Snow Blower Not Starting - Snow Thrower Carburetor Cleaning Without Removal - Craftsman MTD Engine

[@billdaniels647]

This was one of the best videos I’ve seen, and you helped me to get my snowblower running for the first time in three years. Thank you!

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad to hear the video was helpful.

[@jamesclark3314]

I have this very same snow thrower, tried everything else, this was my last resort, and IT WORKED exactly how you described it. Thank you!

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad to know that the video was helpful. Thank you for the comment.

[@mildredcrowder5986]

My brother tried this yesterday and IT WORKED Thank you - this saved me probably a huge bill.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad that your brother was able to get it working.

[@alexanderwright216]

This worked!!! Honestly, when I took apart the carburetor it didn't look that gummed up. I thought to myself this is not going to work, but I followed your instructions nonetheless. Snowblower fired up right away! Thank you so much!!!

[@DIYWithIndi]

Wonderful, this is what I want to hear. Glad the video was helpful.

[@TheRysimpson88]

Hell yea! After receiving a broken replacement carb. I watched this video and it saved me half the labor. Works like a charm

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad to know my video was helpful. Thank you for the comment.

[@SamSegrave]

This video is amazing! Troy Bilt Storm 2410 wouldn’t start after being put away for the season. Followed the steps in this video and it started right up! Thank you

[@DIYWithIndi]

You are welcome. Good to hear you were able to start the snow blower.

[@GeorgeS-y1v]

Watched a lot of videos about taking apart and cleaning the entire carb. If the bowl has gas in it, you know the problem is with the tiny holes in the jet and the nut with the flow hole thru the middle. Cleaned those two pieces (and the bowl), shot some carb cleaner up where the jet sits, and it started right up. I didn't even have to mess with the float and needle valve. Thanks for the tips.

[@Pinebaron2011]

Good video. I have the Cub Cadet snowblower with 357cc engine which has an identical setup and I need to fix it today. Last season I forgot to empty the tank and run it dry. Lesson learned.

[@pdegregorio]

Thank you very much, Indi. The technique in the video fixed my problem on my year old Cub Cadet with 357cc engine, without my having to take out the carburetor, which on my machine is a lot of work. Very nicely explained. I'm glad I tried to fix the problem myself and I wouldn't have but your video gave me confidence to try it.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Wonderful, this is what I want to hear. Glad the video was helpful.

[@goattw3lve12]

I have this exact machine and was looking for a good tutorial on cleaning the jets- This is it! Excellent narration and camerawork!! Thanks!

[@DIYWithIndi]

Thank you for the comment. Glad the video was helpful.

[@santhony00]

Perfect video! Followed your steps and it started right up after two years of sitting idle. Tried “fixes” from others with no luck. Thanks again for such a great video!

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad to hear the video was helpful. Thank you for the comment.

[@12ujrmavhockey9]

Thank you for your video. I finally got my snowblower going just in time for the snow coming on Friday!!! Great video

[@DIYWithIndi]

Thank you. Glad the video was helpful.

[@rachelsanfiorenzo3556]

Great video … you explained it very well and showed great detail…My snowblower is sat for a few years I did what you said in this video and it started right up. Thank You

[@DIYWithIndi]

You are welcome, glad the video was helpful.

[@PH13PH]

Great video on cleaning the jet and emulsifier tube with out having to take the whole carb off. However if you wish to fix the surging and hunting that your machine is doing you will have to also remove the low idle jet too. which is on top of the carb. That jet has a really tiny hole that gets plugged up very very easily. once you clean that out most if not all of that surging will stop. The surging is because the engine is running to lean. or not getting enough fuel. You can even drill out that hole the next size up to make your machine run better. But at the very least clean the low idle jet.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Good comment. Yes, there has been some discussions on the idle jet cleaning here. But it is more complicated and requires to take the carburetor out. Cleaning the main jet will fix the stalling problem under load.

[@kimberlythompson4967]

Followed his instructions, instantly solved my problem. Used a 1.5mm allen wrench to pull out the jet.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Wonderful, thank you for the comment.

[@kimberlythompson4967]

Also fixed my neighbors snowblower with the same issue, ready for winter 😀

[@mosdses]

I did exactly as you recommended and it worked! God bless you!

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad the video was helpful. Thank you for the comment.

[@sun41507]

Did you remove the engine oil before tilting the blower?@@DIYWithIndi

[@DIYWithIndi]

@@sun41507 No, I did not drain the engine oil.

[@nathanieltoby6936]

Great step by step video. Well done.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Thank you.

[@a8a999]

Great video! In case you still can't start the machine, please try moving the choke lever one or two step back to "run" position. It works on my machine. I don't know why though.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Possibly because the open choke will flood the engine and it won't start will too much gas in there.

[@deaconasher]

I have cub cadet snow blower, this helped alot. Thnx for posting.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad it helped

[@anandmurthyD]

Amazing yet very informative and simple fix video. I liked the idea of tilting the machine for easy access. I also was innovative to remove the wheel for more room to work with the carburetor Thanks a ton 🙏🏼

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad that you found the video helpful. Appreciate the comment.

[@brettdaprile6595]

Oh dam I did everything you did . I started the blower . And it was working for 4 secs and it conked out . I just got my craftsman last year brand new . Imma check the spark plug on it . But thanks for the vid it was helpful . Hopefully I can get it started lol

[@DIYWithIndi]

Good idea to check the spark plug connection, but if it fired for sometime, then spark should be there. Also check if the gas is flowing into the float bowl. See my other video where the bowl was overflowing - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZq7i5-FbrN0iqM. If that is not the issue, then run some seafoam into the gas tank to start on choke - kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2O5p6hsZd-DiKs. The idle jet on the top of the carb may be blocked, and that will require removing the carb. Seafoam may help clear that out.

[@erichhaun5492]

Fingers crossed. I followed the video step by step. Other than having to kneel on there ground, it was as easy as anyone could want.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad the video was helpful.

[@mingolou]

Need to remove the idle jet and clear the opening to stop the surging of the engine.

[@fjqtaxch9]

Thank you for this video. I have the same blower.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad this video was helpful.

[@adilimo]

What a great detailed video. Can this be done to a majority of snowblowers and lawnmowers ?

[@DIYWithIndi]

Thank you. I would believe this can be used for any small engine as long as you can get to the float bowl. Some smaller engines are trickier to get to. But often the carburetor intake is a good one for those such as lawnmower or weed wackers.

[@garmstr400]

Excellent Video- Seafoam Works Great and use 93 Octane Gas will last better also Change The Spark Plug

[@DIYWithIndi]

Thank you for the comment. Appreciate it.

[@stevesmith6058]

You don’t have to soak it just get the water and poke the holes clear you’re also missing another important you need to get the pilot jet plane to shortcuts are no good

[@tonemeas6505]

Thank you so much,, you made it so ez,, step-by-step I think you again👍🏽👍🏽

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad it helped!

[@davidstegall5386]

I lost the rubber tip on the float needle is that going to be a problem?

[@nickfratello]

Very helpful and very informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@DIYWithIndi]

Glad it was helpful!

[@smath207]

Does the gas tank need to be empty first in order to try this method, or can you do it while the tank is half full or more? Want to try this but hoping i don't have to drain the gas tank first. Thanks

[@DIYWithIndi]

It is better to empty the gas tank. It will give you better access as I showed. Otherwise, you can try to pinch the hose that connects the gas tank to the carburetor, but you have to open up more than what I showed here in the video. I have another video where I drained the gas through the float - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZq7i5-FbrN0iqM though it was a quick fix to get it running.

[@smath207]

Thank you. I will drain, it's not a huge extra step but I was hoping to avoid it. Great video

[@smath207]

Wanted to respond that I completed this process and filled my tank this morning and it fired right up. Thanks again for the great video.

[@Bankai911]

hey i have similar machine, followed same steps still wont start up... spark plug looks clean and so dose oil but both have not been changed in 5 years but they look good to me any thoughts? could it be anything else (we have alway ued used fule stabilzer and inside the bowl and jet were very clean... could see light clearly all holes but still gave a good clean) thoughts ?

[@DIYWithIndi]

Sorry to hear that it won't start. You can check if the spark plug is getting electricity. Take the spark plug out and watch for spark when you start the engine. Be careful. If there is no spark, make sure the key is working, may have rusted inside. If there is spark, then check if the fuel is flowing to the carb. If you open the carb float bowl with gas in the tank, the gas should be dripping down. Here is another video though this one was because of dirty carb - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZq7i5-FbrN0iqM.

[@djdiaz2623]

While I was doing that a pin came out the thickness of a pencil probably 1/ 2 inch any idea where that's goes

[@DIYWithIndi]

Is it the pin that attaches to the float bowl? See 1:52 of the video.

[@djdiaz2623]

That not the one is a way bigger

[@mattb9664]

I couldn't get my jet cylinder to drop out. Judging how clean the bowl and screw were, I'm going to use some Seafoam. The symptom is that the engine has a constant surging during idle and lightweight snow loads. This is with clean, 93 octane fuel that's treated. Under heavy loads, the engine runs very well. This is on a similar 2008 Craftsman model.

[@DIYWithIndi]

These snowblower will surge in idle as the carbs idle jet is set to run lean due to EPA. If you want it to run without surging, you have to make the opening of the idle jet larger by removing the carb. The idle jet is located on the top on the carb.

[@mattb9664]

@@DIYWithIndi if I buy a rebuild kit or new carb, should I still open the hole up to the next drill bit size?

[@DIYWithIndi]

@@mattb9664 You can if the surging at idle bothers you. I have not done it myself. There is a great comment on this topic in my other video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2O5p6hsZd-DiKs. He suggested 1/16" drill bit to drill the pilot jet hole.

[@victorkostinsky8460]

do we have to drain oil to?

[@DIYWithIndi]

Not necessary to drain oil.

[@Jonathonn77]

I have the same that snowblower and my choke control red button/knob is stuck in the downward position. I cannot turn it clockwise to the run position. Any suggests on this fix

[@DIYWithIndi]

You can check to make sure that linkage to the choke is intact and the butterfly valve is not stuck open with something in the air intake. You have to remove the covers to get access to the carb.

[@parentconcerned6827]

After opening lube all moving parts.

[@jorgepizarro3327]

I'm going to do this right now and I'm going to let you know how it goes we're going to be hit with about a foot of snow by tomorrow. I live in Pennsylvania

[@DIYWithIndi]

Hope it worked for you to get it started up and running fine.

[@jorgepizarro3327]

@@DIYWithIndi nope, didn't work I think I'm going to need a new carb kit

[@randylouis6046]

Hi. Thank you for your video! I have the exact same snow blower as this one, and am experiencing starting issues. When my neighbor came over to troubleshoot, he initially unscrewed the carburetor plug & very dark gunk started coming out. He thought at the time he must have opened a dirty engine oil plug, but your video shows me that it was really just very badly broken-down gasoline gunk. So I am going to try your video's suggestions to clean out my carburetor. But I have a question for you...... there are 2 items on my snow blower that I don't know what they are. They don't seem to be identified in my manual or any videos I have watched on the subject. I was hoping you could identify what they are & why nobody seems to point to them as ways to drain anything. I'm hoping you can help me understand better what they are & what they should be used for when (or not touched, if that's the case): (1) At around 4:00-4:47 of this video, there is what appears to be a yellow-capped drain plug at the bottom-middle of the screen. What exactly does that drain? Oil? Gas? Other? (2) At around 13:25 of this video, there is a long silver tube with a silver plug/bolt (again, towards the bottom-middle) which is just above the red body of the blower, to the lower-right of all the red keys & knobs. Again, can you tell me what this drains? Thank you very much for your help on this!

[@DIYWithIndi]

Randy, both of them are for engine oil. The yellow one is for the engine oil to pour in (use a bent funnel if you have), and the other long tube is for draining the engine oil. Hope you are able to clean up the carburetor and get it running.

[@gunabalangunasingam1155]

I am going to clean carb first time let you know

[@robertdieder4178]

its surging because the pilot jet is likely partially clogged

[@DIYWithIndi]

It seems that due to EPA regulations, these small engines are made to run lean at idle. I have seen some choose to open up the idle jet (or pilot jet) hole by drilling it bigger so it can get more fuel during idle. But that will require access to the whole carburetor. Good comment though.

[@robertdieder4178]

@@DIYWithIndi what you have seen with others opening a jet up to compensate leanness is not the pilot jet but the main jet. It is a workaround if the passageway from the pilot jet cannot be cleaned due to buildup..otherwise the carburetor would necessitate replacing.

[@mjvaquatics2626]

Sounded like a LOT of surging after it was restarted so there was still a problem.

[@DIYWithIndi]

If you want to clean the idle jets, you will have to remove the carburetor. The surging at idle will be there as these are made to run lean due to EPA regulations. Under load, the throttle opens up and the main jets that I cleaned will be feeding the gas. That will not surge.

[@mjvaquatics2626]

@@DIYWithIndi Maybe try some Seafoam???

[@DIYWithIndi]

@@mjvaquatics2626 Yes, I have another video for cleaning with seafoam - kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2O5p6hsZd-DiKs.

[@parentconcerned6827]

Still surging.

[@DIYWithIndi]

These machines are made to surge at idle because they are designed to run lean due to EPA requirements. To fix the surging, I have to remove the carburetor and drill the hole of the idle jet on top of the carb to make it bigger so there is enough fuel/air mixture. Under load it runs fine since the throttle is open.