Snowblower: Leaks Gas

The fuel valve turns the flow of fuel on or off to the engine. If your valve is leaking it will be very noticeable and will require replacement. Remove the panel that houses the fuel shut off valve and remove the fuel lines. Pinch off the fuel line coming from the tank to prevent a fuel leak during your repair. Remove the shut-off valve. Once removed, you can simply just reinstall a new fuel valve. Hook the fuel lines back up and reinstall the panel. With some fuel valves you can pull them apart and replace the O-rings inside, then push them back together and reinstall.

The O-ring seals off fluids from leaking. Check the O-ring on the bowl located on the carburetor. If it is leaking or damp, it needs to be replaced. As stated in the “Carburetor” section, this procedure is highly dependant on your model type. The number of steps involved in accessing the carburetor depends on where it is located on your model. Start by removing the chute gear box support bracket. To do this, remove the clip holding the chute control rod, then remove the rod. Next, remove the pin on the support bracket and pull out the pin. Remove any nuts securing the gear box, then remove the gear box and chute. Remove the bolts securing the belt cover, and release the drive belt idler pulley tension spring, then remove the bolts securing the gear box support bracket, and finally, remove the bracket. Next, remove any covers and heat shrouds needed to gain access to the carburetor. Remove the bolt at the bottom of the bowl on the carburetor. Remove the old O-ring and reinstall a new one, then reinstall the bolt. Reinstall any cover and heat shrouds you had to take off to gain access to the carburetor. Next, reinstall the gear box support bracket. Reapply the tension to the drive belt, and reinstall the cover. Reinstall the gear box and chute using the pin and retaining clip. Make sure the holes in the gear box coupler are facing straight up with the chute facing forward, and ensure that the chute control lever is in the one o’clock position. Finally, reinstall the rod.

The carburetor mixes the air/fuel together to the proper mix for combustion. Either the O-ring on the bowl is going to leak or the needle valve will leak, if it’s responsible for your Leaks Gas symptom. When testing the carb for this symptom, inspect where the bowl attaches to the carburetor housing for a leak – you may even want to feel for dampness. To check for a needle valve leak, check the oil on the dip stick, and if it is too high, looks thinner than oil, and smells like gas, it’s your needle valve. For needle valve replacements, see the section on this page titled “Needle Valve”. To replace your bowl O-ring, simply remove the bolt at the bottom of the solenoid, pull off and replace the O-ring, and reassemble. For specific information about O-ring replacement, see the section elsewhere on this page on “O-Rings”.

The fuel line runs from the fuel tank to the carburetor, and its sole purpose is to deliver fuel to the carburetor. Old, weathered, and cracked fuel lines will leak and should be replaced immediately, as should any loose fuel lines. Check that the ends of the fuel lines are tight where they connect. Clamps, if they are present on your model, should be tightened. Sometimes fuel lines are just pressure-fitted, and you can fix this by cutting a small bit of the end off and pushing it back onto the connection.

The primer bulb’s job is to use a vacuum to pull fuel through the fuel line into the carburetor. You can do a quick visual check to see if the primer bulb is responsible for a fuel leak; it should be easy to spot (and smell). The primer bulb can pull air in to the carburetor whilst leaking gas, making the problem doubly frustrating. If you hear air rushing in as you press the bulb, it will need to be replaced. On some models it is as easy as prying the old primer bulb off with a small flat-head screwdriver and pressing on a new one with a larger flat-blade screwdriver – being careful not to puncture it. For some models, you may be required to pull off the primer bulb with a pair of pliers. Next, grab a small pick and reach back into where the bulb came off, and grab the clip and pull it out. Clean out the housing. Put the new clip on the primer bulb with the tabs facing out. Next, use a socket that fits over the primer bulb and push into the housing with a gentle tap from a rubber mallet. Make sure the metal clip is as far as it can go without damaging the primer bulb. With other models, you may have to remove the panel where the primer bulb is housed in order to gain access to it from the rear, then remove the primer bulb assembly from the panel and remove the bulb by pulling it off or using a small screwdriver. Reinstall the new primer bulb, then reinstall the back into the panel.

The fuel tank stores the fuel for your snow blower. If your fuel tank is cracked it will leak gas, most likely at the seams, where such leaks are common on snow blower fuel tanks. Inspect the tank carefully. If you see a leak, replace the fuel tank, as it is not only wasting fuel, but is a fire hazard as well. Drain the tank first, then remove the fuel lines. Please note that the process for removing the fuel lines may differ on certain models. Remove any bolts or clips holding the tank in place, and reassemble everything with the new tank in place.

The gas cap stops fuel from splashing out of the tank from vibrations while the engine is running. It also prevents debris from entering. A crack in the gas cap could cause a leak with vibration as well as a worn-out O-ring on the inside of gas cap. If the cap is damaged, replace it with a new one. If you observe that the leak is actually coming from the O-ring, you can remove it with a small screwdriver and replace it with an identical-sized one.

The purpose of the needle valve is to control the amount of fuel flow into the carburetor. If it is leaking, you will find fuel in the oil. It could cause hydro-lock by leaking into cylinder. As with many procedures that involve access to the carburetor, please consult your owner’s manual for your specific model’s details. The carburetor’s location and the items you need to remove to access it will vary, but we’ve outlined a common and detailed rundown below. Simply skip the steps that are not relevant to your model if they do not apply to you. Start by removing the chute gear box support bracket by removing the clip holding the chute control rod, then remove the rod. Next, remove the pin on the support bracket and pull out the pin. Remove any nuts securing the gear box, then remove the gear box and chute. Remove the bolts securing the belt cover and release the drive belt idler pulley tension spring, then remove the bolts securing the gear box support bracket, and remove the bracket. Remove any covers and heat shrouds needed to gain access to the carburetor. Next, remove the carburetor, remove the solenoid at the bottom of carburetor, remove the bowl, and remove the pin holding the float in. Flip this over, and the needle valve will pop out with the float. Remove the screw on the jet. Next, using a quarter-inch tap and cutting oil, lube the inside of the needle seat, and blow any shavings out of the seat. Use your tap to thread inside the seat. Next, by using a spacer (like a socket), insert a quarter-inch-by-one-inch bolt with a washer, and screw it tightly into the seat. This will pull the spacer out. You are going to want to replace both the valve and the seat together. Place the new seat into place, using a bolt with a nut on the end of it, simply place the nut on the seat and gently tap the top of the bolt to push the seat down into place. The seat should be tight but not flush with the top. Reinstall the needle valve into the float, line it up over the seat, put it into place, and reinstall the float pin. Next, reinstall the jet screw, replace the O-ring on the bowl, reinstall the bowl, and finally, the solenoid. Now you can reinstall the carburetor, making sure to replace the gasket between the carburetor and the intake housing. Reinstall any cover and heat shrouds. Next, reinstall the gear box support bracket. Next, reapply the tension on the drive belt and reinstall the cover. Reinstall the gear box and chute using the pin and retaining clip. Make sure the holes in the gear box coupler are facing straight up with the chute facing forward, and that the chute control lever is in the one o’clock position, then reinstall the rod.

A carburetor kit has everything you need to rebuild your carburetor. The carb kit will not cause your engine to leak gas, but we’ve listed it here because it’s a great tool for repairing carburetor problems, and performing preventative maintenance. A note on carb repair: we recommend you take pictures of all the parts as your take it apart, so you’re aware of where they go during reassembly. Also, this procedure will vary depending on the type of snow blower you own. You may or may not have to remove as many items as we discuss here to gain access to the carburetor. In fact, for some models the carburetor is already exposed, so you will not have to remove anything to gain access to it. Start by removing the chute gear box support bracket by removing the clip holding the chute control rod, then remove the rod. Next, remove the pin on the support bracket and pull out the pin. Remove any nuts securing the gear box, then remove the gear box and chute. Remove the bolts securing the belt cover and release the drive belt idler pulley tension spring. The next step is to remove the bolts securing the gear box support bracket, and remove the bracket itself. Next, remove any covers and heat shrouds needed to gain access to the carburetor. You may have to remove the handle bar on some models to pull off the covers. You may also have to remove the throttle knob, disconnect any switches, and disconnect the fuel lines on the primer bulb, and remove that cover. As we mentioned, these variations will vary between models. Locate the bolts holding the carburetor onto the engine and air intake, and remove. Remove the choke lever carefully. Pinch off the fuel line to prevent fuel from flowing everywhere, then remove the fuel line and slide the choke control plate off the carburetor and disconnect the linkage from the control plate, then the carburetor. Next, disconnect the throttle rod return spring and remove the throttle rod from the carburetor. The carburetor should now slide right off. Lie on a bench and start disassembly by removing the nut on the bowl, then remove the bowl and gasket. Next, remove the float pin and the needle valve. Unscrew the main jet screw and dump it out with the emulsion tube, then remove the plastic throttle stop and the metering plug out of the carburetor. Spray the carburetor, fuel bowl, and all the small orifices with carburetor cleaner, then wipe clean. If you notice any corrosion inside the carburetor or the bowl, it’s beyond repair and will need to be replaced. Reinstall a new emulsion tube and a new main jet and tighten. Install a new metering plug down tight, and reinstall the throttle stop screw and thread in until it sticks out the other side about 1/16 of an inch. Next, install the new spring on the needle valve and snap the new needle valve into the new float and reattach the float into the carburetor by sliding the new pin in. Install the new bowl O-ring and reinstall the bowl, and tighten down. Once rebuilt, reinstall the carburetor and the gasket onto the engine, then reattach the throttle cable and fuel line. It’s safe to unpinch the fuel line at this time. Reinstall the cover that houses all the knobs, switches and primer bulb, taking care to hook everything back up. Reinstall all the covers, shrouds, and the handle bar. Next, reinstall the gear box support bracket. Then reapply the tension on the drive belt and reinstall the cover. Reinstall the gear box and chute using the pin and retaining clip. Make sure the holes in the gear box coupler are facing straight up with the chute facing forward, and ensure that the chute control lever is in the one o’clock position, then reinstall the rod.