Craftsman T2600 Surge and Die

[Joe999]

Hello Everyone

I am new to this forum.

I have 3 year old Craftsman T2600 riding mower. It starts to die while i am mowing. I have replaced battery, carb, and inspected fuel line and see fuel coming out in the form of thin stream.
Another symptom is that the first few attempts to start the engine only see flywheel get stuck. I have to try a few times and the engine will start. I can hear the engine is surging.

Any suggestion?

Thanks for your time

 

[Scrubcadet10]

Sounds to me like there may be 2 problems, either your valves are out of adjustment or you have a bad battery cable connection somewhere which caused the engine to hang up when starting.
As for the surging and nearly dying, try running it with the fuel cap loose to be sure the gas tank can vent properly. think of it like holding your finger over a straw with water in it....
if it is still surging, then get some WD40 in a trigger sprayer and with the engine running, saturate the area around the carburetor where it mounts to the engine or intake manifold. if the engine blows white smoke,runs better or flat out dies when you do it. you have a leaking O-ring or gasket causing the engine to run lean and surge.

 

[Joe999]

Thanks for your message. Now it come down to the following,

I can start the engine, then I sit on it, turn on the blade, after a few min, engine stopped. I can restart w/o issue, but then engine dies again after shorter time.

I looked at the over head valves, They are ok. I suspect the engine has issues.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

Thanks for your message. Now it come down to the following,

I can start the engine, then I sit on it, turn on the blade, after a few min, engine stopped. I can restart w/o issue, but then engine dies again after shorter time.

I looked at the over head valves, They are ok. I suspect the engine has issues.

They have the proper valve clearance?

 

[Joe999]

Yes they do

 

[Joe999]

One other thing I realized is that when I adjust valves, the engine is so hard to turn by hand, it turns but very hard. Is this a bad?
Thanks

 

[LOVIE012]

Sounds like a fuel problem

 

[bertsmobile1]

Hard is very subjective
A normal engine , plugs out will be able to be rotated by pressing your palm on the debris guard on top of the flywheel & rotating while pressing down.

 

[Joe999]

Sears home serve stopped by and diagnostic to be camshaft need to be replaced

 

[shurguywutt]

Sears home serve stopped by and diagnostic to be camshaft need to be replaced

Interesting... Wonder how that happened on a 3 year old engine?