Tecumseh Carb question

[MrSteele 495]

Iwas given a Troy Bilt this weekend, because the dang thing would not run. It has an 8 hp Tecumseh engine on it, with the same old useless carb that has been no good for years on Clintons and Tecumsehs. The only adjustment besides the idle screw is to change float position. Is this correct? Has anyone had any luck trying to make one of these engines run smoothly?

[BLT 725]

The high speed jet is a screw in the bottom of the bowl or if it is a fixed jet, just a plain nut. Take the bowl off and see what it looks like. If there is a lot of crud in the bowl, the dope who gave it to you didn't maintain it. I have very little problem with TEC carbs and when maintained they don't leak any worse then their counter parts. Here is a link for a service book free, ask Briggs for that. http://www.cpdonline.com/692509.pdf I have a lot of Briggs stuff and have a few Tecumsehs. Neither of them are that bad.

[MrSteele 495]

I am considering trying to replace the "plain screw" with an adjustable screw. Not certain what the result will be, but the surging has got to improve, or else it is sledgehammer time!

[BLT 725]

Surging might come from an overdue governor arm adjustment. The procedure is in the book also.

[andrewk 0]

I see probably 300 of those carbs a year, and they are fine if they are maintained. If its surging, try soaking the carb for an hour, and then cleaning it really good, if you havent already. If you have, and the governor is set right, throw it away and buy a new one. You could attempt a kit, but I find that more often than not, it is less of a headache, and more successful to just replace the carb. Then again, that is in a professional atmosphere, where time is of the essence. IIRC, the fixed jet carb wont work with a needle in it, I think the jet design is different.