FIXING A Snowblower That Surges With Donyboy73

[@donyboy73]

Now you can even fix your neighbor's annoying snowblower surging engine for free!

[@mikerush9283]

My neighbour has a surging lawnmower that, every time he fires up, I just want to sidle over to with a set of tiny drills and sort out his jets! Strange thing to offer though really, I guess.

[@andrewv4491]

Literally me rn I cleaned carb and it still isn’t working techumseh 8hp

[@samkaplitz9036]

In other words,the hole is to small from the factory?

[@donyboy73]

@@samkaplitz9036 Yes sometimes but the hole shrinks over time.

[@Mike-su8si]

I gave one hundred for his it looks like no one hardly ever used it they probably didn't because of its surging engine. I'll get it a oem carburetor later on an try that out as you said

[@HarleyVision95]

This worked!! Instead of drilling it out I just used a strand from a wire brush to clean the hole out. It stopped the surging instantly!

[@RichardFallstich]

Yet another reason to hang on to my 1990s Orange machine with the Snow King engine!

[@rickbeck4131]

Fantastic after trying three other fixes from different sites I stumbled across this one. I first cleaned the carb and checked the governor spring to no avail. I didn't have a micro drill or tip cleaner kit so I used one metal tine on a metal hand scraper brush. I wiggled it around several times, reinstalled and it started instantly with no surge. Thanks, so much!

[@kevinawalsh1]

I did the same thing- worked

[@jordanthompson3187]

I don’t ever comment. This worked for my toro 826. Thank you

[@scottfirman]

Just did this to a brand new snow blower that sat for 3 years. I am glad you do these videos. Not for me, I know this stuff by heart now. I carry a micro drill bit set in my service box for home repairs because I know I will have to do that with these new ones. People need to be told not to use too big a bit or they risk ruining the jet. I found its best to start with the smallest bit possible. 9 times out of 10, the jet is plugged. From there, go to progressively larger bits but not force them. As you said, those bits can break easily. I generally use a hand drill, not a power drill. A hobby drill works best. I always try the engine between bits to see if the idle improves. When the surging goes away, then stop. My next job is a surging 16 hp Kohler garden tractor with a snow blower attachment.

[@dennisprah223]

Your my main man for repair advise. I live more then 100 miles round trip from any repair guy. Most everything is on me. I don't know what I'd do without your videos !

[@moonrakerelite6905]

I NEVER comment on videos, but just had to for this one. Running across this video saved me all the extra headache that all the other videos out there were instructing to do. This was the first thing I tried and it fixed it. Thank you, saved me so much time and aggravation

[@erok4124]

You can go to any welding supply and get a tip drill set. They are small drill bits with a holder meant for drilling out torch tips. Works perfect for this fix. Just did it on my Troy Bilt snowblower

[@D3AThCAl2DS]

got a snow blower from my uncle throttle was stuck on the fuel line, governor wasn't set right, and the return spring on the idle slipped so it had no tension. thanks for the videos

[@rk22cc]

Great close up photography compared to the other videos, much better help.

[@jon8114]

Thank you! Concise and simple.

[@g-force2745]

Awesome tip! Wish I saw this vid sooner. Tried fixing one of these for a client, and ended up cleaning the carb several times, and even boring out the jet. Still to no avail until I watched this. Wish I could give two thumbs up!

[@rogermcdonald1607]

Dony, i flip mowers for a hobby since retirement. I drill those out whether they are surging or not for prevention. The older lawnboy 2 strokes were really known for that, so they all get drilled. That surging drives me crazy. I bought my mini bits from Amazon for like $8. Great tip sir!🇺🇸🇨🇦✌ Roger

[@jayminor9757]

Donyboy, you da man! I just fixed a surging snow blower that I said I’d look at for a friend of mine. After unsiezing the wheels from the shafts to fix flat tires that were off the beads, draining and cleaning a water and dirt contaminated tank and carb bowl, I filled the tank and it fired up right away but, you guessed it, it surged like crazy. Here we go, I thought. This is going to take hours and then I thought Google, and there you were! Pulled the jet and the orifice was completely blocked, cleaned it with an appropriately sized torch tip cleaner and it now runs and idles as smoothly as can be, Thanks a bunch. From Thunder Bay, I owe you a beer or 2.

[@NoProJoe]

Worked like a charm. I used a .018 jet drill and hand spun it in. Idles perfect now. Thank you.

[@fillslawncare]

Thanks for the video Don. Have a nice day 👍

[@mattb9664]

14 year old Craftsman is fixed! Thank you!

[@ronnieskynyrdfan458]

Thank you so much, you were right on the money!. I repaired my Ariens 420cc Briggs and Stratton in about 15 minutes. It now runs like new…

[@michaelbeckman1794]

Love your informative videos. I have a "older" craftsman 9/28 Techumseh that I have resurrected from the grave. Auger blades siezed on the shaft, broken shear pins, worn belts, scraper blade and skid plates, auger bearing and cleaned the carb. Also installed impeller wipers using grainery belt material. Got it all back together and was able to move some snow early 2024. I was able to take care of the surging using your method. The only thing I want to correct is the occasional "popping", not surging while running. Carburetor is non adjustable style and have already cleaned the fuel jet. What do I need to check to correct my popping that doesn't bother the performance or myself but thinking about selling it and want it to be perfect out the door. Just the original purchase price and parts would be break even at $150.

[@dontilley5002]

Thank you so muck for this one. Just went outside and fixed my snowblower

[@Wisdom-Thinker]

Thank you ... thank you ...thank you! My snow blower surged since brand new exactly as per your example.. The only way to use it was with the choke half way set. Shop told me that it needs a new carburetor. Tried your simple fix and it worked.

[@rollinred5785]

awesome simple video. just got a 13yr old 24 inch craftsman 2 stage for free. only used 3 times because of this issue. wouldnt run right and surge with choke off. thought it was a float issue but the plastic float looked fairly level and cant be bent to adjust. drilled that jet and shes golden. thanks much appreciated!!

[@rollinred5785]

forgot to add that it falls into the category of how i prefer to fix all my equipment, free!

[@jgoguen6984]

Worked perfectly! Only thing I would add is replace the small o rings that are on the idle jet. Thanks for the tip!!!

[@TechDude56]

Thanks a million. I did this today and I went from a surging snowblower to a smooth running snowblower.

[@shsechas]

Thanks for another Snowblower Surging video. My 10 year Ariens surges lots, but have been able to get by keeping the choke open on #1. I will try this fix as weather is now getting warmer here in NY. Sure beats paying like $230 plus a pickup and dropoff charge. You're the best small engine mechanic on KZbin. Just ordered the hand drill and bits from the link you provided in a comment below.

[@kielbradley5435]

You are the man, thanks! Did this to my 2022 Toro snowblower and it worked like a charm.

[@redfisher4132]

@donyboy73 - You're my favourite person today! After needlessly removing and cleaning my carb twice, using carb cleaner, and Sea Foam all with no change, this finally corrected the problem! I used a 1/64 drill bit.

[@sekatyoukko69]

Well thank you sir! Just fixed my surging engine👍 where are we at without you? Cheers bro👍👍🍺🍺🇫🇮🇫🇮

[@edsandu]

hi, great video and explanation. Only, I replaced the carburator and it is still surging. What would be the next step? Thanks!

[@daveanderson8404]

thank you sooooo much for making these videos. my 84 year dad bought a toro snowblower last year. this year is has the common surge issue. i helped him the best way i knew how...go to utube...haha. i showed him your video as his model was almost the same u fixed. he did exactly as u stated and his machine runs like new....thank u sooo much for these vids. if i could buy u a beer i would. u know ur stuff....

[@MB-pb6pz]

Donyboy you just saved me hours and dollars my friend! Out frigging standing!! Thank you!!!

[@jamesyee4143]

Thanks on that quick fix tip😊

[@DK-nt1nn]

Im gonna premise this by saying im not not a snow blower tech. I had the same issue with my ariens 28 deluxe. I ran half a bottle of Seafoam with fresh 93 octane gas. After the first run, I filled the tank with more 93 octane gas and some Marvel mystery oil. The snowblower is running smoothly now.

[@chuckbenzing134]

Thanks so much for posting this! It solved the problem. I used a #78 drill bit (. 0160”/. 406mm). I did purchase a collet for my dremel (4485 kit) at the local hardware store so that I didn't have to wait on the repair.

[@donyboy73]

Great job!

[@jerryschneider145]

I was working on a neighbor's snow blower with a 212cc Chinese engine. It was surging bad. I drilled the pilot jet with a 1/32 (.031) bit, the smallest I had. That fixed it. I think the standard jet size on this engine is .020 or .018.

[@Biggie1231]

Hey Dony I just want to say thank you for all you do.

[@donyboy73]

thanks buddy!

[@1barron]

I had a surging problem with my Troy Bilt snow blower. I tried your method and even bought the small drill bits. I started by removing the shield. All went well till I came to the last bolt I could not get a wrench properly on the bolt due to a large red part. All I managed to do was round over the bolt head. Since it I getting close to snowblower season I guess I will just reattach the shield and use the choak to smooth out the motor.

[@mscir]

Well done.

[@rclark0411]

This worked on my Husqvarna ST224. Thanks for the vid.

[@jonketola7897]

Thank you sir, that was the ticket on my Cub Cadet!

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

Usually just cleaning the idle jet works fine. Sometimes if you rev the engine a place your hand over the carb intake causes high pressure in the carb circuits and cleans out the plug. Do this several times

[@MrMoosekiller31]

I use torch tip cleaner works pretty good

[@medamit]

Hi Don, Thanks for the information. Very helpful. My generator runs excellent now.

[@josephrich6014]

Excellent advice. Will do this on my snowblower. Very annoying to have it surging all the time. Thanks Don.

[@bobwelch5056]

Great job sir

[@FlippinOPE]

Dony you are the man! Just picked up a like new Toro Power Max 826 OAE 252cc and after cleaning the carb, had this annoying surging. Wanting it to run perfect as I’m flipping it, I watched your video, used a bread twist tie with the rubber ripped off cleaned this part, and it runs perfect now! Thank you so much! Your videos are always amazingly accurate, informative and direct! Happy Thanksgiving!

[@chuckuu9294]

Once again Dony great tips.

[@TonyLam-oj8pe]

Excellent job to describe the problem and fixed it thanks

[@MrMichaelj101]

Great video, sir. Thank you very much very helpful.

[@markmontuori556]

brand new craftsman 2022 first startup was surging store sent mechanic to check it he said it was normal ok did this runs perfect now thanks

[@jon8114]

New ones have the California problem. They do it on purpose because of California laws but no they shouldn't surge but that's how they come these days because of commie California.

[@DJDOUBLE077]

Thank you for the help...much appreciated

[@pinatek100]

Hi Dony do you mean 1.3mm to 1.5mm for the drill bit Thanks for you help ! Have a good day !

[@tyroneclarke1666]

Hi Don. Very clear and precise video. Well done knowing where to look and correcting the surging. 🇦🇺

[@ОлегБ-л8м]

3 days ago I was cleaning the carburetor of my snow blower Partner with a similar malfunction. Thanks so much for great previous videos and great videos in the future. Every year it becomes more and more difficult to shoot video, in a couple of years it will be possible to shoot "How to replace tires on a snow blower" or "Putting together a snow blower from accessories" - everything else will already be filmed. But seriously - great respect to you. :))

[@Peter-.H]

Don, Thanks for the great tip. Have a great weekend 👍

[@jlbuildingitright7617]

Nice fix Don. I would have never known!

[@sebveillette14]

Hi there, I'm trying to figure what is 13 000 of an inch for drill bit size and can't find it. It is only in milimeters or mm on Amazon. Will it correspond to 1.3 to 1.5 mm ? Thank you !

[@Mike-su8si]

Mine is like the governor isn't set right i went over the carburetor good on the inside its all good that piece you drilled out i took it out of the plastic piece its just a stopper plug i saved the little brass piece

[@marcelcanuck]

i thought this was the low speed jet the brass jet started spinning and pulled out with the bit on mine but i was able to hold it with plyers and pop it back in the plastic housing , works good now

[@Dozer-z3x]

Hi... I have a Toro snow blower with the same type of engine. The valve cover breather tube was leaking a small amount of oily gas. Approx. 1/2 cup. I let it run and it no longer leaks. What might be the problem? Thanks

[@patwieferich3541]

Thank you for this video. I have had my Toro for a couple of years now and it has done this since day 1. I guess I thought it must be normal but it still annoyed me.

[@knutegilrakkestad8308]

Greetings from Norway. Thank you so much for a great tip. Love your videos, you explain so well 😊

[@cuanbarlow2323]

That was an awesome video. Thank you. I have two snowblowers to do this on.

[@kartboarder22g17]

I have an old Techumseh 5HP and I got surging for the first time ever last time I went to run my blower. Only at full throttle when I started it. I brought the throttle down a bit and went back to full throttle and it ran fine. Hopefully I'm good, and no clogging occuring.

[@Wisdom-Thinker]

Thank you ... thank you ...thank you! . Tried your simple fix and it worked. BY THE WAY .. the small jet on my snow blower doesn't have the top plastic cover but it now works just fine. What is the purpose of the plastic cover over the jet and is it required?

[@richardstrada212]

Great tip. Hopefully I won't need to use it.

[@appleztooranges]

Hey donyboy73. Had surging after two minutes on Honda snowblower than dies. My Honda dealer said it’s common in USA for this to happen to Honda power equipment do this because when the charcoal gas cap gets saturated from overfilling or tipping the snowblower on front (like I did) it ruined the gas cap and says it’s like putting a finger over a straw and the engine won’t bring gas to carburetor anymore. I wonder if Canada has the same charcoal gas caps like this. He said they started doing this in 2013 - present to all Honda power equipment. My problem was solved, after buying a new gas cap

[@IMARBAN]

Awesome video... I have a rolling tiller that is doing thta surging but, the carb is diferent the carb is sitting on top of the gas tank... today I use it this afternoon and after 20 mins it didn't started anymore, plus was almos half or 1/3 on Shock ❗💔❗😥❗💔❗

[@deanstackhouse4991]

As an apprentice on the Alaska Pipeline, and working in the mechanic's shop, we had some very good quality torch tip cleaners that came with an assortment of these fine bits...That said, I might suggest a quality welding supply shop might likely have what ya'all need for this job and you might determine the quality by country of origin...German or Swiss, Nordic Countries, etc.

[@donyboy73]

Great point!

[@Glenn_123]

Thank you for this video....My Craftsman snow blower just started doing this. I ran it with a tiny bit of choke on to get the job done this last time. I imagine this would be the problem. Thank you again for what you do!!

[@randomwrenching]

Sounds like you found the right video! VERY common problem on snow blowers...

[@Glenn_123]

@@randomwrenching yeah I wonder why.... The blower is like 7 years old. Kept inside.... it is maintained. Gas is always removed at end of season etc... But just this past storm it started surging... So added some choke and it cleared up but I know there was more to it then that. At least now I can fix it..... annoying though..

[@themowerman]

Good one don't lad.. hope your all good

[@kayraro1933]

I did this yesterday, and the surging stopped. Thanks! But why does the orifice need to be drilled out? Is it clogged with dirt? Or varnish?

[@rolfjostad3196]

I used a #80 micro drill which is .013” and it did not remove any material. Are you sure it’s .013”-.015”? Your drill bit looked a lot larger than a .013”. Thank you!

[@roberthamilton9123]

Hi ✋Don I hope all is well sir I remember you doing that same process to a cub cadet lawn mower where you shot w d 40 because it’s choke was not turning itself off when the engine was warmed up I hope you have a good weekend sir and thanks 🙏 for sharing 😀😀

[@Stormin_Norman]

Excellent video, I have a TORO 1028 but thus far that's ok. What to do if my choke on my snowblower has to be set at the first click to run smooth, even after the engine has warmed up> Thanks for the tips...

[@MyDuckfoot]

You can use a welding tip cleaners as well. They are like little files and work very well

[@donyboy73]

Great tip!

[@stu01565]

Thanks Donnie - I have a new Toro 1432 snowblower with this issue AND the choke vibrates closed when the engine is worked hard. Do you have a fix for this problem too? It's very annoying to have to keep adjusting the choke when running the snowblower. BTW: I have to run with the choke partly on or it will not run smooth.

[@jimhoward3228]

Donyboy I have a Troy Bilt storm 2410. It is surging very badly. I’ve cleaned and rebuilt the carburetor. I’ve also opened up the pilot jet per your specs and it still surges badly. So I threw in the towel and replaced the carburetor with a new oem carburetor and it still surges badly. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[@agfa663]

I have a newer Ariens with the Chinese engine that does that same surge. Do you have a video that shows how to fix it on that one ?

[@CALVINLNIKONT]

I always screw IN the idle screw and count the turns until it bottoms out and then when I replace it, I screw it all the way in and then count the turns from the bottom back out to where it was before.

[@LessThanHandy]

👍

[@mike5162]

Great idea 👍

[@paulogley5985]

Will this happen with a brand new carburetor?

[@chadbosko8935]

My blower is surging like crazy on idle i have that part out i have cleaners but not drills i have a normal bit set smallest is 1/16th seems just bigger than the hole does that size sound good, need to sell this blower right now while the snow is still flying

[@gedeonclavet2946]

I like your videos man it’s very helping me

[@DJNEUSPEED23]

Are these the same as craftsman.

[@philanderson8419]

Great information. So adding carb cleaner to gas on a regular basis won't keep this particular jet clean?

[@rameshpersaud7131]

Great job

[@itayshoshani]

It worked! Thank you

[@richardmaaske2601]

VERY smart idea.. And it works out great. The Engine runs Great !!

[@donyboy73]

Glad you like it!

[@seansutton9817]

Hey Dony great video! Would you recommend same procedure for my Husqvarna with LCT engine or would specs be different? Newer model 5 yrs old approx.

[@brentjorgensen5632]

exactly what I needed, where do I send the check?

[@AndysDogHouse]

Hi Donyboy. I have a JohnDeere lawn tractor with a Briggs and Stratton engine and it surges. I couldn't get it to settle down so I replaced the Carberator. After replacing it, the engine still surges. Do you have any idea as to what it could be? Thanks for sharing Donyboy.

[@deanmoore3776]

dony awesome tip I bought them microfiber drillbits from Amazon and I’ve been using them quite a while and they work pretty awesome and I’ve been doing the same thing that you have and it works great awesome tip love the video great job

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Got a link to where you got those bits on amazon?

[@donyboy73]

@@Mr_Tecumseh www.amazon.com/PEN-KIT-MALL-0-3-1-6mm-Jewelry/dp/B08VY6RGCK/ref=sr_1_26?dchild=1&keywords=micro+drill+bits&qid=1614341884&sr=8-26

[@ve3lks997]

@@donyboy73 Hi Dony, I am going to be ordering one of these kits as I need the handle as well as the bit. Is there somewhere else that you can order just a bunch of the .35mm bits? (I hope I did my math right as you mention 13/1000 or 15/1000 and that is the closest size after converting)

[@donyboy73]

@@ve3lks997 yes you can buy just the bits on amazon, and yes i use bits between 13"-15" thousanths of an inch

[@devonlee4309]

Nice to see a vid with the ohv engines. I never see tecumsehs anymore. Everyone on my street has mtd type. Thanks!

[@truckguy6.7]

I have a yamaha snowblower that surges the same way. I have taken apart and cleaned the carb countless times and still no fix. Can you do this to a yamaha snowblower and which jet would it be as there isn't a plastic jet in the carb.

[@tydevine]

Hey donnyboy73, thanks for this vid and the fix!, 1 question for ya, when I went to drill the one out for my surging CubCadet the little metal fitting I was supposed to drill through came right out.. I'm hesitant to put it back in and install it again as I fear it may fall out of the airjet cap completely again and down into the engine.. i installed the cap back again as it was without the metal incert, this did fix the surging anyhow, but I'm getting a good bit of backfiring now.. guessing too much air is making it in now. If I want to order a replacement one and re drill it when it arrives, What do I look for? like what's it actually called? thx again. cheers.

[@kevinwilliams9526]

I have the same surging on a 2017 tecumseh 277 cc engine which is on a 24 inch cub cadet snow blower. I changed the complete carburetor for a new one and so I know it is clean and I have exact same surging. I did not try this trick yet but I have ordered some micro drill bits to try. My surging started at the beginning of this season when right after stalling the engine abruptly in a snow bank. I have seen elsewhere where it is possible i broke the governor gear. Is it possible the surging could be from that. The governor is pulsing which is causing the surging. When the snowblower is loaded throwing snow it is running fine but without load it is surging. No problem to start though. Can you let me know if it could be your fix to solve problem or if it could be the governor. Changing the governor looks like a big job and i don't have the part number or diagram of parts for the engine I would need. to be sure I have the right part.

[@seanmcgillicuddy956]

Great video Don What causes this problem?

[@donyboy73]

the jet constricts itself over time

[@randomwrenching]

I agree with you Don, and I also think they are jetted too lean from brand new due to emission restrictions. Lawnmowers running in the warm summer are somewhat less sensitive with the mixture, but do still have some problems. Snowblowers running in the cold winter need a richer fuel mixture.

[@99andrianmonk]

@@donyboy73 Also, manufacturers are setting engines at the razor's edge for emission purposes. Once the rings breaks in and are not "perfect" the mixture apparently gets leaner due to blow by and hence surging. I have a Toro that's only two years old and it started surging after one season. Drilled out the jet and issue gone.

[@donyboy73]

@@99andrianmonk yes absolutely! meanwhile everyone drives the biggest gas guslers on the road

[@donyboy73]

@@randomwrenching absolutely!

[@bobbrady2093]

I have a Toro Power Max 6000 2-stroke (2005) that seems to run at very high throttle. Is there a way to adjust that carb?

[@unionbetty]

Hello Donny: I have a kinda weird problem with my snowblower. I have a toro power clear QZE 721. After watching your videos I replaced the paddles, belts , and scrape bar. All went perfectly. Now this year I’m experiencing the wheels on this until clogging up with snow, like it’s sticking to the wheels. This has happened before. So should I replace the wheels, ( they still have tread) but they are plastic? Or is there something I could spray on the wheels? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated Thanks Frank B

[@rpavlik1]

Snow blowers seem to be particularly prone to surging more than other equipment. My neighbor has a pretty new blower, and it surges and is super annoying: surges way worse than my 25 year old one ever did. Thanks for the video!

[@shanew7361]

🤣 if that's all I had to complain about my neighbors I'd be a happy man

[@berardia4]

Nice job. On the jet sometimes they have 2 o-rings and some have 1. Check to see if they are cracked or broken and replace also.

[@donyboy73]

great reminder thanks!

[@Mike-su8si]

I took the little brass piece out because the hole didn't go all the way through it the only ones that did are the holes on the sides Without the brass piece the engine still idles the same i noticed that the throttle isn't working right how it should