I have a Tecumseh 5.5hp chipper/shredder. The model# is 0HH55 69024F. When I press the primer bulb, nothing seems to be happening and the engine will not start. If I remove the air filter cover and give a quick shot of starting fluid, it will start right up and stay running. I was wondering how how do I replace the primer bulb on this engine?
Also what is a good general repair manual for 4 cycle and 2 cycle small engines?
Thanks for the help...........

Look at page 3 of the sticky post section in this section and you will find links to service manuals for your engine.

There is a spring steel retaining ring holding the primer bulb in your carburetor, it must be pried out to remove the primer bulb. The primer bulb does not have to be bad for the primer not to work. There may be a leak some where in the system. If your carburetor uses the plastic nozzle I would look at the 2 O-Ring seals as a possible source of your issue.

Good Luck....

Thanks for the link to the parts page, it is a great help. I looked at the sticky post before i posted and had trouble with some links. However, i didnt go to page 3 and the link you mentioned worked great, thanks.
I downloaded the parts list and was looking for the O rings you mentioned. I am not sure what you are referring to as the nozzle. For the most part, do only plastic nozzles have O rings and do the O rings go bad before the primer bulbs? Thanks again.....

I downloaded the parts list and was looking for the O rings you mentioned. I am not sure what you are referring to as the nozzle. For the most part, do only plastic nozzles have O rings and do the O rings go bad before the primer bulbs? Thanks again.....

Yes, only the carburetor's with the plastic nozzles have the O-Rings. They look like this.

Thanks for the pictures. I will look for this on my parts list and see if i can get some numbers. Thanks

just found this site through google - good site - I also have a "leaking" primer bulb on an hssk50 tecumseh - 5 hp snowblower - strored dry, suprisingly easy to start this year, but gas started leaking out the hole in the primer bulb - the primer bulb replacement looks simple enough, but is there a membrane or tube inside that could be punctured? Curious as to how much weekend warrior stuff I want to tackle, before paying the "professionals" anyway....

I havn't had a chance to work on my carburetor since my post. I hope to get to it real soon. My primer bulb was not leaking gas, it wasn't pumping gas to prime the carb.
I didn't think to press the primer while it was running to see if gas was in the bulb. I am not sure if gas is suppose to be in the bulb when it is running.
I was looking for an exploded view of my carb, so I could get an idea of what pieces are involved. I did find an expoded view for my carb, but only the diagram, there wasn't a list of parts to correspond with the exploded view. The carb number is TEC-640025C. If anyone has the parts list, i would appreciate a link to it.
Anyway i will post what i do and how it ends up.

I took the primer bulb off and it looked ok. I placed it on a smooth flat surfaced and pressed and it did have suction, so I figured the bulb was ok.
I continued taking the carb apart and I think I have all the rubber parts off. I got the O rings , the nozzle, and also the needle valve out. I havn't gotten the needle valve seat out yet. Does it pry out, much like the nozzle O rings? How does the needle seat go back, any tricks/tips to getting the O rings and needle seat back in ands back in correctly? Is it ok to soak the carb over night in gas to get any remaining dirt off?
Thanks.....

I took the primer bulb off and it looked ok. I placed it on a smooth flat surfaced and pressed and it did have suction, so I figured the bulb was ok.
I continued taking the carb apart and I think I have all the rubber parts off. I got the O rings , the nozzle, and also the needle valve out. I havn't gotten the needle valve seat out yet. Does it pry out, much like the nozzle O rings? How does the needle seat go back, any tricks/tips to getting the O rings and needle seat back in ands back in correctly? Is it ok to soak the carb over night in gas to get any remaining dirt off?
Thanks.....

make sure on the needle seat the groove goes inside the carb towards the carb itself the way to remove the existing seat is to use a paper clip to pry it out but be careful not to make a huge scratch on the surface of the chamber there in the seat

when putting in a new seat which depending on your carb
should be part # 631021A on the needle replacement and seat it now comes with the bowl gasket part # 631028 yes i know my tecumseh parts been doing tecumseh engines since 1988 so i know my #s
bowl number is a 632019 issue with tecumseh is i have to order partspro which is a company that handles the CD version of Tecumseh parts lookup so im in the process of building up funds to purchase that it gets tiresome looking at microfiche all the time

but anyway as far as older Tecumseh engines dating back to the 1960s 1980s i am in the process of making a CD myself with ipls and parts list and all on them models which will take me forever to accomplish cause it is like 1000 pages or more manuel

but anyway make sure when you put that needle seat back in to use something that fits down that hole i normally use the plunger that went on the old briggs point system engines the points plunger just the right size to use on them seats on the tecumseh carbs

so if you can locate a points plunger use that to set that seat back in place
if you have any other questions feel free to send me a email

which i have linked on my profile

There is not supposed to be any fuel in the primer bulb. The bulb just pushes air though it to force fuel up the nozzle. If fuel is leaking out of a primer bulb, it's because the carburetor is flooding fuel. If you have compressed air you can blow out the inlet needle seat, be careful if you do it this way and make sure you have safety glasses on as the seat can fly out under pressure.

Here is a link to your carburetor parts breakdown with part numbers. Don't wait too long, Tecumseh will cease operations this month and parts may be hard to find in the near future.

http://www.partstree.com/parts/?lc=tecumseh&mn=TEC-640025C&dn=10CAAE81640025C-CA

I put a new primer bulb, new O rings around the nozzle and a new bowl gasket and it still will not prime using the bulb. It will start using starting fluid, but not with the primer bulb......I'm not sure what to do next....am i correct in thinking that if there is enough gas to run, there should be enough to prime? thanks for the help......

What is the model and spec number off your engine.

OHH55 69024F

I forgot to mention that i also changed the gas line from the tank to the carb...thanks for the help....

Success, I got it to prime. It takes quite a bit of pressing the bulb, but it does prime and crank up now.

I took the fuel line off of the carb and put a small amount of gas in the tank. The gas ran freely from the tank, through the line to the carb, so I figured the fuel supply was ok.

Someone asked me if I have installed the air breather assembly before I tried to prime. I had not and he told me to put the assembly screws back into the carb, the metal assembly plate wasn't necessary, just the screws into the carb. One of the screws was obvious just for mounting the assembly to the carb. However the other screw held the assembly on and it must screw further into the carb and possibly block a passage for the priming circuit. I don't know exactly how, but it worked.

Something had to go bad to start with for it not to prime. When I replaced the parts, it fixed it, i just should have done more of the assembly. I learned from this and i appreciate everyones help with this....