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3416H Carb and Starting Problems


dymondclay

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I have two problems I need help with. Possibly related. Problem 1 - Hard starting. Problem 2 - Carb leak. My 3416H has become increasingly harder to get started over the summer. I had to rope start it for a couple of months while I jacked around with used starter/generators. It used to start on the first or second pull, then got increasingly harder to start over the 2 month time period. I finally rebuilt one of my starter/generators and bought a new voltage regulator. These seem to be working fine although the speed at which it was turning over to start I felt might too slow as I have to crank and crank to get it started. I took the battery to be tested and tested "bad". Replaced the battery and starter speed increased but still have to crank and crank (unless I use a shot of ether in the spark plug hole first, then she fires right up). I have good spark. I bought a carb overhaul kit and replaced the idle mixture needle, high speed needle and float needle. The emulsion tube in the kit was slightly shorter than what was in the carb and had a different hole pattern so I re-used the old one. Still have the hard starting problem. Also, points and condenser are less than 1 year old. As for the carb leak, after cranking and cranking, the lower half of the carb leaks gas from the "nub" for lack of a better term on the very bottom, just below the choke. If by some chance she starts right away, no leaks and no leaks while running or while just sitting. Only after having cranked and cranked without starting. Any suggestions?
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I don't know if I'd call it a chug. maybe, but definitely hisses (or more like a air sucking sound), hiss is loudest with throttle all the way slow, not as bad just past slow. No difference in hiss from just past slow - maybe 1/8 throttle - and full throttle. Choke position makes no difference in sound. What about the carb leak? Just now cranked and cranked and it wouldn't start. I know it will start if I spray some starting fluid in the spark plug hole, but would prefer not to. I've had to do this twice, once to use the tractor, once right after the carb rebuild so I could tune it, and do not want to again.
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I would check the thing that would be most obvious, check the gasket between the carb and the block, The reason you would hear it most in idle is since the engine would be running the quitest at the moment it will cause lack off power and stalling eventually that is why you would be leaking gas since there might just be a rotted gasket, That would be the thing to check. The hissing you hear would be the air it is sucking in at the gasket and since it is pulling it in that fast through a small opening you ould be experiencing that sound, good luck. -BradW
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Brad could be right. If your fuel leakage started after your rebuild did you remove the intake manifold to block plate? There is a gasket on each side of it that is a little tricky to reinstall. You can check for air leakage by quickly spraying carb cleaner around the area while it is running. I don't think intake seals will make audible noise - head gaskets and valves definetly will though. Might as well go around all the head bolts and make sure they are snug while you are at it. Kent - we need audio! :)
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I'll check for leaks tonight after work. The carb leak was present before and after the rebuild. I did not remove the intake manifold. Just the upper and lower carb (as one piece), then separated on the bench. I do have a microphone with my pc, but I'd have to move the whole thing out to the garage to make a recording, or push the tractor around to the dining room window!
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Brent, I've got an Homelite T16 with the same engine. I believe that the gas dripping at the carb is from flooding due to lack of GOOD SPARK. Mine is kind of tempermental and was driving me crazy this summer because sometimes it wouldn't start. After much of trying this and that, I finally caught the bugger not sparking once. Checked points once more etc...finally realized that my points were getting a very fine layer of what should be called crankcase condensate. If I spread the points enough to get a nice clean rag on them I would discover a little spot on the rag from wiping the them. Mabey half soot half oil? I could not see the film on the points only the evidence on the rag. Anyways, as soon as I tried it again, it fired. Hard starting and lack of power haved been fixed twice this way over this summer. Probably I should replace the little seal around the point actuating plunger. At any rate I wouldn't ignore the ignition side of the equation if you've already spent considerable time on fuel-air with no results.
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Brent, I have been there done that!! My experience matches yours almost exactly. ONE WORD >> POINTS My points looked good and they weren't that old. I had good spark with the plug out. I gave up and put in new points and condenser and its been starting on the first revolution every since. Good Luck. Mike.
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Points looked good, wiped anyway. No luck. Checked spark by removing plug, and holding the threads against the head and cranked her over. Nice blue arc visible. Removed air cleaner and looked down into lower half of carb body and could see quite a bit of gas (the leak was well underway after many start attempts). Resorted to spraying a bit of starting fluid down the plug hole and tried to start. No luck. Situation getting worse, not better. Last time I was able to get it started after carb rebuild, it ran great. It has always run great, even with the hard starts. Now though, I can't get it started even with starting fluid! Help!
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Everbody says points but after I have looked at the previous posts on the condenser that may be your suspect, you might want to check that out, good luck. -BradW
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