"Gib Bogle" wrote in message
...
On 31/07/2011 6:00 p.m., Jim K wrote:
"Gib wrote in message
...
My trusty old mower is no longer trusty. It starts OK, and runs for a
couple of circuits of the lawn, then stops dead. The stop is so sudden
it
almost seems electrical, but in other respects it's as if the fuel in
the
carburettor float chamber has been used up and not replenished - but of
course there is no float chamber, and the fuel system looks childishly
simple. The electrics are so simple - no moving parts except the
magneto - that it's hard to see what could go wrong there either. Maybe
there is something about the fuel system that I don't understand. I've
taken all the fuel-related bits off, and when I feel inspired I'll take
them apart and clean everything. Meanwhile, perhaps someone with
experience can suggest what I should be looking for. The sparkplug is
new, by the way. It does look rather sooty, but not at the business end
(close to the gap).

duff capacitor on LT side?
does it restart? when cold? or hot?

It's very hard/impossible to start hot. I usually just give and put it
away for another day. My lawn is now quite long in the parts I haven't
got to.

I need to search for the capacitor.

my similarly ancient B&S (rotovator) engine was vertical shaft and capac is
under flywheel along with points etc....
"joy" i hear you say...;)
try fuel ideas first? amazing what spares are still about for old
carbs/engines on ebay.

(altho if it's a carb diaphragm prob how does it even start? is there a
primer bulb or similar? mine hasn't, it's a crankshaft powered "kind of a"
pump with (IIRC) 2 diaphragms in the carb...

Jim K