I have a troy bilt pony with a 6hp Tecumseh engine. It's difficult to start and when I get it started I have to leave the choke on or it will die. Also it doesn't run as it should. I drained the old fuel and put new in which helped a little, but still dies when I take the choke off.

almost any engine with the same size shaft will work 6hp to 13hp

The carburetor will need to be cleaned very good. New needle valve maybe float and new gaskets That should take care of the problem.

That's the engine number. It's a 6Hp Tecumseh. Go on ebay and buy the Troy Bilt parts manuals on CD for Horse Roto Tillers (if that's what it's on). I paid $8. Definitely worth it.

make sure there is fuel and oil in the engine. There should either be a choke lever/setting or a primer bulb. Push the primer bulb, if there is one, or choke the engine. Make sure it is in neutral, and pull the starter. Should be all there is to it. If there is other info that is causing the machine not to start, please tell model number and what you have done in trying to start.

I would check that I didn't have a key sheared off in the flywheel, that the start/stop switch isn't faulty, and that there is no missing or weak flywheel magnet. Hope this helped and best wishes.

When you get it started, move the choke to the middle, then let it warm up. you might have to move the choke back and forth until it warms up, keep the throttle wide open.

Some Troy Bilt Tillers were designed with a manual "free-wheel". If yours is a Tuffy (and maybe a Junior), you have to pull pins out of the wheels to move the tiller without starting it. The larger tillers, Pony's and Horses, had a lever to shift to release the wheels.

Could be anything. An air leak between carb and motor, wrong jet settings(air fuel mixture), choke adjustment, water in gas, and more.

either the carb needs cleaned or theres a vacuum leak