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Hi, Hoping for some advice. I'm a typical guy that can do an oil change or swap out a part on a mower/car. I have a husky with the 20 horse intek briggs engine. It was running fine. Then, upon starting, it would run rough and cough smoke for 20 seconds before smoothing out and running fine. This went on for a month. I changed the oil, oil filter, spark plug, gas filter, and air filter. It started up, sounded fine, then it coughed smoke a bit when I engaged the blade and died. Hasn't started since. I do have gas in the filter and can smell it when I choke the engine. I am getting spark. Any suggestions before I throw in the towel and look for a service guy? I heard these engines were crap. Don't want to throw good money into it if this the beginning of the end. Thanks for the help.

What color is the smoke? The color will lend a hand in helping to diagnosing the problem.

Put up the engine's model numbers...

Model # appears to be 31P977 Smoke was black.

I would say that either the choke is sticking shut, or the float needle isn't sealing and overfilling the carb causing flooding.

Take off the valve cover and look at the rocker arms/valves and describe what you see.

It did act like it was being choked. I'll need to wait till the weekend, then I'll start with carburator cleaning and pull the valve cover off. Appreciate the help and I'll post what happened next week. THANKS! I have direction.

OK, I pulled the carb, sprayed it out with carb cleaner. I got into all the little holes and what have you. Then I blew it out with air and sprayed it out again. It started but its running rough. I'm getting both white and black smoke. It warms up then runs somewhat better but Its definitely rough and far from where it should be. Perhaps I should pull the carb and soak it in the one gallon can of carb cleaner I saw at the auto parts store? It did start. I'm thinking its the carb but I didn't clean it enough. Additionally when I pull the spark plug its dirty black. It does, however, wipe right off. Suggestions?

Model Type code
31P977 0575 E1 060227 ZD

clynch said:

OK, I pulled the carb, sprayed it out with carb cleaner. I got into all the little holes and what have you. Then I blew it out with air and sprayed it out again. It started but its running rough. I'm getting both white and black smoke. It warms up then runs somewhat better but Its definitely rough and far from where it should be. Perhaps I should pull the carb and soak it in the one gallon can of carb cleaner I saw at the auto parts store? It did start. I'm thinking its the carb but I didn't clean it enough. Additionally when I pull the spark plug its dirty black. It does, however, wipe right off. Suggestions?

Model Type code
31P977 0575 E1 060227 ZD

Click to expand...

take carb off soak in a mix of sea foam and high test gas for a day or so then blow it out with compressed air i use 120 psi most times they clean up well then install and see what happens

ok, cleaned up carb, mower fired right up. It then started running rough. The choke was still engaged even though I pulled back on the throttle and it should have shut off. I use my finger to manually disengage the choke and then it ran fine. So I cleaned it twice but I need to manually disengage the choke or it will keep running rough. Now what? I'm open to suggestions. Greatly appreciate the info I've been gettinh.

This manual might help with your linkages and chrome hook up.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12502267/B&S Service Manuals/05_273521TwinCylinderOHV.pdf

Thanks! I'll go through the manual and check/lubricate the linkages better. I sprayed them down with graphite to prevent sticking when I had the carb off the mower. Question. If I just replaced the carb with a new one, my problem should go away, shouldn't it? When I had the carb off the choke was a might bit stiff. It wasn't locked up or completely bound but it didn't move completely "freely." If I look at the amount of time I'm spending on the carb I have to wonder if replacement wouldn't be easier. I haven't priced one.

Once you shut off the choke by the lever/accelerator, what makes the choke go off in the carburetor? Vacume? The spring attacked to it? For a fact, when the carb is off the mower, the spring on the carburetor isn't strong enough to move the choke.