mm wrote:
On Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:51:21 -0500, Matt
wrote:

Running lean, of course.

Check for air leaks: air filter not seated properly, missing carb gasket
on some models.

Plugged carb jet. If it is only partly plugged, carb cleaner in the gas
tank should clear it up.

Maybe you could cover part of the air cleaner with plastic temporarily
to get a choke effect.

That's a darn good idea, about the plastic. I don't know why they
don't put chokes on lawnmowers anymore. Or throttles either on many.


Thanks.

You said you sprayed starting fluid in the the throat. Does that mean
you've been trying to run without the air cleaner? I wouldn't expect
that to work, because the air cleaner is supposed to cause a pressure
drop that will produce a choke effect when running normally.

Once I tried to run an old Briggs without the air cleaner gasket and
couldn't get it to start---it was running too lean until I put the
gasket back in.

If you can get it to run, you can get flow through the jet(s) and
dissolve gums and so on that might be obstructing the jet(s).


Then people wouldn't have to listen to the loud engine when the lawn
is short or sparse.

The choke idea should help some other time even if it doesn't work
this time.