Help! Motor will run smooth on choke but no choke it almost stalls.

[84MonteCarloSS]

Howdy y'all. Picked up a Murray Widebody LT the other day. Has the Briggs 18hp Twinii. She's a L head. Been sitting for a while. Brought her home and found she had no spark. Went to local Dealer and bought a coil. Now it has spark, got it running and it won't idle. Anything under half throttle it will stall and it only runs smooth with choke closed about 5/8s of the way. Did a Carb clean, New Plugs. New Gaskets. I even removed the carb spacer incase it had a crack in it but still no luck. I'm 16 and went through everything I would know. Checked Valves, they aren't stuck. Has Great Compression and plenty of spark. I'm thinking intake itself may have a crack but not sure. It's pretty late, got work tomorrow, Tomorrow is another day. If anyone could throw in some input it would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance -Mike

 

[Rivets]

We will need the engine numbers before we can provide you with suggestions as how to proceed. With them we will know exactly what you have.

 

[slomo]

Howdy y'all.

Oh SNAP!! We got an Okie or Texan on here "Yall". Another brother I mean. Welcome to the forum.

Been sitting for a while.

Carb going to, wait, gonna' need a boil clean job.

Anything under half throttle it will stall and it only runs smooth with choke closed about 5/8s of the way.

Definitely carb dirty or fuel tank with grass/dirt in it.

Did a Carb clean,

Needs one or 3 more cleanings. New engines don't do this.

I'm 16 and went through everything I would know.

Respect to you at 16, wanting to fix your mower. Props to you fine sir. Better than the other 99% of these jokers glued to their cell phone toys.

I'm thinking intake itself may have a crack but not sure.

Use and I KNOW you have some of this. Some WD-40 ya'll, in the garage. Spray it around any spots where it could have a vacuum leak with the engine running. Any new smoke or lost revs, you have a leak.

I'm from Oklahoma. Ya'll is a virus around here LOL. Holler back......

 

[sgkent]

please tell us you drained the fuel tank, and replaced both the fuel and fuel filter. Old fuel will behave that way. So will a clogged fuel filter, or a worn out fuel pump.

 

[DaveTN]

Hi and Welcome to the LMF! Dang it I'm from East TN and
I can barely tell the difference between an East TN Twang~~
and a East TX Drawl~~~ Those old flat heads are nearly
indestructible and it doesn't take much to resurrect one from
the dead, or at least for me I had luck with em. Sounds to me
like it's "fuel starvation". I'd give the carb another boiling out and
have clean fuel flow from one end to the other. It should run.
Been all thru Oklahoma and Texas, nice country.

 

[sgkent]

"Howdy Y'all" can be anywhere in the south from NC, SC, FL, MS, AL. TN, LA, TX, OK, KY, VA. Just the same as yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, no sir. Same as "Well, I reckon so," or "Ima fixin' to." Parts of the tidewater areas in NC they still speak sort of Elizabethan, like Popeye. "Hoity-toity" as an example. It technically means a person from above the high tide area, but is the same as calling someone arrogant or snobbish, highfalutin. In LA they might say "well a'int he a la-di-da." That is unless they are an old timer in which case you better study the language. Bayou Beth sounds like Bear Bef for example.

All southerners are welcome at our table.

 

[84MonteCarloSS]

Oh SNAP!! We got an Okie or Texan on here "Yall". Another brother I mean. Welcome to the forum.

Carb going to, wait, gonna' need a boil clean job.

Definitely carb dirty or fuel tank with grass/dirt in it.

Needs one or 3 more cleanings. New engines don't do this.

Respect to you at 16, wanting to fix your mower. Props to you fine sir. Better than the other 99% of these jokers glued to their cell phone toys.

Use and I KNOW you have some of this. Some WD-40 ya'll, in the garage. Spray it around any spots where it could have a vacuum leak with the engine running. Any new smoke or lost revs, you have a leak.

I'm from Oklahoma. Ya'll is a virus around here LOL. Holler back......

I am back lol. I am indeed not from okie or Texas. Actually from Maine, back to the point. Motor started shooting white and black smoke and had enough of it. I tied a piece of filler rod to the gov and held her open for least a hour. She blew both pistons right off the crank. Like caps are in the bottom of the engine. I pulled heads off and pistons fell right out. Both of em anyways mower was 50 bucks so didn't get that much of a hit from it. Took the hydrostatic transaxle and put it in my yard machine because that rear end was letting go and now it's somewhat I like to call a "Mud Mower" I appreciate the help though means alot. -Mike