I inherited a riding lawn mower from my brother. sat for a long time in his garage. motor is a b&s 344cc and the pic below looks like the one on the mower. When my mower broke we tried to get his running but couldnt.
my helper says the carb is bad. he says he can get it started but wont keep running. he tried to clean it the carb but says it is too far gone. gas tank was dry and gas is fresh now. So do I need a new carb do you think? I found this on amazon for about what it would cost me to have him take the old one apart, but I am not sure if this is a new replacement carb or just a parts kit. I have to rely on him because of health issues.
I would appreciate any thoughts you have on this.
thanks for your time.
1) there are about 15 different carbs fitted to various B & S 344cc engines over then past 50 years
2) as Frank Zappa sang, "I figure the odds be 50:50" that the new one will actually work even if it is the right one
Every wondered why B & S go the great lengths of stamping those numbers into the blower housings / rocker covers / riveted on tabs ?
They do it so people like you can get the right parts and people like us can give you good information
Thanks for taking the time to reply. No I never wondered about part stampings. Even if I did
I wouldnt know what blower housings / rocker covers are. Like I said in my OP I have to rely on my helper
and the only photo he took of the existing carb. I attached it here. There are only a few carbs available online
and the one in the pic looks like the one here. My question was not if this is absolutely the correct part I need,
but if anyone knew if it was a replacement carb unit or just a rebuild kit. I realize that some assembly will be required.
My helper is a young man working to get his A&P cert. so I think he could handle it.
I sent a message to the seller asking the same thing.
(Details about item: cmore44 sent a message about Carburetor Carb for Power Built 344cc 10.5HP B&S Engine Nikki Carburetor 696353 #304298835294)
This is what he replied:
Only items in our pictures will be included, please check clearly.
Not a lot of help.
I do appreciate you taking the time to try and help me. I hope the new info will be helpful, but if it isnt I understand.
My helper wont be available till at least the wknd. Maybe you could point us toward where to look for the part #s etc
you would need.
thanks
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StarTech
Sounds like you need to take the equipment to a confident repair person. Not if I would want the tech you using to work on my aircraft before he get tons of training.
But here is how to find the model, type, and date codes.
• I've found that the Chinese carbs sold on Amazon and other similar outlets are external look-alikes only.
• A qualified mechanic will proabably replace the carb with the correct replacement part based on finding that the cost of labor to rebuild far exceeds the cost of the new correct part.
• In your particular case, rebuilding a carb is closely akin to watch repair in that although outwardly simple in appearance, there are tiny parts and miniscule channels to be inspected and cleaned. This is way, way, WAY above most owners capability.
► The take-away lesson for you should be: NOT to allow fuel to sit in the tank and/or carb for extended periods. If you're not using your gasoline powered mower/ string trimmer/ blower/ chain saw... then empty all the fuel out. No fuel = No carb issues.
That is a Nikki carburetor copy (aftermarket). It is always better to try to clean and get working original carburetor, then buy another one to install if plan A fails. My favorite one liner from customers on phone is, “I cleaned the carburetor with carb spray.” Meaning they sprayed some into the carburetor only. Need to remove carburetor, completely disassemble, poke jets, etc. with fine wire, spray with carb cleaner, then blow out with air compressor, and reassemble and reinstall on equipment. Do it everyday, not a big deal, do it first time in life, it is a process.
