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The problem I'm experiencing is the mower will die after going for a short period (1-2 minutes) it will start back up but will die within a few seconds. The engine will surge like its running out of gas qwhen this happens. But during the 1-2 min it does run, it's sounds strong. This is an old snapper rider that the model tag has long since faded to white so I can't get a model#. I should say I've replaced the air filter, fuel filter and the throttle cable (it was time for a new cable anyway) and the spark plug. It's been mentioned it could be the coil. Ya think? Also (hate to show my ignorance) but where is the coil?

The coil is under the flywheel ... but it starts back up ... I would not think you have a coil problem...
First check if it is a fuel problem... spray any flammable liquid into the carb... even WD40 will work as a temp fuel..
all you need to make an engine run is fuel, air, compression and spark all at the right time...
I think you are having a fuel problem. Establish that with another fuel , and then it will be easier to track the problem.. .:smile:KennyV

Good point but I did fail to mention that I had emptied the fuel tank and run what little fuel there was out of the mower and added fresh fuel I had just gotten. Also when the mower sits and cools down it will run ok for about a miniute or two. This kind of makes me believe this is a thermal problem somewhere. Any chance that could affect the coil in that way?

I could be wrong (as usual), but still sounds to me like fuel/carb problem. When you had the tank empty did you blow air up thru the fuel line to make sure it was clear ? Is there a fuel filter that could be clogged (even if it looks OK) ? Have you run a good cleaner thru the carb (to clean out the main jet) ? Is the gas cap venting properly (will it run with the cap off or loose) ? Did you make sure all the cooling fins are clear of grass clippings/animal nests ?

Good Luck !

The best way todetermine if a coil is bad is to check the spark as soon as it dies. No spark = bad coil.

KennyV said:

The coil is under the flywheel ... but it starts back up ... I would not think you have a coil problem...
First check if it is a fuel problem... spray any flammable liquid into the carb... even WD40 will work as a temp fuel..
all you need to make an engine run is fuel, air, compression and spark all at the right time...
I think you are having a fuel problem. Establish that with another fuel , and then it will be easier to track the problem.. .:smile:KennyV

Click to expand...

I have experienced this problem before, it turned out to be a hairline crack in the cylinder head. as the engine warmed up it would desperse oil on the magneto and the engine would shut down. Wait 5-10 minutes and it would start again, run for a bit and quit again.