# Anyone have Tecumseh TVS840 tune up specs



## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

*My Tecumseh TVS840 on My Snapper Mower*

Anyone have tune-up specs for a Snapper 21" steel deck self-propelled mower?
Model: P21509T2 
Serial: 25607844
It has a Tecumseh 5hp: TVS840 8023D 1353H. 
At the very least I need float level setting specs. I bought this second hand, and I'd like to know how old it is, too. Thanks in advance.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Just enter TVS840 in google and you will get lots of info, there is a manual for it on ebay currently 6.00. I have TVXL840 they are a great engine. I don't know the spec for the float or how old your mower is but if you are having a problem with it tell us and maybe the people on this forum can help. Have a nice day. Geo


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Try entering the model number here for some manual info. Have a nice day. Geo

http://public.snapper.com/Manuals/left.asp


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

geogrubb said:


> Try entering the model number here for some manual info. Have a nice day. Geo
> 
> http://public.snapper.com/Manuals/left.asp


That was a very cool link!!! :dude: I got pretty close to my year which is either a '91 or '92, and I got a service manual, too. But it doesn't cover engine work. I still need to try to find a Tecumseh link, I suppose. Thanks again!


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Tecumseh has a special float guage for setting the floats on their carburetors. I have always just set them slightly off level when the carburetor is inverted and the float is resting on the needle the end of the float opposite the inlet needle should be slightly lower with the carburetor inverted, it should work ok with this setting. Remember that these carburetors have a left hand thread on the fuel bowl nut so don't twist it off in the carburetor when you are removing it.


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

30yearTech said:


> Tecumseh has a special float guage for setting the floats on their carburetors. I have always just set them slightly off level when the carburetor is inverted and the float is resting on the needle the end of the float opposite the inlet needle should be slightly lower with the carburetor inverted, it should work ok with this setting. Remember that these carburetors have a left hand thread on the fuel bowl nut so don't twist it off in the carburetor when you are removing it.


Well, I did set the float off level with the end of the float opposite of the inlet needle actually sitting higher than the inlet needle end, but it still ran so rich it barely ran at all and gas was pouring into the carb, lol. So I set it even more off level (down further into the bowl), but I'm still haveing issues with hard starting and sputtering at lower rpms. I'd just like to get the exact spec, but if it requires some kind've guage to set it, I don't have one. Then I guess I'll just have to keep tweeking on it I guess...thanks for your help in all of my threads. :wave:


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

I seem to remember that this engine used a different flywheel key then the 4-cycle, but I think the 4-cycle key will fit it. If it has the wrong key that could be causing a problem, I seem to think there was a service bullitien on that several years ago, but I could be wrong.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

I just remembered something else about this carburetor. It had a float dampening spring that wraped around the float pin to help apply pressure to the float and seat and keep it from bouncing open from the harmonic vibrations that are common to 2 cycle engines. Is this spring still on your carburetor? If not the replacement Tecumseh P/N is 632386, if this spring is missing it might be contributing to your rich running condition...


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

You might find that someone tried cleaning the carb using high pressure air and has blown the seat from the bowl inlet, it's tiney, about 1/2 the size of a small pea(lol) and all the adjustments you are doing are in vain. Remove the float, there should be plastic insert in the feed from the fuel source. Have a nice day. Geo


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

geogrubb said:


> You might find that someone tried cleaning the carb using high pressure air and has blown the seat from the bowl inlet, it's tiney, about 1/2 the size of a small pea(lol) and all the adjustments you are doing are in vain. Remove the float, there should be plastic insert in the feed from the fuel source. Have a nice day. Geo


I haven't had the carb apart since last spring, but I believe there was a spring on the float. I've just been putting up with the rough running  . So far as the bowl inlet seat, I'd have to look closer, it's made of plastic? This is where the float inlet needle goes up into, right? Thanks again.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Yes the point of the needle sets in it when the float rises to shut off the fuel. The only reason I know about it is as I was blowing out my carb something hit me on the upper arm and stung enough that I looked to see and watched as the little fella bounced across the driveway, had it not hit me I would still be trying to fix a non-existing problem. Have a nice day. Geo


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

Well I thought I'd update this thread and mention that I'm not getting anywhere on getting this Snapper to run better at idle & intermediate speeds, only full throttle is fairly smooth. I did keep lowering the float setting down to the point where I believe it's nearly touching the bowl, lol. Here's what the engine does as it's running: leave the mower level and it runs kind've rough and sputters. Tip the mower on its left side and it runs a bit worse. Tip the mower on its right side and it runs better. Push in the primer while its running and it almost stalls or runs worse depending on rpm. Turn off the gas line fuel shut off to allow it to drain the bowl and it runs the same right until about 10 seconds before it stalls-then it runs super smooth and then dies..   . So I'm gonna assume for some reason it's running rich, right? So, the next step I'm going to do is to replace parts on this thing again. Going to try these things:
Go thru the carb again with part# 632760B
-11/64" float setting, right? Install needle seat with smooth end toward needle, right?
MAYBE add this bowl nut spacer part# 632158 to try and cure a rich condition (in Tecumseh L head manual in the carb rebuild section it mentions an issue with dual system carbs-"_Occasionally, on engines equipped with the dual system carburetor, some rich starting conditions have occurred when the engine is warm. This condition can be corrected by inserting a non-metallic spacer in the center leg of the carburetor, as shown (part # 632158). This spacer is designed to reduce the amount of prime charge in the main nozzle area for better starting under warm engine conditions. It can only be used on Dual System carburetors and does not lean out the carburetor mixture. (diag. 54) This spacer must be reinstalled if originally equipped in the carburetor_.")
Will be replacing the intake tube/reed valve part# 570674
Will be cleaning the exhaust port, all I'll need is gasket# 510343A, right?
Will be cleaning out the EGR port (maybe replace it, part# 390315)
Will replace the spark plug with RJ19LM, is this the best plug for it?
Will replace the air filter # 34783
If after all this, if it runs the same or worse, I'm going to fly off the handle....


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## tommyj3 (Sep 16, 2006)

Try www.Tecumsehpower.com


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

It's been a long time since I have done any work on one of these engines, but take the air filter adapter off of your carburetor and look straight down the throat, there should be a small hole on the bottom side just before the venturi (at least there is on the carburetors on 4-cycles) this is an air bleed and mixes air into the fuel where it is metered up into the carburetor. If this bleed is plugged it will cause the engine to run "rich" no matter what you do to the float level. Also it is possible that someone may have drilled out the orfice in the bowl nut and if it is too large you will not be able to make the engine run right either.


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

Well I used the mower today, hooked up the bagger, and then proceeded to "vacuum" up the leaves to get them to the curbside. The mower seemed to run well at full throttle & ok at lower rpms. A bit rich a lower rpms, but it did ok. The float is set as low as it'll go I believe, lol. I did seem to run strong at full speed as it didn't even die once. It even plowed thru a section of solid dirt that I forgot to avoid. I think it would be smart to be careful what I run over with this machine  . So, once I got done, I shut off the gas and let it run out the fuel bowl and again, once the gas in the bowl gets low, the engine smoothed out at lower rpms for about 10 seconds and then died. I'll have to look into the air bleed hole. Also, it was 36* out today, so I believe a richer mixture is needed, right? That might explain the smoother running. Thanks again.


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

Well I'll update this thread to mention that I bought a new replacement carb off of e_bay and will be installing it as soon as the weather warms. Hoping for a nice running mower afterwards.... :thumbsup:


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

My last update on this mower in this thread. I installed the eBay Tecumseh replacement carb ($35) and she fired right up and ran well. Had a little problem with the idle setting as when I turned the screw out counterclockwise, the linkage jumped past the screw? Wierd, not part of the carb, but of the linkage assembly hooked to the governor. Well she's running well and this carb came with a float drain, too as the old one did not. I wonder if this bowl nut is also screwed in counterclockwise? There was no sticker on it so maybe not? I believe there is a way to check the head to see if it screws in counterclockwise, right? Well either way I hope to not have to touch that carb, I will always religiously drain that fuel bowl and use the inline shut-off I installed, too.


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