Amazon carb for B&S engine, no threads, screw broke! It's a journey!!

[TLloyd]

Man did I spend a ridiculous amount of time researching for a carburetor for Home Depot Craftsman T150 mower with B&S engine!!! It was a learning lesson! This is my first exposure to riding mower repairs! Why the carb? Would not start. Well, would start then immediately shut down. I took carb off and took it apart. I found nothing wrong. Put it back on. It started so I mulched leaves for 1 1/2 hours. The next day it would not start. Took carb off and apart, nothing wrong, put back on, it started, used for an hour, next day no start. Went through that routine one more time. Online videos indicated rebuild/replace carb. To me there didn't seem to be anything wrong with carb so I ordered new one. That evening I saw video where it could be fuel shut off solenoid on bottom of carb. Checked it to see if it worked. Did not so also ordered fuel shut off solenoid. It hasn't arrived.

I finally found a carb with all the correct numbers for what it would fit, ordered on Amazon and very quickly received it through the mail! I was ready to put it on the mower today. I had to move some items from the top of the original carb to the new carb. I think the first was a screw for the choke lever? The screw (593040) appeared to be larger than the hole in the carb. I hoped it was just a really close fit and I could get the screw on in. I got the threads to catch and I forcefully screwed it in. I would have been finished in maybe three more turns of the driver when the screw snapped in two! Almost flush with the surface of the carb!! I checked the one other hole where I needed to have a screw (593041) to hold some choke solenoid, it has no threads! I assumed the carb would come with needed holes threaded.
I have no drill press. I do have a couple of drills and many bits. I don't doubt that I do NOT have the type bit to remove the screw/drill a new hole. I do not have any tools to thread those holes. I do NOT know anything of the screw (593040) that I need to replace - length, diameter, type threads - so I don't know what re-threader tool I might need. Same for 2nd screw (593041) that needs to go in carb body. Do I need to thread those holes? Since I will have altered carb I will not be able to return it afterwards.
I have found the correct number through B&S for the screw (593040) I need to replace. Jack's appears to have it - unless they get those from same place B&S gets theirs. B&S shows the part not available!
Any help/suggestions for what I will need to drill out the broken screw and thread those two holes?

Should I just order another carb and put this one on the shelf or trash it?

Frustrating day! And the grass/weeds here in south Alabama just get higher while the mower sits!

Thanks for your time!
Lloyd

 

[StarTech]

The estimate ETA for part 593040 to in stock at the Briggs distributor is June 15, 2023. And that is a moving window.

 

[sgkent]

send the carb back as defective, get on the phone to spots on the web that show it available, and see who actually has one in stock. Don't trust "usually ships in .... "

 

[slomo]

Is the fuel tank clogged up or have grass and debris in the bottom? Most do. I would flush it out.

 

[TLloyd]

Is the fuel tank clogged up or have grass and debris in the bottom? Most do. I would flush it out.

Thanks. Earlier I flushed fuel lines, removed filter and flushed it, released fuel line from carb and drained fuel through line and filter. Never saw any debris in line, filter or fuel. Mower 4 years old.

 

[TLloyd]

send the carb back as defective, get on the phone to spots on the web that show it available, and see who actually has one in stock. Don't trust "usually ships in .... "

Thanks! I'll try to keep than in mind. I ordered this one through Amazon from MotorCarb (I believe that's the name.).

 

[TLloyd]

The estimate ETA for part 593040 to in stock at the Briggs distributor is June 15, 2023. And that is a moving window.

Thanks. I appreciate that.

 

[sgkent]

every time but one I have had a start and die problem, it was caused by the fuel pump not working. Many of these carbs use pressure from the crankcase to help provide fuel to the engine. When that diaphragm in the carb fails the engine won't run. When you rebuilt the old carb, did you replace all the diaphragms? Make sure the hoses were all connected properly? The one time it was not the diaphragm in the carb, it was an idle jet that unscrewed and fell out, still to be hiding somewhere on the property. Many of our carbs here don't have mixture needles but rather a metering jet for many years now.

 

[TLloyd]

every time but one I have had a start and die problem, it was caused by the fuel pump not working. Many of these carbs use pressure from the crankcase to help provide fuel to the engine. When that diaphragm in the carb fails the engine won't run. When you rebuilt the old carb, did you replace all the diaphragms? Make sure the hoses were all connected properly? The one time it was not the diaphragm in the carb, it was an idle jet that unscrewed and fell out, still to be hiding somewhere on the property. Many of our carbs here don't have mixture needles but rather a metering jet for many years now.

I appreciate your time and thoughts. Hmmmm - that hose running to/from carb to mower - pressure from crankcase - I might just order a new hose in case that's a problem!
Wait - if the problem was that hose, would the mower crank first time carb is put back on and run smoothly for up to almost 2 hours with no issues?
After mower sits for maybe 3 hours or even all night then I try to crank it, it will NOT fire/run at all.
It's confusing to me!!

 

[bertsmobile1]

start with a diagnosis before you star making repairs to problems you do not have
So arm yourself with an red globe in line spark tester and a can of carb cleaner
Crank the engine and watch for the red flashes
No flash = no power to the spark plug
Red flashes , then spray a SHORT SHOT of carb cleaner down the air intake .
If the engine starts & runs then go mow and do the same tests when it stops
Your problems could be fuel or electrical so knock out 1/2 of them before you run around like a blue tailed fly chasing solutions to problems you do not have