More snowblower problems threads

I have a JD Snowblower about 14-15 years old given to me second hand . Dad wanted a smaller one as it snows less in Southern IA . Anyway, first year using it , it had the typical dirty carb symptoms. Surging backfiring ect. I tear into it last night and clean it out , which Ive done successful on snowmobiles dirt bikes ect in the past. Anyway put it back together, rip the cord, purrs like a kitten. Do a little blowing around the yard quick to test her full throttle she runs great. Prob ran 5-10 min.

This morning I go out to the garage – reaks like fuel . I check the gas tank – sure enough all the gas ran out of the tank. The carb float was stuck – I tear apart the carb , sure enough didnt have the needle seat in correctly . Fix that throw it back in . Rip the cord – Hm stuck ? Hydro locked me thinks ? Pull the spark plug and pull it over about 20 times. Throw plug back in . Still locked up .

Pull plug out – let it set to air out , shut fuel off , pulled it over 20 times smooth as could be without the plug in . Soon as I throw that plug in – can get it to pull over a time or two then hits a wall . It will always roll over just cant get it started without it damn near breaking the cord. Ocassionally the motor will pop but wont run . Feel like its the compression release but I dont know much about that feature. Any ideas? ? Briggs and Stratton 1550 342 cc .

Number one, you are not getting all of the gas out of the combustion chamber, two, the intake may be full if it is horizontal and you are sucking in more raw fuel.
Three, drain the crankcase as it may be full of fuel and you are filling the combustion chamber with fuel pulled through the crankcase vent.

Difficult to get too specific here without knowing which model of John Deere and I’m not sure I understand your symptoms fully.

Briggs and most small engines that size have an automatic compression release. If you Google it there are videos that demonstrate how it works.

Did you check the oil and could the crankcase have gotten filled up with gas such that you are hydro locked from the bottom end?

Iowaboy1 wrote:

Number one, you are not getting all of the gas out of the combustion chamber, two, the intake may be full if it is horizontal and you are sucking in more raw fuel.
Three, drain the crankcase as it may be full of fuel and you are filling the combustion chamber with fuel pulled through the crankcase vent.

How do I drain it other than pulling it over with the plug out ??

I can see the intake valve open and close . Didnt think of draining the crank case- I did check the dipstick and oil level was full , but gas could be on top of that oil and invisible on the dipstick . Good idea.

After you drain the oil, lay the blower on its side and give the rope a couple of rips.
Grouse is the expert on snow blowers and I have a ton of experience with briggs, kohler, honda etc.

Iowaboy1 wrote:

After you drain the oil, lay the blower on its side and give the rope a couple of rips.
Grouse is the expert on snow blowers and I have a ton of experience with briggs, kohler, honda etc.

Will do – Intake or exhaust side ? Never ocurred to me it could hydrolock on the bottom end .

I hear that this time of night you can show up at Grouse’s house with a 30 pack and he will work on it for ya.
Just kidding, dont shoot me Grouse!!

Iowaboy1 wrote:

I here that this time of night you can show up at Grouse’s house with a 30 pack and he will work on it for ya.
Just kidding, dont shoot me Grouse!!

The whole time I was typing this I was like that Grouse guys gonna have a field day with this lol

Side doesnt matter, as long as the spark plug hole is laying just beyond horizontal.
Refill with engine oil, dont choke it to begin with as it may start on residual fumes.

Hydrostatic lock from the bottom can occur when there is no room for the piston to go down, you cannot compress a liquid, top side or bottom side.

Iowaboy1 wrote:

Side doesnt matter, as long as the spark plug hole is laying just beyond horizontal.
Refill with engine oil, dont choke it to begin with as it may start on residual fumes.

Hydrostatic lock from the bottom can occur when there is no room for the piston to go down, you cannot compress a liquid, top side or bottom side.

For sure makes sense – hopefully I didnt blow out all the seals on the lower end now . Will report back in the morning . Drinking beers of defeat right now .

It will be fine, I should have mentioned, on the crankcase side of the piston there is a crankcase vent, when it is overfilled with oil, oil mixed with gas whatever, that vent will allow liquids to make it to the intake.
So, when the piston goes down it will push liquid into the intake hydro locking the motor all over again on the intake stroke.
That vent is usually pretty small and if you are really ripping the cord you are trying to compress the liquid under the piston before it gets a chance to get into the intake.
Either way it can drive you nuts until you figure it out.

Iowaboy1 wrote:

It will be fine, I should have mentioned, on the crankcase side of the piston there is a crankcase vent, when it is overfilled with oil, oil mixed with gas whatever, that vent will allow liquids to make it to the intake.
So, when the piston goes down it will push liquid into the intake hydro locking the motor all over again on the intake stroke.
That vent is usually pretty small and if you are really ripping the cord you are trying to compress the liquid under the piston before it gets a chance to get into the intake.
Either way it can drive you nuts until you figure it out.

Id bet thats it . Intake was popping and smoking like crazy trying to burn all that fuel off when I was ripping it.. I have a 4 Stroke Suzuki DRZ 400 Dual sport bike. Few years back id ride it for 5 minutes then itd stall out and wouldnt restart . Wait 20 minutes fire right back up. Turns out the needle wore out and would leak just enough fuel in the oil to cause it to run rich when it got hot . Took me a few times to figure that out lol

Yikes – you guys ready for the carnage ? Drained the oil . Flipped her on its side took the exhaust off . Took plug out pulled it over smooth as silk . Plug in . Hard yet / what the hell . Look down the exhaust hole and valve isn’t moving . Uhhhh what the??? Take valve cover off . Carnage . Bent push rod . How hards this replace ??? I’ve never messed or set valves before would a local shop have them on hand if it’s something I can tackle ??? Guess I done pulled too hard . Yikes

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Yikes – upon further inspection the valve guide on the exhaust is out as well. I def cant push the exhaust valve down like I can the intake valve.

A couple of things could have caused that, extra rich fuel mix could have washed what tiny amount of oil is on the exhaust valve stem off and the valve seized in the open position the second it cooled down and the piston struck it when you tried to start it and you started to bend the pushrod.

You didnt say how much gas came out of the spark plug hole when you removed the plug and tried pulling it over, so, assuming it was full of fuel and the stroke happened to be starting on the exhaust stroke when the exhaust valve was still closed, the larger surface area of the piston was enough to hold it closed and the pushrod being easy to bend did so while trying to open the valve, the force could of been enough to bend the valve as well and that is why you cant open by hand.

If you remove the cylinder head and can see a valve witness mark on the piston where the piston struck the exhaust valve tells me the shear key on the cam drive gear on the crankshaft sheared and allowed camshaft and crankshaft timing to be out of time, when this happens the piston can strike the valve bending its stem and the pushrod.
Depending on phase of timing when you pulled the engine over you could have very well bent the intake valve vs the exhaust valve.

You didnt mention hearing any knocking noises while it was running and its possible you couldnt, but it may have spun the rod which allowed the piston to travel to further up in the bore and it struck the exhaust valve then once the load of combustion wasnt being placed on the rod anymore effectively holding it against the crankpin until you shut it down, again, there will be a witness mark on the piston so check the rod play on the crankpin.

That engine can be fixed regardless of how and what happened but it may be cheaper to buy a new one.
Let us know what you find when you tear it down.

Had similar problem with mine.
It made me switch to a 60 volt battery operated thrower.

None came out the spark plug hole – not a drop . But I bet it was hydro locked on the lower end . I drained the oil and didn’t think that much more came out honestly – but who knows what evaporated and what not . Crazy I can do that much damage with a rope pull cord but I guess so . Bad luck . Getting beyond my pay grade taking the top end off . No doubts I could get it apart – it’s the back together part I’m worried about ha.

No disrespect Andy but I’m with you. I could get it apart and see everything Sheldon is talking about but re-assemble?
I think I’d be looking at a new blower instead and putting that one aside til the warmer months come and I can learn some new things working on it comfortably.
BEST OF LUCK
Apparently my pay grade is about level 2 out of 100 after reading his assessment!