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I have a 2007 yard machine with a 17.5 hp B&S engine. Model # is 31c707.


I have had several problems with this mower that I worked thru given advise from the forum. I am down to; starts but runs really rough and goes thru gas like crazy. I was advised to test the fuel solenoid and clean the carb. I have remove the fuel solenoid and am waiting for any remnants of fuel to evaporate before I try to test it. While waiting I want to remove the bowl and clean. I expected the bowl to pull off with a few light taps but it doesn't budge. Are there screws/bolts holding it in place?

thanks

Nikki carbs have two screws that bolt the bowl to the carb body. They are normally very tight the first time, and I recommend gripping them with vise grips to break them loose, otherwise you will strip out the phillips head screws.

Also make sure you don't drop the jhet and loose it, because they normally will just fall out and you won't see where it went.

ILENGINE said:

Nikki carbs have two screws that bolt the bowl to the carb body. They are normally very tight the first time, and I recommend gripping them with vise grips to break them loose, otherwise you will strip out the phillips head screws.

Also make sure you don't drop the jhet and loose it, because they normally will just fall out and you won't see where it went.

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Found the screws and they are very tight. Will try the vise grips. Thanks for you help.

Just a finally follow-up for anyone else that is interested in this thread.

I tried everything to get those screws out short of drilling them. I found lots of suggestion online i.e. wd40, vise grip, screw driver with vise grip turning it, hammering a screw driver into the screw then turning it, and on and on. Nothing worked. however; I cleaned the fuel solenoid, sprayed carb cleaner into the solenoid hole, fuel intake and after removing filter thru that opening as well. Let it all sit night. Re-connected everything this morning and voila, fired right up runs smoothly and no black smoke. I am pretty happy with the end results but those screws will bother me for a long time.

Consider yourself lucky. Those spiderweb floatbowl gaskets can, at times. be troublesome to hold in place. Also if the jet falls out, even with a new O-ring, is difficult to fully seat because as you push the jet in, it flexes within the O-ring. I made a small tool that pushes only on the OD of the O-ring therefore fully seating the O-ring which holds the jet. I have had many of those jets fall back out, and you won't actually know it until it is all back together and you try running it and it is way "too" rich.