9N keeps stalling

I was happily clearing snow, when it suddenly lost power and died. Thinking I must have underestimated the amount of gas in the tank, I added a couple of gallons. It then started right up and I continued working for a couple of minutes, when it died again. That pattern kept up until I stopped in frustration. When it decides to stall, it just stalls. feathering the gas/choke, etc have no effect. Sometimes it races a bit just before quitting. I believe that the gas is not getting through. It does seem, though, that it will idle forever.

If I try to remove the sediment bowl, what am I likely to find? Is there a screen there anywhere that could be plugged? Are there tests I can try to troubleshoot?

Thanks,

Ralph

You are probably running slightly rich, not necessarily too much. When it first leans out it speeds up, before starving, like most living critter would.

After all, if you're plowing snow it must be cold.

And, there's always the venturi effect to consider. What that means is, as air passes through the restricted 'throat' of your carburetor it goes faster, lowering its pressure, so it 'sucks' gas up from the bowl and vaporizes it as it spews from the jet. Remember Flit Guns?? That's also how airplanes fly.

The other thing that happens is that as the air gets through the restricted throat and re-expands, it gets colder. That's exactly how an air conditioner works, except it uses Freon instead of air.

OK. If the air is cold to begin with, and has a relatively high moisture content, this 'expansion cooling' can cause it to freeze. Quite easily. That's why airplane engines have carburetor heaters that are ALWAYS turned on, and why most autos have some method of pre-heating the incoming air.

While your tractor doesn't have a formal air pre-heater, it does have a rather circuitous route the air takes to get to the carb, during which it travels through an oil bath air cleaner, and some passages that are at least warmed a bit by the engine. Is yours intact, or taken off?

Also, if there's some water lurking in the bottom of the carb bowl, and the venturi effect cools the body of the carb below 30 degrees or so, and that water freezes, that could suddenly starve your engine for fuel in either of two ways -- the ice could block the fuel jet, or it could hold the carb float in the up, or 'off' position.

If you will, or already have, taken out the 3 fuel screens and cleaned them, and if you will also remove the plug from the bottom of the carb and drain out whatever water might be there, and you will make sure your air intake system is all in place (and clean the filter oil and screens), I'd bet a Krispy Kreme you'd solve your stalling problem.