On Thu, 1 Dec 2016 08:25:44 -0800 (PST), wrote:


it starts when I spray starter fluid and then dies.

Your best bet is to just go buy a new lawnmower. You have already washed
away all lubricants on the cylinder walls, valves, and so on, using that
"starter fluid". If you use it a few more times, you will blow that
engine into the next county, and will not only have to buy a new mower,
but you will have to clean up the pieces of your current mower.

Starting fluid is made for very occasional (ONE TIME) use on large
engines, such as a car, truck, or tractor. It's NOT made for small
engines.

If you do want to fix that engine and have not already ruined it, take a
pump oiler can, fill it with gasoline, and shoot a few squirts of gas
into the carb rather than using that dangerous and destructive "starting
fluid".

Since you have already removed all the lube from that engine cylinder,
I'd suggest mixing a teaspoon of motor oil into that pump oiler can,
with the gas. This will allow you to operate the engine for a few
seconds each time you spray that into the throat of the carb.

You probably have a stuck float in that carb. So, gas is not getting
into the bowl on the bottom of it. With the carb off the engine, remove
the bowl on the bottom of it. Make sure the float and float valve move
easily. Spray with carb cleaner, wipe out the bowl, and try it again. If
you ruin the gasket on the bowl, you will need to buy a carb kit and
replace all the gaskets (rebuild the carb). If you dont think you can do
it, (it's not all that hard). Look on ebay for a NEW carb. Sometimes a
new carb is cheaper than a kit.

I have an old Stihl chainsaw, the carb was not working. The kit cost
$18, plus $5 for a can of carb cleaner, and an hour of my time. I bought
a new carb for that saw on ebay for $14 (shipping included). All I had
to do was mount it on the engine, tweak the mixture and idle screws, and
I had a working engine.