Export thread

10525 Lawnboy no start issues

#1

I

intruder1500

So this has happened a couple of times on my Duraforce 6.5 HP 2 stroke. Go to start mower....prime carb...no start....prime some more...no go. Pull plug and its dry. Remove filter and spray starting fluid in carb throat....starts first pull and keeps on running. Appears that there is no fuel in engine...maybe primer bulb issue or? Any advice is appreciated.


#2

B

Born2Mow

1. First and Foremost is fuel. Fuel should be less than 2 weeks old (unless it's been properly treated, and how to do that is not the focus of this reply). Fuel that was left in the unit over winter cannot be trusted. As a best practice: Never, ever store any small engine with fuel in the tank or carb.

2. If you can get the unit running, as per your description, then often it is the needle jets that gum up. With the unit running, turn the adjuster screws back and forth and often times the moving fuel will wash the jet clean. Be sure to re-set the screw exactly where it was. There are most probably 2 screws marked Hi and Lo, which refers to the engine RPM they control. The Lo screw usually has the biggest effect on cranking.

3. I would suggest you start using a dual action stabilizer and cleaner additive in all your small engine fuel. You can treat the big can you fill all the small engines from and they will all benefit. Such an additive would be StarTron. The action described in #2 will be faster and more effective if you do.

Hope this helps.


#3

FuzzyDriver

FuzzyDriver

Could be primer, but also give some thought into the time difference between trying to start it right away and getting starting fluid and taking the filter off.

When you are done mowing, do you shut the gas off and run it until it dies? If you do (I do) then when you go to start the mower, when you turn the gas on you need to wait a couple minutes for the bowl to get gas. This could be the time that passes between trying to start it, and taking the filter off and retrieving the starting fluid.

In case you are wondering why I run it out of gas every time I mow, it's to completely empty out the carburetor. With no fuel in it, there's no fuel that can evaporate and leave oil behind. I have not had to touch my 'daily-driver' carburetor for years since i started doing that.


#4

R

Rivets

Please provide us with a serial number for your unit, I’m not finding one which uses a primer system.


#5

I

intruder1500

Born2Mow said:
1. First and Foremost is fuel. Fuel should be less than 2 weeks old (unless it's been properly treated, and how to do that is not the focus of this reply). Fuel that was left in the unit over winter cannot be trusted. As a best practice: Never, ever store any small engine with fuel in the tank or carb.

2. If you can get the unit running, as per your description, then often it is the needle jets that gum up. With the unit running, turn the adjuster screws back and forth and often times the moving fuel will wash the jet clean. Be sure to re-set the screw exactly where it was. There are most probably 2 screws marked Hi and Lo, which refers to the engine RPM they control. The Lo screw usually has the biggest effect on cranking.

3. I would suggest you start using a dual action stabilizer and cleaner additive in all your small engine fuel. You can treat the big can you fill all the small engines from and they will all benefit. Such an additive would be StarTron. The action described in #2 will be faster and more effective if you do.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
All fuel removed from mower end of season. I do use stabilizer in the gas can containing leftover fuel.


#6

I

intruder1500

FuzzyDriver said:
Could be primer, but also give some thought into the time difference between trying to start it right away and getting starting fluid and taking the filter off.

When you are done mowing, do you shut the gas off and run it until it dies? If you do (I do) then when you go to start the mower, when you turn the gas on you need to wait a couple minutes for the bowl to get gas. This could be the time that passes between trying to start it, and taking the filter off and retrieving the starting fluid.

In case you are wondering why I run it out of gas every time I mow, it's to completely empty out the carburetor. With no fuel in it, there's no fuel that can evaporate and leave oil behind. I have not had to touch my 'daily-driver' carburetor for years since i started doing that.
Click to expand...
I do shut the fuel off but do not run it until the mower dies.

AHHHHH....."With no fuel in it, there's no fuel that can evaporate and leave oil behind."


#7

I

intruder1500

Rivets said:
Please provide us with a serial number for your unit, I’m not finding one which uses a primer system.
Click to expand...
10525 serial # 8903456


#8

I

intruder1500

So todays learning. Changed primer bulb and blew out line in case it was plugged. Tried to start no go. Pulled filter and sprayed starting fluid in carb throat. No go. Pulled plug and now its wet....hmmmm. Put in old plug started first pull and lots of smoke.....flooded now? So we will see what happens tomorrow....I will push primer button once and try to start. My thinking is that I flooded the engine blowing the line out after replacing the primer bulb.

Thankful I have a second 10525 plus lots of spare parts.


#9

R

Rivets

I’m betting that your problem is that the crankcase is full of only oil and no fuel, because the fuel has evaporated during winter storage. This is a common problem with two cycle engines which sit for long periods of time. As you know oil is much harder to ignite, but when you got it started you are now able to ignite that oil, black smoke. If you have fresh fuel and were able to burn off all the excess oil in the crankcase, it should start much easier next time. I suggest that you remove as much fuel as possible before any long term storage. I do this by advising customers to drain the tank at the end of the season and then start and run the engine until it dies. That way they have removed as much fuel as possible from the crankcase and will be starting with fresh fuel the next season, plus no reason to purchase the dreaded fuel additive.


#10

V

viperv10

Dura force engines seem prone to having a lot of gas seeping into the crankcase and dripping oil out the muffler and out of the plate on the bottom that holds the exhaust u pipe in.
They don't have any adjustment screws on the carb, but they do have a primer bulb.
A friend brought me a dura force to work on this winter. He wanted a new carburetor and new coil. It ran fine but I put in my shed for a month or so during the snowy season of winter
and when I took it out the other day when the weather warmed up, it wouldn't start to save me. These lawn boys can be very finicky.
Regards,
Jerry


#11

FuzzyDriver

FuzzyDriver

If you do the 'run it out of gas' trick you may never have to work on the carburetor ever. At least do it like Rivets suggests, if you're as OCD as me then do it every time. And thanks for letting me know those DurafForces don't come with fuel shut offs. I had one twenty years ago and forgot that detail, now I'm strictly F-engine up until (but not including) DuraForce.. :)


#12

I

intruder1500

So this morning....turn fuel shutoff on....prime button once...choke on....starts first pull. So ......tried my other 10525 same procedure and started first pull. So looks like the primer bulb was damaged or I cleared the line of a blockage with pressurized air. Either way I'm a happy camper!


#13

R

rtr

I have this mower and had the same experience. It's you needle and seat in the carb not sealing. It will leak all the fuel in the tank to the crankcase when sitting. If it happens you pull the plug, spin it over a few times and reinstall the plug. It'll start and smoke heavily for a minute.
My fix was adding a fuel shut off and using it every time I put the machine away. Problem solved.


#14

R

Rivets

Shut off valves are band aids, not repairs. Once you forget to shut it off you’re back to square one. Best to fix it right the first time.


#15

B

Biddaddydan

FuzzyDriver said:
Could be primer, but also give some thought into the time difference between trying to start it right away and getting starting fluid and taking the filter off.

When you are done mowing, do you shut the gas off and run it until it dies? If you do (I do) then when you go to start the mower, when you turn the gas on you need to wait a couple minutes for the bowl to get gas. This could be the time that passes between trying to start it, and taking the filter off and retrieving the starting fluid.

In case you are wondering why I run it out of gas every time I mow, it's to completely empty out the carburetor. With no fuel in it, there's no fuel that can evaporate and leave oil behind. I have not had to touch my 'daily-driver' carburetor for years since i started doing that.
Click to expand...
I have done the same with great success but also added a fuel filter that is replaced every 50 hours and only use ethanol-free fuel.


#16

B

bertsmobile1

Rivets said:
Shut off valves are band aids, not repairs. Once you forget to shut it off you’re back to square one. Best to fix it right the first time.
Click to expand...
Band aids if that is all you do
Insurance if you do the job properly and fix the carb first
The biggest mower company down here Victa that once had 80% of the local market & exported to every country on the planet except Canada , USA & Mexico fitted taps to all of their mower tanks


#17

FuzzyDriver

FuzzyDriver

I'm going to toss my two cents worth in also, though it might not be worth that much... ;)

Let's say you're carburetor float/valve is perfect...the float shuts off flow, and at just the right level.... Now push the mower back to the garage. Every time you hit a bump, every time you push the handle down so you can turn it, every time you jostle it around in the garage, the float bounces around in the bowl letting a little more fuel in, fuel that you aren't burning since the engine isn't running. Sure, the jet lets in only a tiny flow...but for how many days until the level comes back down to the normal shut off level? Where does that extra fuel end up?

While drawing that gloomy picture, let's make the horror yet more nefarious, gentlemen...you're out to mow again and you decide you need to scrape that nasty brown grass cake from under the deck. So you turn your mower on its side and go after it with an evil scraper. Or you may feel the chaotic urge to sharpen that grass amputating blade under there. Or, heck, maybe you just want to check to see if you need to scrape or sharpen at all.

With any of these normal mower happenings you would be better off if you had run it out of gas the last time you shut it off.


#18

I

intruder1500

Well so much for a fixed issue. Went to start both 10525's after sitting 2 weeks and no go. Both plugs wet....looks like carb may have drained into tank and flooded engine. Potentially needle and seat issue in both. Got them both running with a spark plug change. Ran both with fuel shutoff until they quit. Will see what happens when I go to cut the grass. If they both start right away then it looks like a carb issue. Also poured some sea foam into both tanks. Will keep you posted.


#19

I

intruder1500

A week later. Well I guess I know what's going on with both of my 10525's now. Turned on the fuel valve and then a couple of pumps on the primer bulb. Both mowers started on the first pull. Looks like both of them need a needle and seat in the carb. Put it on the list!


#20

R

Rivets

Gee, are you back to square one as I warned?


#21

FuzzyDriver

FuzzyDriver

intruder1500 said:
A week later. Well I guess I know what's going on with both of my 10525's now. Turned on the fuel valve and then a couple of pumps on the primer bulb. Both mowers started on the first pull. Looks like both of them need a needle and seat in the carb. Put it on the list!
Click to expand...
Can't tell whether "Put it on the list!" means you are going to go with running it out of gas after each use, at least for a while. Also, are you planning on not running it out of gas after you change the needle valves and seats?


#22

I

intruder1500

FuzzyDriver said:
Can't tell whether "Put it on the list!" means you are going to go with running it out of gas after each use, at least for a while. Also, are you planning on not running it out of gas after you change the needle valves and seats?
Click to expand...
Well since I have 2 identical mowers I thought I would go one step further. As you may have noted I put some Sea Foam in both mowers prior to starting them on the first pull. So....just to see if that had any affect I am going to start one with the fuel valve open for a couple of days and the other not. Could be a while since we had snow today but that's my plan. PS - added to my long list of things to do!


#23

I

intruder1500

It appears that this saga does not have an ending yet... fuel turned off on both 19525's and carbs run dry....Sea Foam added to both fuel tanks and run for a few minutes prior to shutdown. Original mower...turn on fuel...3 primer bulb pushes with choke on...no start. Push primer bulb several more times...no go. Pull plug and completely dry....resolution ...replace needle and seat and carb rebuild as sometimes its flooded and sometimes no fuel. Second 10525...turn on fuel....1 primer bulb push with choke on and starts on first pull. Resolution... correct first mower issue before I start screwing around with the second one. Thank goodness I have 2 spare carbs and a complete running back up engine. Never mind all of the other miscellaneous 10525 parts.


#24

I

intruder1500

Wow that was a surprise....turned out to be an intermittent coil issue. Happy Days!


#25

WIKEDDF

WIKEDDF

Today, I was cleaning the carburetor on the 10550 because it was a little dirty and I had a bad float. So, I had a brand new part that I had on my old carburetor that was from the 10323, installed it on there and then changed the float because the original float on the 10550 with the needle and seat was still leaking even though I think the float was set correctly, but it was bad. I had a spare float that was good, put it on, and then cleaned the carburetor, installed the good used gaskets, and installed a Briggs and Stratton pilot jet, and it’s running great today!


Footer Links 1

Top