I have a Tecumseh carburator (1276A1M) from a Craftsman Lawn Tractor
(917.254790) with a 12.5 Tecumseh OHV engine (can't seem to find the model
number for the engine but I'll keep looking). The carb apparently does not
deliver any fuel to the engine. The engine will run with just about any 'ol
carb temporarily attached. All of the passages on the carb seem to be clear
when I spray carb cleaner through them. The gas tank has been thoroughly
cleaned and the fuel lines and filter replaced (before the carb problem
appeared). Has anyone had success rebuilding one of these carbs? Also, how
is the main jet (in the middle) removed? There is no screwdriver slot.

On May 29, 11:14*am, "Ulysses" <therealulys...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I have a Tecumseh carburator (1276A1M) from a Craftsman Lawn Tractor
> (917.254790) with a 12.5 Tecumseh OHV engine (can't seem to find the model
> number for the engine but I'll keep looking). *The carb apparently doesnot
> deliver any fuel to the engine. *The engine will run with just about any 'ol
> carb temporarily attached. *All of the passages on the carb seem to be clear
> when I spray carb cleaner through them. *The gas tank has been thoroughly
> cleaned and the fuel lines and filter replaced (before the carb problem
> appeared). *Has anyone had success rebuilding one of these carbs? *Also, how
> is the main jet (in the middle) removed? *There is no screwdriver slot.


I recently rebuilt one on a 5hp Tecumseh/Sears. Found the rebuild
kit on Ebay. It included new float valve, the little welch plugs you
have to knock out to clean properly, bowl gasket, new main adjusting
screw, etc. Remember you also need the gasket from carb to engine,
which was not included in mine. I think the key here is you need to
remove the welch plugs to be able to get to all the areas of the carb
that need cleaning.

I also got a service manual for the engine, which helped.

As an alternative, you could take the carb to a local small engine
shop and have them do it for you.

This from hard experience. Tecumseh carbs, the bolt that
holds the bowl on. The bolt has a tiny passage, which gets
clogged easily. Said passage meters the fuel to the mower.
I'd have a miserable time trying to explain how to find the
passage, but look in the mower end of the bolt. And look
along the side, the part that's not threaded. Use magnifying
lens and good light.

You can clean this passage with carb cleaner, or the copper
wire selected from a strand of lamp cord. Please don't use a
steel poker, might widen the hole. Size matters, men.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Ulysses" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gvou6e$f80$(E-Mail Removed)...
I have a Tecumseh carburator (1276A1M) from a Craftsman Lawn
Tractor
(917.254790) with a 12.5 Tecumseh OHV engine (can't seem to
find the model
number for the engine but I'll keep looking). The carb
apparently does not
deliver any fuel to the engine. The engine will run with
just about any 'ol
carb temporarily attached. All of the passages on the carb
seem to be clear
when I spray carb cleaner through them. The gas tank has
been thoroughly
cleaned and the fuel lines and filter replaced (before the
carb problem
appeared). Has anyone had success rebuilding one of these
carbs? Also, how
is the main jet (in the middle) removed? There is no
screwdriver slot.

"Don Young" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
-snip-
> Some small engine shops seem to not want to
>work on carburetors, just replace them.


IMHO, they are the *good* shops.
You can buy a carb for $50 and put it on in 5 minutes with a 99%
possibility that it will be perfect out of the box. . . . or spend
$20 in parts and an hour in labor for 60/40 chance.

I like the odds of the first- especially when I'm paying for the
labor.

Jim

On May 29, 7:09*pm, "Stormin Mormon"
<cayoung61**spambloc...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> This from hard experience. Tecumseh carbs, the bolt *that
> holds the bowl on. The bolt has a tiny passage, which gets
> clogged easily. Said passage meters the fuel to the mower.
> I'd have a miserable time trying to explain how to find the
> passage, but look in the mower end of the bolt. And look
> along the side, the part that's not threaded. Use magnifying
> lens and good light.
>
> You can clean this passage with carb cleaner, or the copper
> wire selected from a strand of lamp cord. Please don't use a
> steel poker, might widen the hole. Size matters, men.
>
> --
> Christopher A. Young
> Learn more about Jesus
> *www.lds.org
> .
>
> "Ulysses" <therealulys...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> news:gvou6e$f80$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a Tecumseh carburator (1276A1M) from a Craftsman Lawn
> Tractor
> (917.254790) with a 12.5 Tecumseh OHV engine (can't seem to
> find the model
> number for the engine but I'll keep looking). *The carb
> apparently does not
> deliver any fuel to the engine. *The engine will run with
> just about any 'ol
> carb temporarily attached. *All of the passages on the carb
> seem to be clear
> when I spray carb cleaner through them. *The gas tank has
> been thoroughly
> cleaned and the fuel lines and filter replaced (before the
> carb problem
> appeared). *Has anyone had success rebuilding one of these
> carbs? *Also, how
> is the main jet (in the middle) removed? *There is no
> screwdriver slot.

Isn't it more a nut than a bolt? I don't remember what it is called
in the manual.

"Ralph Mowery" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:QIednS6_-6Ok2LzXnZ2dnUVZ_u-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:a4650971-bc9e-48c1-a0fd->
> appeared). Has anyone had success rebuilding one of these> carbs? Also,
how
> > is the main jet (in the middle) removed? There is no
> > screwdriver slot.
>
> >Isn't it more a nut than a bolt? I don't remember what it >is called
> >in the manual.
>
> The manual calls it a "Fuel Bowl Retaining Nut"
>
> To me it looks like a bolt with holes drilled in it. I think of a nut as
> being sort of short and the threads being internal (female type) . I
think
> of a bolt as being long and having threads on the outside (male type).
>
> I guess they can call it whatever they want to.
>
> Also from the manual:
> "Always use a new screw(s) when reinstalling the choke shutter as the
screws
> are treated with dry-type adhesive to secure them in place."
>
> That also goes for the throtle plate. Guess they don't want to chance the
> screw loosing and going into the engine.
>

Thanks everyone. I've read about that small hole but didn't see one. I
think it was refered to as a "primer" or somesuch thing. Maybe I'll put on
my glasses and look again ;-)

The fuel bowl retaining nut is easy enough to find and remove. It's just
what's above that I can't figure out.

The fuel bowl retaining nut is the piece with the hole in
question. Look at the base of the "bolt" close to the head, there
is a cross hole that intersects the long hole that you see on the
top of the "bolt". Welding torch tip cleaners work really well, a
spritz of carb cleaner and a shot of air gets all cleaned out.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
(E-Mail Removed)



"Ulysses" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gvri3b$p6c$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Ralph Mowery" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:QIednS6_-6Ok2LzXnZ2dnUVZ_u-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:a4650971-bc9e-48c1-a0fd->
>> appeared). Has anyone had success rebuilding one of these>
>> carbs? Also,
> how
>> > is the main jet (in the middle) removed? There is no
>> > screwdriver slot.
>>
>> >Isn't it more a nut than a bolt? I don't remember what it >is
>> >called
>> >in the manual.
>>
>> The manual calls it a "Fuel Bowl Retaining Nut"
>>
>> To me it looks like a bolt with holes drilled in it. I think
>> of a nut as
>> being sort of short and the threads being internal (female
>> type) . I
> think
>> of a bolt as being long and having threads on the outside (male
>> type).
>>
>> I guess they can call it whatever they want to.
>>
>> Also from the manual:
>> "Always use a new screw(s) when reinstalling the choke shutter
>> as the
> screws
>> are treated with dry-type adhesive to secure them in place."
>>
>> That also goes for the throtle plate. Guess they don't want to
>> chance the
>> screw loosing and going into the engine.
>>
>
> Thanks everyone. I've read about that small hole but didn't see
> one. I
> think it was refered to as a "primer" or somesuch thing. Maybe
> I'll put on
> my glasses and look again ;-)
>
> The fuel bowl retaining nut is easy enough to find and remove.
> It's just
> what's above that I can't figure out.
>
>

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:0e77f5eb-d5ea-4fe4-b7f1-(E-Mail Removed)...
On May 29, 11:14 am, "Ulysses" <therealulys...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I have a Tecumseh carburator (1276A1M) from a Craftsman Lawn Tractor
> (917.254790) with a 12.5 Tecumseh OHV engine (can't seem to find the model
> number for the engine but I'll keep looking). The carb apparently does not
> deliver any fuel to the engine. The engine will run with just about any
'ol
> carb temporarily attached. All of the passages on the carb seem to be
clear
> when I spray carb cleaner through them. The gas tank has been thoroughly
> cleaned and the fuel lines and filter replaced (before the carb problem
> appeared). Has anyone had success rebuilding one of these carbs? Also, how
> is the main jet (in the middle) removed? There is no screwdriver slot.


I recently rebuilt one on a 5hp Tecumseh/Sears. Found the rebuild
kit on Ebay. It included new float valve, the little welch plugs you
have to knock out to clean properly, bowl gasket, new main adjusting
screw, etc. Remember you also need the gasket from carb to engine,
which was not included in mine. I think the key here is you need to
remove the welch plugs to be able to get to all the areas of the carb
that need cleaning.

I've never removed any "welch" plugs--do you use an awl or something
similar? One came with a rebuild kit that I bought for a weed-wacker but
there were no instructions and I didn't replace it. I also never got the
thing running. So far, in all my years using small engines I've never
needed to rebuild a carburator--just cleaning them seemed to be all they
needed (except for the weed-whacker but I think that's a personality
conflict).

I also got a service manual for the engine, which helped.

As an alternative, you could take the carb to a local small engine
shop and have them do it for you.

Sadly, my recent experience with repair places has not been good. I usually
get the impression that I know more about it than they do. And if I'm there
then it means I don't know enough to fix it.

On May 30, 7:50*am, Jim Elbrecht <elbre...@email.com> wrote:
> "Don Young" <no...@nonesuch.com> wrote:
>
> -snip-
>
> > Some small engine shops seem to not want to
> >work on carburetors, just replace them.
>
> IMHO, they are the *good* shops. * *
> You can buy a carb for $50 and put it on in 5 minutes with a 99%
> possibility that it will be perfect out of the box. . . . *or spend
> $20 in parts and an hour in labor for 60/40 chance.
>
> I like the odds of the first- especially when I'm paying for the
> labor.
>
> Jim

I am right in the middle of this with my Toro. I found a guy on
Craiglist who looked at my mower. He said I can buy a $12 rebuild kit
but then have to worry about the welch plug and still not be sure it
would work, or I can spend ~$60 and throw a new carb on in less than a
half hour.

He didn't charge me for the diagnostics since he didn't fix the mower.
Nice guy!

"Ralph Mowery" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:M4WdncDtlPk5-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Ulysses" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:gvriro$ut6$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >
> > I've never removed any "welch" plugs--do you use an awl or something
> > similar? One came with a rebuild kit that I bought for a weed-wacker
but
> > there were no instructions and I didn't replace it. I also never got
the
> > thing running. So far, in all my years using small engines I've never
> > needed to rebuild a carburator--just cleaning them seemed to be all they
> > needed (except for the weed-whacker but I think that's a personality
> > conflict).
> >
> > I also got a service manual for the engine, which helped.
>
>
> The service manual should show you haw to take out the Welch plug. Yes,
you
> use a sharp punch through the top of the plug and pry it out.
>
> Cut and past from the Tecumsche manual.
> __________________________
>
> Remove all welch plugs if cleaning the carburetor.
> Secure the carburetor in a vise equipped with protective
>
> jaws. Use a small chisel sharpened to a 1/8"
>
> (3.175 mm) wide wedge point. Drive the chisel into
>
> the plug to pierce the metal, then push down on the
>
> chisel to pry the plug out of the hole (diag. 32).
>
>
> Welch Plugs
>
> To install a new welch plug after cleaning the carburetor,
>
> secure the carburetor in a vise equipped with protective
>
> jaws. Place the welch plug into the receptacle with the
>
> raised portion up. With a punch equal to, or greater than
>
> the size of the plug, merely flatten the plug. Do not dent or
>
> drive the center of the plug below the top surface of the
>
> carburetor. After installation of the welch plug, seal the
>
> outer diameter with finger nail polish or equivalent (diag.
>
> 42).
>

Funny! I guess if you're single you can't seal the plug. Actually I'm
surprised that nail polish is expected to withstand gasoline.
>