Need help with my Troybilt

[humbug]

Spring is finally here. I am getting excited about getting my garden in.

I serviced my rototiller (a troybilt Horse). I changed the oil, spark plug and changed the air filters. I went to put new gas in and I ended up with gas running everywhere. Cracked fuel lines appeared to be the problem. So I replaced all three fuel lines. I made a map of where the fuel lines go so I would not cross any of them. I put more gas in...great ...no leaks. I proceeded to try to start my tiller. It finally caught and then ran really rough for a couple of minutes and then died. I noticed fuel leaking out the air filter compartment. I took off the air filter and left it off and tried to start it again. The engine caught and then puked gasoline all over me through the air filter compartment and then died. I can't figure out what to do next. The carburetter is located right behind the air intake..they are connected. The new air filter I bought has gasoline on the bottom portion of it. Can I still use it? (the filters were about $20, so not cheap)

Anyone have any ideas. I went to see my local handyman and his MIL said he is out of town for a week because it is spring break. I would like to rototill next weekend.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Hum

[DM]

Spring is finally here. I am getting excited about getting my garden in.

I serviced my rototiller (a troybilt Horse). I changed the oil, spark plug and changed the air filters. I went to put new gas in and I ended up with gas running everywhere. Cracked fuel lines appeared to be the problem. So I replaced all three fuel lines. I made a map of where the fuel lines go so I would not cross any of them. I put more gas in...great ...no leaks. I proceeded to try to start my tiller. It finally caught and then ran really rough for a couple of minutes and then died. I noticed fuel leaking out the air filter compartment. I took off the air filter and left it off and tried to start it again. The engine caught and then puked gasoline all over me through the air filter compartment and then died. I can't figure out what to do next. The carburetter is located right behind the air intake..they are connected. The new air filter I bought has gasoline on the bottom portion of it. Can I still use it? (the filters were about $20, so not cheap)

Anyone have any ideas. I went to see my local handyman and his MIL said he is out of town for a week because it is spring break. I would like to rototill next weekend.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Hum

It's flooding... Shut the gas off at the tank. Hopefully the tank has a shutoff...

I'm going to say the float is stuck in the carb and is letting too much gas in... Try giving the bottom of the carb a couple bumps with a screw driver handle... Then with the gas off try to start it again... It it starts, turn the gas back on...

Let the air cleaner dry good, and it should still be good...

The best thing you can do for those small motors is, to shut off the gas at the tank, and let the motor idle untill it stops after every use... That way there's no old gas left in the carb. At the end of the season, i run them completely out of gas the last time i use them... (tank and all)

DM

[Deberosa]

I had this same thing happen to a brand new Troy Bilt I had years ago. It's a spark plug/carbeurator adjustment. Since you just changed the plug it might be that gap. I am not sure about using the air cleaner, this has pretty much exhausted my mechanical experience. ;-)

It was so frustrating to get a brand new machine out of the box (back in those days - the 70's you had to mail order them!) and have it choke out every time you put any kind of load on it!

I hope you get it figured out before you need it.

[rAcErRicK]

Spring is finally here. I am getting excited about getting my garden in.

I serviced my rototiller (a troybilt Horse). I changed the oil, spark plug and changed the air filters. I went to put new gas in and I ended up with gas running everywhere. Cracked fuel lines appeared to be the problem. So I replaced all three fuel lines. I made a map of where the fuel lines go so I would not cross any of them. I put more gas in...great ...no leaks. I proceeded to try to start my tiller. It finally caught and then ran really rough for a couple of minutes and then died. I noticed fuel leaking out the air filter compartment. I took off the air filter and left it off and tried to start it again. The engine caught and then puked gasoline all over me through the air filter compartment and then died. I can't figure out what to do next. The carburetter is located right behind the air intake..they are connected. The new air filter I bought has gasoline on the bottom portion of it. Can I still use it? (the filters were about $20, so not cheap)

Anyone have any ideas. I went to see my local handyman and his MIL said he is out of town for a week because it is spring break. I would like to rototill next weekend.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Hum

[rAcErRicK]

Did you ever get your rototiller going Humbug ? Was it the float needle ?
richard

[humbug]

I finally got a chance to work on my rototillar today. I think it has a bigger problem. I thought I had another gas leak but it turned out the gas is coming out where the oil goes in...what causes this? Am I totally up a creek and have to get a new engine?

Also I took the fuel bowl off and there is no fuel in it.

[rAcErRicK]

Maybe not. If the gas shut off valve from the tank is left on, and the float needle sticks open, gas will drain into the combustion chamber and just sit there on top of the piston, and eventually run down past the rings into the crankcase where the oil goes. Not good ! You don't want to crank it up with gas in the crankcase, it could easily explode.

First, find out why the float needle won't stop the gas from overflowing the float bowl, then you can drain the contaminated oil from the crankcase, replace it with new oil, and it should run ok. Was it running good the last time you used it ?

The same thing could easily happen to a brand new engine if the float needle stuck, so I would not junk the engine. I would remove the carb, and find a mechanic that can disasemble it and find out why the float is sticking. Clean it out, check the float level, put it back on, replace the oil, and it should run at least as good as the last time you used it. Good luck Hum.

richard

[rAcErRicK]

If the float bowl was empty, all the gas must have run out of the tank, which is why your crankcase is now full.

[rAcErRicK]

I certainly would not junk the old engine, it's probably better than a new one, unless it is definately worn out. And even then, if you can find a small engine man, that knows his stuff, he can make it like new again, but they are becoming somewhat hard to find anymore. Just beware of kooks that claim to be. Reputable is the key word here. Does your son know any motorcycle people that do their own work ? Snowmobile ?

[humbug]

I have it up and running!!! ;D ;D ;D

Thank you all so much for your help. I will be happily tiiling away as soon as the weather breaks again....we have a storm blowing through..

Thanks again,

HUM