Engine JD JS46 hard cold start no warm start

[carusoswi]

I have a JS46 walk behind with the B&S engine. It's two or three years old, very light use (was my trimmer during year one, now my main mower).
When new, you turned the key, she started. Mow an hour, turn off, turn key, she started.

Last year, towards the end of the season, when cold, she was near impossible to start. There was no way to start her using the starter, you had to pull, really pull on the rope, and this, after removing the air cleaner, priming the carb, and over and over.

Once started, she would cut just fine, run through tall grass, no problems. But, if you shut her down for any reason, forget restarting her until the next day, at which point, you had to go through the same pull, pull, pull, prime, etc.

What's wrong with this mower?

I'm no spring chicken (not exactly an antique, either). I've never seen an engine do this.

Help appreciated.

Caruso

 

[carusoswi]

I have a JS46 walk behind with the B&S engine. It's two or three years old, very light use (was my trimmer during year one, now my main mower).
When new, you turned the key, she started. Mow an hour, turn off, turn key, she started.

Last year, towards the end of the season, when cold, she was near impossible to start. There was no way to start her using the starter, you had to pull, really pull on the rope, and this, after removing the air cleaner, priming the carb, and over and over.

Once started, she would cut just fine, run through tall grass, no problems. But, if you shut her down for any reason, forget restarting her until the next day, at which point, you had to go through the same pull, pull, pull, prime, etc.

What's wrong with this mower?

I'm no spring chicken (not exactly an antique, either). I've never seen an engine do this.

Help appreciated.

Caruso

Old thread, I know, but . . .
I still have this mower sitting in my garage. Took it to a shop. They reported that it needed a head gasket that would cost $550, or, they would waive their $50.00 inspection fee if I wanted to just leave the machine with them. I purchased this unit as an open-box on the cheap from Lowes. I probably should have taken it back to them.

This shop subsequently was ready to "take-in" (for their $50.00 check-up fee) a chain saw that my children could not make operate. It would start, but the chain wouldn't move. They phoned me for advice, and, as I was in the area, I was able to stop-in. As you might surmise, the issue with the chain saw was as simple as releasing the safety brake so that the chain was free to spin.

Long story short, I told the shop to just roll my mower out where I could load it onto my vehicle. That shop I will never use again. FWIW, the I paid only $250 for the mower. It has a strong B&S engine and electric start. I have no need for it at this point as I have replaced it with a Toro 21" Personal Pace mower that is giving me excellent service, and I prefer the handle setup on the Toro to the John Deer.

Would appreciate comments, although I will probably just take this mower to a shop that I trust, have them fix it, and then offer it for sale.

If utopia were available, I would have another Lawnboy two stroke professional. I loved that machine, and it could vacuum up leaves and grass better than any purpose made vacuum (and I still love the sound/smell of that two-stroke). The fuel tank was quite large, it was IMHO perfect. Alas, life is imperfect.

Comments welcome.

Caruso

 

[Rivets]

$550 to replace head gasket is a robbery in progress, run like hell and shout highway robbery to any one who will listen. I’m willing to bet the the float needle seat has swelled, causing a lean condition during starting. Part number 398188. Let me know if you want to tackle this repair, no hard.

 

[tom3]

I wonder if that motor has an automatic choke? Does it actually have a primer that you push? But I suspect you'll need to get into the carb.