IowaCowboyLost in the Supermarket Premium Member join:2010-10-16 Springfield, MA |
[Tools] I'm about to give up on this lawn mowerJust spent the good part of my morning in the scorching sun cleaning the carb on my craftsman lawn mower (Briggs engine) new spark plug, fresh air filter, fresh gas, and now it won't even start. I did it down to the book as described in the YouTube videos.
I'm sure a repair shop would charge just as much to repair as to replace so I'm wondering if the Honda or Kohler engines are more reliable.
I don't mean to rant but the days of lawn mowers lasting 20 years are gone, if you get five you're lucky.
I don't think I'm buying equipment with Briggs engines anymore. They're cheaply made, more plastic on them than children's toys. |
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Corehhi
Member
2014-Aug-27 12:06 pm
I would go Honda but it will be much more expensive. |
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hitachi369Embrace Your Rights Premium Member join:2001-10-03 Cincinnati, OH (Software) pfSense Switches Trash Bin Ubiquiti UniFi AP
2 recommendations |
to IowaCowboy
said by IowaCowboy:Just spent the good part of my morning in the scorching sun cleaning the carb on my craftsman lawn mower I would push it in the shade next time. As for your mower issues, what is it doing when you pull the rope? |
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robbin Mod join:2000-09-21 Leander, TX |
to IowaCowboy
Instead of ranting about the poor quality of anything or wasting your money on a new mower why don't we figure out how you broke yours.
Start with the basics.
Do you have spark?
Do you have fuel? |
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IowaCowboyLost in the Supermarket Premium Member join:2010-10-16 Springfield, MA |
to hitachi369
said by hitachi369:said by IowaCowboy:Just spent the good part of my morning in the scorching sun cleaning the carb on my craftsman lawn mower I would push it in the shade next time. As for your mower issues, what is it doing when you pull the rope? It won't turn over at all. |
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robbin Mod join:2000-09-21 Leander, TX |
robbin
Mod
2014-Aug-27 12:49 pm
Disconnect or remove the spark plug and then try turning the engine with the blade. |
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to IowaCowboy
One thing to check on Briggs motors that often goes unnoticed is the shear key on the flywheel. They sometimes shear partially and cause the timing to be off enough to make the mower not start.
Just something else to check. |
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shdesignsPowered By Infinite Improbabilty Drive Premium Member join:2000-12-01 Stone Mountain, GA (Software) pfSense ARRIS SB6121
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to IowaCowboy
Won't turn? Could be hydrolocked. Remove the plug. If you mean it won't fire, check the plug for spark. |
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3 recommendations |
said by shdesigns:Won't turn? Could be hydrolocked. Remove the plug. If you mean it won't fire, check the plug for spark. damn it jim, this machine will not cut the grass under the water, it must be defective |
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IowaCowboyLost in the Supermarket Premium Member join:2010-10-16 Springfield, MA |
I might try replacing the carburetor since that's a $30 part. I'll probably look for some small engine shops in town and take the old one with me. Maybe I didn't put it back together correctly.
$30 is cheaper than dropping $300 on a new lawn mower. It would start and die before I cleaned the carb now it won't start which points to the carb. |
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guppy_fish Premium Member join:2003-12-09 Palm Harbor, FL |
Fuel in the bowl? Did you set the mixture? Set the choke? Verify the spark? |
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robbin Mod join:2000-09-21 Leander, TX |
robbin
Mod
2014-Aug-27 4:11 pm
Probably should ask to outline specifically what was done to clean the carb |
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LazMan Premium Member join:2003-03-26 Beverly Hills, CA
1 recommendation |
to IowaCowboy
When you pull the starter rope; what happens?
Won't turn over implies (to me, anyways) that you pull the rope, and it either doesn't move, or spins freely, and doesn't engage with the engine.
Neither of which have zip to do with the carb... But could be a seized piston, , a bent/broke crank valves or rod, or hydro locked.
Help us help you.
More detail on what it does and doesn't do... Video would be awesome. |
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IowaCowboyLost in the Supermarket Premium Member join:2010-10-16 Springfield, MA |
I pull the rope and the engine turns, but won't start. I haven't checked for spark yet but I know it's present because it would start and die before I cleaned the carb.
There is a little gasket in a little hole that I think I damaged when I used a screw to pull it out during the carb cleaning process. I did get it back together but there was a video posted on the forum that said to use a screw to pull it out to clean. |
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to IowaCowboy
If you go to the trouble of cleaning the carb then spend the $5 to replace any gaskets and O-rings on the parts you remove. If it started before and now doesn't at all then obviously you damaged or put something back together wrong. Of course Briggs engines are cheaply made and contain plastic parts as is the case with all other small engines. Personally I prefer equipment with a Briggs engine, they're difficult to kill and easy to find parts stocked locally for cheap. |
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to IowaCowboy
What if you spray some starter fluid through the carb opening or the spark plug opening into the cylinder and pull the starter rope and see if it starts? |
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IowaCowboyLost in the Supermarket Premium Member join:2010-10-16 Springfield, MA |
I have great news to share, it was hydro locked so I popped the spark plug and put it back in. It started up and is now running. Just saved $300 |
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robbin Mod join:2000-09-21 Leander, TX |
robbin
Mod
2014-Aug-27 6:49 pm
Probably be best to go ahead and replace the carb. |
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2 recommendations |
to IowaCowboy
Remember my motto -
Friends don't let friends buy craftsman power equipment.... |
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realstoryplz to IowaCowboy
Anon
2014-Aug-27 7:46 pm
to IowaCowboy
said by IowaCowboy:I have great news to share, it was hydro locked so I popped the spark plug and put it back in. It started up and is now running.
Just saved $300 I just need to ask how, how the hell did you hydro lock the engine (btw if you did, it would not have turned over with the pull cord like you said) So what was the real deal? Pretty much anything new, buy a new carb cant use carb cleaner on the plastic carbs lol... Anytime you take apart ANYTHING unless you been doing it forever you replace ALL gaskets... (unless labeled reusable) |
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IowaCowboyLost in the Supermarket Premium Member join:2010-10-16 Springfield, MA |
It wouldn't start this morning after I reassembled it and put gas in it. So later this afternoon I pulled the spark plug (like one poster suggested) pulled the ripcord and it started like new. The carb is metal with a plastic float. But the fuel tank and the shroud is plastic. |
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shdesignsPowered By Infinite Improbabilty Drive Premium Member join:2000-12-01 Stone Mountain, GA
1 recommendation |
If the old float valve did not close, it will fill the cylinder with gas and cause the lock.
You should change the oil as the gas will have thinned it down. |
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4 recommendations |
to IowaCowboy
said by IowaCowboy:I pull the rope and the engine turns, but won't start. I haven't checked for spark yet but I know it's present because it would start and die before I cleaned the carb.
I have great news to share, it was hydro locked so I popped the spark plug and put it back in. It started up and is now running he literally has no idea what he is talking about. if it was hydro locked it would not turn at all, and its pretty hard to hydro lock a motor with gas, generally it leaks pretty good past the rings and gets in the oil thus we have no idea at all what he did |
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David Premium Member join:2002-05-30 Granite City, IL |
to IowaCowboy
not to be far off the subject, I seem to be having about the same luck as you with weed eaters.
They seem to work well the first year /same year of purchase. After that... it's hit or miss. |
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TheMG Premium Member join:2007-09-04 Canada MikroTik RB450G Cisco DPC3008 Cisco SPA112
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to IowaCowboy
said by IowaCowboy:I have great news to share, it was hydro locked so I popped the spark plug and put it back in. It started up and is now running. Maybe you meant "flooded"? Hydrolock is when the cylinder becomes filled with fluid. Since fluid does not compress, it becomes impossible to turn the engine. Flooded on the other hand means that too much gas has been fed into the engine, the resulting excessively rich fuel/air mixture is difficult to ignite, thus creating a no-start problem. A common remedy for this situation with small engines is to pull the plug and crank it a few times to flush out the excess gas. |
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to David
said by David:not to be far off the subject, I seem to be having about the same luck as you with weed eaters.
They seem to work well the first year /same year of purchase. After that... it's hit or miss. Have had a cheap weedeater for a number of years. Works fine after each winter. I always run it dry of fuel before storing. |
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fixrmanFrom a broken heart to a hole in the sky Premium Member join:2003-02-10 Hatboro, PA ·Verizon FiOS
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to IowaCowboy
It wasn't hydro locked, it was flooded(spark plug wet with fuel). If the engine has a prime bulb, you may have over-primed it or the float is sticking or incorrectly set. If it was hydro locked you wouldn't have been able to pull the rope.
If you end up having to remove the plug for each start, I'd check the float setting and ensure the needle and seat are OK. |
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to IowaCowboy
Stabil |
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IowaCowboyLost in the Supermarket Premium Member join:2010-10-16 Springfield, MA |
Now we have a problem, it's leaking fuel out the muffler and carb bowl. |
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·Carolina Mountai.. Synology RT2600ac Linksys E2000
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That's how you got your hydraulic lock...
Your carb's needle valve isn't seating properly, and the gas is over-filling the carb, going into the cylinder by leaking past the intake valve, where it leaks past the rings and hydraulic locks the engine.
In this case, your exhaust valve is open, and it's leaking out that, too... probably preventing the hydraulic lock....
After you fix carb.... drain engine and fill with cheap oil. then drain again... and fill with good oil...
Your oil is diluted with gas... not to be trusted for lubrication any more.
Use Stabil to prevent clogs |
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