Snow Blower Leaking Gas

[fisherman7]

Question, noticed my one year old Craftsman snowblower was leaking gas out of the bottom of the housing. Started it up and it smoked and ran like crap!

 

Haven't bothered to take it apart yet but wondering if anyone has had similar experience and what did you do? Seafoam was added just before I put it away.

 

And yah I know it's early but it was leaking gas. That's the only reason I toyed with it. I don't want to be blamed for an early winter.

[Fisherman]

Housing, housing of what? Could be a split in the fuel line, needle valve has crud around it, isn't sealing properly. Bro's lawnmower recently had gas slowly dripping out of the air intake, dropped the float bowl, took out the needle, the tiny tiny piece of crud on tip of the needle kept it from closing. Reassembled and all is fine again.

[Terry]

Would think it is a gas line leak

But wou will need to remove housing to see where it is coming from

[Big Cliff]

Question, noticed my one year old Craftsman snowblower was leaking gas out of the bottom of the housing. Started it up and it smoked and ran like crap!

 

Haven't bothered to take it apart yet but wondering if anyone has had similar experience and what did you do? Seafoam was added just before I put it away.

 

And yah I know it's early but it was leaking gas. That's the only reason I toyed with it. I don't want to be blamed for an early winter.

A, where do you live?

B, If you mean by "the bottom of the housing" you are actually referring to the air box, check to see if there is a recall on that unit, there are a number of snow blowers out there that have problems with the carbs and there is a recall on them, dealer will replace the carb for free even if it is beyond the warranty.

C, if you are in the Lindsay area I'd be happy to have a look at it for you (before you try taking it apart LOL).

Lastly, if you get it fixed you probably won't need it, if you don't get it fixed we'll have a winter from heck!

[Weeds]

Props to anybody who's got an eye on his snowblower late August. I'm the idiot who waits till a mid December 16 inch snowfall before trying to extract the snowblower from the back of the garage that is almost guaranteed to not start or function properly.

[limeyangler]

Float bowl on the carb?

[ketchenany]

I had one it was the bowl.

I Will start mine next week! I waited late "once" I had to use a shovel!!!!

[misfish]

I had one it was the bowl.

I Will start mine next week! I waited late "once" I had to use a shovel!!!!

 

Grandkids love the snow Albert. Just a tip for ya.

 

Big Cliff, on 29 Aug 2017 - 11:47 AM, said:

A, where do you live?

B, If you mean by "the bottom of the housing" you are actually referring to the air box, check to see if there is a recall on that unit, there are a number of snow blowers out there that have problems with the carbs and there is a recall on them, dealer will replace the carb for free even if it is beyond the warranty.

C, if you are in the Lindsay area I'd be happy to have a look at it for you (before you try taking it apart LOL).

Lastly, if you get it fixed you probably won't need it, if you don't get it fixed we'll have a winter from heck!

As always, Cliff steps up, AGAIN.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Misfish

[misfish]

dp

Edited August 29, 2017 by Misfish

[Old Ironmaker]

I know nada about snow blowers but Seafoam isn't really a treatment for phase separation in gas. It's more of a tune up in a can and the jury is still out. For any of my smaller gas powered machines and including the boat I always use the hi octane fuel like V Power and will add 2+4 gas treatment when storing over the winter.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Old Ironmaker

[ketchenany]

Brian they haven't shovelled it yet, they will hate it eventually!

[fisherman7]

A, where do you live?

B, If you mean by "the bottom of the housing" you are actually referring to the air box, check to see if there is a recall on that unit, there are a number of snow blowers out there that have problems with the carbs and there is a recall on them, dealer will replace the carb for free even if it is beyond the warranty.

C, if you are in the Lindsay area I'd be happy to have a look at it for you (before you try taking it apart LOL).

Lastly, if you get it fixed you probably won't need it, if you don't get it fixed we'll have a winter from heck!

Thank you Big Cliff. I'm going to look at first myself just to see if I can see where it's coming from. Maybe a mouse? If it's not a simple fix, I'll try Craftsman's warranty line. But I do appreciate the offer. Very kind of you.

[jimmer]

I think you have to buy a carb kit and replace the float pin and bowl gasket if you can't find a line leaking. I had that happen last year and the thing caught on fire and was only put out by a fire extinguisher. I had that thing buried in snow and it was still burning. Works great now after the rebuild. I could be a number of other things though.

[DRIFTER_016]

My vote is on a gummed up needle and seat.

Float isn't closing off the flow of fuel into the float bowl.

Do you add fuel stabilizer to your fuel?

I run it in all of my fuel except the truck.

I never know when the last time my small engines will be used so I put stabilizer in all of my fuel.

Keeps things from gumming up.

[ketchenany]

I used stabilizer and had a hard time starting next season but was using reg gas.. Last year I started using premium gas and no problem stating!

 

We'll see next week when the blower gets a look and a run.

[Old Ironmaker]

Here is the same old question, put small machines away full or MT? I put all the small gas engines away MT. Boat tank I fill max with V power and add 2+4 or Stabil.

[Big Cliff]

Old school was put them away empty. Problem with that especially on a two stroke is that if you run it dry you are leaning it out (running it without lubricant), might only be for a second or two but a chain saw typically runs at about 12,000 RPM. It probably won't ruin your engine short term but it sure doesn't do it any good.

 

The other thing with running things dry is that diaphragms and seals can dry out. IMHO the best thing you can do is use high test gas (mixed with oil on two strokes) and store them full. My chain saw is 20 years old and still starts within three pulls even if it's been sitting for 6 months or more.