On Sat, 01 Jul 2006 10:50:46 -0400, donald girod
wrote:

Dan Espen wrote:
donald girod writes:

I have a Briggs lawn mower, solid state ignition. It runs normally
(good power, etc) once it starts, and it starts eventually, BUI...

I have to pull many, many times, and after a while the engine starts
to fire weakly. It will fire weakly 10 or 15 times and die, each time
doing a little better. Finally, it fires weakly, doesn't die quite,
and slowly picks up speed. Then it takes off and runs. It will
restart readily when warm, but if left even 10 minutes, it reverts to
the painful starting. The spark is strong (obviously), and I can see
gas splash up in the carb throat when I take the air cleaner off and
pull the rope. When it does start, it does NOT throw black smoke, as
it would if the carb was seriously loaded up with gas, in fact, it
throws no smoke at all, and I would bet that in fact it has been
starving for gas. Maybe.

This may be too simple, but it sounds like you are not pushing
the primer button the required number of times.
Yep, too simple. It has no primer button. This is not a new mower.

I think this problem is why they went to using a primer button. So
get a can of starter spray and spray a burst into the air cleaner
before you pull.

I found the ones with the primer buttons work a lot better, but I even
have one of those that needs a spray each time, unless it's within 15
to maybe a longer time I haven't measured.

They make spray with upper cylinder lubricant, it says on the can.
Same price.

Although in the 50's and 60's I had a lawnmower with B&S that started
just fine when cold by merely setting the throttle to choke. Maybe
another one in the 70's too, but I can't remember.