I have a craftsman 8hp snowblower which I can not get going. I have compression, changed the spark plug(it has spark), put new gas in it.But when I prime it with the primmer button no gas is get to the engine? I pulled the spark plug and it's bone dry. I have even tried cranking it with the electric start thinking the engine will draw the gas to it with no luck(spark plug still dry).. Any thoughts of what to look for?

 

I assume it is gravity fed for gas (no fuel pump). Check the filter and the tank. Maybe there is something that is plugging it. Fuel hose is cheap, I would replace the fuel line. Also, maybe something is plugging up in the carb.

Good luck

 

Try pulling the spark plug and squirting a shot of gas into the cylinder, put the plug back in and try to start.

Is the gas on?

 

get a can of carb cleaner and spray into carb and try to fire it, it should start and run on carb cleaner you can keep spraying it into there and it will stay running. it might start running on its own after you do that. pull the fuel line off the carb and see if your getting fuel to the carb first. then check your carb.

 

Sounds like the carb has 'varnish' in it.
Did you put "Stabil" or another gas additive in the gas and run the engine to circulate the additive, before storing the snowblower last Spring?

If you have varnish in the carb, especially at the needle valve, it will stick 'closed' and that won't allow gas to enter the carb bowl. (Or, the main and idle jet[s] are stuck closed, because of varnish.)

I suggest squirting lighter fluid into the intake and trying to start the engine.
If the snowblower runs, chances are, it is the carb bowl.
A re-build kit runs about $10 - $15 and takes a total of about and hour to do. Maybe less.

IF the carb is a 'diaphragm' type, the diaphragm MIGHT be torn, in which case, it won't 'pump' the gas from the tank through it, to the engine.
Same test. Same price to re-build.

The reason I state the above, my old Sears snowblower (1979 model) has this problem. After re-building the carb a few times, I remember to add "Stabil"!!
That old snowblower started on the first pull, this year!

Good luck with it. Let us know how it turns out.

 

main jet is clogged.

 

Does it have a fuel shut-off valve?

 

please listen to oo. that is what i find 90% of the time a stuck needle and varinish in the jets. you might try to tap lightly on the carb housing and see if the needle drops and it runs. good luck man

 

Its the fuel line I had the same exact problem on a briggs, replaced the fuel line and filter since I was there and viola!! it worked.

 

Probabally best to rebuild the carb but try getting it going with a spray bottle of gas or carb cleaner as mentioned and keep it going for a bit, the vibrations might loosen the crud in your carb and get fuel flowing again, if you do happen to get it goin put a tablespoon of ATF in the gas and let it run for 1/2 hour to an hour to clean that gunk out.

 

Use burkable 2+2 to clean Carb after removing it to clean .

don

 

Check and see if the fuel line goes directly from the tank to the carb, or if there is a round plastic piece in the middle, with another line to it from the crankcase. Some have it and some do not. They call it a fuel pump, but I think it is nothing more than a vacuum operated valve. They get clogged as well as the carb.

 

Thanks for the replies, yes the fuel is on. And no I did'nt add stabil but I will next time. Well it sound like I have something to do today.Thanks again ...let you know how it turns out. Thinking the carb, it has sat for 2yrs.