Snowblower hard to start (Tecumseh HMSK-80)

Ignoramus29345 · 2007-02-07T15:12:38+00:00

I have a old military surplus Bolens snowblower. A couple of yearsago, when I bought it, I put in a brand new Tecumseh HMSK-80 engineinstead of trying to fix the old 6 HP engine. (replacement was trivial)It is somewhat difficult to start. I feel that it is so because I amnot following a correct procedure and need some ideas. I added an electric starter to this engine. (which is really great,very helpful in bad weather). It also has a throttle (fast/slow lever,with the boittom slowest position being OFF), and a choke.My symptoms is that when I start it, at cold temps like 0 F, itsputters, runs very rough and wants me to press the fuel rubber buttonto supply extra fuel or else it dies. I start it at idle speed, and tried various choke positions. After a few tries like that, once it warms up a bit, it starts runninga little better, at which point I slowly move it to a full speedrunning position. Then it runs very strong and everything works great. It is a heavysnowblower and can get through anything. But I would like to know howto start these engines better. I keep it outside, so it is as cold as ambient air, for exampleyesterday it was about 0F. If a couple of minutes with a heat gunwould make a difference, I could try that. Any ideas?i

Feb 07, 2007 49 Replies

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clare at snyder.on.ca 19 years ago

Tell that to my bernzomatic torch. It will NOT light when it is very colt. If I want to use it to light a fire I need to put it inside my coat for a while to warm it up. Otherwize it just pops at me. (turbotorch). A friend uses one to start his diesel tractor when he needs to blow out his lane after a heavy snowfall. Takes it from the house with him inside his coat, pulls the air intake tube off the manifold, lights the torch and props it inside the manifold for a few minutes, then cranks the engine. Starts right up like it was a summer day. He tried once leaving the torch in the tractor cab - no go.

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clare at snyder.on.ca 19 years ago

In both cases (carb cleaner and WD40) it is the propellant that makes it work. Try DW40 in a squirt bottle, and it's like trying to start the engine on kerosene. Once the propellant lights, the WD40 becomes a fuel.

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clare at snyder.on.ca 19 years ago

Most "starting fluid" today is only partly ether and is not as dangerous as the old "pure" stuff. The difference between just enough to start, and enough to do serious damage, was a pretty fine line. I've seen some pretty serious ether damage on both gasoline and diesel engines. Most today include an upper cyl lubricant, some heptane and or butane and or propane.

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Rich256 19 years ago

I find that spraying some carburator cleaner into the manifold does the job too. Same thing as starter fluid I guess.

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Gunner 19 years ago

And it lubricates the cylinder walls as things are starting up.

Gunner

"Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide"

- James Burnham

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Nick Hull 19 years ago

True, but it works much better after compression in a cylinder

I believe that, a small propane torch only has enough fuel to run a ONE cylinder small engine, you need more for a diesel tractor.

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clare at snyder.on.ca 19 years ago

Hey, not running the diesel on propane - just the torch to warm up the intake air. You missed the point where he "lights the torch"

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clare at snyder.on.ca 19 years ago

Yup!!

commits suicide"

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Gerald Miller 19 years ago

When I worked for the lumber company as a teenager, we used a torch in front of the intake to start the diesel powering the planing mill. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

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Mark Rand 19 years ago

It's nice to know that there _is_ a use for the damned stuff :-|

Mark Rand RTFM

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