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

It's in decent condition, new rubber impeller, scraper bar and overall good shape. The guy I bought it from said it had been professionally serviced 2 years ago but had seen little use since then as he decided to hire a plow guy to do his average residential driveway. I could not get it to start after adding some fresh fuel that I brought with me so I offered him $ 40.00 and said OK. - he had it listed for $ 75.00 on CL. I'm pretty sure he left some old, unstabilized fuel in there and it turned into varnish.

I removed the top and back covers and dropped the fuel bowl. It looked like a bad batch of applesauce in there so I cleaned it out and shot the carb with carb cleaner and reinstalled the bowl. It fired up for a few seconds and then died. A good carb cleaning appears to be in order and I'm wondering if I can do this with the carb installed or is it easier/better to remove it from the engine (Suzuki 47P)? I've never removed a carb before but am mechanically inclined and would like to get this operational for next winter.

I remember Borat discussing a cleaning of the jets using wires to remove any build up inside that could cause fuel starvation. I have never done this so any suggestions or tips will be very much appreciated.

trouts: Thank you for the link re: carb cleaning on my other thread.

Here's where I'm at with this: Cleaned and removed the carb as much as possible using carb cleaner, removed the main jet orifice and cleaned with wire and carb cleaner, dropped the float and needle and thoroughly cleaned in and around that, replaced the fuel lines, removed and cleaned the fuel tank, replaced the fuel filter. It seemed to help a bit but it will not run for more than a few seconds. Seems like once the fuel I've added to the cylinder or carb is used that's it - it dies! I really want to get this running but am getting very frustrated. Any help, suggestions, etc... are very much appreciated. borat - here's a few pic's of the carb still mounted to the engine. I can remove it again if need be, just let me know.

Did you clean the float needle and float needle seat?  Did you blow air through fuel inlet with the float needle removed? 

Sounds like fuel may not be getting into the float bowl.  It's important to follow the fuel from the tank to the float bowl.  That little screw on the bottom of float bowl is to drain the bowl.  When you remove it, does gasoline drain out?   If so, let it drain a bit into a container and confirm that it's clean fuel.  Put the screw back in.  It should start if the rest of the carb is clean. 

When you pull the jets, it's best to blow compressed air through the holes they fit in.  That will help clear the passages into the venturi.  The venturi is the throat of the carb.  Inside the venturi there may be two very small holes or possibly just one real tiny hole for the pilot jet and then a larger hole for the main jet.  It's imperative to ensure the holes and passages are clean.  If all passages, jets, orifices are clean and fuel is getting into the float bowl, the machine should run.

I just pulled the carb off of a 1965 Lawn Boy mower, cleaned it, put it back on the mower (that wasn't running) put some fuel into the tank, primed the carb  fired it up.   That's a 46 year old carb and it works great with just a thorough cleaning.  That Mikuni carb should run flawlessly if it's clean and getting fuel. 

Not really up on 2-strokes. Is there a fuel shut off,that is partially closed? Primer bulb installed correctly?
Using that so called e-85 fuel? Canot think of anything else. Hope you get it running!

T.J.

I'm going to try and get this going once and for all! I'm pretty sure the problem lies with the float and needle not allowing any fuel into the carb. I'm going to disassemble the float and needle and give it another good cleaning. When I went in there again yesterday, I found a milky looking residue coating the main jet venturi and in and around the float itself. I gave it another good spray down with carb cleaner and reassembled everything but it still will not stay running. I'm also going to recheck the fuel line from the tank to the carb and replace the fuel filter once again.

Are there any particular areas I should focus on in terms of obstructions or debris that could be restricting the flow of fuel? The machine really is in good condition and will be a nice working unit once I can get this problem resolved. Plenty of pic's to follow once I can get it operational and put back together again.

Frank,

   It could be a needle sticking problem.  I woud do what Borat sugged several times i.e. draining the bowl and letting it refill a number of times to check for the needle sticking i.e. wait long enough for refill so the needle seats.  You should get a good flow of gas everytime you open the drain. 

   As a confidence builder you can start then prime after starting and continue to prime.  If gas is making it to the bowl you should be about to force gas to the throat and keep running.

   Another thing is to put gas in a small squirt bottle,  start and feed gas in the throat which should keep it running just as a check. 

   Sometimes the fload adjust is very fussy and when I'm lost I'll adjust the tab more or less but I think on yours it may be plastic and not adjustable.    

   You've probably done this, pull the gas line from the carb and insure you get a good flow from the tank.

    Check the flow from the bowl drain.

    Run by priming.  If you can't then it's probably a float needle issue.

trouts: I have tried to use the primer to keep her running to no avail. It seems as though the primer bulb is not working to bring fuel to the carb (it's brand new as the original was missing). Any thoughts on what this may indicate or where I should focus my attention? I'm going down there now to play around with it again and will do as you and borat have suggested.

Disconnect the primer line from the carb and give the button a few punches with your finger lightly over the end of the primer line.  You should feel slight puffs of air.  If the puff is there then you have a clog in the port or insifficient gas in the bowl.   Some bulbs need a sharp push.

Is the butterfly free?  Move the lever on the top of the carb a few times.  Is the choke butterfly closing when you flip to choke?   Are you starting with choke on?

The primer should be be able to keep it going if the gas is there.  Make it run by squirting gas through the throat.

 

OK- here's some fresh photo's. If I remove the fuel line from the carb, I get a free flow of fuel. If I remove the needle from the carb, I get fuel trickling out through the hole where the needle sits. If I reinstall the float and needle, no fuel will flow out of the hole that the needle is in. See if there's anything in these photo's that might help. Does the needle look like it is in the right configuration?

Hope these help to determine what may be the problem.

trouts: I did as you suggested with the primer bulb and got that working better - I think the tube the hose slips on to was clogged. I used a spray bottle of fuel and sprayed directly into the throat and kept it running as long as I kept spraying fuel in there. I think the float and needle are the problem as fuel will flow nicely once I remove the needle. When it's installed,  I cannot seem to get any fuel to flow out of it - the needle is stopping the flow of fuel from filling the bowl. Can you tell from the pictures if the needle is installed properly? It does not seem to fit together properly unless the neck of the needle is positioned between the slot of the float - does this sound correct? What next???

   Your carb is filthy, very bad.  I'd poke all the holes with a thin wire, dip it, spray all ports with carb cleaner and air wash it. 

   The float and needle look fine.

   If I remember right, there is a screw in jet at the bottom of the center post by the plastic collar.  Unscrew it and clean it.  Run a wire up into the center tube.  Z-bend a wire and run it up in there back and forth.  Spray in there and look to see if it comes out in the throat.  It coule be your primer is not able to push gas into the throat because one of those areas is plugged. 

   "Trickle" is subjective.  The flow should be enough to replenish the bowl when you are running full speed under load. 

    I'd pull the carb and clean it, but just to get it going for now I'd clean that bottom jet and run a wire up into the emulsion tube and see if can then run.  I'd also try the squirt bottle in the carb as a confidence builder that it's not some other problem like a weird electrical problem once you get it to run.  That happened to me i.e. all the symptoms you had but it turned out that the coil wire would ground after starting.  Remote but making it run with a squirt bottle will let you know you only have a gas problem.