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Finally got the engine to run more than just on starter fluid. Replaced main jet rubber o rings, cut off pins of the anti kickback solenoid. Also replaced fuel pump and installed fuel shutoff inline.
Now runs 3-4 minutes, then shuts off. Restarts and does the same thing. After several restarts it started puking oil/gas out the breather tube at the front of the engine. Checked breather reed valve, has excess clearance(1/4") from boss. Trying to order one, with filter.
Where is gas in crankcase coming from? Dipstick does not show overfill and gas tank does not appear to be lower on fuel.
Previously had gas in crankcase(assume it was shot diaphragm in fuel pump). Changed oil but not filter(neighbor too cheap). Could the gas we are now seeing have come from being in the filter from the prior episode?

Please reread the thread you posted awhile back. Both Bert and I you info on what needs to be done, because all three of your threads are going to get very confusing, as they all deal with the same problem.

That is why I indicated that "Finally got the engine to run more than just on starter fluid. Replaced main jet rubber o rings." Basically rebuilt the carbs, as you guys indicated, as well as dissabling the anti kickback solenoids which then resulted in the engine finally running on its own for a few minutes, before puking up oil out of the breather hose at the front of the engine and then with the resultant gas in oil, again, problem. According the local parts guy we got the carb parts from, the engine will burn all the gas it is fed while running and not let it into the crankcase since we have a fuel cutoff switch installed now as well as a new fuel pump, gas cannt get into the engine when it is shut off.
Yes it is very confusing for someone who knows nothing about lawnmower, or other engines, that is why I am asking questions.

what they are saying is stop creating new threads for the same problem. You will only make it harder on yourself. Keep the chain of events in one thread.

Your local parts guy has no idea what he is talking about. The shut off solenoid only shuts off fuel to the main nozzle. The float needle shuts off fuel to the carb. If you are getting fuel in the crankcase the float needle is not shutting off the fuel.

I'm confused. Where is part 1 to this novel?

slomo said:

I'm confused. Where is part 1 to this novel?

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Rivets said:

Your local parts guy has no idea what he is talking about. The shut off solenoid only shuts off fuel to the main nozzle. The float needle shuts off fuel to the carb. If you are getting fuel in the crankcase the float needle is not shutting off the fuel.

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Thanks for the reply. I specifically asked him what if the float needle wasn't closing completely. He said as long as the engine was running it would burn gas faster than could be pumped in. Sounded funny to me which is why I posted to this site. To me, if he was right then engines could never run rich or flood right? I dont know much about engines in general, I spent almost a week online researching how the carbs on this engine work just to try to understand what I was being told was wrong. I ended up cutting the pins off of the shutoff solenoids(saw that on another site post) and installed a fuel shutoff valve inline between the fuel filter and fuel pump. Even though the solenoids seemed to work, ie pulled the float bowls, unscrewed the solenoids, reconnected to the connectors and turned the switch, pins retracted when activated, when reassembled, we couldn't get the engine to run with more than just starting fluid( a few seconds) until I cut the solenoid pins, effectively shutting them off permanently, which is why the fuel shutoff was installed. Once they were permanently disengaged we got the engine to run longer. Now trying to run down other problems as noted.

sgkent said:

what they are saying is stop creating new threads for the same problem. You will only make it harder on yourself. Keep the chain of events in one thread.

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Thanks for that. Thought I was starting thread on a new problem .

You came to this forum for help, but refuse to listen to the experienced techs here. That is up to you, but was far as I’m concerned this is my last post in this thread. You would rather listen to DIY guys and watch their videos to do bandaid repairs than fix the problem which is your choice. Cutting off plungers on good solenoids, installing inline shutoffs, you did nothing to solve your hard starting problem. I’ll end with this, you need to clean and rebuild the carb with a new float needle and seat, set float level properly, and check to make sure your choke is closing properly on start up. Good luck with your research and I hope you have enough money left to do the job properly. Bye, Bye, Bye. Maybe talk to and listen to a mechanic instead of a guy selling parts.

The guy "selling parts" has his own repair shop right there with at least 10 rebuilt mowers for sale on site and has been doing this for 20+ years. I cannt see any of you on this post to tell that you are anything more than posters.
Try giving details when you post "rebuild the carbs" I got the downloads that you and bert both sent and appreciated that. However, you have not been comprehensive in you explanation of what to do. As far as I know I did rebuild the carbs according the
info you guys sent. If I didn't something wrong I wouldn't know it.
I am done with this site as well.
bye bye bye

Have to reply!!! I think I’m one step above just a poster, as I’ve got 50+ years of fixing small engines, working in the small engine industry,as well as 30+ years as a small engine repair instructor. I’m sure that Bert also has over 40+ of working in this industry, so he also is more than just a poster. If you would have really done your research about this site you would have see that. You want us to give you a detailed explanation on What it takes and how to rebuild carbs. You never asked for that, but instead gave us the picture that you had some idea what you were doing. Doing a little research on this site would have given you a couple dozen posts on how to rebuild various carbs, but I can now see you wanted us to take you by the hand and almost do it for you. I’m willing to bet you didn’t even look at a manual when you rebuilt the carbs, because they require more work than watching a video. Finally, you did do something wrong. You assumed you new more and we’re smarter than 99% of the mechanics on this site and didn’t recognize the ones trying to help you were smarter than you. I suggest that you start using Taryl’s help videos, as the two of you probably look the same and have the same amount of small engine repair knowledge. He does have one on how to clean and rebuild carbs. Don’t let the door hit you when you leave.

He is wanting someone to fly to his house and fix it for free "ya'll".

My question is why not take it to that super mower tech? He can fix anything and been doing it for 20+ years. Why even visit, the BEST mower forum, ON the internet about his issue? Guy has a NASCAR mechanic down the street.

jag66 said:

The guy "selling parts" has his own repair shop right there with at least 10 rebuilt mowers for sale on site and has been doing this for 20+ years. I cannt see any of you on this post to tell that you are anything more than posters.
Try giving details when you post "rebuild the carbs" I got the downloads that you and bert both sent and appreciated that. However, you have not been comprehensive in you explanation of what to do. As far as I know I did rebuild the carbs according the
info you guys sent. If I didn't something wrong I wouldn't know it.
I am done with this site as well.
bye bye bye

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Jag,
This site has more professional techs on it than any other on the entire web.
I know this because when I bought the repair run 12 years ago there was a big learning curve so I sought out and signed up to over 30 different forums for mowers + more fr chain saws
FWIW I have been into BSA motorcycles since I was 14 & that was 55 years ago
I have engines from 1912 through to 1973 that all run perfectly so I would put myself in the quite knowledgeable category.
OTOH all you need to know about me is what is typed on the screen because this could all be BS
Anything on the web should always be taken at face value and personally evaluated by yourself .

You yourself knew enough to appreciate the "it will use fuel faster than can pass the needle valve when running " was total garbage.
Should that be the case eventually the engine would stop because it was using fuel faster than the carb could refill so the fuel level would start to drop in the float bowl which would make the engine run lean , thus overheat & sieze at the worst or surge so badly it could not be used .

There are hundreds of back yarders who have almost no idea about what they are doing , getting mowers to run then selling a pile of problems to unsuspecting smucks who end up on places like this trying o work out why the mower that seemed to run fine in the shop failed to work a week latter in their yard

Now from our point of view, some of us will happily write pages of information to explain something if a poster asks for it .
All it takes is an "I don't really understand what you are saying and we will expand "
However none of us are going to rewrite the entire engine repair manual 5 times a day so the assumption is if we are not asked to expand then you have understood .
We all know good places to get information from where what is happening is explained quite clearly.
The outdoorpowerinfo site is one such place .
HAving reread your post I would guess than mister back yard bodger slapped a bit of silicon on the old head gasket and reused it and that has now failed internally which is pressureizing the crankcase and causing oil to blow out the crankcase vent that eventually will be overwhelmed
So you end up with 2 problems
1) reduced fuel to burn in the cylinder because 1/2 of it has been pumped into the crankcase
2) oil being pumped into the filter housing which gets into the air filter effectivly blocking the airflow through it
The above causes oil deposits to burn on the spark plug which then makes it short down the insulator nose

And as for you assumption that your backyard bodger must know what he is talking about because he has 10 mowers for sale .
There were a bunch of school kids who used to make mower repair videos at a local recycling depot
They had less than no idea what they were doing but they made a lot of videos .https://pushmowerrepair.com.au/category/briggs-stratton-tutorials/ .
About 1/3 were acceptable , 1/3 were plain wrong and the final 1/3 were dangerous to either the operator or the mower .
But these were so well made and were so successful that they then started selling engine parts on line
THis business was so successful that it paid their way through college before they sold it to a local mower parts retailer
And to prove this there was one video where they "fixed" a mower that had a worn carb valve so was running lean and over reving by stuffing foam into the air supply which effectivly made a choke which this engine did not have.
I have repaired at least a dozen of these engines with this "fix" in them.
The proper repair is either to replace the worn part or fit a shim to restore the running clearances .

Now I have assumed that you are a grown up adult so you have to decide who will provide you with the best information
You should have taken the mower back & got a warranty repair if Mr "I fix mowers & resell them is so good " or a refund or an exchange
You can go to any one of a dozen pay for information sites & pay for the same information that you got here for free ( yes they contact me regularly to sign up with them ) or you can go to dozens of other sites .
It is a free world so you are free to do as you which
Just don't start complaining that we have done the wrong thing by you .
We have done the right thing but if you can not communicate with us we can not elp as all we have to work with is the words you type .