austinrick
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- Aug 24, 2025
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Greetings! New member here.
A neighbor was gifted the above referenced mower; told me it started and ran fine for at least one lawn mowing (and many years with previous owner), then she filled with some bad/old gas and it hasn't worked since. I offered to go into it for her, believing with all my heart that it was a matter of taking down the carburetor and clearing out the ethanol gook, like I did on my Craftsman B&S. Naturally, it has become lots more complicated than that.
I can't find anything like a motor model/serial number stamped at any of the three places B&S says to look. But on the right (starboard) side of the block, on a largish flat, black painted surface, printed in a silver ink, is 9P702-0144-F1 and DOM 03 24 15 – nothing more. The manufacture date does not resemble a B&S "date code" as they describe it. I was able to use the first number to locate and download a parts manual from the B&S website. I find conflicting data regarding which carburetor is on this motor. There is a break by date and it's as if the original carb is used after the given date and replacement number used earlier. Makes no sense, so I don't know which carb to order if I choose to replace this one.
Anyway, the issue is the same as many others have had with this motor: Starts, runs rich while it warms up, then dies. I have had the carb apart several times; all seems well there. I don't think the carburetor is the root of this problem. New spark plug didn't fix anything, naturally. Auto-choke is functioning as it should. Levers moving freely, nothing binding.
I'm wondering if the governor lever is a factor in this. It's a part of these small motors that I don't understand. The mechanism seems to be moving freely; all springs are in good shape. When running and warming up, I found I can reach under the top cowling, put a finger on the governor lever, push it forward a hair and the engine immediately picks up and runs like it should. But not for long. I kept working that gov lever to keep the engine going, but it finally conked out. After that I can pull the start cord a few times slowly, then one time hard; the engine fires and dies.
Is the problem in the governor? This mower ran fine for years. Everything on and around the carburetor seems fine. What am I missing? -TIA
A neighbor was gifted the above referenced mower; told me it started and ran fine for at least one lawn mowing (and many years with previous owner), then she filled with some bad/old gas and it hasn't worked since. I offered to go into it for her, believing with all my heart that it was a matter of taking down the carburetor and clearing out the ethanol gook, like I did on my Craftsman B&S. Naturally, it has become lots more complicated than that.
I can't find anything like a motor model/serial number stamped at any of the three places B&S says to look. But on the right (starboard) side of the block, on a largish flat, black painted surface, printed in a silver ink, is 9P702-0144-F1 and DOM 03 24 15 – nothing more. The manufacture date does not resemble a B&S "date code" as they describe it. I was able to use the first number to locate and download a parts manual from the B&S website. I find conflicting data regarding which carburetor is on this motor. There is a break by date and it's as if the original carb is used after the given date and replacement number used earlier. Makes no sense, so I don't know which carb to order if I choose to replace this one.
Anyway, the issue is the same as many others have had with this motor: Starts, runs rich while it warms up, then dies. I have had the carb apart several times; all seems well there. I don't think the carburetor is the root of this problem. New spark plug didn't fix anything, naturally. Auto-choke is functioning as it should. Levers moving freely, nothing binding.
I'm wondering if the governor lever is a factor in this. It's a part of these small motors that I don't understand. The mechanism seems to be moving freely; all springs are in good shape. When running and warming up, I found I can reach under the top cowling, put a finger on the governor lever, push it forward a hair and the engine immediately picks up and runs like it should. But not for long. I kept working that gov lever to keep the engine going, but it finally conked out. After that I can pull the start cord a few times slowly, then one time hard; the engine fires and dies.
Is the problem in the governor? This mower ran fine for years. Everything on and around the carburetor seems fine. What am I missing? -TIA
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