Ariens / Tecumseh 4 HP Snow Blower stalls under load

Dale1

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My neighbor has a Ariens snow blower/tractor with a Tecumseh 4 hp engine that appear to run fine until the augar encounters snow about 2 to 4 inches deep. The unit is about 45 years old and was running fine about 2 years ago, but last year and this year, the engine will stall when it runs into snow.

The carb needle valves look fine, and the hole in the nut (with one of the needle valves) at the bottom of the carb bowl is clear. The carb float appears to work fine since we drained the old gas from the tank by taking the bowl off the carb. The gas has been in the tank for at least two years. :-(

The stalling would seem to be gas starvation or possibly a problem with the engine governor when the augar runs into snow. When not under a snow load, the blower/tractor idles and speeds up and maintains speed nicely, and runs the blower/tractor and augar nicely at the four speeds......but the choke has to be about half open. So I'm thinking the prime culprit is the carb and that it might need a thorough cleaning/overhaul. I was wondering if there are any other possibilites that should be looked at. Any comments /suggestions would be appreciated.
 

Rivets

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My guess being that old you are on the right track with carb problems. My suggestion is to remove the carb and have it cleaned and rebuilt. That would be the cheapest place to start. If you have a repair shop in your area, that cleans carbs with an ultrasonic cleaner, that would be the best way to go. I have included a service manual which may be of help to you.

http://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Tec...P-4-CYCLE-L-HEAD-FLAT-HEAD-ENGINES-692509.pdf
 

Dale1

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Thanks for your very timely response Rivets. The reference to the manual was especially useful.

Dale1
 
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