Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have got myself an old Briggs & Stratton 3.5hp vertical shaft engine.

It's just a project to see how the thing works really and to get it running would be nice.

It is the same engine as in thie post: http://www.abbysguide.com/ope/discussions/10863-0-1.html

It has a plastic carburettor on top of the fuel tank, with a rubber diaphragm between. The carb has a fuel pipe on it that dangles into the tank and a spring / rod that connects up to the butterfly valve in the top of the air intake.

When spinning it by hand and covering the air intake on the carb, i feel the engine "suck" and fuel is drawn from the tank, but it leaks out of the seal between the carb and tank.  The diaphragm looks ok & doesn't have any holes in it. Is it possible the fuel passage is blocked?

Thanks in advance for any help.

  two thing for an air leak,  take some nail polish and dab some onto the two check $#%* on left side of carb.  second  with carb removed from tank take a straight edge accross the wide part of carb, underneath part that connects to engine, and make sure plastic is not warped. if its warped two things replace carb about 25.00  or try a piece of scotch tape, small piece of tape and tape diaghram to gasket accross spoken edge.