Tecumseh LEV105 Surging

[kc27]

I have a Tecumseh 4.5 hp LEV105-347001A engine that has a very uneven idle, that I believe I somehow caused. Here is what I've done

A couple of weeks ago I had discovered the carburetor float wasn't working correctly, the engine was flooding. Rather than rebuild, I replaced the carburetor and fuel line hose. There was no surge present after the carburetor was replaced.

This past weekend, I removed the flywheel in order to replace the oil breather assembly and the upper oil seal on the engine shaft to resolve an issue where the engine oil had been dripping down from somewhere under the flywheel. While I had the flywheel removed, I sprayed the engine with Gunk engine cleaner and rinsed it with water. Once I put the engine back together, it ran rough and surged, I could see the governor arm moving back and forth causing the surging. I removed and cleaned the plastic fuel tank, dried it and refilled with fresh fuel, still no help. The flywheel is keyed, so I don't believe it is even possible for me to have reinstalled it incorrectly. I used a folded index card (saw this on a youtube video) to set the air gap between the magnets on the flywheel and the ignition module.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[mechanic mark]

Tecumseh Service Manuals locate your engine & see troubleshooting section, also use a fuel stabilizer in your gas can per directions, because you rinsed engine parts with water you have moisture buildup & possibly rust. Water & small gas engines & other mower parts creates problems.

How do fuel & air filters look?

 

[kc27]

Thanks for the link to the manual, that will be really useful. The mower's gas tank is plastic, so I don't think I will have rust issues. The gas was fresh, purchased that day, and I had added Stabil to it. I did not have the official air gap gauge (part #670297) when I set the gap between the flywheel and the ignition assembly. Maybe that air gap setting is the cause of this problem.

 

[Rivets]

Yes, I believe the air gap is too wide, should be .010. Single thickness of a business carb should get you close.

 

[kc27]

I had to move on to another project, and ended up taking it to a shop to get professional advice. They cleaned the carburetor. Since it was a new carburetor that had I had just installed a couple of weeks prior (and had run well in a previous 45 minutes lawn cutting session), I did not even consider the possibility the carburetor could be the source of the problem.

 

[doug9694]

I have a Tecumseh 4.5 hp LEV105-347001A engine that has a very uneven idle, that I believe I somehow caused. Here is what I've done

A couple of weeks ago I had discovered the carburetor float wasn't working correctly, the engine was flooding. Rather than rebuild, I replaced the carburetor and fuel line hose. There was no surge present after the carburetor was replaced.

This past weekend, I removed the flywheel in order to replace the oil breather assembly and the upper oil seal on the engine shaft to resolve an issue where the engine oil had been dripping down from somewhere under the flywheel. While I had the flywheel removed, I sprayed the engine with Gunk engine cleaner and rinsed it with water. Once I put the engine back together, it ran rough and surged, I could see the governor arm moving back and forth causing the surging. I removed and cleaned the plastic fuel tank, dried it and refilled with fresh fuel, still no help. The flywheel is keyed, so I don't believe it is even possible for me to have reinstalled it incorrectly. I used a folded index card (saw this on a youtube video) to set the air gap between the magnets on the flywheel and the ignition module.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Maybe you have water in the carb. when you rinsed it. Take the fuel tank loose and place below the carb. Remove the bowl and see if there is water at the bottom of the bowl.