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re: Lawn mower ran for 40 minutes, now won't start
Posted on 3/27/25 at 1:45 pm to duckaholic25
Posted on 3/27/25 at 1:45 pm to duckaholic25
quote:
Drain the carb and change the fuel filter.
This. Gas floats on water, what I see in mine a lot that sit is that the tank will get water in it and the motor will run until the carb fills with enough water that the fuel is choked out.
I've just got to the point where I run my carb'd motors for 5-10 mins every spring and then dump the carbs. Then run again.
1
Posted on 3/27/25 at 2:13 pm to baldona
Well, I took the carb apart, and now it won't crank. 
I'm not good at this. I guess I'll buy a carb for $22 and start there. I also changed the fuel filter
I'm not good at this. I guess I'll buy a carb for $22 and start there. I also changed the fuel filter
Posted on 3/27/25 at 2:17 pm to kywildcatfanone
quote:
took the carb apart, and now it won't crank.
Not gonna lie, that's impressive.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 2:31 pm to kywildcatfanone
Fuel, Air, Fire. You not getting one of them to the combustion chamber.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 2:42 pm to kywildcatfanone
i had a similar issue a while back and it was a loose fitting on a hose coming from the valve cover to the fuel pump. If your fuel pump is electronic disregard this, but if not , then check your hose and fittings.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 2:52 pm to kywildcatfanone
When I’m storing equipment thru the winter, i run or pour the gas out, disconnect the line to the carb, turn the engine over a few more times to make sure the fuel is gone.
If the fuel goes bad in the tank you just empty it out. And you know that the carb is dry already.
If the fuel goes bad in the tank you just empty it out. And you know that the carb is dry already.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 3:41 pm to lsufan112001
One other comment. I had to take thr shroud off the engine to lift it up to get the air intake to the carb, so I could unbolt the carb. It had a o-ring that fell apart in 2 places. There was an inner o-ring in the plastic piece, so I didn't think about it when I put it back, but that wouldn't prevent it from cranking at all
This post was edited on 3/27/25 at 4:54 pm
Posted on 3/27/25 at 3:48 pm to kywildcatfanone
Probably trash in your carb. I had the same issue 2 weeks ago. Cut 1/3 of my yard and mower started to sputter and stopped. Easy fix.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 10:44 pm to kywildcatfanone
Water in fuel. Or “dirty” fuel.
Posted on 3/28/25 at 7:12 am to tigerinthebueche
Does your gas line have a fuel filter in it? I’m not old enough to know how they used to be but you can easily add a small engine fuel filter now to any motor. That helps with most of the trash.
I think most issues now a days are caused by ethanol either degrading the fuel lines or washers, or ethanol causing water in the gas. Trash in the carb being a distant 4th option.
I used to take the carbs all apart and I’ve found that the issues with trash in the carb is usually an easier fix and can just be cleaned out with cleaner fairly easily so you don’t need to take them apart.
You can get cheap carbs on Amazon and I agree they are junk, I came to say that oem carbs aren’t that expensive either.
I think most issues now a days are caused by ethanol either degrading the fuel lines or washers, or ethanol causing water in the gas. Trash in the carb being a distant 4th option.
I used to take the carbs all apart and I’ve found that the issues with trash in the carb is usually an easier fix and can just be cleaned out with cleaner fairly easily so you don’t need to take them apart.
You can get cheap carbs on Amazon and I agree they are junk, I came to say that oem carbs aren’t that expensive either.
Posted on 3/28/25 at 10:55 am to baldona
I did order a $22 carb from Amazon, supposed to be here today. I did go over to my detach garage this morning and just for fun tried to start it, and it did crank, but wouldn't start. Same as my issue yesterday before I messed with the carb. No idea why it wouldn't crank right after I put it back on, but I'm going to replace the carb later today, and I'll update.
Posted on 3/28/25 at 1:10 pm to kywildcatfanone
Crank - no crank. I'd check for a bad ground. Inspect the wire connection to the connector and the connector attachment a the battery and chassis. They may look okay, but crud may be preventing a good contact. Do the same for the positive cable, while you have the ground disconnected. Re-attach your positive, then ground cables.
A second possibility is your ignition key switch making a poor contact.
Hopefully, the carb enables fuel delivery.
A second possibility is your ignition key switch making a poor contact.
Hopefully, the carb enables fuel delivery.
This post was edited on 3/29/25 at 6:54 am
Posted on 3/30/25 at 1:54 pm to Ol boy
quote:
I would bet that 98% of small engine issues are carb related.
Hang on...
quote:
I would bet that 98% of small engine issues are ethanol related.
:wink:
Posted on 3/30/25 at 3:22 pm to uncommon sense
quote:
I would bet that 98% of small engine issues are ethanol related.
I would bet that 98% of small engine issue are a result of gasoline (ethanol or non ethanol) going bad and forming deposits in the fuel system that block the jets or stick the float of the carburetor.
Wink wink.
I can remember even pre ethanol having to work or someone’s small engine and it not running and you could smell that distinctive smell of varnish. They would always claim “I don’t think the gas is tbat old!”
Posted on 4/1/25 at 12:15 pm to UcobiaA
quote:
Checked the spark plug?
So, the first response turned out to be the winner. But I will confess my sins. I'm normally not a "replace parts till it's fixed" person, but in this case I bought a carb from Amazon because that carb was probably 25 years old and it came with fuel line, fuel shut off, fule filter, spark plug, and everything. So I replaced the carb first, still wouldn't start, then I removed the spark plug. It was full of gunk. Rather than clean it, I just put the other in, and it starts right now.
But, I have an issue with the new carb. I haven't put the air filter or cowl back on when I was testing, and when I choke it, the choke is sticking and not releasing when I pull it back to run position from choke It's the style that is an arm with a long u shape. Headed to youtube, but I'll take any other advice. At least I have it running again, well, sort of.
This post was edited on 4/1/25 at 12:43 pm
Posted on 4/1/25 at 2:34 pm to kywildcatfanone
I did get the choke issue fixed. It turned out the plastic piece that connects between the carb and the air filter was catching the butterfly valve, so I had to just take a file and shave that plastic down just a bit, and now it works fine.
So engine is running and seems fine.
Thanks all for the advice
So engine is running and seems fine.
Thanks all for the advice
This post was edited on 4/1/25 at 4:11 pm
Posted on 4/1/25 at 5:30 pm to kywildcatfanone
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