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I have a Deere Push Lawn Mower Model JS60H. It has a Briggs Vertical Shaft Intek Engine 6.5 HP. The Model Number on the Engine is 121601-0269-E1. The Code indicates it was manufactured in 2012.
Problem - this mower will not prime and start. When starter fluid is sprayed into the carburetor intake or the combustion chamber after removing plug it starts and runs fine.
After using the Primer Bulb a pull of the spark plug reveals it is dry.
So far - I have carefully checked the gas tank for leaks.
I replaced the fuel line and inserted a new in line filter. Th The filter was certified for this mower. The large end of the filter is toward the fuel tank. Upon removing the fuel line at the carburetor there is free flow of gas.
I replaced the carburetor with a new one. When I took it off the Engine me to ultrasonically clean the engine the bowl was full of gas as it should be! After cleaning in US I used pipe cleaners, wire, gum out carb cleaner and compressed air on all holes.
After trying multiple air base gaskets, I installed a NEW air cleaner base and gaskets.
I am at my wits end!!!! Despite all of this the lawnmower won’t prime and start!!!
The question is WHY????
Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciate.
The port from the primer to the carb is clean and open.
Today I am going to make sure the hole and passage to the main carb jet is open.
Lastly, there was a fiber gasket missing free m the carb to intake maniface and one retaking bolt on the EGR had fallen out. The EGR was cleaned and the exit tube into airbase was confirmed to be open.
I will repost if any of the new findings/fixes made any difference.
Is this a engineering flaw in the primer carb system???
It is literally driving me crazy!!!!

I have had this problem before. Since you have a new carb it is safe to assume it is clean and free of debris. Confirm the primer bulb is not torn or damaged in some way. After ruling out that.

I would bet it is the air cleaner base. They have been known to warp. If that happens you do not get a good seal for the primer circuit. You can try stacking up two gaskets and see if that will seal up the poor fit. I have even used 3 in the past. If that does not work you need to replace the plastic base. I am not sure what B&S calls the part but you can find it on any parts diagram for that engine.

Good luck.

Helps to read a previous response, doesn’t it?!?:confused2:

AnthemBassMan said:

Helps to read a previous response, doesn’t it?!?:confused2:

Click to expand...

OK...I skimmed it too fast.:laughing: I will add this.

You can tell if the primer is working by removing the air filter and bending back the metal guard or in your case it may be a plastic guard. This is so you can see clearly into the throat of the carb. When pressing the primer you should see gas coming though the main jet. Maybe not on the first pump but you should by the 2nd. If you see gas then the primer is ok. if not,you gotta go back and make sure it is sealing ok. Also check the float in the carb is adjusted properly to make sure the gas level is high enough. Good Luck.

Oh, I wasn’t aiming this at you. I pretty much typed the exact same reply you did but didn’t read yours first. I edited my reply to add that “helps to read” response, but it wiped out the rest of my original post and left what you saw.

L8R,
Matt

There are 2 different primers.
One has no hole and pumps fuel into the carb throat
This became EPA non- compliant so it got replaced with the problematic air primer.
The early one has no hole in it so it is just a rubber dome.
The latter type has a hole in the middle of it.
It works by pressurizing the float chamber which forces the float to open and raise the fuel level in the float bowl.
This type, apart from continually fouling up so you end up venting 10,000 times more fuel to the atmosphere than the old works every time "dirty" type, trying to fix it.
As such you do not see fuel squirting into the carb throat when priming the air prime type.
So tarting from first principles, which primer do you have.
Fuel or air ?

bertsmobile1 said:

There are 2 different primers.
One has no hole and pumps fuel into the carb throat
This became EPA non- compliant so it got replaced with the problematic air primer.
The early one has no hole in it so it is just a rubber dome.
The latter type has a hole in the middle of it.
It works by pressurizing the float chamber which forces the float to open and raise the fuel level in the float bowl.
This type, apart from continually fouling up so you end up venting 10,000 times more fuel to the atmosphere than the old works every time "dirty" type, trying to fix it.
As such you do not see fuel squirting into the carb throat when priming the air prime type.
So tarting from first principles, which primer do you have.
Fuel or air ?

Click to expand...

I have replaced the air cleaner base and used up to 3 gaskets. No Luck!
New fuel lines and in line fuel filter with large end towards gas tank.
There is free flow of fuel to the carburetor also new. There is gasoline in the fuel bowl.
Have repeatedly cleaned bowl but orifices, main jet, and opening where the air base air steam connects with the fuel bowl. It is open. I have a new primer bulb with a hole. When pressed air is escaping from the proper orifice in the air base.
I found and replaced a missing gasket in the intake of the combustion chamber.
One bolt of the EGR Cover was missing. Reed valve was confirmed to be open working
The EGR tube was patent. The missing bolt was replaced.
Tomorrow I will retry priming the mower.
I don’t not have any metal or plastic opening in air base to be able to observe whether primer is ejecting fuel from the main fuel port.
After attempts at prior priming the spark plug is DRY.
I am able to get the mower to start and stay running when using starter fluid in the spark plug hole!
When cleaning carburetor the float height appears to be correct. I cannot adjust float height because the float is non adjustable plastic and not metal. Again this carburetor is new and was set at factory.
I cannot for the life of me figure out why this primer won’t work.
I can’t find any other leaks anywhere!!!
Any more suggestions on diagnosis and fix greatly appreciated!
Having to use starter fluid in the spark plug hole or into the card thru the air cleaner just isn’t acceptable!
I am starting to believe that this is poor engine design flaw by Briggs.
The mower engine is in great shape re the valves pistons and combustion chamber. I have a feeling the Primerfailure caused the prior owner not to use the mower!

The EPA changing primer design is why the tech told be my new Echo chain saw can't be flooded with the primer but can only be flooded with the choke.

SeniorCitizen said:

The EPA changing primer design is why the tech told be my new Echo chain saw can't be flooded with the primer but can only be flooded with the choke.

Click to expand...

I am appreciative of your response but I don’t see how it is pertinent to my problem.
Please explain further if I am missing something or am just not on my A-game today!

I do have the primer bulb with the hole. So it is an air push system. Unfortunately, that’s all this design does is push air and no fuel ejects thru the main jet to actually prime the engine. The specified float bowl carburetor has no idle, high speed or low speed needle adjustments or a choke!
The whole design of the primer and the carburetor is IMHO crap!!!
To make matters worse their is no plastic or metal window to see into the main jet of the carburetor.
As a result, you cannot tell if fuel is being ejected into the Venturi from the main jet by observation. The only way to tell is to pull the spark plug to see if it is wet.
Frankly, I am shocked that this is a John Deere product.
In the drive to keep costs down and make the mower idiot proof they have damaged their reputation in my eyes!
Unless the above fixes work, I am done messing with this mower. It is a cheap piece of dung!!!

Is it possible to change the bulb from one with a hole to one without??? Since the latter works by suction might it work to eventually inject gas to the main jet?

QUOTE: Geo1951 - After using the Primer Bulb a pull of the spark plug reveals it is dry.

Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciate.

Quote:Geo1951 - I do have the primer bulb with the hole. So it is an air push system. Unfortunately, that’s all this design does is push air and no fuel ejects thru the main jet to actually prime the engine.
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You primed it, so why do you think the plug should be wet after I stated what the tech told me?