GAS IS FOUND IN THE CRANKCASE OIL

---

When and if you find gas in the oil, change the oil and prepare to pull the carburetor off. Go to your local authorized small engine shop and get a Needle Valve and Seat kit. (Kohlers, Hondas, and Kawasakis will have the Needle Valve and Seat come in an entire Carburetor Kit [gaskets, o-rings, washers, etc]. Unfortunally, that is the only way you can get a Needle Valve and Seat.)

1. Stop the fuel flow to the carburetor. Remove fuel line. NOTE: **MAKE A NOTE OR DIAGRAM OF HOW THE GOVENOR LINKAGE IS CONNECTED TO THE THROTTLE ON THE CARBURETOR.** Remove the carburetor.

2. Over a pan suitable for containing gasoline, remove the fuel bowl nut and remove the fuel bowl.

3. Invert the carburetor and remove the float and needle valve by pulling out the float pin.

4. Remove the needle valve from the float.

5. Remove the needle seat by pulling it out with a piece of coat hanger wire or blow the seat out with compressed air from an air compressor. DANGER!: **IF YOU BLOW THE SEAT OUT WITH AN AIR HOSE, POINT THE BOTTOM OF THE CARBURETOR AWAY FROM YOURSELF, OTHER PEOPLE/PETS AND THE WALL.** Blow the seat out by blowing air through the fuel fitting. Keep blowing until you hear a pop.

6. Open the package the needle valve and seat came in and get the seat out. There will be gooves on one side of the seat. When you install the seat, spray some WD-40 on it and install the seat so the grooves face down in the carburetor, (you should see the smooth part of the seat facing you). Press the seat in with a flat punch until the seat bottoms out.

Remove the needle valve from the float and replace it with the new one in the kit. (Assemble the wire clip to the needle valve) On Tecumseh engines, the long end of the clip must face the Choke or air cleaner side of the carburetor. If you fail to do this, the needle valve will not seat. With Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki and Honda, it does not matter which way the end of the clip goes.

On Briggs engines 8-22 HP, the seat is brass and pressed into the carburetor. It can only be removed with a Tap and a bolt. I highly reccomend you take the carburetor in to a local shop and have them pull the seat out for you and reinstall the new needle valve and seat kit.

7. Assemble the float and needle valve to the carburetor. Check the float level. Make sure the float is parallel to the carburetor body. If you have a pressure tester, connected it to the fuel fitting. This will tell you if the seat will hold gas or not. If the seat can hold 5 PSI, then it is ok. Install the fuel bowl and nut.

TROUBLESHOOTING OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT

---

• Problems with SNAPPER

1. Rear Engine Rider (RER) can't pull a hill

Rubber driven disc is worn out.

Liner is worn or glazed (new style discs).

Spring is out of adjustment. When RER is standed on end, the spring is located to the left the of drive disc.

Grease or oil on the Drive disc.

2. Deck vibrates excessively

Belt is worn out or chewed up.

Quill assembly (spindle) bearings are worn out or housing is damaged.

Blades out of balance.

Bent spindles or crankshafts (walk behind mowers).

Slack in belt.

3. Rear Tine Tillers-Tines won't turn

Drive chain is broken. To prevent this, use only a Snapper shear bolt to mount the tines to the shaft.

---

• Problems with MTD

1. Transmission belt comes off

Rear end is loose.

Stretched secondary drive belt.

Loose pully on transmission.

2. Diffuculty trying to get transmission from Neutral to Drive or Nuetral to Reverse

This is normal with MTD transmissions (to a point, if extrememe force is needed to shift gears, then you have further problems in the transmision.) What happens, the shift collar does not always line up when you stop the tractor. What you need to do is put the shift lever in the place you want (reverse or drive) while slowly letting out on the clutch. You should feel the shift lever pop into place. Then let the clutch all the way out.

3. Tractor will not move in any speed position.

Variable speed pully needs to be syncronized. Start Tractor. Put Transmission in Neutral. Depress the clutch and put speed lever in the highest position available on your tractor. Let clutch out. Depress the clutch again and put speed lever in 1st position. Let clutch out. Now put transmission in Drive. The tractor should now go.

Damaged Transmission or damaged Hydro unit (Hydrostatic Transmissions only).

Broken Primary or Secondary drive belt.

4. Blades will not stop spinning when the deck is in the "neutral" or highest positon.

Deck is out of adjustment. When you remove the access panel in front of the seat, there will be a rod that is connected to the deck engagment lever and the back right hand side of the deck. Move the engagment lever back and forth until you see the rod and where it connects to on the deck. Remove the rod from the tractor. Turn the adjustable knob clockwise a few times and reinstall into the tractor. Put deck in the off position and start the engine. Note if the blades are still turning. If so, remove the rod again and repeat the above steps until the blades stop spinning.

Brake pads missing or worn out. The brake pads are mounted on the underside of the tractor, directly above where the pulleys are. Two self tapping screws hold the brake pads in place.

5. Tractor will not stop.

Adjust the brakes on the transmission. To do this, apply the parking brake. With a 1/2" wrench, tighten the nut on the brakes (usually right side of transmission) until you cannot push the trator forward and extreme force is necessary to make it move (both wheels will lock up and one wheel will try to spin the other way (due to the differential). Let off of the parking brake. See if the tractor will move forward freely now. If not, back off the nut until the tractor will move freely. Apply the parking brake again. If it still takes extreme force to move the tractor, then the brakes are set. If you can move the tractor, then you may need brake pads.

Dowel pins stuck. It is possible, if you mower is stored in high humidity areas, for the pins in the brake assembly to get stuck. To free them, you may want to remove the right rear tire (eaiser to get access to the transmission) to get to the brakes, but it is not necessary. Remove the nut that adjusts the pads. Remove the flat washer and the brake arm. Remove the two bolts holding the brake housing to the transmission. Place the housing on a bench and knock the pins out with a punch. Clean the pins up on a wire brush. Run a pipe cleaner through the holes in the housing to remove any rust that transfered from the pins to the housing. Reinstall the pins into their holes. Install the metal plate in its housing and then install the pad. Assemble the housing back to the transmission. Connect the brake arm, flat washer and the nut. Adjust the brakes according to the above steps.

Brake pads worn out. Replace the brake pads according to the above steps. When you get the housing off, you will see the brake rotor. Remove this to get to the other brake pad. When finished, adjust the brakes according to the steps in the first paragraph.

---

• Problems with TORO

1. Mowers equipped with Personal Pace are hard to pull backwards.

The clutches have not disengaged yet. Before pulling backwards, roll the mower forward 6 inches, without the help of the self propelled. The clutches should be disengaged. Now pull backwards.

2. Rear wheel drive mowers will not pull.

Grease the Zerk fittings on the rear wheel adjustment assemblies. This grease allows the cam to kick out from the axle and grab the gear on the axle.

The cams are stuck in the axles. Remove the wheel and the pinion from the axle. Pry out the cam with a pick or small screw driver. Clean the dried grease from the axle and clean with carburetor. Lubricate the cam and the axle keyway and re assemble.

3. Rear Engine Riders don't stop.

Brake pads have grease on them or need adjusting. Replace them with P/N 799021 brake pads (Tecumseh part number). To adjust, apply the parking brake. Tighten the nut until the wheels lock up and you cannot push the mower forward or in reverse. Release the brake and see if the mower will move easily or with slight resistance. If so, the brake is set.

4. BBC (Blade Brake Clutch) type mowers are sluggish to start.

When the blade is engaged, it takes a longer than normal and the engine bogs down before the blade will fully engage. Check the belt and idler pulley by removing the blade and the plastic shroud. You can also adjust the BBC cable by loosening the bolt that holds it in place on the top of the deck. Pull on the cable casing (black or silver part) until slight resistance is felt due to the spring. Hold what you have and tighten the bolt back.

Fuel/Oil Ratios for two cycle engines

---

This page here is totally different from the Oil Ratios Page. Here, I will name the engine manufacturer and their oil ratio for that enigine.

Lawn Boy Engines	32:1
Toro GTS Engines	50:1
Tecumseh Snow King Engines (HSK 600)	50:1
Tecumseh AV 520 and 600	24:1
Tecumseh TVS600 and AH600	32:1
McColluch	40:1
Husqvarna 225 Series Engines	50:1
WeedEater Blowers	40:1
Husqvarna Blowers (some)	40:1
Tecumseh TC Engines	24:1
Wisconsin-Robin Engines	32:1
Stihl Equipment	50:1
Tecumseh TVS/TVXL 840/850	50:1
Tecumseh HXL/HSK	50:1
Echo	50:1
Poulan/Poulan Pro	40:1
Stihl	50:1

This is a partial listing. Always refer to the fuel cap or instruction book to get Fuel/Oil mixtures. This is for a quick reference only.

---

Engine will run, but it surges, hunts for a constant RPM

---

1. Partial Blockage of Main Jet. This is for bowl type carburetors only. Stop the fuel flow to the carburetor, either turn off the fuel valve or pinch off the line with a pair of fuel line pinch off pliers or a pair of vice grips. With a pan suitable of containing gasoline, loosen the fuel bowl nut and catch the gas. Now remove the bowl nut and the bowl. Blow out the holes in the nut with compressed air or carburetor cleaner. Some Tecumseh carburetors have a tall bowl nut. Some will have a pin hole in the side of the nut, and some will have a pin hole just above the bottom set of threads. This hole must be clear in order for the engine to run properly.

For engines that do not have the jet made in the bowl nut (Kohler, Kawasaki, Honda, some Briggs and Strattons, Onan, Wisconsin-Robin) the jet is attatched to the center post of the carburetor. Some are cast in and others are screwed in. Blow this hole out and blow up the center post to clean the main nozzle. Use compressed air or carburetor cleaner.

For all down draft Briggs and Stratton Flo-Jet carburetors (7, 8, 10, 11 HP Horizontal), remove the bowl nut (has adjusting needle in it) and blow compressed air up the nozzle. For Opposed Twin engines, Horizontal and Vertical, remove the bowl drain nut and blow air in that hole.

2. Leaking Intake Gasket. Check for a loose carburetor or mainfold connection at the block. All Briggs and Stratton engine 3 to 6.5 HP, check the intake manifold for cracking (may have to remove carburetor) or loose connection at the block. You will need to remove the air shroud to get access to the intake manifold.

Chainsaws

This section of the website will explain about chain saws and the weird things they can do while cutting.

---

Saw cuts to one side.

• Don't automatically assume the bar is bent! Nine times out of ten, the teeth on the chain is at fault. You hit a rock or a bullet or something harder than the tooth, knocking it back, causing the tooth to be rounded and a little shorter than the opposite tooth. Saws tend to pull to the side of larger teeth, because they are the fist to bite into the wood.
  

• Chain was not sharpened evenly. The teeth are not cut back to the same length on both sides, causing the saw to pull to the side of larger teeth.

Sharpened chain will not cut.

• Sharpening a chain is just half of the job. The depth guages, or "drags" must be cut also. When a chain is sharpened, some of the tooth is removed, and makes the tooth lower than the drag. When the drag is above the tooth, it limits how far down the tooth can bite into the wood, thus poor cutting. The more powerful the saw, the more of the drag you can take off. See your saw's instructions for more information.

Chain jumps off.

• Chain is not being lubricated. Caused by a stopped up bar, plugged oil line, or damaged oil pump. The chain is getting hot and stretching, causing it to jump off the bar.
• Chain too loose. On sprocket nose bars, the chain needs to be tighter on the bar than hard nose bars. A chain is tight on the bar, when you pull up on the chain and the bottom of the driver just be visible.

Chain gets dull too fast.

• Stay out of the dirt! Dirt is the number one enemy of anything sharp and fast moving. Unlike large solid objects like rocks and nails, which hit only a few teeth before you know you have hit something, dirt hits all of the teeth, and makes them dull before you even know what happened. Also, hardwoods, such as locust and oak are hard on chains.

Chain slips under a load.

• The sprocket is very worn and will need to be replaced.

Problems with 2-cycle engines

---

This page includes weed eater engines (blowers, cut off saws, chain saws, etc.), and lawn mower 2-cycle engines.

ENGINE WILL NOT START

1.No fire to the spark plug. Remove stop wire from ignition module and remove spark plug. Pull engine over. If you have fire now, then there is a bad switch or a grounded wire. If you still do not have fire, then the points (if equipped) are bad, ignition module is bad or spark plug is faulty.

2.Hard diaphragms in carburetor. Old gas will eventually make the diaphgragms hard in the carburetor, preventing the pumping action that it required for the fuel to move through the carburetor. Replace the diaphragms and the filter screen.

3.Clogged fuel filter (if equipped) or clogged internal filter screen. Replace both.

4.Extremely low compression. In small 2-cycle engines, (blowers, chain saws, etc.) compression is vital in order for the engine to run correctly. If you are unable to get at least 150 PSI, then the piston and cylinder are scored and need to be replaced. Scoring is caused by the engine running too lean, too fast, too hot, or the wrong fuel-to-oil ratio.

ENGINE HESITATES

1.Stopped up fuel filter. Replace with identical new fuel filter.

2.Carburetor set slightly lean. Open the high speed needle about 1/8 of a turn.

3.Hard diaphragms in carburetor. Old gas will eventually make the diaphgragms hard in the carburetor, preventing the pumping action that it required for the fuel to move through the carburetor. Replace the diaphragms and the filter screen.

ENGINE RUNS FASTER THAN NORMAL

1.Leaking gasket A leaking gasket at the cylinder base or a carburetor mounting gasket will cause the engine to "suck air" and make it run faster than normal. This is a serious problem and must be repaired promptly.

RED OR BLACK ENGINES, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

---

What's the difference between a red Briggs and Stratton or Tecumseh engine and a black Briggs and Stratton or Tecumseh engine?

For starters, engines with red shrouds on them mean the engine is an Industrial/Commerical engine (I/C) and has a two year commerical use warranty. (Briggs and Stratton calls their red shrouded engines I/Cs while Tecumseh calls theirs XL/Cs-XtraLife/Commercial.) Either way you put it, the engine is designed for industrial use and is a little stronger than regular black shrouded engines.

Another big difference is that all I/C engines have a cast iron sleeve. These are stronger than aluminum, thus will not wear out as fast. Also, some of these engines utilize ball bearings for PTO (Power Take Off) bearings. These create less friction than standard friction (plain) bearings.

As usual, there is an exception to the rule. Briggs and Stratton happens to put black shrouds on some I/C engines. On these engines there is a decal saying the engine is an I/C.