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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ OT - Lawnmower help
Posted by: rtalich May 10 2010, 02:12 PM
Tried mowing the lawn this weekend. It would run for a while and then sort of backfire a bit then die. One pull, starts back up, mow for a bit then dies again. Any ideas of what the problem might be?
Thanks,
Rob
Posted by: porschecb May 10 2010, 02:17 PM
Air filter? Mine was full of 
.
Posted by: rtalich May 10 2010, 02:22 PM
Air filter? Mine was full of
.Looks brand new.
Posted by: orange914 May 10 2010, 02:46 PM
old winter fuel? sounds like it's starving. it's probably got no filter and may have caught a chunk-o-crap inroute to the carb. if you ever run it low, sometimes it'l plug
Posted by: iamchappy May 10 2010, 02:59 PM
clean out float bowl
Posted by: zymurgist May 10 2010, 03:09 PM
Last year, my mower had a similar problem. I blew carb cleaner and compressed air through the carb passages and it helped. This year, not so much. I rebuilt the carb and now it starts on the first pull (as long as I use the priming bulb before starting).
Posted by: 6freak May 10 2010, 03:28 PM
VENT PLUGGED UP ON TOP OF FUEL CAP ??
Posted by: underthetire May 10 2010, 03:38 PM
Cracked priming bulb, plugged carb, old gas. If your lucky once you get that fixed your coil won't go out like mine did. Hopefully not a Tecumseh motor. No parts for them any longer.
Posted by: rtalich May 10 2010, 05:39 PM
Thanks for the suggestions guys!! No priming buld on this mower. Will take the carb apart and clean clean clean... the culprits got to be with the float. Will also check for a plugged fuel cap.
Posted by: RobW May 10 2010, 05:48 PM
My sears crapsman mower is doing the same thing, and I'm pretty sure its crappy (factory) gas...
Posted by: Jake Raby May 10 2010, 06:29 PM
Water in the fuel... Drain the tank, clean the carb and the problem will go away. betcha.
Posted by: URY914 May 10 2010, 07:14 PM
Check the ground strap between the tranny and the body.
Posted by: jmill May 10 2010, 08:39 PM
I always run the lawn mower and snow blower dry. I'm betting old fuel too. Most carbs have drains on the bottom of the bowl. There will be a spring on a needle type valve. Press up and it'll drain. Drain it out and give new fuel a shot. If that doesn't work unscrew the bowl and clean it out along with the passages.
Posted by: underthetire May 10 2010, 08:41 PM
Check the ground strap between the tranny and the body.
Now thats just plain funny
Posted by: rtalich May 10 2010, 08:43 PM
Check the ground strap between the tranny and the body.
Now thats just plain funny
Posted by: charliew May 10 2010, 09:47 PM
My mower runs better than my 914 and turns a whole lot sharper. It's like riding a cutting horse.
Posted by: zymurgist May 11 2010, 04:22 AM
@Charlie: Zero turn?
My main mower is a 1970 John Deere 140 with Kohler K321 engine. I can't keep a head gasket on it... seriously thinking of repowering it with a Briggs @ Stratton 18 HP V-Twin.
Posted by: RobW May 11 2010, 07:16 AM
@Charlie: Zero turn?
My main mower is a 1970 John Deere 140 with Kohler K321 engine. I can't keep a head gasket on it... seriously thinking of repowering it with a Briggs @ Stratton 18 HP V-Twin.
How long do you think it will be up on jack stands?
Posted by: Vacca Rabite May 11 2010, 07:33 AM
@Charlie: Zero turn?
My main mower is a 1970 John Deere 140 with Kohler K321 engine. I can't keep a head gasket on it... seriously thinking of repowering it with a Briggs @ Stratton 18 HP V-Twin.
Take the deck off and go racing!
Zach
Posted by: zymurgist May 11 2010, 08:14 AM
@Charlie: Zero turn?
My main mower is a 1970 John Deere 140 with Kohler K321 engine. I can't keep a head gasket on it... seriously thinking of repowering it with a Briggs @ Stratton 18 HP V-Twin.
How long do you think it will be up on jack stands?
Ha! My '84 JD 111 sat for a couple of years in the driveway, partially disassembled, before I finally sold it on Craigslist. This one's a keeper so I will probably want to wait until summer, when I won't have to mow as much. For now I've got a stack of head gaskets and probably a spare head.
Posted by: 9146986 May 11 2010, 10:35 AM
I'm guessing gummed up carb.
Two schools of thought on storing your mower, run it dry or fill it completely up with fuel and appropriate amount of Stabil. I've always gone with the later, and have no problems. Of course the old (78 with a 8hp Kohler) Troy Built tiller sat for five years once and I had to clean out the fuel tank and rebuild the carb.
My '93 Honda 4518 (liquid cooled 18hp) is still running good, but repair parts are getting very expensive. Last year I got a killer deal on a year old Kubota commercial ZG227 zero turn, 27hp, and that thing kicks some serious grass!!
I've been using Shell Rotella, but I'm starting to think about Brad Penn for these old engines.
Posted by: rtalich May 11 2010, 01:39 PM
Thanks again for all the help. Never thought this would turn into a 2 page thread... Anyway, I removed the carb and cleaned the jets and bowl. Used plenty of carb cleaner and air. The bowl had junk on the bottom and left a bit of a rust spot. Put her back together and one pull, started right up. The real test will be today after work when I finish mowing.
Posted by: KELTY360 May 11 2010, 01:53 PM
Thanks again for all the help. Never thought this would turn into a 2 page thread... Anyway, I removed the carb and cleaned the jets and bowl. Used plenty of carb cleaner and air. The bowl had junk on the bottom and left a bit of a rust spot. Put her back together and one pull, started right up. The real test will be today after work when I finish mowing.
Big mistake. Should have listened to the mower and planted a crop of corn. Then you'd have the whole summer to
before harvest time. 
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