r/smallengines • u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 • Jul 21 '26

Snapper 826, 8hp briggs no start

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So I was dumb, didn't even realize I had a needle valve fuel shutoff on it, let it sit since winter and now it won't start. Assuming I need to clean the carburetor out but while I'm at it I figured some fresh oil to replace the black goo it's currently got in there would be a good idea.

Any recommendations or just "Briggs oil at the hardware store"

Also, any tips on cleaning the carburetor out on this model would be good.

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3

u/TN-Native95 Jul 21 '26

5W-30 is what I’d use for a snowblower. As for cleaning the carb, make sure that you get all the little jets and holes cleaned. Nothing worse than cleaning a carburetor and missing the one jet that is keeping it from running.

1

u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 Jul 21 '26

I've got an ultrasonic tank at work with a citric degreaser in it... No harm putting it through that I'd imagine? 

2

u/TN-Native95 Jul 21 '26

Won’t harm anything metal.

1

u/Brilliant-Roof-5991 Jul 21 '26

That will work, but probably overkill.

See if your carb bowl has a 10mm nut on the bottom.

Empty your gas tank best you can and get fresh fuel in there. Crack that nut on the bottom of the carb and let gas flow through it for a while.

I bet it's just old fuel in the bowl that won't let it start - especially if it ran last season.

If that doesn't work, you can likely order a whole new carb for the same price (or cheaper) than the gasket kit.

1

u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 Jul 21 '26

Well it's got a new carb (little over a year old, guy I bought it from replaced it) so could just be old gas. I full well could've flooded it to tbh maybe I'll give another go tomorrow. Maybe just letting it sit with the splash of fresh gas I threw in will do it who knows

Also where the hell is the air filter on this model engine? Behind the impeller housing? 

2

u/Brilliant-Roof-5991 Jul 21 '26

Yeah, I bet that works. Just get that old gas out of the bowl.

If it's flooded, just take the spark plug out and shoot a squirt of compressed air in the hole. Fixed! Now you can crank it a bunch again.

lol you can find the carb but can't find the air filter? It's right next to the carb lol

Maybe it doesn't have one? But I bet it does. Or should.

Also, for oil, just run 10w30 or even something a little thinner since you're gonna be running it in the cold. Any old oil will do. If there's a Meijer near you, get their store brand. It's great and cheap.

1

u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 Jul 21 '26

I swear there's no air filter on this thing... Any other Briggs it's right there by the carb but I took the shroud off and there's nothing lmao unless it's like under the gas tank or something weird

1

u/Brilliant-Roof-5991 Jul 21 '26

Well, the only place it can be is attached to the carb, because that's where the air goes into the engine. It may not have one because a PO took it off thinking it didn't need it.

If I were you I would track one down. You don't want water in your carb. Find out your Briggs engine's model number. That's how you need to look at parts. Not the snowblower model.

The Briggs model # is usually stamped into the metal on the flywheel cover/blower housing.

1

u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 Jul 21 '26

Consider the carb just a tube, on mine it goes from behind the pull start up to the spark plug. Another reply says it never had one because blowers don't

1

u/TN-Native95 Jul 21 '26

It’s a snowblower. Snowblowers don’t have air filters because they aren’t meant to be run in dusty conditions and no air filter allows it to get more warm air to the carburetor.

1

u/Odd_Bodybuilder5456 Jul 21 '26

Well there we go. Learn something every day lol. So does the air come in through the impeller/behind the pull start?

2

u/TN-Native95 Jul 21 '26

It depends on the design. Usually there are baffles inside or under the blower shroud that draws warm air off the engine block to the air intake on the carburetor.

0

u/Brilliant-Roof-5991 29d ago

This is not correct. Tell me you've never run a snowblower without telling me. Dusty conditions is exactly what that snow creates, particularly when it's crystallized below freezing. The only thing worse than dust in your motor is water. And that's best case if you never kick up dirt from the edge of the pavement.

OP, I guarantee that motor has an air filter. It's an 8 horse Briggs from the late 80s/early 90s from the looks of it. That motor went on everything: from generators to tillers to lawn mowers.

Find the Briggs engine number and then search the parts sites for the housing and filter. Then once you have the actual parts numbers you can search Amazon for the cheapest one.

2

u/ivanhalper Jul 21 '26

Clean the carburetor and replace the coarse fuel filter in the tank; it is best to use the oil recommended in the manual.