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Not getting gas?

#1

D

DianeDog

I am a 67-year-old woman trying to learn how to do mower repairs out of necessity. I have a Scott’s mower with a Tecumseh OVRM120 motor. Last year I replaced the air filter, carburetor, spark plug, and engine coil. Everything was fine. This year, because it wouldn’t start, I cleaned the fuel line, carburetor bowl and nut. When it starts it runs long enough to use the primed in gas. If I use a squeeze bottle to shoot gas directly into the carburetor it does the same thing. What else can it be?:confused2:


#2

cpurvis

cpurvis

Welcome to the forum! If you're using gas with ethanol in it, the carburetor may be clogged up.

If carburetors are cheap, get another one and don't use any more ethanol gas. Here's a link that will tell you where to buy gas that has no ethanol in it.

https://www.pure-gas.org/

Also, don't squirt gas in the carburetor while the engine is running! If the engine backfired while you were doing this, you could get severely burned. They make other products for this. Some use spray carburetor cleaner.

Edit to add: To answer your question "what could it be?" it is probably the carburetor fuel passages are clogged. You adding gas periodically to keep it running are doing what the carburetor should be doing, but isn't.


#3

D

DianeDog

Thanks for the welcome.
I hate for this to be so lengthy, but here goes...
A friend said I should never use ethanol in my mowers so I switched to non-ethanol and that’s when all my mowers stopped working so I thought that was the problem. Could the non-ethanol have broken loose that varnish deposit left by the ethanol and caused this to happen?

Also, I never squirt gas into it while it’s running, but thanks for the advice.


#4

cpurvis

cpurvis

Thanks for the welcome.
I hate for this to be so lengthy, but here goes...
A friend said I should never use ethanol in my mowers so I switched to non-ethanol and that’s when all my mowers stopped working so I thought that was the problem. Could the non-ethanol have broken loose that varnish deposit left by the ethanol and caused this to happen?

Also, I never squirt gas into it while it’s running, but thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...

If you feel up to the task, I think if you give the carburetor a thorough cleaning, including running a fine wire through through all the interior passages, your problem will go away.

If not, you can take the carburetor to a reputable shop and have it done. Sometimes it's easier and just to buy a new carburetor, though.


#5

D

DianeDog

cpurvis said:
If you feel up to the task, I think if you give the carburetor a thorough cleaning, including running a fine wire through through all the interior passages, your problem will go away.

If not, you can take the carburetor to a reputable shop and have it done. Sometimes it's easier and just to buy a new carburetor, though.
Click to expand...

Oh, I’m up to it, I just don’t want to. Lol But I can’t afford a shop. Thanks for the input.


#6

B

bertsmobile1

Get a pair of long nose lock jaw pliers
Clamp the fuel line then remove it form the carburettor.
pur the end of it over a bowl & remove the pliers
You should get a strong flow of fuel the full size of the hole in the then fuel line.
If necessary, clamp the line , fill the tank and repeat.
If the flow looks restricted then there is a blockage in the fuel line.
Some Tecumsehs have a filter on the outlet tube in the tank, others don't.
However over time debris like grass clippings build up in the tank and can plug the outlet.

Next is the float needle & valve.
It has a small rubber ring at the bottom that gets soft & can get sticky preventing the fuel flowing through the carb.
Full details and good photos can be found here http://outdoorpowerinfo.com/repairs/#id_tecumseh
Replacing the valve & seat is a routine maintenance job which is why it is rubber.


#7

D

DianeDog

bertsmobile1 said:
Get a pair of long nose lock jaw pliers
Clamp the fuel line then remove it form the carburettor.
pur the end of it over a bowl & remove the pliers
You should get a strong flow of fuel the full size of the hole in the then fuel line.
If necessary, clamp the line , fill the tank and repeat.
If the flow looks restricted then there is a blockage in the fuel line.
Some Tecumsehs have a filter on the outlet tube in the tank, others don't.
However over time debris like grass clippings build up in the tank and can plug the outlet.

Next is the float needle & valve.
It has a small rubber ring at the bottom that gets soft & can get sticky preventing the fuel flowing through the carb.
Full details and good photos can be found here http://outdoorpowerinfo.com/repairs/#id_tecumseh
Replacing the valve & seat is a routine maintenance job which is why it is rubber.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links. I have several push mowers and a riding one to repair so this will be helpful.


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