# Snowblower Fouling plug



## mayhem (Jan 4, 2011)

My Simplicity 860 snowblower ran like a champ in the storm we got last week. Threw both shear pins and shut it down to go get some more and it wouldn't restart, even with the engine warm and running the electric starter. Pulled the plug and the thing was so covered with black crap that the gap was filled in 100%, so no spark. Threw a new plug in and it fired right up on the first pull of the cord.

The plug is pretty obviously oil fouled. It was clean when the storm started and about 3-4 hours runtime on it was all it took. Oil levels were down from the full mark to barely the tip of the dipstick. This is on a new oil change...I changed the oil this summer, ran it WOT for maybe 30-40 minutes with some seafoam in the crankcase and then changed the oil a second time...this storm was the first use since the second oil change.  Don't have a good picture, but the fouled plug has no gap now, its totally filled in with crap, though I'm certain I could clean it off with a quick wire brushing...it almost looks like creosote on there.

The snowblower does NOT blow clouds of blue smoke.  Fires on the first pull when the plug is clean, goes from full choke to no choke and ready to work in about 20-30 seconds...its a great machine except that after a few hours its getting dangerously low on oil and the plug needs to be removed and cleaned.

So my question is, is there anything useful I cna do about this or is it more likely the motor is toast and I should just keep an eye on the oil level and clean the plug after each use? It fires right up on the first or second pull every time...just not sure how long that will last. It was a free snowblower, clearly this is why, so it doesn't owe me anything and I generally don't depend on it to be able to get out of the driveway...but its real nice to have a good snowblower around if I do need it. 

Don't know if there is a PCV that might be blocked on this motor.  Its a Briggs 8hp Intek (I think thats the name) motor that came with the machine.


----------



## Mcbride (Jan 4, 2011)

It might just need a piston and rings, or valve seals, either way its a cheap, simple repair if you are handy with tools.
Now if the cylinder is scored up badly, its not so cheap and easy anymore if you have to get a machine shop to fix it, or buy a new one.
Personally i would start with a compression check, and go from there.


----------



## mayhem (Jan 5, 2011)

Have to locate a compression tester and see what it says.  If compression is good that would indicate what?  How would I determine if I need a ring/piston kit?

Where would I find a rebuild kit?


----------



## Adios Pantalones (Jan 5, 2011)

I'm confused that you didn't have a smoke problem, though you're obviously losing a lot of oil.  Curious to see what you find


----------



## mayhem (Jan 5, 2011)

I'm confused too.  The exhaust is stinky and a bit smoky at startup, but when it warmed up and working hard I'm definitely not combusing a ton of oil.  Its not making an oily burning smell out the exhaust or a 2 stroke kind of odor.  I know what burning oil smells like and this thing isn't doing it.  No obvious residue on the engine cover or drooling out the oil fillers...weird.  I guess I'll try to locate a compression tester and maybe crack open the motor and do a visual inspection.  Id' like to salvage the thing, but its not worth it to me to put hundreds into it.


----------



## wingman1776 (Jan 5, 2011)

get  compression tester run you test record reding then add a bit of oil to the motor tho the spark plug hole if the compression goes up then it is your rings leaking if not then you oil loss is tho the guides


----------



## EatenByLimestone (Jan 5, 2011)

Could be the piston rings happened to rotate just right for oil to blow right through...  

A compression test or pulling it apart would be the only way to tell.  

Matt


----------



## loon (Jan 5, 2011)

my farmer buddy and i took apart his kohler engine from the riding lawn mower this past summer as his plug was fouling after an hour which then he would pull, clean and carry on..

ended up just being a very small indent on the valve seal  %-P i know its not the same engine but ya might get lucky and not have to dig too deep like we did in this picture  :cheese:


----------



## charly (Jan 5, 2011)

mayhem said:
			
		

> My Simplicity 860 snowblower ran like a champ in the storm we got last week. Threw both shear pins and shut it down to go get some more and it wouldn't restart, even with the engine warm and running the electric starter. Pulled the plug and the thing was so covered with black crap that the gap was filled in 100%, so no spark. Threw a new plug in and it fired right up on the first pull of the cord.
> 
> The plug is pretty obviously oil fouled. It was clean when the storm started and about 3-4 hours runtime on it was all it took. Oil levels were down from the full mark to barely the tip of the dipstick. This is on a new oil change...I changed the oil this summer, ran it WOT for maybe 30-40 minutes with some seafoam in the crankcase and then changed the oil a second time...this storm was the first use since the second oil change.  Don't have a good picture, but the fouled plug has no gap now, its totally filled in with crap, though I'm certain I could clean it off with a quick wire brushing...it almost looks like creosote on there.
> 
> ...


 You might have washed the carbon seal off the top of the cylinder when you put the Seafoam in the crankcase. Thinned the oil out? Could have stuck rings too. Maybe you loosened up a bunch of old carbon and it's fouling your plug now. That Seafoam does work well. Funny you see no oil being burned or running out anywheres. Breather tube on the crankcase vent isn't pinched? That would create pressure in the crankcase and force the oil up past the rings too. Good luck.


----------



## ROBERT F (Jan 6, 2011)

ALL engines burn oil!  verifiy that the plug is of the proper heat range for the usage of the machine.  to cold of a plug could cause early fouling as well. More than likely the thing is just wearing out.  Most snow blowers have no air filter, and that leads to faster cyl. wear if any dirt is injested.


----------



## fbelec (Jan 6, 2011)

i 2nd looking at the crankcase vent. also, what weight oil did you put in it? if it winds up you need a motor job you could get a little more from the motor before it grenade's by using the next weight heavier oil and give it a couple minutes of warm up time before you put it to work. i got 2 years more out of a old snapper motor doing this.


----------



## ROBERT F (Jan 6, 2011)

Another thought is that air cooled engines really dont like to be taken to full throttle or heavily loaded before up to operating temp.  adds to cyl. wear as well, plus a little senario called cold seizing.  Piston tends to expand faster than the cyl. itself and can stick/break/scuff the heck outa your cyl.  Thats why on my governor controlled engines I try to hold the throttle from going full till the engine has warmed up just a little bit.


----------



## John_M (Jan 6, 2011)

Another remote possibility: Did you use straight gasoline or a gas/oil mixture the last time you filled the tank? I almost made that mistake four years ago. Now the different containers are clearly marked.


----------



## charly (Jan 6, 2011)

Pineburner said:
			
		

> Another thought is that air cooled engines really dont like to be taken to full throttle or heavily loaded before up to operating temp.  adds to cyl. wear as well, plus a little senario called cold seizing.  Piston tends to expand faster than the cyl. itself and can stick/break/scuff the heck outa your cyl.  Thats why on my governor controlled engines I try to hold the throttle from going full till the engine has warmed up just a little bit.


  I hear where your comming from. My standby Generac did exactly that, start up and scream full bore, wow did I hate that being set up that way, after being a Harley tech for 10 years knowing like you said, what's happening inside. Best I did for it was running 0W-30 amsoil synthetic oil. You'd think they could have used an oil temperature sensor that held the motor back until it got up to temp.


----------



## gfreek (Jan 11, 2011)

Compression test is not accurate due to the compression release during startup.  A leak down tester is more accurate. Set engine TDC,top dead center of compression stroke,(piston at top of cylinder,both valves closed), install gauge set, hold crankshaft, put air into the cylinder and see where it's leaking from.  http://www.amazon.com/Star-Hoffmann-Cylinder-Leak-Tester/dp/B000Q6P7GU


----------



## charly (Jan 11, 2011)

gfreek said:
			
		

> Compression test is not accurate due to the compression release during startup.  A leakdown tester is more accurate.  You install a guage set, set engine TDC,top dead center of compression stroke,(piston at top of cylinder,both valves closed), hold crankshaft, put air into the cylinder and see where it's leaking from.  http://www.amazon.com/Star-Hoffmann-Cylinder-Leak-Tester/dp/B000Q6P7GU


   I'll second that. I use to use one when I worked at  Harley Dealer. Lets you see what's going on before a tear down. A great tool for sure! Saves you from taking a cylinder off when the problem is for example, just a leaking exhaust valve and not bad rings, in the case you'd hear air comming out the exhaust.


----------

