"Phil" wrote in message ...
I push the primer about 10 times, then pull the cord a few times. Nothing.
When I repeat (it's about 60 degrees here today), the mower runs strongly
for
only 1 or 2 seconds. Then I have to repeat all over again. It never runs
more
than 2 seconds, and seems to run longer with more priming.

I expect it's a clogged fuel supply somehow, even though the primer does
get
fuel to the engine.

Crafstman 15 yr old, self-propelled, 143.955500 engine

It ran out of gas the last time I used it, and now I have this problem.
Maybe
some particles of something got into somewhere. Same gas as before, not a
new
bad batch.

Air filter is not new at all, but I'd guess if it was bad, then the mower
would never start. (I already took the mower to the basement to work on it
away from the gnats, and it's partially disassembled - or else I'd remove
the
air filter anyway to see how it runs then.)

Thanks for any ideas.

I think you answered your own questions. Ran out of gas, sucked up dirt,
now it won't suck gas. The primer bulb is a seperate gas circuit, it'll
never blow the dirt out. Pull the fuel bowl, check the jets for dirt,
carefully blow it out without damaging the float, and it will probably start
working OK. You may want to do the fuel tank while you're at it.

HTH, Lefty