Our Briggs & Stratton powered generator sometimes sticks at full throttle after a couple years of non-use. I looked at all the levers and rods and linkages to the carb, and decided to WD-40 one that wasn't moving. It was the rpm governor. Unsticking it fixes the problem.
Common problem. If you can prime it and it starts but doesn't rum you have a clogged main jet.
Take a picture of the governor linkage and the way it is installed. Pull the carb of and get a rebuild kit for it. Then visit a local NAPA or better parts store and get a carb cleaner basket with solvent. Pull the carb apart and soak it in the tank. Write down the number of turns on each needle unless you want to play for a while. Make SURE you check it for any plastic/rubber hidden parts first. Some use rubber seals around the shafts and you don't want those to get in the solvent. Pull the carb out and use air to blow the passages clean. Make sure you blow OPPOSITE the fuel flow. IE: on the jets blow from inside the carb out the jet. Put the carb together with the new parts and set the needles. Put it back on and run it. Add a small inline filter if it doesn't have one already. Then use GOOD gas and stabil. When you finish running it at the end of the day shut off the gas and run the carb down. You won't get all the gas out but it will be clear of the jets.
blue moon it would
Because it starts up and runs for a few seconds, that tells me that the compression is good enough and that the coil is firing on time. Now to fix it........
First change the plug. Some plugs can run fine until it reaches a higher RPM. Since you said you could smell the gas, that is also a sign it could be a "gas fouled" plug which may fire, but not continuously.
If that dont' fix the problem, then move on to the fuel delivery system. There is little use cleaning the carb if you don't clean the tank and fuel lines too. Look in the tank and see if you see any foreign material in it. If it is a metal tank, look closely for rust. If there is rust, you must get that rust out or it will clog the carb again. so, cleaning the carb only will be a waste of time. If there is rust, remove the tank and take it to a radiator repair shop. They can remove the rust. Call them first to make sure they do this. Some shops only re-core, not clean anymore.
Good luck,
Hank
-snip-
Good on ya-- I don't think he's ever said anything to me- but I killfiled him long ago for too much noise and nothing constructive.
Jim
re: "Write down the number of turns on each needle unless you want to play for a while."
First seat the screw by tightening it down (count). Maybe It is 1 3/4 turns or less - just enough to seat the screw. Remember that number. Once cleaned, all dolled-up put the screw(s) in, tighten down and back the off the partial turns. of 1 3/4 or less. Works every time for me.
re: " parts store and get a carb cleaner basket with solvent"
Let the carb soak over night in the basket of solvent. Works best.
Does it have a gravity feed? Does if have a blocked vent in the gas cap? Hand priming may be sufficient to deliver gas to the carb but a blocked vent may prevent free flow. Unscrew the cap and give it another try.
Do the cheap/easy stuff first and let us know the results.
That's the governor linkage, don't mess with it, except to be sure it is free to move,
You didn't say what make of engine you have, but if there's a float bowl, (bottom of carb, held on by a small bolt, drop it, (Clamp fuel feed line first) and look for goo. Give the whole area a good shot of carb cleaner, check that the float moves freely, and that the float hasn't got filled up with fuel. Put the bowl back on, making sure that the rubber ring gasket isn't pinched or misplaced.
Try it.
If it runs with a loose gas cap then take a paper clip and clear the cap vent. These vents do get clogged.
Buy a can of "sea foam" fuel conditioner and follow the instructions. Might be a good idea to start with a fresh tank of fuel - preferably ethanol free (Shell Ultra in Canada is ethanol free)
Or covered with water.
When I store my equipment for the season I store it with a FULL tank of fresh gas. On equipment with a fuel shutoff I run the carb dry. My lawn mower has a B&S engine with the carb IN the tank, so it does not get drained. Winter storage is less problematic than summer storage because chemical reactions slow down in the cold, and speed up with heat. My old snowblower had a fuel shutoff (Tecumseh engine) - the current machine does not (briggs engine). After sitting all summer it started on the first pull. Both machines (and all the rest of my equipment) lives inside, under cover, to make sure no water gets into the tanks.
20 DOLLARS richer this time - and every time he uses it for hire.
Being a "Sears" it most likely has a Tecumseh SnoKing H6 engine on it
- which does NOT have a fuel pump. Most common problem is moisture in the gas - and the water blocking the main jet.. If at all possible, do NOT use ethanol fuel. Use premium if that's the only way to ensure getting ethanol free fuel. Premium will NOT hurt the engine, and runs it just fine. (So does 100LL AvGas - but you can't just go and buy that)
Fresh gas, drain the float bowl, and add some Sea Foam to the fuel to clean up the carb.
That is called a governor.
Just remove the float bowl and clean it. Drain all the old gas, and start with fresh gas. DO NOT take the linkages apart if you are unfamiliar with them. If you do, use your digital camera to document exactly what it looks like at each stage of dissassembly.
You're right, that *is* funny.
That's true - but almost universally they will start and run for some time - longer with a low fuel level than with a full tank, before quitting. Generally a plugged cap will start and idle, but will then die, usually under load. Backfiring from running lean GENERALLY precedes the quitting. Still, worth checking.
Make certain that the vent hole in the gas cap isn't blocked. Gerry :-)} London, Canada
Cheap/easy is good!!
But someone else mentioned a fuel pump.... How do I know if it's gravity feed or has a fuel pump?
A fuel pump.... goodgawd, perty soon g-d snow blowers will have ECU's, OBDII's....
Especially when it happens to someone such as....
Does it run okay with the gas cap removed?
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