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

I have been working to get an leaf loader ready for fall clean up. The 11hp briggs and stratton engine starts briefly when choked and then dies. Gas runs out and drips below. It runs all of 3 seconds before it dies. I've tried starting it without the choke but no luck there. When I bought it a week ago the previous owner started it on the first pull. It has a good spark, fresh gas, a clean air filter. With the spark plug pulled I can see the spark. I've tried starting it at half throttle, full throttle and low throttle. No difference there. I took the bowl off the carburetor and cleaned out the crud that was in there. Do I need to take the carb off and completely clean it? What setting should the throttle be at for start up? Any suggestions? the motor is a Briggs Industrial Plus model 256422 type 1015 -E1

I appreciate the suggestions on what to check.
I took the carb apart again. I found the "welch plug" that I have heard about on these briggs engines. I probed and poked with the wire from a twist tie in all the holes again. I sprayed carb cleaner into the holes and then blew them out with compressed air.
I was wondering if I should be able to get the carb cleaner to come squirting out that small pair of holes. And if so, where I should squirt or blow in.
I'll put it together tomorrow. If everything goes like it did on Friday, I'll hook it all up, pull the starter cord a few times with the choke on, the fuel will fill the bowl and the motor will spring to life, run for 2 minutes and die suddenly. Then it won't start again no matter what I try. So, we'll see how accurate my prediction is. I will try to take a video. The engine just dies, it it not under load and not idling, just running normal. Last time it stopped, it just stopped like the kill switch had been flipped. The engine has a red "kill switch" on the side. Or at least I think that is what it is. The strange thing about the kill switch is that it has picture of an oil can or a gas can next to the switch. This is a kill switch right? Please tell me its a kill switch, it say "on" and "off" and its red. No idea why they would put a gas can on the switch.
The carb is starting to look really clean.
I'll post a picture of the needle. Can I replace the seat that the needle fits into?

Your "kill switch" may be a "oil alert" kill switch, you can turn the moter off with it... or if the oil is low the red will flash and kill the motor at the same time... after the motor stops try pulling over the motor and see if the (red) flashes as you pull it over..Take a picure of the switch and and what it hooks up too..


Good luck,

Friiy

Ahh yeah you have oil alert on that motor, check to make sure the oil is clean and "full", check to make sure your wires from the oil alert float assy. (on side of engine case) are not grounding anywhere.


I have seen these oil alerts on gum up on motors with dirty oil if they are a little low. They slosh and stick in the "low position" and kill the motor. Also make sure the engine is level when you run it.. (not on a bank or hill)

The seat is replaceable on this carb, but don't do it.. it takes special tools (reamers,insert tool and special drill bits)

I would try taking the wire off the oil alert and try it that way...

Good Luck,

Friiy

This is the switch. There is a white wire down under the carburetor that is loose and just dangling there unattached. <BR>How does the oil alert work. I have never seen one of these. The oil is clean. I just changed it. The level is not all the way to the top of the fill but its not really low. It is sooo cold outside tonight. Dropping into the low 40's. The leaves are turning already. <BR><BR>

There is a float mounted inside the engine, with a terminal post outside on the side of the motor.. the kill switch ground the ignition if you run it off, the float will ground the ignition if the oil is too low. I bet that "wire hanging" is grounding somewhere or the oil float is not working right..

When the oil level is low, that switch will blink instead of the spark plug fireing.... When this engine starts to die, look at the switch...

Friiy.

Is there any way of taking the low oil circuit out of the mix. If I disconnect the wires am I "telling the engine there's a problem so don't run"?

No, no problem taking the oil alert out, it will run fine...

Leave the switch hooked up, just take the spade lug off that runs down to the oil float assy.

Did your kill switch work before?

<BR> friiy wrote: <BR>I never had a chance to use the kill switch. The engine always died on its own before I could try it. The prevous owner used the throttle lever to kill the engine when he demo'd it for me. The trottle I think has ground on it. At least it looks like a ground. There are wires that go down to the throttle linkage. I have not figured out why those wires go down there. There are places for them to be attached. On some of these leaf loaders they add safety switches that prevent the engine (and impeller) from running when there's nothing attached to the vac's input collar.
So I should reasemble everything including the switch but this time not attach the red wire that runs to that oil sensing plug.
If that red light on the switch was coming on when the engine was cutting out, I doubt I would have seen it. It is ussually broad daylight out when I run it. It makes one heck of a loud sound when that impeller gets spinning. I would wake up the whole neighborhood if I ran it at night. The suction is amazing.

Runs like a top.  I got it back together last night and started it this morning. No hesitation, idles smooth and quite, revs right up there, sucked the leaves off the driveway.  It must have been that  bad crankcase sensor.  Maybe it got jossled around on the trip home and knocked out of position like friiy alluded to.  (That's a new one for me).  The leaking fuel pump was a real distraction in diagnosing this.  And the fact that it would start for a few seconds and then die? Very odd.    I was planning on leaving the oil sensor disconnected but if its worth my time to fix I will.

Thanks for all the help and patience.  I couldn't have done it without you (no exageration there).   I am ready for fall. Bring on those leaves!

You can put a Ohm meter to the float assy and check to see if fails on the float or if the problem is in the switch. It could be a bad wire bumpign into something and grounding the unit out.. You could get a new gasket so next time you change oil you can pull the float out and wash it out in some gas.. (the oil alert/ Guard unit is encased in a tube and has holes that let oil in. sometimes muck or sludge hamper's its movement inside)

Just keep a good eye on your oil till you get it working...

Maybe now you can till the leaves into you garden..


Friiy