Engine ??Scag Cougar shuts off in seconds, or minutes?? Help!!

[monkfarm]

Pulling in choke to keep and engine running is usually an indicator of some sort of fuel starvation. You need to start at the fuel tank and check each station along the fuel system to diagnose and rule out problems all the way to the carb. The vent in the fuel cap(s) is the first place to start and proceed onto the fuel supply. I have had to replace and reroute fuel supply lines on some older machines to get them away from heat sources around the engine and or hydraulic systems as fuel with ethanol will vapor lock at a lower temperature than non ethanol fuel. Just a thought. Bear in mind that many fuel systems, although having fuel filters, can allow small particles to pass into the carb in time. This silt can get behind the fuel shutoff solenoid plunger in the carb and stop it from fully opening. If you can get the engine to run long enough, I suggest that you check the voltage across the battery to see if the charging system is operating properly. I suggest that you do this after charging the battery.

The charging system was working properly. . .

 

[Kentucky_Rusty]

After reading in this forum, I went and looked for a solenoid also not finding one. I have previously had problems with some of the safety switches having dirty contacts. So I went through every electrical connection and cleaned them or reseated them. I was able to mow for over 90 minutes and it never shut off once. Maybe I was lucky. My Scag Turf Tiger is a 2012 model with 800 hours.

QUOTE=monkfarm;175871]Hi FreddyK and Rusty, No, I tore the radiator off, and what not to bet a real good look at the carb, and the solenoid wasn't there. There was a brass bolt in it's place and an electrical connection that was lying right below it. I don't remember doing that, but one of my former employees could have done this, it is a 2002 model, or at least that is when I think I bought it. The shut off solenoid is listed in all the diagrams as stock. There is a you tube of someone just cutting off the pin that the solenoid places in the fuel tube to shut off the fuel. I have a John Deere tractor 2010 that started to go through those solenoids at the rate of $80 a pop, and I just put a brass bolt in place of it, and it diesels sometimes after you shut it off, but it is not too irritating. I don';t believe you need the shut off solenoid.
Instead I ordered a new carburator from Pat's small engine in Isanti, MN. I don't know if that was a good move, but I have checked everthing else, and I believe that is the problem. . .[/QUOTE]