Lawnmower

[leelanauferg]

I've got an old mower-well taken care of before me by my grand parents. It's a self propelled Snapper. This is only the second summer I've had it. In early June it wouldn't start for me. So my dad had a look at it and got a new plug for it and just generally did a once over. Ran fine for 2 mows. Then I was filling it with gas and (don't laugh) the filler hose from the gas can slipped out and I got gas in the top part where the pull cord winds up. Not a ton, but more than a little. Started it up, it ran for a half a minute, coughed a sputtered and died. No more starting. Waited a day, thinking it was flooded or something-still not starting. Friend guy came over-pulled the plug (I don't have the right size plug socket), is dirty ALREADY (after only 2 mows!), but dry. Cleaned the filter. She tried to start, but same thing-run a little-then cough and die. Also-don't know if this matters or not-but it seems to use alot of gas. I mow only about a half acre-but it takes me about 2 1/2 tanks full to finish it. Whaddya think? Fixable? Or time for a new mower? Dad said maybe something about the rings? Or the choke sticking on making it run too rich, (but I pull back the choke after it starts)

[crazy1]

It sounds like the carberator has a problem to me. It could be the float is stuck, you're using way to much gas for an area that small. I had the same problem with my big tiller (the running for a short while then stopping) It's going in soon for a carberator rebuild. Hope that helps ya some.

[Pharmer Phil]

I agree that the carb needs a rebuild, this is ONLY a diaphram (sp) problem I believe, get the numbers of the carb body, or take the 4 screws out and take it with for a kit.
This happens when a mower or tiller sits fer a spell.

[douglas]

It would only take a sec to pull the carb off to check the float, gotta agree wit the guys above

[Deleted]

Is it a Briggs or a Tucomski..........my spellin sucks? I work on these things alot. A carb kit is only 5 or 6 bucks and easy to fix.

[crazy1]

Hey I'm a "ski"_polelock and youre right Cavey it's easy and cheap to fix a techumseh(sp) Or a briggs, my tiller is a old cast iron one. Not to easy to find parts for its 31 yrs old. But she still gets er dun.

[jack]

Gidday

There is a possibility that it is pilling if it's a 2 stroke anyway. Little pills or balls of carbon floating around in the combustion chamber that stick in the plug and short it out so no spark. Often the pill will fall out on it's own before you get to see it. Normally happend when it runs a bit hot or sometimes with the wrong temperature plug in it.

Check the plug against what the makers say and see if it's wrong.

[leelanauferg]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll get in there and tinker around with it now that it's not so hot. If the carb kit is only a couple bucks it's worth a try! Cheaper than taking it to the shop. Do i go to the mower repair guy to get the part, or would they have it at an automotive parts place? Or Sears?

[leelanauferg]

Also-I know what a carburetor on a truck looks like, will it look similar on a mower?

[crazy1]

I'd say your local hardware should have one. Thats a pretty common kit. It kinda looks like an automotive one, but sideways.

[douglas]

Something like this



One taken apart with float





Should only be two bolts thats holding it to the engine body and one holding the gas chamber on the bottom of the carb
Should be a small pin holding the float in place that could have came out of place, and another one above the float with a small wire that controls the amount of gas to yer engine

[leelanauferg]

Wow! Thanks! It's amazing to me that pictures of such things are so easily available! That looks pretty big in the pic-what size really? As big as my fist? I'm gonna fix this thing dam*it!!

[douglas]

Not too much bigger then the pics you see above