Recent content by Legal v8

+1 to pressure washing. Far less work than removing the heavy engine and not having the ability to run it to find the source of the leak unless you have an open bench to boot it on with a battery and fuel system setup. Not really ideal circumstances IMO.

Backfiring is almost always a sign of a lean fuel mixture. Is the new carb adjustable? If so, richen the high speed mixture (bottom of float bowl) at WOT until it slows down and burbles, then lean it back out until it smooths out. Adjust the low speed mixture such that when dropping to idle...

Make sure the pin holes in the emulsion tube and main jet are clean. Wires from bread ties are pretty close to the right soze to poke through the holes. If you have a torch cleaner set, those work a little better.

I put my second “rebuilt” starter on my second snowblower after giving it the commutator bar solder treatment this afternoon. That made a huge difference! I can see they made those starters to last “long enough”; it was evident that the starter had gotten wet inside. I could see some green...

Epoxies on smooth surfaces can sometimes struggle to adhere. A clean surface is imperative; scuffing the surfaces after cleaning (and cleaning after scuffing) is a good idea. I personally have never had magnets come loose though; I took some notes in case I ever do.

I don’t worry as much about how full the tank is except at the end of the season. As the season gets close to the end, I don’t keep as much fuel in it so when the snow is done, I just run the tank bone dry and leave it be. Some guys have recommended using a fogging oil at the end, but I‘ve...

Are you sure the ignition magnets aren’t on the outside of the flywheel? My current fleet of HM80 engines’ flywheels have magnets on the outside for ignition. Set the coil gap to the flywheel with a feeler gauge at .009-.012”. Points at .020” is perfect.

I would question when the backfire is happening. Does the engine surge at all? Any smoke? I’ve had dozens of these engines, and I have never had to do any valve work on any of them (L-head versions; OHV is a different animal). A clean carburetor is a must. In rare instances, a sheared...

If you have a genuine tecumseh adjustable carburetor (two-needle), then clean the jets and emulsion tube holes squeaky clean, and you should be golden. If there is any sign of even the slightest tinge of green inside the float bowl area, the pinholes in the emulsion tube and jets can be...

I don’t think the 120v starters are nearly as robust as the 12v units, but they usually do work for a long time. Points of failure that I’ve heard or witnessed: the push button switch can fail - check it with an ohm meter first. Next point is the brushes/brush holder/field connections...

Alright. I followed the advice you guys gave me and I got it back together to spec, and it starts and runs really nice. Oil will still spray out of the dipstick tube when running, but not to the same intensity as before. I do not see any exhaust vapor/smoke coming from the tube after...

I have a stupid question that I already know the answer to, but I’m going to ask it anyway. :D. Is there any use/benefit in using a little gasket sealer between the bore and lifter valley to prolong the gasket from leaking there?

Thanks for your input. I have checked all of this - the muffler was the first thing to come off and get looked at. Definitely not plugged. Pics attached of the parts. The head gasket has a couple small chips out of the edge in the area where they burn through, but this happened when I...

Here are some photos. The edges of the head gasket are pretty flaky - which I would expect for a 22 year old engine. The little specks chipped off beteeen the bore and lifter/pushrod valley while handling it after removal. I don’t see any evidence of combustion residue outside of the bore...

Thanks for your input. I have checked all of this - the muffler was the first thing to come off and get looked at. Definitely not plugged. Pics attached of the parts. The head gasket has a couple small chips out of the edge in the area where they burn through, but this happened when I...