Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

[mrcrabs]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

I like crochet hooks,

 

[deancpgh]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

Okay, so maybe I can give something back, now. Got some stuff done, still finding problems, though. First of all, it seems like this thing must have spent some extended time in the water in its past as everything below the waterline was rusted pretty bad. I ordered the seals, but was concerned about the prop shaft as it was pitted where the grease seal would ride. The drive shaft had lost some thickness to the rust (see photos). So I read up online and found a trick of glazing a shaft with epoxy (jb weld) and then sanding it back down. I used a 1/2 inch drill in a vice and some flexible nail files to sand it back down. Was real happy with the results and it seemed to hold oil well on it's first test. As for the rusted drive shaft, I sleeved it with a 3/8 piece of black iron. Although the shaft is 7/16 and the black iron is supposed to be 3/8... it slipped over easy to be welded in place. I made sure just to do it a tack weld at a time and then let it cool to avoid warping the shaft. Painted with high heat paint and put it all back together. Well, with a lot of new hardware from the hardware store as most stuff was just rust.

Trying to add pictures.. again (3 days later).
Prop shaft after adding epoxy and sanding in Drill.

Drive shaft before sleeving

Drive shaft after sleeving

Tested it in water, and it ran great, but... now it seems like i've got the float needle leak. And, it does seem like I have the rubber (viton??) tipped needle. It will leak, and then I can rotate the needle a little and it won't, then run it a little and it will. From what I can tell from reading this site, it's hit or miss with parts for this. Just going to call certified parts and give it a whirl. The float pin looks like a mouse chewed on it, so better replace that... The needle seat looks okay up in there so I should be able to find something that works.

 

[deancpgh]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

Got it on the water for the first time yesterday.

Thanks to those on this site for helping me get it to that point! It ran pretty well.

One problem that must be fixed is the gas cap leaking a good bit of gas through the vent. It has the style where there's a vent screw that's open or closed. Can anyone recommend a good replacement? Do guys generally just buy a new one from Certified parts??

The troubles with the float and carb are okay. I still don't trust this thing to sit, but it's good enough to run. Seems like just a bad setup, really - and a lot of trial and error are necessary to get it right. Though the main jet sits pretty low in the bowl, if you set the fuel level low, then the inlet needle never opens enough to supply enough fuel... IF you set the inlet needle where it supplies the best inflow, then it will overflow the bowl before shutting off. I think the original ones with the rubber-tipped needle, when all the parts were brand new, would do better. But as we've seen, those needles get messed up with age. So the valve seat donut and steel needle you get now have a different set of problems as I've described.

 

[deancpgh]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

One more thought. Is there another lawn mower or small engine gas cap which could take the place of this one? Just looking for advice.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

I like the black $15 ones but anything that fits should be good, here is a ebay search but you should be able to pick one up any place that sells lawnmower stuff. I wouldn't bug CPC for a cap....I hear there getting so that there telling people to call one of there authorized dealers do to overwhelming support from us "other outboards Iboaters".
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...=0&_odkw=tecumseh+gas+cap&_osacat=0&_from=R40

 

[deancpgh]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

I like the black $15 ones but anything that fits should be good, here is a ebay search but you should be able to pick one up any place that sells lawnmower stuff. I wouldn't bug CPC for a cap....I hear there getting so that there telling people to call one of there authorized dealers do to overwhelming support from us "other outboards Iboaters".
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...=0&_odkw=tecumseh+gas+cap&_osacat=0&_from=R40

Will give it a whirl. Thanks. Still waiting for CPC to send me a float on backorder. Not that I think the float in it was bad, but they gave me a different inlet needle and seat than was in it. and I'm wondering if the float will be different. Right now, it seems to be a little starved for fuel. I'm shutting off the gas each time, and sometimes when I fire it back up it will run a little while and then run out of gas... sometimes not. Now that I think about it, it may be running starved when the fuel level gets lower but not empty. Guess I need to set the float so that it will open a little more (higher fuel level too).

Thanks again.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

there is so much that can go wrong when you install that viton seat yet it's so easy....somebody needs to do a youtube of the proccedure.

And just as point of knowlage there is three different setups that Tecumseh used for needle and seat, they abandoned all but the viton seat and aluminum needle and as long as you have a pressed in brass needle well you can update it just fine but you need that float set at 11/64 and the tang of that float should be almost perfectly vertical, not severlly bent upward or downward and you really need the Engine/Carb manua, it floating all over the web just as free as a you please or................................................ ...

and guess who CPC is ordering your float from?? Thats right Sten's as well as the needle and seat and bowl gasket....A thrifty shopper can pick that stuff up for cheap, ebay price for needle and seat and bowl gasket 6-9+shipping real price 2.99 shipped its all over the web,

 

[MahtyMaht]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

Hey, Mr. C - he's got float needle 631505 - is that the god forsaken rubber tipped one? If he had an aluminum one in there on a brass seat, that would explain the overflow vent fuel drool. I would think. The whole blowing fuel out the cap vent thing makes no sense; How does that motor pressurize the friggin' tank? to me at all.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

I looked back at his picture's
If its not the screw in brass well seat you can convert to the veton seat but you have to push it down the well a little at a time to bottom it till the float fits right, you can't under do it or over do it...I have done few and the carbs with the viton needle and pressed in well will convert no problem but it takes some finesse and digital calipers for me, the old ones with the screw in seat just toss in the trash

 

[deancpgh]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

No doubt this is a finicky carb. My original needle was the rubber tipped one and there was no screw in seat. They sent me the rubber (I guess you're calling it Viton) seat and an aluminum needle. I found the right way for the seat to go it b/c it had one side different than the other.... then seated it firmly with an allen wrench that would just barely fit in. Now, the fuel flow seems to shut off (most times), but fuel flow now seems to be a problem. I'm still waiting for a new float.. I smashed in the old one a little, but it still seems to be holding air even after I squeezed it back into shape with pliers. I only originally ordered the float b/c it got me up over the $20 order minimum for free shipping with CPC for $7. Now the only trouble seems to be fuel flow. If I set the float nice and low, then it doesn't open enough to get enough fuel to stay running. If I set the float high enough to get a good fuel flow, then it can overflow the bowl (just a dribble around the bowl-to-body gasket. When I get the new float, I'll put in your suggestions about leveling the tang and setting the height. From where to where do you measure 11/64ths?
BTW, ordered a new gas cap, too. Thanks.... And.... I'm wondering if part of my on again, off again problems are with little flakes of stuff in the gas tank. There's no fuel filter in it and I don't see a metal strainer on the petcock either... Should I add one of the small fuel filters in the gas line? I already replaced the line itself.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

I'm wondering if part of my on again, off again problems are with little flakes of stuff in the gas tank. There's no fuel filter in it and I don't see a metal strainer on the petcock either

That can sure do it, on most you will find you can un screw the fitting from the tank and you will find a screen pre filter on that fitting...she could be plugged up.
I have a 3.5 carb laying in the truck...same as yours, one of many I have rebuilt for locals...for free..., all I can say is the viton seat will install but there very touchy about how there installed, if there canted just a hair because the tool didn't fit perfect or pushed down to much the will squeesh and cause the hole to be slightly oblong and that should lead to slow flow and bad sealing thats why you either make a tool from a flat punch that fits the needle well or have the Tecumsehs special seat tool.

I have had guys who rebuild motorcycles to air planes...you know with type A personalitys...LOL They come to me and declare there dads old Tecumseh outboard carb unrebuildable....some how that viton seat and float setting is a mental challange to even the best gear heads, I keep 3-4 needle sets on hand and every once in a while I foul one up and have to redo...usally when I push to hard, you can't see it but they collapse inward and oblong especially if the tool isn't fitting the needle well snugly...its easy to tell because the factory setting of the float will be way low, when they go in right I never have to dink with the float level.

11/64 is measured from the bare rim, on the singles you can be off a bit to the high side, say measuring it with the gasket on and your still good.
once in awhile I find I can blow the new seat back out with compressed air and then redo it. Hopefully you just have a clogged screen.

 

[mrcrabs]

Re: Sears Eska 3.5 HP - How to run dry to tune up?

Hey I think it is possable to get pressure from the crank case backed up into the tank but it sure takes a special set of circumstances, one would be a carb cracked in the right place, the other a split fuel pump bladder and a bad flapper valve all at the same time...but the chances are slim to none IMHO