Repeat of Compression Relief Failure Causing Choke-Sputter-Die, or Both?

2013 T2000 Craftsman 42” rider with 19hp B&S 540.

2016 at 3 years, 3 months, compression relief system failed. $800 to rebuild damage. B&S refused warranty fix. My $.

2016- 2025, Until August ran normally.

2025 August. Started to be same locked compression, no crank, hit hard spot and no spin. Half dozen times. No question, spin until hit hard spot. Engine would eventually spin to start after recharging battery to max each time.

2025 October. Magically began starting normally every time. Started normally for 10-15-20 times mowing and leaves.

2025 November. Still starting normally, BUT the famous choke start, run perfectly, sputter, die cycle started yesterday. Restart and repeat began. 50 times.

2025, November, today. New fuel, new fuel filter, old complete carb removed and replaced with brand new complete carb, PITA but doable. With new carb, the Engine started instantly, ran, sputtered, died just like before replacing fuel, filter, AND carb. 20-30 times exactly the same. Choke start even hot, run smooth, run rough, sputter, die, no matter where throttle is (choke, run, medium, idle). It would generally restart in any throttle position. Quicker choked.

When it changes from smooth running purr to sputter, the governor arm starts fluttering.

Gas in tank, inline filter mostly full, full flow if carb line taken off. Gas is going into new carb just fine.

Is this the compression relief system again?

take the valve cover off and spark plug out, spin the engine over by hand and look for the intake valve to bump open slightly after the full intake stroke and the intake valve completely opens

Sears L2000 said:

2013 T2000 Craftsman 42” rider with 19hp B&S 540.

2016 at 3 years, 3 months, compression relief system failed. $800 to rebuild damage. B&S refused warranty fix. My $.

2016- 2025, Until August ran normally.

2025 August. Started to be same locked compression, no crank, hit hard spot and no spin. Half dozen times. No question, spin until hit hard spot. Engine would eventually spin to start after recharging battery to max each time.

2025 October. Magically began starting normally every time. Started normally for 10-15-20 times mowing and leaves.

2025 November. Still starting normally, BUT the famous choke start, run perfectly, sputter, die cycle started yesterday. Restart and repeat began. 50 times.

2025, November, today. New fuel, new fuel filter, old complete carb removed and replaced with brand new complete carb, PITA but doable. With new carb, the Engine started instantly, ran, sputtered, died just like before replacing fuel, filter, AND carb. 20-30 times exactly the same. Choke start even hot, run smooth, run rough, sputter, die, no matter where throttle is (choke, run, medium, idle). It would generally restart in any throttle position. Quicker choked.

When it changes from smooth running purr to sputter, the governor arm starts fluttering.

Gas in tank, inline filter mostly full, full flow if carb line taken off. Gas is going into new carb just fine.

Is this the compression relief system again?

Click to expand...

The carburetor you installed isn’t dead on correct and is probably a large part of the poor starting and running issue. New doesn’t always mean correct.

I agree with @Scrubcadet10 about pulling the valve cover and spark plug and turning the engine over by hand to watch the valve for compression bump off. I would also run it through a few cycles and what how far the valves are opening. Make sure both valves are opening the same distance.

This engine is currently showing signs of a carb that isn't filling properly, but also is showing signs of a compression release or valve clearance issue, but has hints of a possible bad cam lobe that isn't fully opening a valve.

$800 for a failed compression release on the camshaft. Back in 2016, $800 would of been a new replacement engine installed

Info followup:

ILENGINE: Thank you. As a simple old pushing 80 retired guy looking forward to my Ssecurity 2.8%? COLA, I am out of apparent real options that I understand how to do to salvage this one. What I “hate” is taking good care of a machine, it still looks very nice and clean, and yet mechanically its coming undone beyond unbolt a part and bolt on a new one.

The 2016 fixit bill was half of the original Sears store $14xx cost, +/-. The cam shaft and a valve were replaced in the process.

As to the new carb, the engine runs perfectly for a while, will go smoothly screaming faster if governor is held by hand, returns to the governor, runs fine, and then starts missing, sputtering slows down and dies. 30 seconds later, it will easily start and repeat that sequence running for another 25-30-35 seconds.

The old carb was sprayed with carb cleaner inside the gas inlet, up the bottom hole, and cleaned outside and then was exactly the same before and after.

The new carb runs the engine exactly the same way.

I do not know , but coincidences matter. The compression lock, followed by suddenly not compression locking, followed by run, sputter, die is an indication of something.

(As an aside, this is the second Briggs engine on a Craftsman that compression start locked. That one had the decency to run forever after starting with starting ether. A 2007 20hp. Two separate mowing locations. The deck on that one was worn through, the tires were worn out and leaked, the seat cracked/duct taped, and one of the blade bearing towers was bent on a tree root. Scrapped.)

Hello S.,

Your Aftermarket carburetor is creating most of the poor running issues. Just because it fits does not mean it works correctly. Aftermarket carburetors are a crap shoot.

Secondly, the governor has nothing to do with the engine surge. The governor has only one job and that is to prevent the carburetor from running wide open and blowing the engine apart. (It governs the engine top running speed by resisting excess throttle opening)

Third, the valves are likely out of adjustment after all of the time and need the gaps reset so the compression release can do its job.

I hear you about carbs.

But the factory carb with no effort to clean, the factory carb with carb and choke cleaner, and the replacement carb all result in the exact same operation symptoms. If anything, it runs slightly longer with the replacement carb.

The valves and compression release adjustments need looking at by someone smarter than me. No idea how a dumb old bunny figures that stuff out.

I understand. Do you have any grandkids that are mechanically inclined?

Is there a reputable independent repair shop or hobby mechanic in your area?

I have no use for dealer shops because all they typically have are guys for new equipment setup. Or they have people with no actual practical experience who just swap parts

All large urban expensive. After I retired, I myself and me is who the mom’s at home in the neighborhood brought non starting lawn blowers and mowers, dull blades, or she could use some help because “I’m sorta too pregnant to push the mower.” For years, I have mowed two elderly, more elderly than me, neighbors’ lawns and mowed leaves into spiral to the center with triple cutter wing deck blades to make small piles. Easier than attending funerals after the really old ones might over exert. Today, five of us, the more able bodied, used blowers and rakes instead of my mower to bag leaves. (I have an 80 volt Lowe’s Kobalt blower and three batteries.) Lean on cane. Damx blower has so much thrust it almost knocks me over backwards unless you lean into it. Nice place to live.

Mostly its leaves now.

BUT,

Watched two hours of Utube about how to adjust valves videos. Will check that and adjust. Seems easy.

Found Utubees on compression relief valve. Know where its at and know what/how it works now. Cheap and made to break and wear. No comprehension of how compression was locked in my mower at start and then suddenly spins normally to start. Had to be bad inside.

Three kids, engineer-accountant-architect, are as they put it “grease adverse.” “Guns are like fish, Dad’s clean them.” Oldest grandkids, ditto. They do not understand, were never trainable, and never needed mechanical skills I got on a dairy farm in the 1950’s and 1960’s before 8 years of college.

So I shall explore valves.

You asked?
is this the compression relief system again?

From your description, not likely yet.

Did I overlook the engine model, type and code? (appears to be maybe a single cylinder Briggs??????????

The valve lash needs checked. If the intake valve lash is more than .005 the engine will hang on crank. If exhaust lash is less than .002 it might sputter sometimes. The compression release is on the intake valve. specs are usually .003-.005. Lots of you tube info about how to check and adjust.
We feel your pain about not being able to find a reliable honest small engine mechanic.

Hard crank through probably valves lash needs adjusted. (been several years since adjusted. Also it's quite common for the valve lash on a old engine to REQUIRE re-checking the adjustment after the engine has been operated couple hours after the initial adjustment, Quite common for the lash adjustment to change on a old engine the first time it's adjusted. The critical one is the intake valve lash)

Your description might be two issues, valve lash, water in gas and or ignition.
Sputtering could be ignition or contaminated gas, such as water in the fuel

I would drain the gas tank and install fuel from another gas can. (both carbs act same you say)
Install a new properly gapped spark plug.
If symptoms still same I would install a $15 replacement magneto. (search on-line about such, setting the air gap, etc for your model engine))