GAS IS FOUND IN THE CRANKCASE OIL

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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

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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

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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.

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

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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.

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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

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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?

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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.

ENGINE/EQUIPMENT VIBRATES EXCESSIVELY

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1. Crankshaft bent. This happens if you strike a solid object. Go to an authorized shop and ask if they straighten cranks. They might not do it. If not, have it replaced. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STRAIGHTEN A CRANKSHAFT BECAUSE IF YOU DO IT WRONG, IT WILL BREAK.

2. Blade(s) out of balance or broken. Have them sharpened and balanced. If broken, replace ASAP!

3. Flywheel has a broken fin. This only happens if the flywheel has been dropped or hit with a hammer. Flywheel must be replaced.

4. Equipment other than the engine is out of balance or damaged. Have this checked out by an authorized dealer for that equipment.

ENGINE RUNS WIDE OPEN

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1.Throttle stuck open. Spray carburetor cleaner in the air horn to break up varnish, which may be holding the throttle plate open. If this does not do it, then spray WD-40 in the air horn and see if this frees it up. Also spray WD-40 on the throttle shaft on the outside of the carburetor.

2.Govenor is incorectly adjusted or not working at all.To staticly adjust the governor, locate the governor arm and loosen the nut on the bottom of the arm. Rotate the governor arm so the throttle is in the wide open position. Now hold what you got and turn the governor shaft in the same direction you rotated the arm. Tighten the nut and that will do it. If you are adjusting a Tecumseh governor, loosen the screw with a 1/4" nut driver and follow the above procedure.

If the govenor is not functioning at all, then chances are it has fell apart in the engine for various reasons (mechnical govenors only). This must be replaced or your engine will run at excessive speeds and may cause internal failure of the engine.

3.Govenor linkage is improperly connected to the carburetor. If this is the case, then E-mail me and I will send you instructions on hooking up the govenor linkage. Click Here If you need diagrams for Briggs and Stratton engines. Click Here If you need a diagram for Tecumseh engines.

ENGINE ONLY RUNS ON CHOKE

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This problem is usually common with Briggs and Stratton Vacu-Jet and Pulsa-Jet diaphragm style carburetors.

A.The diaphragm is stiff and must be replaced. This top information is for carburetors installed on Sprint, Classic and Quattro 3.0 to 4.0 hp engines.

1. Remove the two bolts holding the gas tank to the engine.

2. Tilt the carburetor and gas tank as a whole towards the engine to free the governor linkage from the throttle shaft.

3. Dump the gas from the tank into a container suitable to contain gasoline. Set the tank on a work bench.

4. Remove the 5 machine screws holding the carburetor to the tank. NOTE: **ON SOME MODEL SERIES 110900, 1119000, 113900 AND 114900 THERE WILL BE ANOTHER LONGER SCREW INSIDE OF THE AIR HORN UNDER THE CHOKE PLATE. BE SURE TO REMOVE IT SO YOU DO NOT DAMAGE THE CARBURETOR.**

5. Pull up on the carburetor to remove it from the tank. Make sure the springs do not jump onto the floor. If you notice a pool of gasoline in the large, shallow well in the gas tank top, then the tank must be "trued". Gas in this area affects the pumping action of the fuel pump. If a local Briggs and Stratton authorized shop cannot true the tank, then the tank must be replaced.

6. On automatic choke engines, you will have to remove the access cover on the air horn (located on opposite side of the breather grommet) to remove the link connected to the diaphragm to remove the diaphragm.

7. Check for debris clogging in intake straw. Clean the screen with a tooth brush if necessary.

8. Install the spring to the bottom side of the choke link. No more than two coils should be in the holder. Make sure you do not damage the spring when installing.

9. Hold the carburetor upside down in your hand and place the wide, short spring in the correct well (caburetors needing the 391681 diaphragm use this short, wide spring). Then place its cup overtop the spring. Pulsa-Prime carburetors will use a gasket and diaphragm and a spring. The diaphragm will go ontop of the tank, then the gasket. The spring fits on a boss on the bottom of the carburetor.

10. While holding the carburetor upside down, place the tank over the carburetor. Put the carburetor and tank assembly right side up on your bench and start the 5 screws. Do not tighten them yet. Connect the choke link to the choke shaft. Close the cover.

11. Put a screw driver or something in the air horn to hold the choke plate open, past halfway. Jiggle the carburetor to set the choke spring. With the screw driver still holding the choke open, tighten down the screws in a staggered seqence. Then install the longer screw inside the air horn, if equiped.

12. Reinstall the carburetor to the engine in reverse order as stated above.

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IF YOU HAVE A 3.0, 3.5 OR 5.0 HP HORIZONTAL SHAFT ENGINE, THEN...

1. Remove the muffler and the breather tube. If it is easier to remove the whole fuel tank and carburetor assembly, then remove the bolt at the bottom of the support bracket and the two bolts holding the carburetor to the block.

2. Remove the four screws holding the diaphragm cover on.

3. Take the diaphragm and a Model, Type and Code number to a local Briggs and Stratton dealer and have them identify the diaphragm as New Style (P/N 272538) or Old Style (P/N 270026).

4. Hook the hole of the diaphragm to the pin located on the carburetor near the block. Then insert the spring first into its dish and then put the cap on top of the spring. Hold the diaphragm in place while installing the diaphragm cover.

5. Tighten the screws tight and reinstall the breather tube from the breather on the block to the carburetor. Reinstall the muffler or the whole fuel tank assembly.

B. High speed nozzle or jet is partialy clogged.

On all Tecumseh float style carburetors, remove the bowl nut and clean out the holes in it. On adjustable high speed engines, make sure you find the tiny hole on the top of the first set of threads. It can only be cleaned with a piece of tag wire.

On Briggs and Stratton, All Max and Quantum engines (3.5,4.0-6.5 hp) will have holes in the bowl nut. Clean these out. On all other Briggs engines, there will be a removable nozzle. Take this out. NOTE: **DO NOT DAMAGE THE THREADS WHEN REMOVING OR INSTALLING THE NOZZLE. PURCHASE BRIGGS PART NUMBER 19062 TO GET A SPECIAL SCREW DRIVER TO REMOVE THE NOZZLE.** Remove the nozzle and clean out all the holes. Reinstall. Opposed Twin Cylinder Briggs engines will not have nozzle. Remove the top half of the caburetor and clean the 3 holes in the front of the carburetor base. One of the holes will be the fuel pump hole and the other two will be metering holes. Clean these out with a piece of tag wire. Reinstall the top half of the carburetor.

C. High speed adjustment is not correct.
This is for float style carburetors only.

1. Screw in the adjustment screw until finger tight. Now back it out 1 1/2 turns. This should be sufficient enough for the engine to run properly. This adjustment if for all Briggs float style carburetors and all Tecumseh float style carburetors. If the engine does not run correctly, let engine warm up for about 5 minutes. Screw the screw in until the engine runs erattic (lean). Then back it out until the engine runs erratic again (rich). Now turn the screw half way between and this should be good enough.

ENGINE HAS NO COMPRESSION

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1. Excessive carbon buildup. Carbon has gotten stuck on the valve seat or valve face.

2. Valve seat has is popped out. This happens on engines that never get their fins cleaned ( excess heat makes aluminum expand too much). This is most common to happen on the intake seat. If the seat is not damaged by the valve, it can be re-seated into the block, but I HIGHLY reccomend that you take the engine in to an authorized shop to have them do this work. They will also re-cut the seat and valve face.

3. Ring wear/cylinder wear. This happens to years of hard service. The clearences get too wide, compression is blown into the crankcase. If the cylinder is not too worn or out of round, Chrome Rings (Standard size only Briggs and Stratton engines only) can be installed to re-gain your compression instead of oversizing and fitting the piston with steel rings.

4. Rings/cylinder scored. This happens when carbon falls off of the head or the cylinder starves for oil. If the cylinder or rings are in really bad shape, they must be replaced/oversized.

5. Head gasket blown. This happens after years of use or happens when the engine runs too hot. The cause of this is the head bolts relaxing.

ENGINE MISSES OR SPUTTERS

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1. Some water is in the gas. Remove this old fuel and replace with fresh mid-grade gasoline.

2. Electrical system is grounding out on the equipment (not engine). Check for cracks for exposed wires. Repair as necessary.

3. Flywheel key sheared. Replace key.

4. Engine out of time. (Point system only). Have engine timed at any local Briggs and Stratton or Tecumseh authorized shop.

5. Stop wire is rubbing on flywheel. Remove flywheel, tape up wire if not severed and re-route it so it will not touch flwheel.

6.Fouled Spark Plug Replace the spark plug with an identical new one.

SERVICE TIPS

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Change the oil.

This is the most important thing you can do to make your engine live forever. Change your oil with a good grade of SAE 30w HD For Service SC and higher. On Tecumseh Snow-King engines, use only 10w-30 HD For Service SC and Higher. Change your oil every 50 hours or once a season, which ever comes first. Do not overfill! This will cause the engine to smoke or blow oil out of the breather into the air filter. On engines with dipsticks, fill to the top line of the crosshatch mark. On engines without dipsticks, fill to the top of the hole. On horizontal engines without dipsticks, fill until oil comes out of the fill hole.

Clean or replace the air filter.

This is also a very important part of engine maintenance. Clean the foam filters with hot soap and water. Re-oil and squeeze out excess. Paper elements must be replaced if extremely dirty of have dirt caked up in the pleats. Pre-cleaners must be washed like foam elements. Do not oil pre-cleaners that say DO NOT OIL. Air filters must be cleaned/replaced every 25 hours or more often under dusty conditions.

Change spark plugs.

As cheap as some spark plugs are (in cost) it's a good idea to just replace them once a season instead of trying to clean them and reuse them. This is sometimes the culprit on engines that are hard to start or engines that will not start at all.

Sharpen and balance blades.

A dull blade will put more load on an engine than a sharp blade will because the engine has to re cut the grass more. Also your yard does not look too good when the grass gets pushed down, not cut. An out of balance blade obviously makes things vibrate bad, puts extra load on the engine, and wears things out prematurely.

Remove debris from fins.

Your car won't exactly cool down running it without water, right? So what makes you think a small engine can cool if its fins are packed full of grass, leaves, etc.? Remove the shroud yearly or more often under dirty conditions to remove leaves and dirt from the flywheel, cylinder fins, head fins, under the flywheel, and behind the muffler. Be sure to remove the piece of shroud from under the cylinder. Lots of stuff gets stuck in there also.

Remove or stabilize fuel before storing engine.

Doing this will prevent unwanted maintenance in the spring time. When gas is untreated, it will start to turn into a gel after 60 to 90 days. When the fuel turns into a gel, it clogs up the jet in the carburetor, making it impossible to start the engine.

To remove the fuel from the tank (push mowers) place a pan suitable or containing gas and place it under the fuel line where it connects to the tank. Remove the spring clamp and pull off the hose. Let fuel run out completely into pan and dispose of properly. Start engine and run it until it dies on its own.

ENGINE LACKS POWER

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1. Check air filter. Clean/replace if necessary. Check or service air filter every 25 hours. Paper filters must be replaced. Foam filters may be washed out in hot soapy water. Squeeze dry and re oil with engine oil. Squeeze out excess oil.

2. Check spark plug. Look for excessive carbon deposits on the electrode. Clean, or replace with a new identical plug.

3. Carburetor may be out of adjustment. Screw in the high speed screw (bottom of carburetor) in until finger tight. Then:
IF Tecumseh, back out the screw 1-1/2 times.
IF Briggs and Stratton, back out screw 1-1/2 times (single cylinder)
IF Kohler, back screw out 1-1/2 times (single cylinder)

Adjust the idle screw (located on the side of carburetor) by screwing it in until finger tight and then:
IF Tecumseh, back out screw 1 time.
IF Briggs and Stratton, back out screw 1 time. (single cylinder)
IF Kohler, back srew out 1 time. (single cylinder)

4. Bad fuel. Replace with fresh, mid-grade automotive fuel.

5. Exhaust port clogged or restricted. 2-Cylces only. Remove the muffler and pull the engine over until the piston skirt blocks the exhaust port. Scrape away the carbon with a wooden dowel or somthing soft. **WARNING: YOU CANNOT SCATCH THE PISTON SKIRT. IF YOU DO, CYLINDER DAMAGE MAY OCCUR FROM THE SCAR ON THE SKIRT. THIS WILL REDUCE COMPRESSION, THUS MAKING THE ENGINE HARD TO START OR RUN PROPERLY.** Check the muffler for blockage and remove carbon from it.

ENGINE WILL NOT START

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1. Check for proper fuel level. Fill gas tank to just below the fill neck so there is room for the gas to expand and slosh around. If you fill the tank all the way to the top, then gas will leak out as the engine shakes around. Also check for a dirty/clogged fuel filter, and check to see if the fuel valve is in the "ON" position.

2. Check the spark plug. If it is "carbon shorted", carbon between the electode gap, clean or replace it. If the plug is pitted, burned, or has cracked procelain, replace it with an identical replacement spark plug.

3. Check for spark. With a commercially available spark tester, test for spark by putting the spark plug wire (high-tension lead) on one side of the tester and clip the other side of the tester to the shroud, fins or head bolts. Or ground the plug, with high tension lead on it, to the head of the engine and crank on the engine. NOTE: **Keep the spark plug away from the spark plug hole so spark does not jump and ignite any fuel vapors.** Spark is present when you see blue sparks jump the electrode gap. If the mower is older than 1983, the points could be burned. Or, on a rare occasion, the solid state (electronic igniton) magneto could be bad.

4. Prime or Choke the engine. If the engine has a primer or choke, use them! Prime engine 3 times and then start. Choke engine until it starts to fire and then open the choke. If this does not phase it any, then use the below instructions.

5. Carburetor is clogged. Remove the air filter and spray carburetor cleaner or starting fluid into the air intake and crank the engine over. If engine fires and then quits, stop the fuel flow, remove the bowl nut and bowl. Blow compressed air or a run tag wire through the holes in the bowl nut and clean the bowl of any derbis. If a lot of debris is in the bowl, dispose properly of the old gasoline and flush the gas tank, fuel line, and replace fuel filter (if equiped). If the high speed is adjustable, remove the adjusting needle from the nut and run a wire through the holes. NOTE: **Tecumseh engines with an adjustable high speed have a third pinhole under the top set of threads. Make sure this is clean. Tag wire will fit it to clean the hole. Make sure you can see the wire through the nut when looking into it. Run the tag wire up the nozle in the carburetor too. On large 1 and 2 piece Briggs and Stratton Flo-Jets, make sure you remove the highspeed nozle out of the carburetor. NOTE: **You must have a 1/4" screw driver that DOES NOT have the bulges on the side. Using a regular screw driver will damage the threads.** Blow air through all the holes and make sure you can see light through all of them. Reinstall the nozzle until tight. Reinstall the the bowl and then nut. Screw the adjustment screw in until it is finger tight and then back it out 1 1/2 turn to get the pre adjustment. If your engine has a diaphragm style carburetor, Click Here.

6. Engine has been over choked. Open choke and crank engine with the throttle at wide open until the engine starts.

7. Safety devices are dissengaged. Put the equipment in Neutral or Park, disengage the deck attatchment or PTO and depress the clutch. Some lawn tractors require you to sit on the seat when starting the engine. If all the safety devices are engaged and the equipment still will not start, there might be a problem in the wiring or the switches/modules have gone bad.

8. Ground (stop) wire is grounded. Check to see if the stop wire has rubbed against the flywheel. You will need to remove the air shroud to do so. If wire is touching the flywheel, repair the wire and reroute it.

9. Remote fuel pump is not pumping fuel. This problem occurs when the diaphragms get hard in the fuel pump. Remove the fuel pump from the engine shroud or off of the tractor itself and take the fuel pump apart on a work bench. If this fuel pump is one of the Walbro fuel pumps (rectangular, pulse and line from fuel "IN" line on same end, "OUT" line on opposite end) Tecumseh P/N 33010 should be the diaphragms to repair the fuel pump. Always use Model and Type/Spec numbers off of engine to allocate the correct parts. If the fuel pump is mounted on the tractor, not the engine, then you will have to get the Model number off of the TRACTOR to get the diaphgram part number.

Another problem is low or no vacuum at the pulse line. To test for pulse, remove pulse line from the fuel pump and put your finger over it. Crank on the engine. If you feel your finger being sucked on, then you have sufficient vacuum to operate pump. If you have no or little vacuum, then check for a cracked or broken hose.

10. Problem with safety switch. Either the safety switch is broken or the wires going to it are loose, or have some sort of corrosion on it. Check for good connections.

11. Problem with zone start cable If you have a push mower, it is possible that the zone start cable (cable connected to the bail you pull back to start the engine) is not pulling the flywheel brake back all the way, thus causing the switch to not break contact. To remedy this, either tie a knot in the metal wire to shorten it or, if possible, drill a hole just a little lower than the current mounting hole and mount the cable to that hole.

12. Fuel Cap The fuel cap is not venting. A non venting fuel cap will cause a vacuum in the tank, preventing the flow of fuel to the carburetor. Replace the cap.

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Basic Lawnmower Maintenance

Q: Our lawn mower stoped working yesterday, the metal wire that runs from the dead-man switch at the handle down to the engine broke somewhere inside it's tiny little tube. It's quite obvious that this is the problem, since you can squeeze the handle and the wire pulls out one end and you can see that it doesn't pull the wire on the other end.
How much does it cost to fix one of these at a shop, or how easy/cheap would it be to fix it ourselves? is this like a part that would be easily avaliable to joe public?

A: The part is readily available........probably were you bought the mower, but definetly through the mfg.
Cost's about $20 and is a self explanatory installation. Your repair shop will charge about $20. to install the part.
I would go to the parts store with make/model number, order the part (it's probably in stock) and DIY. Good Luck