Mower woes

 I have a ten-year old 'Champion' mower, with a Briggs and Stratton
Quattro engine that's just started giving problems. The mower will run
for a minute or so and then stop. Pumping the rubber bulb allows it to
start again and run for another minute or so, and pumping the bulb
before it stops also keeps it going.

I assume there is grot blocking something, presumably either the
filter or the jet. Although I have the maker's instructions on normal
servicing, they don't cover stripping down the fuel line and
carburettor. Can anyone tell me what to do or point me to instructions
for stripping it down and cleaning it? Does the fact that pumping the
bulb gives me another period of running, point to any specific
blockage point?

--
 
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

 

Many B&S engines use a carburettor with a rubber like diaphragm which needs
replacing after a few years. If yours is of this type it sounds like it
needs replacing.

Mike

 

I don't know how helpful this link will be:

http://www.briggsandstratton.com/engines/support/frequently-asked-questions/adjusting-the-carburetor/

But if you've got the actual model number, you'll be able to search
the B&S site for more specific info. In the past I was able to
download the full service manual as a PDF for my old mower's engine
though needed a magnifying glass to understand the diagrams!

The carb fuel pump diaphragm will harden over time (and 10 years is a
fair bit of  time) and will not pump fuel effectively - this may be
your problem given that you can keep it running by pumping the bulb.
It doesn't strike me as a blockage, though a general build up of dirt
in the system may be contributing to the problem, as a blockage would
affect use of the bulb as much as the pump.


Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk

 

Chris, have a scroll through here...
http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic345.0

Pete C

 

Have you tried running with the fuel filler cap off?
Cars used to have the problem that the breather in the cap blocked, and so
air couldn't get in to let the fuel flow out.
My old Peugeot 504 had such a kick ass fuel pump it collapsed the fuel tank!

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

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