What Did I Do??

[Cajun power]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am going to try and find a mobile person to come and do it for me. Could expand a bit more on the solenoid please. That is not the starter solenoid, right?

testing the anti back fire fuel solenoid: remove the solenoid. It's has a narrow two flat "bolt"...I use a slim wrench from router tool. You can also use a slim open wrench...some folks grind them down to make them slim enough to fit. If you have a swissor style wire stripper, you can use that too...most of the small gauge wire strippers have teeth at end for gripping...the solenoid is not hard to remove...it's just a very narrow area to get to those two flats to remove it.

Anyway....twist it off. gas is probably going to leak everywhere out of the bowl. Make sure you turn the fuel cutoff valve to prevent fuel spilling everywhere. Or just crimp the line to prevent fuel flow.

put key in ignition...and then slowly turn it and watch the small pin on the fuel solenoid (you just removed it). Does the pin retract back into the body of the solenoid? if it doesn't clean it up with some carb cleaner or brake cleaner....make sure the electrical connector is securely connected AND the ground wire is still attached to the engine...mostly likely the ground wire is attached to a carb bolt. After you clean it up, try the test again and observe. If you cannot get the pin to retract into the body when you turn the ignition key...you have a bad solenoid.

it is a common point of failure..especially with old gas that finds its' way to the needle in that solenoid and then into the solenoid itself...causing corrosion...rust...gum..you name it.

there are two ways to solve a bad solenoid: buy a new one, or just remove it and put in a fine threaded bolt into the bowl to secure the bowl. But if you opt for the latter, make sure the solenoid wires are joined together (completely the circuit) and is terminated at engine ground. Anywhere on the engine is fine...you can use the same carb bolt ground. This eliminates this solenoid as a common failure component from your system. The engine will still operate without it. The engine will still shut down correctly. If you are concerned with excessive fuel draining into the carb after shutdown...then install a fuel shutoff valve close to the carb and use that each time you shut down the engine.

this is what I have done with all my mowers. All of them. These solenoids are just poorly designed. The idea is good, but the engineering was never good enough to prevent fouling from long term storage and old gas contamination..and oxidation/corrosion. A better approach would have been to make the anti back fire device with better material protection against the effects of gasoline and corrosion. But this would have added expense to the design...and as you will probably notice if you shop around even with the current design, they are not exactly a cheap part to source.

here is a youtube video that explains the operation of the fuel solenoid.
You can use this method, but I would NOT recommend the 9 volt battery method.

If you understand HOW to troubleshoot from a logic frame of reference, then yes the 9 volt can tell you the device is good or bad. And if it does test normal (retracts when given 9 volt power), then you can proceed to find where in that circuit the problem exists (why the circuit is not providing power). However, as stated above, because this device is a common point of failure and does not contribute to the operation of your mower...It's entirely up to you if you think it is worth testing and replacing. I prefer to just delete it from the carb...but make sure as stated above that the circuit still is connected directly to a ground. Otherwise you will never be able to start the mower. The fuel solenoid circuit is REQUIRED for starting the mower...electrically this is true. So make sure if you delete it from the carb, you still have that circuit completed to ground. One simple way to do this? just move the ground wire from the one side of the connector and splice it to the power lead on the other end of the connector. This gives a direct path from power to ground. This completes the circuit (acting the same way that an electrically powered solenoid would complete a circuit to ground!). You don't really need a solenoid dangling around near the engine zip tied somewhere...rememeber...it's a common point of failure...just get rid of it entirely! these are only my own opinions. I do this for all my mowers and small engines that have these anti back fire fuel solenoids. They are unreliable. I don't want to spend time chasing gremlins and waste money on devices that really do not make improve the operation of the machine. just make sure to install an inline fuel cutoff valve close to the carb. and turn that off to prevent flow of excessive fuel into the carb! simple..easy peazy.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Nice reply from Cajun
However I need to point out that the carb solenoid prevents fuel from going through the main jet into the engine .
It does not stop fuel overfilling the float bowl then entering the engine via the float breather which is a hole on the engine side of the carb .
It is a popular myth spread by brain dead ego maniacs on you tube trying to sound like they are smart .

 

[Tbone0106]

So I have a 4 year old cub cadet that i have hardly used. Maybe 20 hours. Last summer I had a hard time getting it to run because I left old gas sit in it. I did get it to run but if you really tried to use power it would die out but I got it to run enough to burn out the old gas and then it sat there all winter until now. I now have added good gas and it would not start so I sprayed some sea foam down the carb opening and still no start, not even a pop. And then here is where I may have messed up. I then removed the air cleaner and poured in some gas and it did start for me but only for a few seconds and puffing out white smoke while it did. So I came back today and did the same thing and it started up and will run for about 30 seconds at full power before it dies out but massive white smoke. But I don't need to add any more gas in the carb to get it to start. When the air cleaner was off I noticed it would also pump what seemed to be gas but not nice clear gas but a yellow gas. But what has me worried is that I am now seeing oil all over the front as if when it runs it will also throw out oil.

I guess probably putting the gas in the carb was a mistake.

Any advice would be great. I would have brought it in but I don't have a way to move it and the shop is an hour from me so I guess its live and learn.

Thanks.

Spraying Sea Foam into the throat of the carburetor is not smart. You might as well pour dishwater in.
Your problem will be difficult to diagnose as long as we have no idea what model of Cub you have or at least what engine we're talking about.

 

[VegetiveSteam]

So make sure if you delete it from the carb, you still have that circuit completed to ground. One simple way to do this? just move the ground wire from the one side of the connector and splice it to the power lead on the other end of the connector. This gives a direct path from power to ground.

Umm, I'm no electrical engineer and maybe I'm misreading this but won't directly grounding a power wire do nothing but create a short circuit and blow the fuse? Hopefully? And if they've messed with wiring and for some silly reason bypassed the fuse this could be a good recipe for a fire.

 

[ILENGINE]

@Cajun power you need to go do your research and find the proper information for instance do no connect the two wires together from the solenoid, you will create a dead short and at a minimum blow the fuse and the worse will create the environment for a mower fire. And the 9 volt battery test that you wouldn't do is the recommended testing method recommended by Briggs and Stratton themselves. And the solenoid failure is so common that I have replaced less than a hand full of them in my entire 25 year career.

 

[VegetiveSteam]

Something I meant to mention in my previous post is, if you think the solenoid isn't working, before you condemn or even remove it make sure you are getting power to it and it's got a good ground.

If you had a lamp in your living room that wouldn't work, putting a new light bulb in it won't help if the lamp isn't plugged in.

Just one man's opinion.

 

[Cajun power]

@Cajun power you need to go do your research and find the proper information for instance do no connect the two wires together from the solenoid, you will create a dead short and at a minimum blow the fuse and the worse will create the environment for a mower fire. And the 9 volt battery test that you wouldn't do is the recommended testing method recommended by Briggs and Stratton themselves. And the solenoid failure is so common that I have replaced less than a hand full of them in my entire 25 year career.

lol...its the fuel solenoid....do you even know what an electrical circuit IS for a fuel solenoid? in order for the solenoid TO OPERATE it must be completed to GROUND....negative ground CHASSIS. AND the circuit is part of the ignition. Without it, the ignition switch will NOT WORK. So to delete the fuel solenoid, a common failure that contributes NOTHING to the performance of the engine, you simply take that connector, and go from power TO GROUND...directly. the switch works and no, unlike your 25 years of experience, it will not blow ANY fuse. It is 12 volts, and such a low amount of amps that there is no chance of blowing ANY FUSE.

fuel solenoid failures are almost ALWAYS a problem from fuel fouling.....and yes, it happens quite a bit.

dead short...you are ridiculous man....perhaps it would be best if you actually did a volt and amp check on your ideas before spouting off and making yourself look foolish as a "briggs" career specialist.. get smart!

the point of NOT DOING A 9 Volt Battery test, is that IT DOES NOT TEST THE WIRING ON THE MACHINE. If the wiring is damaged or the wiring connector is bad, the solenoid can test good on a 9 volt EXTERNAL power source, but then not operate on the actual circuit on the machine.

again, illustrating that you really need to be quiet and and stop making a fool of yourself.

just stop...people like you make helping other with really good tips on how to solve mower issues (and many other engine and electrical issues), far more difficult than it really needs to be.

just stop.

 

[Cajun power]

Umm, I'm no electrical engineer and maybe I'm misreading this but won't directly grounding a power wire do nothing but create a short circuit and blow the fuse? Hopefully? And if they've messed with wiring and for some silly reason bypassed the fuse this could be a good recipe for a fire.

you don't have to be an electrical engineer (or a 25 year "briggs" specialist, like the jackwagon in this thread), to understand how to use a volt meter and measure volts and amps. Try it sometimes...

it's 12 volts to the fuel solenoid....it's far below one amp...it IS NOT PART OF THE CHARGING CIRCUIT AND IT DOES NOT GET POWER FROM THE IGNITION COIL.

your first clue is the small gauge wire.

we are talking about the FUEL SOLENOID WIRING.

does anyone here really think that the engineers from ANY engine manufacturer would even consider sending high amp power to a fuel solenoid that literally attached below a carburetor near the fuel lines, and is mounted in many case right about a very hot muffler...that's your other clue that doesn't require an electrical engineering degree.

don't trust me...prove it to yourself. get a meter...start the engine...measure voltage across the fuel solenoid..measure the amps going in..and the amps going to ground.

heck...just try and arc the power wire to ANY GROUND....

you guys are making this really more difficult that it really is.

dead shorts...killing fuses...

it's a fuel solenoid that is being deleted out of the ignition switch circuit!!! take the ignition switch side of the wire that goes to the ignition switch from the fuel solenoid and connect it to engine ground....voila' you've now deleted a single point of failure from your machine and it will still switch ON...no arcing...no fuses blown..and saved yourself about 30-50 bucks for a new fuel solenoid...don't need it...if you are afraid of a engine backfire...then idle down and then shutdown. if you have backfires on your engines, there is something else wrong. Investigate that and fix it. The anti back fire solenoid does not fix engine problems. It barely functions to even conceal them. understand what it is...what it cannot do...how the ignition switch is wired to it and how the ignition switch WILL NOT START THE ENGINE unless that circuit has a path to ground.

that is all...carry on.

 

[VegetiveSteam]

lol...its the fuel solenoid....do you even know what an electrical circuit IS for a fuel solenoid?

I do. Do you?

in order for the solenoid TO OPERATE it must be completed to GROUND....negative ground CHASSIS.

True

AND the circuit is part of the ignition. Without it, the ignition switch will NOT WORK.

Not true.

So to delete the fuel solenoid, a common failure that contributes NOTHING to the performance of the engine,

Somewhat true.

you simply take that connector, and go from power TO GROUND...directly. the switch works and no, unlike your 25 years of experience, it will not blow ANY fuse. It is 12 volts, and such a low amount of amps that there is no chance of blowing ANY FUSE.

Not true.
Sorry, but ILENGINE is 100% correct. Your response was however, quite entertaining.

 

[Cajun power]

Umm, I'm no electrical engineer and maybe I'm misreading this but won't directly grounding a power wire do nothing but create a short circuit and blow the fuse? Hopefully? And if they've messed with wiring and for some silly reason bypassed the fuse this could be a good recipe for a fire.

you don't have to be an electrical engineer (or a 25 year "briggs" specialist, like the jackwagon in this thread), to understand how to use a volt meter and measure volts and amps. Try it sometimes...

it's 12 volts to the fuel solenoid....it's far below one amp...it IS NOT PART OF THE CHARGING CIRCUIT AND IT DOES NOT GET POWER FROM THE IGNITION COIL.

your first clue is the small gauge wire.

we are talking about the FUEL SOLENOID WIRING.

does anyone here really think that the engineers from ANY engine manufacturer would even consider sending high amp power to a fuel solenoid that literally attached below a carburetor near the fuel lines, and is mounted in many case right about a very hot muffler...that's your other clue that doesn't require an electrical engineering degree.

don't trust me...prove it to yourself. get a meter...start the engine...measure voltage across the fuel solenoid..measure the amps going in..and the amps going to ground.

heck...just try and arc the power wire to ANY GROUND....

you guys are making this really more difficult that it really is.

dead shorts...killing fuses...

it's a fuel solenoid that is being deleted out of the ignition switch circuit!!! take the ignition switch side of the wire that goes to the ignition switch from the fuel solenoid and connect it to engine ground....voila' you've now deleted a single point of failure from your machine and it will still switch ON...no arcing...no fuses blown..and saved yourself about 30-50 bucks for a new fuel solenoid...don't need it...if you are afraid of a engine backfire...then idle down and then shutdown. if you have backfires on your engines, there is something else wrong. Investigate that and fix it. The anti back fire solenoid does not fix engine problems. It barely functions to even conceal them. understand what it is...what it cannot do...how the ignition switch is wired to it and how the ignition switch WILL NOT START THE ENGINE unless that circuit has a path to grou

I do. Do you?

True

Not true.

Somewhat true.

Not true.
Sorry, but ILENGINE is 100% correct. Your response was however, quite entertaining.

disconnect the fuel solenoid...try and start your engine...good luck.

your response shows me that you are either intentionally being dumb, or your just don't have a volt meter or know how to use one to actual defend your really bad guesses.

good luck with that.