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Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

The pros are gonna need your model type and code of your engine and the model # of your rider to really help.

In the meantime, what happens if you delete the fuel filter? Can you replace it with a shut off valve to see how it runs then.

Many engines have a convoluted fuel pump system that is not obvious. They aren't purely gravity fed. Often it is a diaphragm that is part of the carb system which has a flap that helps pump fuel, and that system depends on crankcase pressure differentials. Some engines have a dedicated fuel pump. When there is a fuel shortage, that is one of the first places I look. Bad hoses, debris in the tank or line, all can contribute to a fuel issue. I would start by looking up the engine pictorial and studying it to see if there is a dedicated fuel pump, and I would rebuild the carb and all the diaphragms that go with it, using OEM or factory parts. Good luck. One thing for sure, no one here can put their head to their computer screen and tell you what the defective part is. They can only offer you suggestions and point to common issues.

Is this a gravity fed carb ? If not you have a fuel pump in the system and needs to be swapped out, you've done everything I would have - Diaphram fuel pumps go out periodically - basically 2 check valves that can get trash in the seat of one or the other and no flow - I keep an electric fuel pump on hand to help trouble shoot these problems - if it runs with the electric pump it will help you find the problem , I had a similar issue and ended up finding my supply side fuel line was sucking air

Let's start with the basics first. When it shuts down do you have spark or fuel issue?

Yes there is multiple things that can cause the problem so it is a process of eliminating possible causes first to get to the root cause. I have see thing from failing spark plugs to fuel lines collapsing among other things like carburetor problems and remote electrical issues. It can even be a combination of problems.

It does sounds like an ignition coil problem but may just be a mouse bed under the engine shroud blocking air flow. But I have seen fuel collapsing to cause the same symptoms.

Just recently went thru a problem where the customer had set his mower on fire. After I repair the known problems the mower came back a week later with more problems. This time there were multiple causes. One was the fuel he was using as it was destroying the new fuel pumps and then it had fuel line liners collapsing. The fuel issue I believe was the E15 he was getting so had him switch suppliers. The fuel line issue I believe was caused by the initial fire issue he had. I lost two brand new fuel pumps before I found the E15 problem.

Bertrrr said:

Is this a gravity fed carb ? If not you have a fuel pump in the system and needs to be swapped out, you've done everything I would have - Diaphram fuel pumps go out periodically - basically 2 check valves that can get trash in the seat of one or the other and no flow - I keep an electric fuel pump on hand to help trouble shoot these problems - if it runs with the electric pump it will help you find the problem , I had a similar issue and ended up finding my supply side fuel line was sucking air

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The fuel line comes out the bottom of the fuel tank outlet then there is a fuel filter then the line goes strait into the carb, so I would say this is a gravity fed carb....

Well the Needle / Seat in the carb bowl controls the fuel input, Maybe the float is sticking in the UP position not allowing fuel to flow- I know you swapped the carb but the problem still exists so I'd pull the carb and check the float assembly anyway

StarTech said:

Let's start with the basics first. When it shuts down do you have spark or fuel issue?

Yes there is multiple things that can cause the problem so it is a process of eliminating possible causes first to get to the root cause. I have see thing from failing spark plugs to fuel lines collapsing among other things like carburetor problems and remote electrical issues. It can even be a combination of problems.

It does sounds like an ignition coil problem but may just be a mouse bed under the engine shroud blocking air flow. But I have seen fuel collapsing to cause the same symptoms.

Just recently went thru a problem where the customer had set his mower on fire. After I repair the known problems the mower came back a week later with more problems. This time there were multiple causes. One was the fuel he was using as it was destroying the new fuel pumps and then it had fuel line liners collapsing. The fuel issue I believe was the E15 he was getting so had him switch suppliers. The fuel line issue I believe was caused by the initial fire issue he had. I lost two brand new fuel pumps before I found the E15 problem.

Click to expand...

It is for sure a fuel problem if you read the original post you can see I had said brand new coil brand new plug when it shuts down still have spark I have narrowed it down to a fuel flow problem I don't see the fuel running into the fuel filter but if I pull the fuel line off the carb, ( that is after the fuel filter) gas pours out of the fuel line as it should. The carb is brand new I just bought it but same problem as the old carb haf so it was not the carb... What is E 15?

Is your fuel filter one of those paper filters that amazon sells at 15 for 9 bucks? If it were me, I would have no obstruction between the fuel tank and carb and see what happens. It could be as simple as a crappy fuel filter.

Ocean909 said:

Is your fuel filter one of those paper filters that amazon sells at 15 for 9 bucks? If it were me, I would have no obstruction between the fuel tank and carb and see what happens. It could be as simple as a crappy fuel filter.

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It's one of those clear generic ones I got from the parts store. I don't think it is the filter as when I disconnect the fuel line from the carb gas pours out no problem, With the old carb I thought maybe there is a vent for the float bowel that may be plugged and could be why gas wont flow. They wanted $55 for a rebuild kit but a brand new complete one was $35 so that is what I got. The carb is exact identical to the one I took off except the electric gas shut off solenoid was a bit to long to clear a belt pully from the motor to the transmission. So I took the one off the original carb and before I put it on cut the valve seat on the solenoid to eliminate that as a potential problem figuring I will just put an inline shut off valve. It's really strange after I put the new carb on I tested the machine out I let it run for near 1/2 hour in the shop and it just purred like a kitten I thought that was good as it would not run for more than 15 before. I then mowed my who;e yard with it I have about an acre and a half of law to mow and it ran good. I did notice the the fuel filter never completely filled however but hey it ran and was able to do my lawn so I call friend and told him it was all set. He came picked it up, took it home and 15 minutes later it quit..... so back to square one doing the same thing it was doing before I did anything to it. Seems I always get myself into messes and screwing myself when ever I try to help someone.

So the problem might be the aftermarket carb. I would crack the nut on the fuel solenoid to see if gas dribbles out. You can then be sure fuel is making it to the bowl. Then check the float as bertrrr suggested.

Ocean909 said:

So the problem might be the aftermarket carb. I would crack the nut on the fuel solenoid to see if gas dribbles out. You can then be sure fuel is making it to the bowl. Then check the float as bertrrr suggested.

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It is always better to keep the original carburetor if possible (clean it), then to throw it in the trash and buy an aftermarket one. Rig up a temporary gas tank and see how it runs. Could be the fuel filter even though you don’t think it is. Take an air compressor and blow back through fuel line into gas tank with gas cap off. Float in carburetor could also be sticking as previously mentioned.

Just throwing stuff at the wall now as you've exhausted nearly every possible thing, I think I would add some Marvel Mystery Oil to the gas tank and let it run through the system , it's going to smoke like hell for a while but maybe flush and lube all your inner workings in the system even new carbs can have little tiny ports that could be giving you heartburn

Also the E15 gasoline does not have as much Kick as regular fuel - lower octane less BTUs or whatever I had to run my machine partially choked just to keep it running and used twice as much fuel to cut the yard. I stay away from that garbage

I have had more trouble with those electric gas shut off solenoids. I have taken those off and plugged the hole. Plus I have removed the filters that you find in the bottom of the fuel tanks and put inline fuel filters in the system. What most people need to do before they buy a new carb is to get you a set of torch tip cleaners and clean every port in the carb. You may have to replace some welch plugs but you can find out real quick if the carb is bad.

I'd bet it's the fuel pump that took a crap... they do that. Also as others stated, coils go bad. They work 'till they get hot but it sounds like it's a fuel delivery issue. They are cheap... $10-30 online.

I had similar issues with a 2004 issue craftsman rider. I ended up removing the fuel shut off solenoid on the bottom of the carb and replacing with a bolt. The solenoid is designed to shut off fuel to the system when the ignition is shut off to prevent backfiring. Once I removed the solenoid no longer had any issues with it shutting down. Took me quite awhile to figure it out.

geoff.hackett said:

I had similar issues with a 2004 issue craftsman rider. I ended up removing the fuel shut off solenoid on the bottom of the carb and replacing with a bolt. The solenoid is designed to shut off fuel to the system when the ignition is shut off to prevent backfiring. Once I removed the solenoid no longer had any issues with it shutting down. Took me quite awhile to figure it out.

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Or what most do is remove it, cut off the tip and reinstall. Same thing... I had a JD that years ago I called the dealer for a price... IIRC they wanted something like $300 for it. Just - for - the - part.

gasjr4wd said:

Or what most do is remove it, cut off the tip and reinstall. Same thing... I had a JD that years ago I called the dealer for a price... IIRC they wanted something like $300 for it. Just - for - the - part.

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That is the problem and best solution. I don’t know anyone that has had a Craftsman that didn’t sooner or later experience this problem.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

I had the same problem years ago. I discovered the line near the tank had become soft and would collapse. I replaced the fuel line and solved the problem.

Don’t use a paper filter with gravity feed fuel system. They are for fuel pumps only

tjus77 said:

That is the problem and best solution. I don’t know anyone that has had a Craftsman that didn’t sooner or later experience this problem.

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Considering craftsman used at least two different brand mower engines, which one had these issues?

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

Click to expand...

sounds like it's running rich. clogged air filter? when it dies, remove air filter and see if it starts and runs

This is a strange problem because if I read correctly you said that the fuel filter is going dry although the tank has a good vent drilled in it and has a clear outlet
I would suggest
1- that the tank be again removed and thoroughly washed out because that could be a piece of floating debris that air pushes to the side and as soon as it floats with gas it floats right back over the hole, If it was a metal tank I had one once and there was a lot of rust caught up behind a baffle in the tank there from sitting.
2-as others had said some fuel filters look OK and do not flow well as they may clog from the inside also make sure that you have the fuel filter in the right direction some look the same on both sides and do not have an arrow and they flow better in one direction and catch material on the inside or outside depending on the direction
3- Its possible is that you have a bad intake valve that’s pushing pressure on the compression stroke back into the carb and somehow pushing the gas back up the hose, do you hear any popping or is there a very rough run to the engine? Usually there’s a vent on the carb body going to the crank case but if that was clogged it just may push fuel back into the carb, try running it with the air filter assembly off And air filter deleted

Welcome to the wonderful world of mower/equipment repair!
Be well and keep at it!

Didn't understand what you did with the fuel solenoid. So, I'll just say, remove the solenoid.

How long does the fuel run from the filter after you disconnect to test? Could be you are just draining the line & filter of fuel that has slowly filled it from the tank. If the tank outlet is getting clogged, or is clogged, it will allow slow feed of the fuel from the tank to the line to the filter to the line to the carb. That much fuel in the line & filter could run the engine for some time before lack due to a clogged tank outlet made the fuel level in the float bowl too low and the engine died.
I would remove the line from the inlet to the filter, and catch it in a container. It SHOULD flow, full diameter, as long as you want to leave it flow. I expect it will flow well for a short while, and then start to slow down as the clog restricts flow. Give it a time test rather than a quickie...
tom

Years ago I had a similar problem with a JD mower, would run for an hour and just die. Give it a half hour off and it ran again...for an hour or so. After weeks of frustration and an $800 bill at the local JD dealer I finally found an older mechanic that said drop it off and I'll take a look. Before I got home he called and said it's ready to be picked up! Apparently the fuel line was old and getting soft...when it got just warm enough it collapsed on itself and choked off the fuel and hence the motor died. He replaced it and it ran perfectly ever after...for a case of beer!

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

You could try disconnecting the line that feeds the fuel filter and drain the tank. Then with the Fuel cap off, blow back through that line. Try a different NEW filter. I know you have done all that but try it again. Do you have a Fuel Pump or gravity feed? Try a temporary alternate tank and fuel line?

Maybe I missed it but did you replace all the fuel lines from the tank to the carb. Ethenol will eat the line and cause flaps to form inside the line, also make sure the tank outlet fitting or valve is not blocked. If your system does NOT have a fuel pump or pulse pump you cannot use the filters with paper inside of them you have to use the small filters with mesh. If you have a pulse pump the will NOT pull fuel they will only push fuel so you have to get fuel to them so if there is air leakage somewhere in the line the will work for a while and then LOOSE prime.

Take the fuel system out of the loop entirely. I keep a spare small tank handy for testing. Plug that in and test again. You will confirm if it is the fuel system if it works with alternate fuel tank.

What is a "small craftsman riding mower"? Is this one of those 30" rear-engine machines? Any model info in this thread? I wasn't able to find it but I may have missed it.

make sure the fuel tank is vented
Unscrew the gas cap and see if it starts

I'm still mowing a couple of acres with a Scott's (JD) 42" I bought at Home Depot in 2001...lots of strange crap over the years; one time it would run for 5 or so minutes and quit. Sounded similar to OP problem. I thought it was that fuel solenoid deal, but check this out - after I replaced the solenoid (replaced with new one instead of cutting the plunger off like some recommend) it still failed. It turned out to be a loose battery cable hiding under the rubber cover from the battery to the starter motor. It would eventually vibrate just enough to lose electrical power which would cause the fuel solenoid to shut off and voila, dead. Blew my mind when I found it, but the point is that it could be something like that, so don't forget to check the simple stuff too.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

Have you immediately removed the gas cap when it stopped to see if the fuel started flowing again? That's where I would put my money!

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

Collapsing fuel line is possibly the culprit.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

To start with check to see if you have a fuel pump. Most mowers have one. Find out if the filter is in the line before or after this pump (it should be filtering before it gets to the pump). Replace the fuel lines, filter and cutoff if it has one (this is not expensive and will say for sure that is or is not the problem). The rubber fuel line could be closing off the fuel flow. Rubber fuel lines can internally separate and a small part of it can close and stop fuel flow. Also, the cut off valve if it has one can stop fuel flow if it has trash in it and this can be intermittent. The filter could be bad and stopping the flow. By what you stated you definitely have a fuel flow problem.
I have run up on one mower that had the filter after the pump. So that little flapper in the would get something stopping it from closing because it was not filtered fuel going to the pump and it would stop pumping, the fuel from the filter would continue flowing until the filter emptied. I changed this back to putting the filter in the line from the tank to the pump and corrected the problem.

Roccus said:

I don't think it is the filter as when I disconnect the fuel line from the carb gas pours out no problem,

Click to expand...

I don't think this necessarily disqualifies the filter as the culprit. I can't remember who said it originally, maybe Shakespeare, but it's screen filters on gravity systems and paper on fuel pumps.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

Disconnect the fuel line from the filter and see if it will continuously drain into a container. I had one similar problem. I pressurized the gas tank and no gas came out the line. Blew air in the other end of the line , no problem , the fuel line was acting like a check valve. Replaced the line, good to go.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

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Replace the fuel line as it could have internal split thats closing it off.

with gravity feed you need a 75 micron fuel filter, your generic one is most likely 51 microns.
try a kohler 25-05021-s, that fixed my same problem years ago.

As a couple of people have said, you need to back up to the basic diagnosing when it does this.
It could be any of the things others have mentioned and it could have been the bad coil from the beginning like you thought of but normally a bad coil will go 12 to 15 minutes minimum before it breaks down. Anything shorter than that it's probably not a coil and they also typically won't restart even in 15 or 20 minutes but if they do the only run for maybe a minute or so much much shorter than the first time.
They usually have to cool off for hours or overnight before they repeat the process.

But at this point you need to get it to mess up again, which seems like that won't be a problem, and then do the same basic troubleshooting you should do anytime an engine doesn't run or dies.

Always start with fuel!
This is because well over 80% of the issues do boil down to fuel and most of those end up being not enough fuel so don't worry about spark first thing as it's usually a waste of time despite the fact that everybody's go to is to check for spark or replace the spark plug which is typically just a waste of a few dollars for a plug.. yes, I'm opinionated but I'm right. Lol customers call me every single day talking about they try to plug but.. you know the rest of the sentence so my theory is that replacing a new spark plug is usually just a waste of four or five bucks. Also it literally boils my blood on how many engines come in with damaged threads or cross threaded spark plugs only screwed in three threads because the people screwed it up and the process of trying to change it. Step away from the toolbox sir, step away from the toolbox.... Is normally what I'm thinking.

So, when yours messes up be ready with a spray bottle of gas or a can of carb cleaner to spray into the intake to see if it instantly fires back up if it doesn't when you crank it right then which I think is the case in it's normal failure mode.
If it fires right up and runs as long as you spray the external fuel source into it then you know it's not a mechanical engine problem or a coil ignition issue.

You'll probably find this is the case and now it takes more intense troubleshooting because fuel issues can be tricky and you've already done so much that should have fixed it but.. yet here we are.
This is another thing in this world, no matter how many things aren't supposed to happen, if you do it long enough you'll see things that just do..

The gas cap not being vented causes this from time to time as does debris in the outlet of the fuel tank where the fuel line presses on where grass and even ladybugs, insects, etc gets down in there and you can't see it.
Inner fuel line delamination and internal prolapse of the fuel lines also cause flow issues.. but probably more common than this would be the inlet seats swelling up but most riding lawn mowers don't have inlet seats that can swell up because that's typically a push mower thing with the solid metal needle and then the rubber inlet seed and most riders have a rubber tipped inlet needle and that rarely swells up.

But debris can get there at the inlet of the carburetor and I have seen it three times on a brand new machine where it would not run properly because of this and what came out was a very small packed-in piece of cellulose or cotton looking wadding I would estimate 1/4 the size of a small pea.
I have a picture somewhere of the last one I pulled out.

It could also be the carburetor solenoid which is a common problem too if you have one on the bottom of the carburetor, which most do.
These things get hot and break down or the ones with the rubber tip will have the rubber get hard and lose its Bond or stickiness cohesion to the metal and it will vibrate up on the actual shaft but it won't fall off.
I have had several of these occur like this which were very intermittent but they would repeatedly do this over and over.

Very rarely will a certain brand, even the cheapest fuel filter cause a problem..
There was a TSB for Kohler on the command I think it was just a singles but maybe both years ago about this and so a lot of people are still saying you have to use OEM filters but I think this is one of the least likely possibilities of the problem.
Some cheap filters though do you have two or three different sizes that are stair stepped as you push the fuel line in and that's kind of bad because most the time the smallest hole of the end is smaller than the OEM so it would probably be a good idea to cut that filter off further up to where it actually matches your fuel line but I still think most will flow enough with the smallest hole and that's probably the thought process. These mowers don't need that fast of a flow to keep the bowl full but once you hit the bare minimum even slightly below it will cause running problems.

Be very careful when you're blowing things out around your gas tank. Never have the cap on when you're blowing backwards through it because it will overpressurize the tank and you can split the seams right out of them!
I had to replace a fuel tank for a man one time on a craftsman that went underneath the seat and he purchased the tank himself at the tune of almost $100 from Craftsman because he blew air backwards through it.

Testing flow though is a good idea and it sounds like you have a gravity-fed system so you should have a good strong steady flow when you remove the fuel line from the carburetor.
If you do then the next place would be to take the bowl off and work the float with your fingertip to see if you have a good flow coming out of the inlet and while you're there you can inspect the solenoid if it has one.

Now if nothing shows up from here it's time to do a test by removing your factory gas tank and fuel line from the equation.
Rig up a small external test tank.
You can use any old gas tank even when you take off of a push mower.
Just make sure it's clean inside and blow it out good with compressed air.
Get you a couple of foot piece of fuel line etc and stick on that and to the carburetor and fill the tank fairly full so you'll have some gravity and pressure working to your benefit. Either hold it or rig away to wedge it by the seat or whatever or tape it or bungee cord it or rig you a rod that you can stick up in the air a little bit and tape it or zip tie it to and start it and run it off this auxiliary tank.
This shouldn't take over 10 or 15 minutes to set up and if you get perfect results from this then you can start looking towards your fuel tank and the fuel line getting to the carb.

I have personally witnessed the gas caps not venting causing them to stumble and shut off, I have also personally pulled three ladybugs out of the gas tank fuel line exit, and I have also pulled multiple over 3-in pieces of grass out of a Cub cadet zero turn that exhibited the same fuel starvation issues but randomly. I may or may not have witnessed a Kohler command on an older LT John Deere that had an aftermarket fuel filter that was causing problems.
The machine did mess up but I believe the fuel cap vent had more to do with it than the fuel filter but it did mess up and it did straighten out but I didn't use a scientific procedural method to determine exactly which one was the cause when I did them both at the same time or disturb the cap in any way while I changed the fuel filter.
Oh, and on fuel filters, they are almost never full of fuel!
So many people think there's a problem because they only see like a quarter to a half in there but that's what most of them look like and they run just fine.

I had an issue with my B&S stopping after after 45 - 60 min running. That turned out to be the remains of insects that had got into the tank. Despite bouncing around over rough ground they would somehow settle out and restrict the outlet. They were bleached the same colour as the tank so v.hard to see. I dried and vacuumed out the tank.

Turned out they were living in the nozzle of my fuel can. Now keep that in a bag.

Might be worth setting up a temporary tank and filter just to see if that cures the problem.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

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Does the model number on the nameplate start with 247? Loosen the fuel cap 1/4 turn. Go out and mow. Did that fix the issue? To fix this, replace the fuel cap with a new one. The fuel cap vent clogging is the most common problem for your fuel issue with Craftsman riding mowers and lawn tractors made by MTD.

I sure would like to know what you find. I have a neighbor that has one of these craftsman mowers with an identical issue.

This statement jumped out at me: "lowered the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb". Are you certain that your fuel line isn't routed such that it's higher than your tank level?

I had the same problems as the op in the first post. After a lot of looking, we found two problems with our X500 John Deere.
1) filter in tank filter was clogged- replaced the filter inside the tank; not the inline filter that you can see.
2) Had a bad "Electronic Control Unit" (also called an "Ignition Module")
This ECU was damaged by charging the battery. I do not know if Craftsman has this device or not; but John Deere does. Always disconnect the battery before charging. I sure "jumping the battery" could cause the same trouble.
A new ECU is $80. On my X500 JD, the ECU is located under the dash near the Ignition switch.

brown91 said:

I sure would like to know what you find. I have a neighbor that has one of these craftsman mowers with an identical issue.

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It almost never is but the diagnosis process of using an inline spark tester and a can of carb cleaner is always the best place to start as that knocks out one 1/2 of the equation
So once you know if it is fuel or electrical then you can start narrowing down the exact cause

Joed756 said:

This statement jumped out at me: "lowered the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb". Are you certain that your fuel line isn't routed such that it's higher than your tank level?

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Some fuel lilters have their inlets & outlets at the very ends of the outer case and these are needed for gravity flow systems and usually a coasrse filter medium around 100µ to 200µ
Otheres have the inlet at one end but the outlet is 1/2 along the filer inside the paper cone
These really only work with pump systems and even then they can get an air lock if the outlet side is pointing up.
In that case I fit them backwards.
It makes absolutely no difference to the operation apart from you not being able the see the crud because it will now be on the inside of the paper element .

I have a similar problem, runs for a short time and dies, can't get restarted unless gas sprayed in carb throat. I did the things you did. I got an idea and took another gas tank and a length of new clear line and connected it to the carb. No shut off and no filter. Machine runs great. I will connect the clear line from the old tank to the carb and see what happens. I think it's a cheap paper filter that may be causing the problem as I have two engines doing almost the same thins and they have filters from the same supplier.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

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Prior to throwing parts at it with the fuel we have today i always remove carburetor, separate float bowel taking care of the float valve. Spray down with Sea Foam including float valve orface and let all sit overbnight. In the morning spray again, remove needle valve and pilot jet if it has one, and run small wires into the orifices cleaning out. I normally snip off one steel wire from a wire brush stuck in channel locks to hold. Normally I find greenish slime looking stuff. Spray again and reassemble. No parts, no $$. Mostly from a lifetime on dirtbikes and those carbs aren't much different.

It is funny that most of the time the shutting down of a small engine is that the fuel filter is the problem. Those generic cheap fuel filters that are clear and have the paper filter will not work properly when it is gravity fed from the tank. It will not enough fuel through to continue running, especially going up an incline. The best filter is the small round filter that uses a screen.(Like a Briggs and Stratton Red Filter). Such an easy fix !!

Roccus said:

It is for sure a fuel problem if you read the original post you can see I had said brand new coil brand new plug when it shuts down still have spark I have narrowed it down to a fuel flow problem I don't see the fuel running into the fuel filter but if I pull the fuel line off the carb, ( that is after the fuel filter) gas pours out of the fuel line as it should. The carb is brand new I just bought it but same problem as the old carb haf so it was not the carb... What is E 15?

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E-15 is a 15% alcohol blend. It does bad things to rubber and some plastics. That new carb may have a now bad float needle or seat whichever is rubber.
The fuel supplier may have changed their formula. Find a supplier that still has a special pump that has 100% gas. Carb may have to have new rubber part.

Bertrrr said:

Well the Needle / Seat in the carb bowl controls the fuel input, Maybe the float is sticking in the UP position not allowing fuel to flow- I know you swapped the carb but the problem still exists so I'd pull the carb and check the float assembly anyway

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The float sticking shouldn't cause the fuel line to empty after 15 minutes of running. If anything, it should allow the fuel line to be full if there is no flow into the carb. With all that has been tried, the problem sounds a bit tricky and less common. If the lack of fuel flow is causing the running problem, after the engine cuts off, you might double-check that the vent on the cap is allowing air into the tank by loosening it when the fuel filter is empty and watching to see if fuel flows into the filter. If not that, try replacing the fuel hose in case it is collapsing internally when engine heat warms the hose while running. It's not difficult and not very expensive either. Also, using a clear or translucent hose will allow you to see the fuel level in the hose.

A few years ago I had the very same problem with my Husqvarna riding mower which has a Kohler engine. Odd that the problem manifested itself after about ten years of use. Anyway, turns out it is a well-known problem. A bad design allows excess engine heat to allow the solenoid fuel shutoff on the carb to stick. Kohler makes a heat shield which solves the problem.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

Going a leave it to the pro but had to put my 1&1/2 cents in. Had a problem with my Troy built pony that it would shut off for no known reason. Might run 2 hours, might run 2 minutes. Get off ,check things out and it would start up and again run a few minutes or all day. Some one here mention the seat safety switch. Finally said to myself, "self you checked everything else, check the switch". So, feeling like an idiot
I lifted the seat. I have a habit of sticking push pins for holding implements on things anywhere that is convenient. If I need one, I don't have to go all the way back to the house. I stuck one about the size of a paper clip on the slide under the seat. The pin would slide back and forth on the slide and when it slid forwarded it would short out the seat safety switch. Would move a little bit and the switch would work normally. Just trying to show you a stupid simple thing might be causing your problem. The people on this site have solved a lot of my problems. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that would agree with me.
Thanks for letting me ramble on,
Waskom , John

Try unplugging the solenoid, rotate plug 180° and plug in. It may be as simple as a revered plug

Are the parts that you replaced factory parts? Or, did you use cheaper aftermarket parts?

When it dies ... immediately open the bowl drain if it has one or remove the bowl itself to see if there is any fuel in it. A stuck needle could possibly be restricting fuel flow to the carb.

DABS said:

Try unplugging the solenoid, rotate plug 180° and plug in. It may be as simple as a revered plug

Click to expand...

Polarity doesn't matter in this case ... it is just an electromagnet.

See if the fuel line from the gas tank to the carb has a "bend" in it where the line loops lower than the carb for a few inches. Like the line starts high at gas tank then loops down LOWER than the carb and then back UP to the carb. IF you have a PARTIAL gas flow problem somewhere (like the aforementioned various gas cap vent or other plugged vents or filter etc.) the pressure of the gas in the full tank will be reduced enough as the level gets lower and the engine won't be able to get the gas fast enough and you'll notice no gas in the filter because of the downward and then upward lack of gas flow caused by the lower loop. The result is the engine will stall and if you wait a few minutes the "loop" of lower gas line will eventually refill and fill the empty carb bowl and the engine will start again .. until until the carb again doesn't get the correct flow of gas and the loop causes the carb starve from a lack of gas. Meantime the loop of gas line evenutally refills the carb and the engine starts again.

You might find that simply cutting off the excess amount of gas line so the line is a straight downward path to the carb with NO loop of line lower than the carb MIGHT fix your problem. My son who is an old tractor rebuilder / hobby guy has seen this problem with the gas line loop occur "magically" on older vintage gravity fed systems he's worked on. And that fuel line routing was the only thing that was needed to fix the problem. Just a case of an older less efficient system needing a little adjustment to get as much fuel flow as possible to flow normally.

Your problem most likely is fuel system flow related and keep in mind adjusting the possition of the fuel line to be a more direct and efficient flow to the carb is only a bandaid and I would guess there is still something amiss with the flow or venting of the fuel system. I personally have an 18 HP sears tractor that one day started to do the same thing ONLY it would fail when the gas tank got below half full. It ran FINE with full tank .. but as I approached 1/2 tank it would do exactly what is happening to you. I'd let it sit a while and it would then start fine and run for a minute or two and stall again. All I had to do was to fill the tank and it would run fine again until the tank approached half full. And I did EVERYTHING you could with carb, gas caps, filters etc just like you. I did have quite a bend in the gas line as mentioned and I cut off the excess and re-routed the line to remove the loop and no more problems. VERY weird and I am also still trying to figure out WHAT in my fuel system caused the problem but so far have not found the culprit .. only that increasing the gas flow by reducing the excess fuel line loop below the carb and making it a straight downward line to the carb has allowed me to run the tractor until the tank is empty.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

I have a question. Does this mower require battery power to run the coils.
If It does I would check to see if the power supplying the coils has a resistance build up. I have a craftsman GT 6000 land tractor and when the main fuse blows it will kill the mower.

I had this same problem on my John Deere Ztrak. Turns out that there was crap getting into the fuel line near the gas tank.

I pulled the fuel line apart at the fuel filter and took my air compressor and blew air backwards through the line, clearing the debris.

judy0320 said:

What most people need to do before they buy a new carb is to get you a set of torch tip cleaners and clean every port in the carb.

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Tip cleaners are highly abrasive. Not recommended on soft brass jets. Unless you want more air or fuel to flow. Not a typical way to clean a carb.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

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Try using a gallon jug or something for gas --- you may be picking up debris from the tank or water in the gas settled at the bottom as water is heavier than gas. Nothing ventured nothing gained right?

I didn't read all 7 pages of replies so I apologize if this has been offered: Back in the 70's I had a single cylinder Kohler motor with same symptoms as OP. Worked on it for several days - Final resolution was exhaust valve guide was coked up. Engine would run long enough to get hot, block would expand and hold valve open. Let engine cool, normal valve action returned until engine warmed up again.

I had the very same issue with my craftsman with a Kohler engine. When I removed the fuel filter and replaced it with a shut off to problem went away!

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

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First thing I would do, when it stops running. Pull the plug wire and either have another plug or a spark tester, make sure you have fire. Use a pair of pliers, don't burn your fingers, and go easy because the clip can come out of hot plug wire pretty easy (some styles).

You can't always trust new parts.

Does the engine seem hot when it quits?

Does the starter turn hard when you try to restart when it dies?

There are many potential causes, a lot of them have been touched on by others.

Roccus said:

Have a small craftsman riding mower with a problem that is beyond me....

Problem: It runs for 10 or 15 minutes then stops running then it wont start. I let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and it will strat but will only run for another 10 or 15 minutes then stops running

What I did to try to fix? I had thought it must be the coil going bad seemed when it warms up it quits, sits for a bit cools down and it will start again. So I replaced the coil and spark plug still same problem so I turned my attention to the fuel system. Next time it quit I looked at the fuel filter and it was empty. I thought ok must be fuel tank outlet, fuel line plugged, or vent for tank plugged. I drained tank (it looked clean inside tank bottom). I ran a wire down the tank outlet then blew air through the fuel line into the tank. I also thought it may be a vent problem just to be sure I drilled a small hole in the tank cap and put a new fuel filter on. I then put new gas back in and disconnected the fuel line from the carb. Fuel flowed through the fuel line and filter, flow looked good so reattached the fuel line to carb started it up and could see fuel in the filter was dropping, looked like it was sucking gas faster than the fuel from the tank refilled the filter. Sure enough the filter emptied and the motor stopped. Once again I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and gas immediately came pouring out. So no signs of anything plugged.

I thought about this and thought maybe a vent in the carb is plugged and stopping the flow of gas from the tank. So I put a brand new carb on, lower the fuel line to let the filter fill and connected it back to the carb. But this did not help once the fuel filter got empty it died. So I have been through the electrical with new coil, spark plug and fuel system with new carb, fuel filter, blowing fuel line out all the way from just before fuel filter into tank, made sure tank is venting, and verified fuel moves freely through gas line and fuel filter by disconnecting fuel line from carb.

I don't have a clue what else I can do and why fuel does not flow through the line when connected to the carb. After the fuel filter empties out and it dies, by letting it sit fuel drips very slowly from the tank into the filter and it will start till the fuel filter is empty. Any ideas?

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Have you checked the valve lash? On the old propane fueled engines, when the engine got hot, after about 15 mins or so, the engine would die. Turns out the valves were set too tight due to wear, and needed adjusting. After setting valves to specs, engine started and ran- and stayed running!

I had a similar issue on a Murray, found a high resistance to ground. Ground from battery to chassis appeared clean non-corroded but removed bolt and wire brushed.....worked fine after doing this.

Rich A said:

See if the fuel line from the gas tank to the carb has a "bend" in it where the line loops lower than the carb for a few inches. Like the line starts high at gas tank then loops down LOWER than the carb and then back UP to the carb. IF you have a PARTIAL gas flow problem somewhere (like the aforementioned various gas cap vent or other plugged vents or filter etc.) the pressure of the gas in the full tank will be reduced enough as the level gets lower and the engine won't be able to get the gas fast enough and you'll notice no gas in the filter because of the downward and then upward lack of gas flow caused by the lower loop. The result is the engine will stall and if you wait a few minutes the "loop" of lower gas line will eventually refill and fill the empty carb bowl and the engine will start again .. until until the carb again doesn't get the correct flow of gas and the loop causes the carb starve from a lack of gas. Meantime the loop of gas line evenutally refills the carb and the engine starts again.

You might find that simply cutting off the excess amount of gas line so the line is a straight downward path to the carb with NO loop of line lower than the carb MIGHT fix your problem. My son who is an old tractor rebuilder / hobby guy has seen this problem with the gas line loop occur "magically" on older vintage gravity fed systems he's worked on. And that fuel line routing was the only thing that was needed to fix the problem. Just a case of an older less efficient system needing a little adjustment to get as much fuel flow as possible to flow normally.

Your problem most likely is fuel system flow related and keep in mind adjusting the possition of the fuel line to be a more direct and efficient flow to the carb is only a bandaid and I would guess there is still something amiss with the flow or venting of the fuel system. I personally have an 18 HP sears tractor that one day started to do the same thing ONLY it would fail when the gas tank got below half full. It ran FINE with full tank .. but as I approached 1/2 tank it would do exactly what is happening to you. I'd let it sit a while and it would then start fine and run for a minute or two and stall again. All I had to do was to fill the tank and it would run fine again until the tank approached half full. And I did EVERYTHING you could with carb, gas caps, filters etc just like you. I did have quite a bend in the gas line as mentioned and I cut off the excess and re-routed the line to remove the loop and no more problems. VERY weird and I am also still trying to figure out WHAT in my fuel system caused the problem but so far have not found the culprit .. only that increasing the gas flow by reducing the excess fuel line loop below the carb and making it a straight downward line to the carb has allowed me to run the tractor until the tank is empty.

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QUOTE:
"I cut off the excess"
The segment of line you cut off was likely deteriorated causing the problem.?

Haven't heard anything back from the OP in several pages. But since everyone else has given suggestions, here's mine.

I think that there's a restriction. Whether bugs, or rust, or collapsed fuel line, all great suggestions, or possibly a bad seal in a fuel connection allowing air to break the siphon. But I'm basing this on the filter being full at the start, then after the engine quits, it's empty, yet still allows a probably inadequate flow. My suggestion is to completely replace the fuel line, and filter.

gwtx said:

QUOTE:
"I cut off the excess"
The segment of line you cut off was likely deteriorated causing the problem.?

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As long as no part of the fuel system is higher than the bottom of the fuel tank gravity will do its thing.

I

CWatters said:

I had an issue with my B&S stopping after after 45 - 60 min running. That turned out to be the remains of insects that had got into the tank. Despite bouncing around over rough ground they would somehow settle out and restrict the outlet. They were bleached the same colour as the tank so v.hard to see. I dried and vacuumed out the tank.

Turned out they were living in the nozzle of my fuel can. Now keep that in a bag.

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Had a similar issue on my Sabre. It turned out to be a disentegrating fuel cap debris. It took a couple cleanings,them new line and filter. I'd bet op has a similar issue.