Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Did I screw up?

I have a 1998 Toro 824 snow blower, model 38540, with a Tecumseh engine. The blower was surging bad so I rebuilt the carburetor. In doing so I soaked it overnight before the rebuild.

Now, after the fact, I read the Tecumseh recommends that you do not soak their non adjustable emission carburetors and mine is this type of carburetor. So my question is: will soaking ruin the carburetor and what are the ramifications of my having done so?

I read extensively prior to doing the rebuild and did not see the Tecumseh recommendation until after the fact. I am surprised that it is not mentioned prominently in so many threads here and on other forums. :wall:

If the solvent you used is strong enough, it may melt any plastic parts that are inside the carb. The ramifications would be the motor/carb will not run or run poorly.

I will say this: I pretty much did the same thing you did (maybe it's a Minnesota thing ;) ) and when I put it back together everything ran fine.

After cleaning the carburetor, does the engine now run correctly? If so I would say there is no or minimal damage.

Most, not all, engine and carburetor manufacturers do not recommend immersion bath carburetor cleaning. Some immersion cleaners eat away small amounts of metal, especially if allowed to soak too long. I would never ever soak a 2-cycle block style carburetor.

I have found inexpensive aerosol cleaners work better than immersion cleaners do. My favorite is Valucraft Carb Cleaner sold by Auto Zone parts stores.

Nowadays ultrasonic cleaners are the choice of most repair shops. Since they are expensive, they are not a choice for small shops and individuals.

Some individuals posting on the forum only like immersion carburetor cleaners.

When you "rebuilt" the carb did you replace the main nozzle and the 2 o-rings ? I believe the o-rings are part of the kit. If yes I doubt you did any damage. If not I would at the least remove nozzle and replace 0-rings as the solution will soften and swell these and murphy's law will kick in, in the middle of a blizzard and your carb problems will surface

I haven't put it back on yet to see how it runs. I did replace the O-rings, so I hope I am OK. I plan to work on it tomorrow and will let you know how it goes. I know most people think these carburetor are "junk" to begin with so I guess the worse case senario will be a new carb.

Thanks everyone for the help.

I don't think you will have any problems, I have soaked numerous without issues