Our neighbor's snowblower...
 

Our neighbor has a snowblower - see pics. It backfires to the point where it is unusable.
This gal has taken the carburetor apart. Cleaned the jets etc but not replaced any parts.
It is a Honda 4 stroke. Has put premium gas in it. I said did you clean the air filter? She said there isn't one. She has replaced the spark plug.

She said a shop manual is $40 and does not want to spend the $$ on that. If she has to sell it with the backfiring going she will. I said it I would put the situation to you all.
Any ideas? :)http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470938275.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1470938322.jpg

Owners manual

http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/manuals/00X31V106270.pdf

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Needs to be fixed before sale.

I agree, she will eat more than the $40 for the shop manual.

A new carburetor can be had for < $20 (I found it for $18.12 on boats.net)

Clean idle circuit and pilot jet......20 minute job..No need for a manual, can find help online..In the future, if sitting more than a few weeks, add Stabil to Non-ehanol fuel, shut off fuel valve and run till it quits.....

Sure could not hurt to check the valve adjustment either .

Thanks all. I have downloaded your responses and passed them on....:)

http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/manuals/00X31V106270.pdf

HONDA AUTOMOBILES HS520A OWNER'S MANUAL Pdf Download.

I think premium in that area would not have ethanol. It shouldn't need an additive.

Carb cleaning video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i14aB6g798

They do not sell non-ethanol gas, except at airports for aircraft, around here.

Beard - Looks like you are correct.....In all of Houston, only 2 locations to buy non-ethanol:

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

All of my small engines/yard equipment get nothing but 100 LL Avgas.
Nice to have them start on the first pull, even after sitting for long periods. No Stabil necessary.

They are not gas-stations. They are people selling racing fuel. One, the address is for a storage unit.

She should use a name brand premium fuel...

Shell V-Power NiTRO+ premium gasoline in Canada does not contain ethanol.

Knowing absolutely nothing about this particular engine, backfiring says timing to me. If this is a magneto ignition I would look to see if the woodruff key is bent (not uncommon on small motors that might get a big torque load eg hittng tree stump with your lawnmower blade), this could result in the timing being off.

Backfiring on this model...Check for a broken rocker arm. Exhaust rocker arms crack, and then won't fully open the exhaust valve. since combustion gases can't escape they pop back through the intake. have seen this on several of the small Honda engines.

The plug wire is disconnected.

GWAD........The advice you get on the Internet is exactly worth what you pay for it........

Just want to give closure to this thread. This snowblower will run in a more efficient manner now I asked about whether the snowblower was fixed. I gotta give credit to the gal that owns it. She kept going to another neighbor and finally he said to check the fuel flow.

The owner concluded that the fuel supply was partially plugged and once the lines were cleaned out it ran well. Thanks all for the suggestions....:)

The Occam's Razor theory wins again.

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