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Bought a Yardmax rear tiller with the above manual start engine last Aug. No primer bulb, no fuel filter. Used it for only a few hours. Added Sta-Bil to the gas and also per the manual I ran the engine dry before storing in my shed. Took it out this week, added fresh gas (no ethanol stabilizer added) and wouldn't start. Compression on pulling feels right. Didn't smell gas so checked plug and it seemed bone dry. Spoke to B&S who said there is a low oil sensor that sometimes failed so disconnected that wire but no joy. Tried a few more times and the plug still looked dry so I figured something gummed up the new carb. Removed the carb and there was gas in the bowel.. Everything inside looked brand new, no varnish or even a stain. Passed hair wire thru accessible ports. Sprayed it with Carb Cleaner for good measure and blew it out with air. Before I reassemble it and try it out, is there anything else I should check for? I heard that sometimes these may have a piece of machine filing that can jam the valve stuck open. I have done carbs but nothing more adventuresome. If I take off the valve cover, is there a simple method to see if the valve is operating OK?

Thanks in advance

Spray some carb cleaner into the spark plug hole or carb air throat, then try to start the engine. If it fires or starts, I suspect the amount of fuel in the carb bowl is too low to be drawn up into the air horn. Cause of this is usually a float seat that has become swollen, shutting off fuel to the float bowl before it is full. Remedy is replace the float needle and seat.

Thanks for the quick reply, just to be sure I'm not going to do it wrong... am I correct to try this with carburetor reattached, air filter off and spray down into it? Carb cleaner or Starter spray?

I searched the Briggs parts list and they don't even show and part number for the float and needle. A new Briggs OEM carb is $30 so if the engine starts with the Carb spray maybe easiest to just replace the entire carburetor?

Yes you spray directly into the carb after you reinstall it.

seems like the closest you can get to replacing the needle is if you buy the whole rebuild kit for $22

Is the needle numbered in your diagram or is it the unlabeled parts between 951 and 104? I just bought the entire carb on B&S store for $34.

JOS21 said:

Is the needle numbered in your diagram or is it the unlabeled parts between 951 and 104? I just bought the entire carb on B&S store for $34.

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It's un numbered, appears only available with the kit.

You never want to replace the needle on it;s own. The needle and seat need to be replace as a pair.