Lawn Mower help

[scsavre]

OK, Now I have a mower with problems.

I was going to give my mower from last year to my dad, and its not running.

Its a Snapper push mower maybe 6 or 7 years old.

Heres the problem.

I started it, ran for about 10 seconds. Died off and quit. Now it wont start any more. The only way I can get it to start is by putting some gas in the spark plug hole, or by dumping a little in the carb it self. This still only runs for a couple seconds.

Any ideas? to me it seems like it isnt getting gas. I changed out the plug,air filter, gas and oil. I sprayed some carb cleaner in, and blew some air threw it. Whats next. Take the carb out and inspect and clean, or is there something else.

Thanks in advance. It worked last year, and I dont want to give it away before it works agian.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Did you drain the fuel tank to make sure something isn't plugging the opening?

I'd agree that if you can get it to run for 10 seconds by putting gas in the plug, then you have a fuel flow issue.

[scsavre]

Ill try that now. Yah, its gotta be a fuel problem. I am going to inspect the lines better now too.

[spearchucker]

Is there a fuel shutoff that you turned off when you stored it?

[delcecchi]

In my personal experience it is usually a float needle that gets stuck open or closed (this sounds like closed) in the carb. A good whack with the handle of a big screwdriver will often fix it.

[scsavre]

I didnt do a shut off, I did however have to lift the thing up to be stored on a top shelf in my garage, I could have hit one. I have seen it though. I like the whack method, Just give the carb a smack. OK, thanks. Will report back.

[eurolarva]

Dont know who makes the snapper motor but if it is a tecumseh look at the bottom of the carburetor. If there is what looks like a brass nut holding the float bowl on the carb remove that and clean out the tiny holes in it with a fine piece of wire and some carb cleaner. This is the main jet and tends to get plugged with varnish and bad gas.

[BobT]

In my personal experience it is usually a float needle that gets stuck open or closed (this sounds like closed) in the carb. A good whack with the handle of a big screwdriver will often fix it.

I'd try this first and if you get it running it might not hurt to run a little carb cleaner through it. My next option would be a carb kit.

Edit: Just as I clicked on submit another thought came to mind. Try turning the carburetor jets all the way in and back out again. Count the turns so you know how far back out and only turn them in until you feel them seat. You don't want to turn them real hard or you can damage them. If there's a small amount of sludge blocking the port, this can sometimes push it through and get you going.

[cygnus]

Sure sounds like a plugged main jet. If it is a tecumseh engine and has an adjustable needle valve, it is 1 1/4 turns out from seated. That is your starting point. As a previous poster said, make sure the holes in the brass jacket around the needle are clean and open. Make sure you look for the small one toward the end of the threads on the brass jacket. Also, take a wire and make sure it's an open passage directly above where the jet seats into the carb. If it is a briggs engine the adjustment is 1 1/2 if it even has an adjustment. If not, clean it out the same way.

[Gus]

I have a 3 year old mower which doesn't like to run after sitting for extended times.. 1+ months. I have a rider and only use the pusher now and again. It has a primer bulb, but no choke. When it acts up it will fire off for a few seconds after pumping the primer and kill unless I keep feeding it with the primer button. What I do is take off the air cleaner and use a clean rag to choke the carb to keep it going instead of hitting the primer button. I'll prime it, get ready with the rag, pull it and as it starts to die I will cover the carb until it pulls gas on it's own and starts to fire back up.. then it will usually try to die one more time and I'll choke it again and then it normally just keeps running. I think something in the carb is drying out or sticking and making it hard to pull fuel on it's own. Since this works I haven't bothered to have it looked at any further. It's done this since it's first storage season. I've always fogged it the traditional way (fogging oil through the carb) prior to winter storage so I don't really think it's due to poor maintenacne. Poor gas.. possibly. Just use [PoorWordUsage] ethonol gas I can get at the normal gas station. Should probably run the good non oxy in all my small engines but so far only the boat and sleds get the good stuff.

[scsavre]

Well I took the Carb apart last night and it was pretty coroded. inside the case where the float sits was all white and stuck. I sprayed some carb cleaner in there and scraped away at the stuff. I got it pretty clean but when I fired it up. Still nothing. I thought forsure it would work. Also why did I not see any needles. Seemed like with my boat I just used a screw driver to adjust them. But with this i didnt even see any screws to adjust.

I am going to take it apart again and look. It was so dirty that maybe it just needs more cleaning. The float was stuck too, but I freed it.

[SpecialK]

There is a needle valve underneath the float. If you didn't pull the float off and unstick / clean that area, it may be what is causing part of it.

[Crusty old Swede]

Both of these mowers sound like good candidates for "Mechanic in a can" AKA seafoam.

[sdpikehntr]

Did you get it? You need to remove the small pin that holds the float on, then the needle will drop out, the hole the needle is in will be the spot that is pluged, you need to take a fine piece of wire (not good looking but small wire)and push through the hole to open it. Then cross your fingers stand on one foot and put back together and hope it will stay dislodged. Repeat steps until the particles in the gas line are run through.

[scsavre]

I will try it today, Sounds like that could be it. The first time I opened it the float wouldnt even move. I am guessing there must just still be some gunk in the needle area.

Some seafoam will be ran though there too.