Hi there. Totally new here and first time on a tool forum. I have an MTD Yard Machines push mower (Model #: 11Z-084C062 4 Horsepower) that I call "Little Blacky."
Little Blacky is named after the pony of the same name from the movie "True Grit." She was given to me in 2001 or 2002 by a college friend whose parents left her out in the rain until she rusted to the point of not starting. I gave her to my father who easily got her going by cleaning the rust off the internals and cleaning the spark plug (likely re-gapped it also). She then spent the next 17 years in a garage. I needed a mower and wanted the exercise of a push mower so I got her out, changed the oil and fuel, and JUST LIKE THAT she was the best little mower ever. She uses a tiny bit of oil but does not smoke.
This summer I put on a new blade, put in new spark plug, and put in a new air filter. I disassembled the cleaned the carburetor last summer to which she responded by running "like a jet engine" and burning up twice as much fuel per tank.
To the problem. She's been making me extra money every week since 2019 when I started mowing for other people. Right now though she'll run fine first tank of gasoline*, but upon refueling she will miss, bog down, quit, etc. She can keep going if I continue to prime her as I go. A friend and my father suspect a "cracked diaphragm."
So what does the hive think? I am planning to have the carburetor rebuilt ASAP.
Remove the fuel tank, drain it and blow it clean
Remove the carburettor and clean it as well
You will probably find a build up of debris in the float bowl .
Pull the blower housing off.
You did not post the engine numbers so I can not check .
Most B & S engines use a long inlet manifold that traverses the entire head.
These are now a thermo plastic that goes hard & cracks .
That allows fresh air to dilute the air:fuel mixture.
The symptoms of this do not gell with what you posted but we all use different words to mean the same thing.
I have made arraignments for a local guy to rebuild the carb. Hopefully that will do it. I'll ask him about the "long inlet manifold" and if mine is plastic.
Thanks.
In meantime I have gotten a Murray going that someone literally abandoned outside. I like free things that make me money.
