Anyone have a Cub Cadet snow blower? Mine won't start...

[daddo]

I pull the spark plug squirt a little gas in put the plug back in and start the engine in my Roto tiller Once it starts it usually will keep running then the next time it starts easy

 An easier way is to spray a little carb cleaner in the intake of the carb. It'll run it for a few seconds. But that's cheating- your suppose to pull on the cord until you pass out.
 It's in the book- page 28.

[Robert Adams]

 An easier way is to spray a little carb cleaner in the intake of the carb. It'll run it for a few seconds. But that's cheating- your suppose to pull on the cord until you pass out.
 It's in the book- page 28.

Reminds me of the leaf blower I have. It would just almost start. It was one I royally abused using it to suck up and mulch leaves. I needed just a few more minutes of use out of it and wore myself out along with getting poed at it.  

      Using  a leaf blower for mulching leaves creates incredibly fine dust that goes right through the air and fuel filter and plugs up every tube in the carb. Big piles accumulate inside. Course  I still haven't tossed it in the trash... Maybe I'll drop it from from a tall roof to get it out of my misery like I did with my portercable framing nailer.

[fixtureman]

 An easier way is to spray a little carb cleaner in the intake of the carb. It'll run it for a few seconds. But that's cheating- your suppose to pull on the cord until you pass out.
 It's in the book- page 28.

I would have to run to the store for that and by that time I would be done tilling

[daddo]

I would have to run to the store for that and by that time I would be done tilling

 Get ether spray the next trip- the next time you'll be prepared.


 Try WD40 .

[Snipe Hunter]

Not sure if you got it started yet or not but someone mentioned earlier to turn the fuel shut-off valve to "on" if you haven't done it already.

Also, make sure the choke is engaged. A two year old motor with no fuel in it should start right up with fresh fuel in it. I don't like to run carbs dry but to each his own. I run a little Stabil in in a the end of the season and never have problems and you'll never have air stuck in a fuel line.

The only issue I've ever had was from ethanol eating the fuel lines in my 1989 outboard which gumming up the float hinge so it wouldn't move and stabil won't cure that. It ran but the needle valve wouldn't close. New lines and cleaning the goo off the float got everything right again. That goo will harden if the floats are run dry and it may not start.

[Bill Wilson]

Reminds me of my trouble starting my snowblower last season.  The machine was only 3 years old and had given me no problems to that point.  The previous year, I had run the remaining gas out of the tank before storing it.  Got it out last Fall, just to make sure it was good to go for the Winter and went through the procedure; flip the fuel switch, 4-5 shots with the primer bulb, set the choke, pull the rope.....pull again.....and again......and again.  Nothing, not even a sputter.  My SB has electric start, but I never had to use it before.  I figured it was better than pulling my arm out of the socket, so I plugged it in, pressed the button, still wouldn't start.   I was puzzled, since the machine was relatively new and had performed flawlessly until now.  I decided to let it set for an hour or so, thinking perhaps I had flooded it.  Came back later and tried again, no luck.  I was getting frustrated now and my mind began racing through all the various scenarios and  I went through the starting procedure again, and it was then that I noticed I had flipped the fuel switch off instead of on.  Apparently when I ran it out of gas last Spring, I left the fuel switch in the ON position, when I put it away.  When I went through the starting procedure, I unwittingly flipped the switch to OFF instead of ON.  One pull later and the SB was purring like a kitten. 

[joe1086]

Last year I had struggled over an hour to get ours restarted before I saw the stop switch key dangling from its cord....

[crokett™]

LIL, assuming you are still going to take it apart, use the opportunity to add a fuel shutoff to the fuel line. They're about 2 bucks at a parts place.

[bennybmn]

Update: it's alive! The other night I went out there and whacked the carb bowl with a screwdriver handle a few times and pulled out the little drain screw. Fuel flowed so I figured the bowl was unstuck. It was after 9, and I know my neighbor goes to bed early (works mornings at Home Depot and has a pickup truck and helps me out a lot, NOT the neighbor I want to disturb
) so today was my first chance to fire it. Got my ear muffs (electric start is LOUD) and it fired after about a half dozen cachugs. I noticed that it dies if I let the choke all the way to "run" so I'm thinking my main jet is still clogged... runs great on about 1/4 choke.

I also watched a YouTube video on replacing the card. You have to remove the chute, the belt cover, heat shield, and plastic console thing where the knobs are, which means you then have to reconnect the key switch and breather tube correctly when you're done. It's kind of an air box too. So that sounds terrible... plus the plastic thing makes it near impossible to spray anything directly into the carb. Also, no fuel cutoff. So down the road, I may drill a 1/2" hole in the plastic and plug it with a cap of some sort so I have access to the carb to spray cleaner. Also might trim the console so I can get at the fuel line better to at least pinch it with needle nose vise grips, let alone install a shutoff. If I have time I'll siphon out the gas so I can drop the bowl and at least try to unplug the main jet.

You guys are great! All the advice and story sharing really helps.

[daddo]

Any buildup in the fuel lines and tank could cause future problems. I'd clean/flush those out well or replace the fuel lines and add a fuel filter if it hasn't one. Then run a bit of sea foam in the system once you get it running.

*Since you can get it running, sea foam or equivalent may clean out the carb- 50/50 chance.