My Poulan Pro model PP20VA46 is acting up on me. It keeps idling up and down, up and down. Checked the plugs. Both are good. Replaced them this past summer. Cleaned the carb with a can of carb cleaner. Replaced the air filter. Added seafoam fuel treatment in the gas tank. Nothing has made a difference. Any suggestions? Can anyone help a brother out? Thanks.
Rough Idling
- Thread starter JP98
- Start date
Surging is a dirty carb, internally, or lack of fuel delivery from the tank. Pull the hose off where it enters the carb. Should drain the tank empty if the cap vent is working and the tank is not plugged up. Drain into a glass jar. Look for water at the bottom of the jar. Millions of carb cleaning videos on youtube.
Is this your mower?
Is this your mower?
sgkent
Lawn Addict
too many variables to find the one cause using an Internet crystal ball. Jim Condon had an engine this week that came to him diagnosed as a shorted Generac generator stator. When that checked out Ok, he thought it might be the spark plug. Nope. Then he inspected the carb and fuel, and eliminated those as the possible culprit - then he said well maybe the camshaft is bad. Then he heard it - the hiss at the exhaust - the spark arrestor was plugged up with carbon and rust. Removed that so the engine could fully exhaust again, and the engine went back to normal.
If it happened to me, I would do an physical inspection for rodent damage. Then check the fuel bowl with the fuel off. Inspect the fuel in the tank to see what it looked like. Drain, flush and replace if needed, Inspect the float bowl drain to see what it and the fuel looked like.
Had a 75 HP Evinrude that did that once at idle - surge then die. Surge then die. Was in January. The fuel I put in the tank in August had gone bad. Added several gallons to it and that solved the issue until I could burn off the old fuel. Seafoam won't solve that. Seafoam does not even have P.E.A. in it like Techron does. It really isn't that good of a cleaner in my opinion. Just has a good marketing campaign. Seafoam works to reliquefy greases and sludges rather than act as a detergent. Berryman's B12 will add aromatics back to a stale fuel but the best solution is to drain and use new fuel.
You can use the choke a little to see if that helps or makes the surge better or worse. By using a little choke you are richening or leaning the fuel mixture if that is what it is.
If it happened to me, I would do an physical inspection for rodent damage. Then check the fuel bowl with the fuel off. Inspect the fuel in the tank to see what it looked like. Drain, flush and replace if needed, Inspect the float bowl drain to see what it and the fuel looked like.
Had a 75 HP Evinrude that did that once at idle - surge then die. Surge then die. Was in January. The fuel I put in the tank in August had gone bad. Added several gallons to it and that solved the issue until I could burn off the old fuel. Seafoam won't solve that. Seafoam does not even have P.E.A. in it like Techron does. It really isn't that good of a cleaner in my opinion. Just has a good marketing campaign. Seafoam works to reliquefy greases and sludges rather than act as a detergent. Berryman's B12 will add aromatics back to a stale fuel but the best solution is to drain and use new fuel.
You can use the choke a little to see if that helps or makes the surge better or worse. By using a little choke you are richening or leaning the fuel mixture if that is what it is.
Yes, it is my mower. I'll try your recommendation a shot hopefully today or tomorrow. thanks.
sgkent
Lawn Addict
duplicate post https://www.lawnmowerforum.com/threads/idling-up-and-down.80592/
pick one and stick with that one.
pick one and stick with that one.
