Small engine repair thread

[Esaias]

Got a lawn mower, Briggs and Stratton, push mower (self propelled but the self don't propel anymore). Thing ran fine, then starting revving up and down for a while, then got to where it wouldn't start and stay running. It would start, rev up and down repeatedly, then die, then refuse to start until it had napped for several hours.

Took air filter off, drained fuel, took carb off, opened it up, stared at it, put it back together, put the drained fuel back in, left the air filter off. Started like a champ and ran great for several weeks, then started acting up again.

Drained fuel again, retried, but still won't start and stay running. Choke opens and shuts (causes revving), if I hold it closed she revs and runs fine, but I let go of the flap and it opens and starts choking out till it dies.

Went to repair shop, wanted to buy new carb (figured it would be 20 bux or so?) but guy said it would be cheaper to have him repair it than for me to buy and replace carb.

Hmm. Riiiiight.

So... troubleshooting checklist? What's my next step?

[Evang.Benincasa]

You need to rebuild the carb, not replace the carb. you also need to remove the gas tank clean it out, thoroughly, and make sure you don't leave the lawnmower outside uncovered. Drain the oil, and replace. New spark plug, and the depending on the self propel mechanism you, have you need to adjust it. Self propel units are simple to repair. Happy mowing.

If these items I mentioned don't work for you, just get Jason Baidjoe to repair it.

[Esaias]

Thanks. I didn't realize these little carbs could be rebuilt, I figured it was plug and play, "right click and go". lol

Sure wish back in high school I hadn't been too snobby to join the rednecks in auto shop class.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Thanks. I didn't realize these little carbs could be rebuilt, I figured it was plug and play, "right click and go". lol

Sure wish back in high school I hadn't been too snobby to join the rednecks in auto shop class.

Carburetor have to be repairable. Carburetor body must be soaked in a solution, and therefore you need to replace all the rubber gaskets that you remove. Never soak carb with any gaskets still in place. Now, you never liked auto shop? Are you a mechanic? Meaning can you disassemble and reassemble something without leaving parts out?

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Carburetor have to be repairable. Carburetor body must be soaked in a solution, and therefore you need to replace all the rubber gaskets that you remove. Never soak carb with any gaskets still in place. Now, you never liked auto shop? Are you a mechanic? Meaning can you disassemble and reassemble something without leaving parts out?

I can learn to be a small engine mechanic. I would have taken auto shop but it was all the "kickers" who took it, and all us "heads" weren't about to do anything productive besides learning how to cut coke for bigger profits.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Esaias

I can learn to be a small engine mechanic. I would have taken auto shop but it was all the "kickers" who took it, and all us "heads" weren't about to do anything productive besides learning how to cut coke for bigger profits.

Well, while I was a head I still had a shop in a two car garage. I would go to school in the morning, then come home in the afternoon to work. When I wasn't working on the road crew in the jackhammer truck. I was turning wrenches. My teachers took interest in me for some strange reason, and encouraged me to take shop, we also had a motorcycle course which was only one semester long. But if I wasn't turning wrenches I was busting through the bedrock with a pneumatic hammer.

[returnman]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Thanks. I didn't realize these little carbs could be rebuilt, I figured it was plug and play, "right click and go". lol

Sure wish back in high school I hadn't been too snobby to join the rednecks in auto shop class.

Isn't that the truth. Some of us have talked about how we wish we would have taken shop in HS but back then you were considered a dummy.

[canam]

also dont leave fuel in it, in off season without putting a fuel stabilizer in it ,this new ethanol fuel is terrible on small engines ,very corrosive, it breaks down after a month too

[Evang.Benincasa]

Ethanol blended fuels can decompose in as little as 60 days!!!!

Unbelieveable!

Why isn't Aquila outraged about that????

[Evang.Benincasa]

Ok, I posted this in two other threads. But I just used a VP product called Fix It Fuel. I put it into an old dirty saw which had been sitting with old fuel in it since 2001. It started after 2 pulls. Amazing to say the least.

https://vpracingfuels.com/product/fix-it-fuel/