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

Has anyone replaced a carburetor on a Toro CCR 3650 single stage snowblower? If so, is this a complicated procedure? What should I expect to pay for a new or rebuilt carburetor?

Thanks for your advice!

jtclays wrote:

I remember that Carter manufactured an automobile carburetor in the 1970's called the "Thermoquad." The concept was the same...plastic bowls would keep the fuel cool for better performance. The Thermoquad was a piece of junk and was prone to vacuum leaks, fuel leaks and warpage. Sounds like a similar issue with the Toro. I will take the Toro apart in the spring and inspect the carb. If it is equipped with the plastic carb as you suggested I will replace it with a metal carb. Thanks for the good advice.

jtclays wrote:

The Toro was given to me by a friend. It's about 5 years old and was lightly used but not well maintained. Last fall I replaced the auger belt, fuel lines, fuel filter and spark plug, cleaned and lubricated it thoroughly and repainted the bucket interior and side panels. It runs reasonably well but surges and does not idle smoothly. Plus, it is incredibly loud. I understand the Toro's are notorious for noise and oily exhaust odors. But I think I can do better by replacing the carb and perhaps the muffler.  

Removal, rebuild and replacing a carb is a piece of cake.   Just remember how the linkage and fuel lines hook up.  Other than that it's a couple of screws/nuts to get it off,  and usually four screws to remove the float bowl.  A jet or two to remove with a proper size flat screw driver.  Kits are cheap but I seldom ever use them.   More often than not, I can get a carb running perfectly just with a good cleaning.

As far as Toros being loud, I have to agree.  For a change, I didn't use the old Craftsman SS machine today and pulled out the 221QE.  It is very loud.  I think it has a lot to do with the large, hard plastic body around the engine.  It's quite a bit louder than the old Craftsman and MTD.    As far as replacement engines for the older Toros, I'd certainly look at putting in a Tecumseh two cycle engine.  They're fantastic little engines capable of some serious power if cranked up.