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I have a Sears LawnPro 961420085 mower here which seems to have a problem in one of the carb internal passages. It starts, runs a few seconds and quits. I emptied the gas tank, put in fresh gas, added Seaform, primed it with the clean gas and Seafoam it will run about five seconds. Removed the carb, cleaned the jets, dropped the float bowl and cleaned it. The engine runs fine as long as I keep a thumb on the primer, which is not a long term solution.

I cannot see a Kohler ID plate on the engine, but the illustrated parts breakdown for the mower (https://www.lawnmowerpros.com/pdfs/ayp/96142008500.pdf) calls out the engine as a PHXT173-0031-EA and the carb kit for this model is supposedly 14 853 22-S. This part is discontinued. Other sources (Sears, https://kohlerenginesparts.com/oemparts/a/koh/618577e1855d461d145aec68/fuel-system, jackssmallengines.com, partstree.com) calls out the carb as 14 853 05-S, which is also discontinued.

Looking on fleabay I see any number of 14853-series carbs, all of which look identical to me. Can someone comment on how interchangeable these carbs are?

You'll find the engine model and spec number laser etched in the engine block just behind the fuel tank mounting bracket. The best way to get the part number for a replacement carb is to go by the number on the original carb which should be 14 053 and two more digits.

Say you look at your current carb and the number you find on it is 14 053 22. Kohler calls that the production number. You can't order a production number. You need a service part number. To get the service part number for a Kohler carb you simply change the 053 to 853 and add an S and you have the replacement part number 14 853 22-S. This is true for any Kohler carb since about 1998. Not all numbers found on Kohler parts will lead you to their replacement part number but the numbers you find on carbs, starters, voltage regulators, ignition modules, Kohler filters and a few other electrical components will.

The distributor for central and midwestern United States has 67 of the 14 853 22-S carbs in stock throughout their 4 warehouses with a price of $38.56.

If you find your original carb has a number on it of 14 053 05, which would mean the replacement carb would be a 14 853 05-S which like you mentioned is discontinued, give Kohler a call, 1800GOKOHLER, and they should be able to tell you what carb to use. There is a bulletin on those carbs and for some reason Kohler makes their dealers have to refer to the bulletin instead of simply showing the replacement in the parts list if my memory serves me correctly but sadly sometimes it doesn't.

Hope this helps.