At the end of last season I bought a 22 inch Murray push mower model number 22511X92B with a Briggs and Statton engine model number 12H802-2384-B1 off a guy on Craigslist. The mower was manufactured in 2001. It the type of engine with a float bowl carb.
It ran fine last season, but all this year it has been giving me trouble. At the end of last season I ran it out of gas, but that's all I did to winterize it. This spring the mower wouldn't turn over, so I changed the oil, air filter, and spark plug. After that didn't work, I put a brand new carb on it, and then it ran again.
The next time or two I tried to use it it idled strangely (the idle was constantly up and down) until finally it started to idle really slowly. The idle was slow enough that the second you put it on the grass it would die.
The fix I used for this was I took the engine cover off, pulled the gas tank back and cleaned the 12 years of accumulated dried vegetation and other gunk off of everything I could access, paying special attention to the linkages connecting to the throttle. After I did that it ran great for one more mow.
This morning I started it up (it would do that think where it would start, run for 2 seconds, then stop. Start, run for 2 seconds and stop, and after 3 or 4 times of that it cranked up to full speed), and it ran strong for about 15 minutes. Then it started to idle really slowly again. At this point I figured maybe I had water in the fuel, so I drained the gas tank, fuel line and carb. I filled my gas can up with fresh gas, and filled the tank up. Now it won't start at all.
Does anyone know what the fix to this problem is? I'm at my wit's end here. I don't know a lot about small engine repair to start with, so I don't really know how to best trouble shoot this problem.
Why would it run slowly before fresh gas, and now that there's fresh gas it won't turn over at all?
The fuel line from the gas tank to the carb is pretty chewed up looking from A) being 12 years old, and B) me clamping it off so many times this year while attempting repairs. But whenever I take the clamp off, the fuel always runs fine. Could that be the culprit, or is it something else?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
#2
Fish
Go to the dollar store, buy a can of carb cleaner spray. Remove the air filter/cover, squirt a small amount into the carb throat and pull the rope several times, let us know
what happens.
I bought some carb cleaner, removed the air filter and sprayed into the the carb throat. The mower almost starts immediately after I spray the carb cleaner, but never quite turns over.
#4
Fish
If it was a clogged carb, it would start on the spray for a few seconds then die, so something else may be up. Pull the plug and look at it. Is it wet? Dirty?
The carb is brand new (as of a few months ago) and I don't think there's anything to clean on it. Whenever I take it apart, there doesn't seem to be any varnish or clogging in any of the tiny holes.
You think it would help to take the carb apart and let it all air out?
#9
Fish
You have water/bad gas/crap in your tank. It doesn't matter how new your carb is.
Oh, OK. I drained the tank, dried it out and put fresh gas in it last week. So does that mean there's something I need to CLEAN out of the tank? Does anyone have suggestions on how to clean funk out of the tank?
Today I emptied and cleaned out the gas tank, ensured the fuel line was clean and free of debris, and filled the tank with high octane gas. I took the carb off, sprayed all the jets down with carb cleaner, and didn't see any obstructions in any of the tiny holes. I also replaced some of the seals and gaskets on the carb, including the pin and the seat that connect to the float.
If I spray carb cleaner in the carb throat, it will crank for a second or two, and then die. Outside of that, I can't get it to crank no matter what.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
#12
Fish
Post some model numbers for better advice.
Were there any tiny holes in the plug on the bottom of the carb? What about the holes up in the column above the plug? Did you clean/blow them out
too?
Were there any tiny holes in the plug on the bottom of the carb? What about the holes up in the column above the plug? Did you clean/blow them out
too?
if it runs off carb cleaner its a fuel problem, could be vacuum problem too (meaning carb gaskets are shot - you did buy new gaskets with the new carb right?)
What i usually do (DONT DO THIS if you dont feel comfortable) is get it half running with carb cleaner or by jamming the primer button a few times a second and with the air filter removed i hold 2 fingers over the opening with just barely a slit between them (aka create a restriction) this causes the mower to try to run rich which it cant because of some carb fuel blockage. i have to hit the primer button a few squirts to keep it running and if it revs high completely seal the intake and should feel a vacuum pull which its going to try to suck air thru the open vented fuel system bringing fuel with it and usually sucking in and burning off water or other stuff.
