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My daughter's JD LA115 was running erratically. It was difficult to start under full choke, and finally fired after I sprayed WD40 into the air filter section. I changed the air filter and final filter. After running for awhile, it started to run erratically and stalled. I changed the fuel filter and wanted to replace the fuel pump too, but the old pump is held on to the cover with a rubber "thumb tack" for lack of a better description. I tried to pull on the rim or tab on the top of the "tack" but stopped because I didn't want to break the "tack" and it didn't give me any signs that it would come out if I pulled harder.
How do I remove this "tack". Don't want to force it, and the new pump did not come with a bolt or "tack".
Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the christmas tree style fasteners They can be quite stubborn and may have to pry them out.

Not exactly...But they are popped out by prying between the pump and the shroud. If damage they are get replaced.

PN 796448 Can be black or cream color.

Thanks. That's what I suspected but I wanted to cover all bases before I tried the twist and pull routine, especially on an old rubber fastener. Couldn't find anything on a Google search, either. That's what concerned me.
It would have been easier if it the pump was mounted with two bolts like my old faithful Craftsman lawn tractor. Oh well. Thanks for the quick response.
Stay well.

StarTech said:

Not exactly...But they are popped out by prying between the pump and the shroud. If damage they are get replaced.
View attachment 58243
PN 796448 Can be black or cream color.

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Thank you so much.
I might pre lube with a little spray of rubber lube before I try to muscle it out.
I admit I did try prying with a flat head screwdriver between the engine cover or shroud and pump body, but stopped because with my luck, I would break the old pump and the local stores were closed on labor day.

Most times they get damaged beyond reuse
I always push them out from the inside
There is a tool for doing this but in reality I never bothered to make one because fuel pumps almost never fail
I have replaced only 1 in 9 years of servicing mowers
pull the fuel line off at the carb end.
hold it as high as you can and crank the engine .
IN good condition an impulse pump will pump a full hose of fuel from a hose around 2' in the air ( my simple 1 minute test )
The 2 minute test is to hook the inlet side to an alternative tank if test 1 fails to see if the problem is the pump or the supply .

I agree that these pumps don't normal fail here either. But I have replaced three this year already. Like everything else I get runs of particular failure at times.

Why did you spray WD-40 in the air filter? Carb clean or flammable brake clean to get it started. The pump will work even if the mounting clips are not there.

rustycat said:

Why did you spray WD-40 in the air filter? Carb clean or flammable brake clean to get it started. The pump will work even if the mounting clips are not there.

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I have always used WD40 as a quick engine "starting fluid". Been using it for years on boat, Harley and small engines. Try it
It also lubes linkages, etc.

engprosinc said:

I have always used WD40 as a quick engine "starting fluid". Been using it for years on boat, Harley and small engines. Try it
It also lubes linkages, etc.

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Um, no you have not. WD40 is not flammable enough for a spark plug to fire it, it will in fact foul the plug and make the enge run like crap. we did this years ago on a prove it argument. CRC WILL fire from a spark plug, but will blow so much smoke the shop becomes unlivable until you get the big fan to blow it out..

IF spraying WD40 into the carb made the engine start, chances are you have water in the carb bowl, the wd40 will displace the water and might allow the plugs to fire if you didn't use too much..

Also it running like crap after sitting for a long time is usually one of two things or both.. Condensation built up in the fuel, drain all fuel put fuel tretment in (and not from the same batch you might have used when storing last time it might be a bad batch)..

Or the fuel in the crab dried up and left it's additives behind to gunk up the crab and jets.. Yu can try seafoam in the gas or other fuel cleaner, or do it right and take the carb apart and thouroughly clean it jets and all...

mitchstein443 said:

Um, no you have not. WD40 is not flammable enough for a spark plug to fire it, it will in fact foul the plug and make the enge run like crap. we did this years ago on a prove it argument. CRC WILL fire from a spark plug, but will blow so much smoke the shop becomes unlivable until you get the big fan to blow it out..

IF spraying WD40 into the carb made the engine start, chances are you have water in the carb bowl, the wd40 will displace the water and might allow the plugs to fire if you didn't use too much..

Also it running like crap after sitting for a long time is usually one of two things or both.. Condensation built up in the fuel, drain all fuel put fuel tretment in (and not from the same batch you might have used when storing last time it might be a bad batch)..

Or the fuel in the crab dried up and left it's additives behind to gunk up the crab and jets.. Yu can try seafoam in the gas or other fuel cleaner, or do it right and take the carb apart and thouroughly clean it jets and all...

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Um, yes I did. As my father used to say to me "I'd agree with you then we'd both be wrong". Just kidding because in his case he was wrong more times than I was.

Read this from a Google search: "WD-40 Aerosol: DANGER! Flammable aerosol. Contents under pressure. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. If swallowed, may be aspirated and cause lung damage. May cause eye irritation. Avoid eye contact. Use with adequate ventilation. Keep away from heat, sparks and all other sources of ignition. WD-40 Bulk Liquid: DANGER! Combustible liquid." The propellant is extremely flammable and will ignite with a spark.

I appreciate your feed back but as I said I have been using if for years, even on Harleys too. The first mini "trial " can I bought cost $0.25 and I ordered it from an ad in Popular Science when I was around 25 years old ( I am now 79 ). I kept it in my tackle box to keep lures, reels and hooks "shiny". The liquid is based on fish oils which give the protective properties and moisture displacement.

mitchstein443 said:

Um, no you have not. WD40 is not flammable enough for a spark plug to fire it, it will in fact foul the plug and make the enge run like crap. we did this years ago on a prove it argument. CRC WILL fire from a spark plug, but will blow so much smoke the shop becomes unlivable until you get the big fan to blow it out..

IF spraying WD40 into the carb made the engine start, chances are you have water in the carb bowl, the wd40 will displace the water and might allow the plugs to fire if you didn't use too much..

Also it running like crap after sitting for a long time is usually one of two things or both.. Condensation built up in the fuel, drain all fuel put fuel tretment in (and not from the same batch you might have used when storing last time it might be a bad batch)..

Or the fuel in the crab dried up and left it's additives behind to gunk up the crab and jets.. Yu can try seafoam in the gas or other fuel cleaner, or do it right and take the carb apart and thouroughly clean it jets and all...

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Propane is used to pressurize the WD40 and force it out of the can, so if squirted in as the engine is turning over, it can ignite in the cylinder.

It can .
IT all depends upon the ratio of propellent to WD40
This is why I always specify to use a trigger or pump up sprayer
In any case WD 40 in a pressure can is a rip off big time
Down here they marketed it as the "Mechanic in a Can"
And when tested by one of our consumer groups they agreed
Mechanic is a can, and that where it stays up to 30% stayed in the can when the propellent was all used up.

engprosinc said:

Um, yes I did. As my father used to say to me "I'd agree with you then we'd both be wrong". Just kidding because in his case he was wrong more times than I was.

Read this from a Google search: "WD-40 Aerosol: DANGER! Flammable aerosol. Contents under pressure. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. If swallowed, may be aspirated and cause lung damage. May cause eye irritation. Avoid eye contact. Use with adequate ventilation. Keep away from heat, sparks and all other sources of ignition. WD-40 Bulk Liquid: DANGER! Combustible liquid." The propellant is extremely flammable and will ignite with a spark.

I appreciate your feed back but as I said I have been using if for years, even on Harleys too. The first mini "trial " can I bought cost $0.25 and I ordered it from an ad in Popular Science when I was around 25 years old ( I am now 79 ). I kept it in my tackle box to keep lures, reels and hooks "shiny". The liquid is based on fish oils which give the protective properties and moisture displacement.

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yup I know all about the uses of wd40, and really do not care what the internet says, you can not start an engine on wd40. You can use wd40 under the distributor cap to displace water. Yes it is flammible to an open flame, not to a spark.
Over 20 years ago we had this very discussion as I said, we tested it out with a chevy small block, wd40 just fouled out the plugs. CRC the engine ran like crap but did sputter... on brake cleaner, carb cleaner, grain alchohol, medical grade 80% isopropal alchohol and severl other chemicls we were able to run the engine as long as we could supply the chemical.. wd40 it would not start, would not sputter and fouled the plugs. We even got better results from type f trans fluid then we did from wd40.. wd40 and quakerstate motor oil had the same exact results.. So NO you do not start an engine on wd40..

Like I said, you may have added wd40 to intake which displaced the condensated water and allowed the gas to flow in and that is what started the engine. wd40 by itself will not run an engine.

Try telling me that WD-40 is not flameable after I set my work bench on fire when it hit a mechanical electric governor. And that was not an open flame but an open spark.