

You may want to try as a option,  taking that jet  and file it out with a "torch tip cleaner",  making that jet larger for more fuel flow at low speed when the engine is surging..

You have spent a lot of time on this unit already, It is about time to try something new.....(we all like to work on stuff,  But I would kill myself if I spent 2 weeks of my life working on it with no results)

Good Luck,

Friiy

P.S. like these....http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=torch+tip+cleaner&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=12703130376543052729&sa=X&ei=rw2yTYfJAaTL0QHEoZWKCQ&ved=0CC0Q8wIwAA#

Well Frank....at this point l think its safe to say the float is GOOD...so this only leaves the needle and seat being an issuse.. with that said l would tear down the carb and soak it for at least 24hrs then your safe in that department...and REPALCE the needle and seat and hope for the best thats all u can do, either its gonna work or not and if not try and get a used carb thats in good shape..and maybe trouts can build u one (of course if he has one that will work) then ship it to u and that might save u a few bucks just thought.

anyways hope u get r running good luck!

OK, I can get it running without stalling but it is still surging. I can get it to run pretty smoothly if I gently pump the primer bulb. I tried to adjust the pilot screw (the one with the spring running through the center of it - p/n 50-2360) but that did not seem to do anything either way. I turned it all the way in, then backed it off about 2 - 2.5 turns but again, it did not make any difference. What to try next?

frank where u able to SOAK the carb?

well its diffently running lean....the adjustment screw is for the idle circuit which u need to adjust at an idle...will the engine idle at all?

does the engine surge at idle or full throttle?.....either way frank the carbs certianly sounds like its dirty still and will require a SOAK....although with soaking the carb it will require u removing the rubber SEAT and all plastics.

niper99 wrote:
niper: I did not soak the carb yet. The engine will idle but it still surges. I put the engine under load by engaging the impeller and it still surges. I think it would have stalled if I did not keep pressing the primer bulb. I'm kind of hoping that if I let it idle for a bit, it might just clear itself out (wishful thinking!).

Frank, if you do dip it, wich is what I would do next, turn it around a few times slowly when it in the basket in the can.  The idea being to get as much as possible in all passages.  Take out both jets from the outside top and make sure they are in good shape.

Those do hunt and have to be very clean.  They are pretty stubborn.  Some will hunt for a few minutes before they clear.  Others will have a slight hunt which clears when fully loaded clearing snow.  

If running with a slight hunt at full speed but cleared under snow loading I'd live with it.  But you don't have a way to load it.

The engine is still running at LOW throttle when the engine is turning the auger/ driving the unit ( not throwing snow). If you look at the throttle shaft difference between idle and running/ turning auger and drive. The throttle shaft only opens or turns a fraction of it's full travel... Meaning all your woes are in the low speed circuit of the carb, Not in the float Assy or needle. If you had a needle / float issue, the carb would flood all over your floor half of the time, meaning if a carb float sticks closed---not giving the bowl fuel,, it sticks open. -- "flooding"--- just as much. It can't be only be one way or the other. This carb should have 2 or 3 small holes next to the throttle butterfly on the side of the throat of the carb. These holes should be have spray flowing through them if you spray cleaner into the hole of the adjustment jet (the one with the spring). Also you should be able to see spray coming from carb bowl tower ( The post that sticks through the hole of the float and has the bowl nut on the bottom), and through the low speed jet hole. ( The slotted screw jet that screws vertically from the top) The low speed jet is changeable ( meaning, you buy a bigger number than the one that is installed if you want to richen the mixture at low speed or you drill/file it out) If everything is clean as you say, then the unit needs a bigger low speed jet... The definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.. Check with Trouts, he may have a larger low speed jet number he could trade you off that old carb or off a different unit carb.. Good Luck, Friiy

Good stuff Friiy. 

.....confirmed the dumping of carb spray into the air jet with the spring should produce a decent spray, not drip, into the throat on the same side as the jet.

Spraying in one of the back holes on the maifold side should produce some liquid from the air exit port on the top of the carb.  There are two bosses on the top at right angles to the throat.  One of those should have a hole and possibly a right angle with a piece of short hose on the end.  That's a vent and where the dribble or air should come out when you spray from the back.

On the top of the carb is a screw with a fixed metering hole.  If you spray in there the cleaner should end up in the bowl area.  There are a few places it may come out of depending on the carb. 

One place is at the bottom of the center tube.  On some carbs there is a small hole at the bottom of the inside tube wall.  A second tube is cast into the main tube.  The second tube usually has a small ball pressed into its end.  Above the ball there is usually a small hole.  When you spray from the top fixed metering jet liquid should come out of the second tube hole.   It should spray out and not dribble.  Your carb may not have the hole at the bottom. 

There is another possible route higher but you should can see liquid comming out of the center tube. 

The above possibilities I think are all in the low idle circuit.  In general when you spray into a port cleaner comes out as a spray or dribble either in the throat or bowl area, most often a spray.  Your carb had the thin varnish and the thick goo probably from evaporated oil.  The chances are high the internal passages are still plugged or partly plugged.  That's a good reason to prod well, dip, dump in lots of carb spray and high pressure air.