# no start Tecumseh hs 50



## A 440 (Oct 5, 2016)

Hello everyone,

I have an old (1975 or 1976) Ariens snowblower with a 5hp Tecumseh hs50 67008 A ser-5308B. I bought it years ago for almost nothing and finally decided to work on it. The motor is on the work bench. So far, I have rebuild the carburetor, thinking I would get lucky with just that. But it needs more. I do have a spark, and it shows also a spark when tested with an inline tester. I do show 70 psi of compression on second pull, 60 after the first pull. I register the same values with an identical motor that runs like a charm. I'm guessing the low values are due to the compression release mechanism. So my next move is to check the flywheel key for proper timing and for that the cover must come off. So here is my question : The cover uses 3 head bolts from a total of 8. Is it OK to remove these bolts to get the cover off or do I run a risk to warp the head of at least break the seal of the head gasket ? I've searched the answer on the net to no available...

Any thoughts about anything else I could have missed...

Thanks in advance


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Have you tried putting a little gas in the spark plug hole to see if it will at least pop or attempt to start? Removing 3 bolts should have no affect. Have a good one. Geo


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## A 440 (Oct 5, 2016)

Thanks Geo. Yes, I have tried gas and starting fluid. Nothing. So I will proceed with the cover removal, and post an update when I learn more about it.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

On a Tecumsech you must remove the flywheel to really check the key, it may look good from the top, however it may be sheared underneath. when you remove the flywheel, so that nothing gets broken, remove the spark plug, move the piston to the bottom of the cylinder, load the cylinder with small rope like starter rope then when you loosen or tighten the flywheel nut the engine will lock when it tries to compress the rope. Have a good one. Geo


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## A 440 (Oct 5, 2016)

So got the flywheel off and the key looked perfect. Then checked the ignition and found dirty points gaped @ .012. By correcting this, got the engine to fire with gasoline in the spark plug hole. It's always a good feeling to revive a vintage little motor. I still have an issue with my rebuild carburetor as gasoline is poring out of the intake, but should be able to correct this hopefully in the near future.

Thanks again Geo for your valuable input. I never tried the rope thing before in the cylinder but must admit this is a very efficient technique.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

People unfamiliar with Tecumseh always miss the low speed circuit in the bowl nut, there are multiple styles, however, there is a tiny hole near the top of the bowl nut, it is almost invisible on some and is usually the problem, I clean it with the wire from a bread twist tie. Have a good one. Geo


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## nbpt100 (Jun 1, 2015)

geogrubb said:


> People unfamiliar with Tecumseh always miss the low speed circuit in the bowl nut, there are multiple styles, however, there is a tiny hole near the top of the bowl nut, it is almost invisible on some and is usually the problem, I clean it with the wire from a bread twist tie. Have a good one. Geo


Sounds like you are on the right track.
Geo is dead on but the idle circuit in the casting also may be an issue. Did you remove all welch plugs and blow out with a rubber tipped air gun? Using carb cleaner I will spray it in the air intake for the idle circuit and see if the idle jets have carb fluid flowing through them. That is 1/2 the battle. It is tough to do this on the fuel end of the circuit. It is typically inaccessible.
I don't have one currently, but an ultrasonic cleaner with some solution can do wonders to clean those tiny idle circuits that are inaccessible. You can use anything from Joy to Simply Green. Anything that will break the surface tension of the water and make it more likely to flow into tiny spaces.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.


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## A 440 (Oct 5, 2016)

Thanks for the good tips guys.

The engine still won't idle correctly. For the carb, I used the kit 31840 and was short of a little washer in the idle circuit. But the seal is there against the spring. Not optimal but that is how it is, carb came without one. When cleaning the carb, I removed the welch plugs. Did blow the tiny holes with carb cleaner and finished with compressed air. Even inspected all surfaces with a 10X lens magnifier. I must admit that I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner. 

One thing that I do not understand is that my carb leaks fuel slowly through the intake. 1 drip every 2 seconds. Re-checked the float position twice and it is within specs. I even tested the efficiency of the needle against its seat by blowing with my lungs in the fuel line and it works just fine. 

Any thoughts greatly appreciated...


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