Usually I have no concerns with lawnmower maintence issues...

But yesterday I found a problem not previously encountered....

Old mower (25 years ?), Sears model 917.372110, has a whopping
3.5 HP "Craftsman" engine, Model 143.374082, which looks to me like
a pretty standard Briggs and Stratton.

I serviced the mower thoroughly beginning of March. New plug, fresh oil,
blade sharpened,
new air filter, new coil / ignition module (once every 5 years, it was due).

Mower has been used this season about 8 - 10 times, ran fine...

Cold start. Follow directions, primeer bulb pushed 5x, waiting about 15
seconds
between pushes.

Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to, runs about
5 - 10
seconds, dies.

Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.

Re prime. Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to,
runs about 5 - 10
seconds, dies.

Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.

Repeat several times.
Clearly, its a fuel supply issue.

Getting frustrated, so I walk away. Grass will still be
there in a half hour, and I'll try again in case I flooded it.

Come back in half hour, notice intense gasoline odor.
Gas is running out the air filter, puddling on the deck and down
onto the grass.

Tank, which was filled (fresh gas, Stabil) before I started this
adventure is now about 3/4 empty.

Remove tank and pour remaining gas back into can.

Swear loudly.

I'm thinking carburetur issue, probably a split rubber primer bulb
or some gasket issue inside carb, alliwing air to go up the fuel line
into the tank, and fuel to run down the fuel line to fill the float bowl
and rise up so it drains out the air intake pipe, though the air filter
and onto the frund.

Air filture is a circular catridge type that screws into a plastic housing
at the front end of the air intake tube.

I don't like messing with carbs, but will if I have to. I can always haul
it to a repair place if I can't fix it. I sure can't break it any more
than it
already is.

Anybody have any idea which B&S engine Sears used in this thig?

Anybody run into a similar problem?

Anybody have a good lead on buying B&S parts?
I hate Sears prices and sipping charges on parts.

TIA.

Correction: Engine is a Tecumseh.

jJim McLaughlin wrote:

Usually I have no concerns with lawnmower maintence issues...

But yesterday I found a problem not previously encountered....

Old mower (25 years ?), Sears model 917.372110, has a whopping
3.5 HP "Craftsman" engine, Model 143.374082, which looks to me like
a pretty standard Briggs and Stratton.

I serviced the mower thoroughly beginning of March. New plug, fresh oil,
blade sharpened,
new air filter, new coil / ignition module (once every 5 years, it was
due).

Mower has been used this season about 8 - 10 times, ran fine...

Cold start. Follow directions, primeer bulb pushed 5x, waiting about 15
seconds
between pushes.

Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to, runs about
5 - 10
seconds, dies.

Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.

Re prime. Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to,
runs about 5 - 10
seconds, dies.

Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.

Repeat several times.
Clearly, its a fuel supply issue.

Getting frustrated, so I walk away. Grass will still be
there in a half hour, and I'll try again in case I flooded it.

Come back in half hour, notice intense gasoline odor.
Gas is running out the air filter, puddling on the deck and down
onto the grass.

Tank, which was filled (fresh gas, Stabil) before I started this
adventure is now about 3/4 empty.

Remove tank and pour remaining gas back into can.

Swear loudly.

I'm thinking carburetur issue, probably a split rubber primer bulb
or some gasket issue inside carb, alliwing air to go up the fuel line
into the tank, and fuel to run down the fuel line to fill the float bowl
and rise up so it drains out the air intake pipe, though the air filter
and onto the frund.

Air filture is a circular catridge type that screws into a plastic housing
at the front end of the air intake tube.

I don't like messing with carbs, but will if I have to. I can always haul
it to a repair place if I can't fix it. I sure can't break it any more
than it
already is.

Anybody have any idea which B&S engine Sears used in this thig?

Anybody run into a similar problem?

Anybody have a good lead on buying B&S parts?
I hate Sears prices and sipping charges on parts.

TIA.

jJim McLaughlin wrote:
Usually I have no concerns with lawnmower maintence issues...

But yesterday I found a problem not previously encountered....

Old mower (25 years ?), Sears model 917.372110, has a whopping
3.5 HP "Craftsman" engine, Model 143.374082, which looks to me like
a pretty standard Briggs and Stratton.

I serviced the mower thoroughly beginning of March. New plug, fresh oil,
blade sharpened,
new air filter, new coil / ignition module (once every 5 years, it was
due).

Mower has been used this season about 8 - 10 times, ran fine...

Cold start. Follow directions, primeer bulb pushed 5x, waiting about 15
seconds
between pushes.

Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to, runs about
5 - 10
seconds, dies.

Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.

Re prime. Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to,
runs about 5 - 10
seconds, dies.

Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.

Repeat several times.
Clearly, its a fuel supply issue.

Getting frustrated, so I walk away. Grass will still be
there in a half hour, and I'll try again in case I flooded it.

Come back in half hour, notice intense gasoline odor.
Gas is running out the air filter, puddling on the deck and down
onto the grass.

Tank, which was filled (fresh gas, Stabil) before I started this
adventure is now about 3/4 empty.

Remove tank and pour remaining gas back into can.

Swear loudly.

I'm thinking carburetur issue, probably a split rubber primer bulb
or some gasket issue inside carb, alliwing air to go up the fuel line
into the tank, and fuel to run down the fuel line to fill the float bowl
and rise up so it drains out the air intake pipe, though the air filter
and onto the frund.

Air filture is a circular catridge type that screws into a plastic housing
at the front end of the air intake tube.

I don't like messing with carbs, but will if I have to. I can always haul
it to a repair place if I can't fix it. I sure can't break it any more
than it
already is.

Anybody have any idea which B&S engine Sears used in this thig?

Anybody run into a similar problem?

Anybody have a good lead on buying B&S parts?
I hate Sears prices and sipping charges on parts.

TIA.

Tecumseh.

Try Jack's Small Engines:

http://www.jackssmallengines.com/

I've had superior service from them.

Try the Sears website, too, & see if you can get the part(s) locally:

http://www3.sears.com/

& they are cheaper quite often. I bought a mower deck shell last year &
Sears was the best price, & cheapest on shipping.

Rob

trainfan1 wrote:

SNIPS

Tecumseh.

Try Jack's Small Engines:

http://www.jackssmallengines.com/

I've had superior service from them.

Try the Sears website, too, & see if you can get the part(s) locally:

http://www3.sears.com/

& they are cheaper quite often. I bought a mower deck shell last year &
Sears was the best price, & cheapest on shipping.

Rob




Yeah, I found, after my initial post, that it was
Tecumseh with a little digging.

Thanks for the parts site cite.

I found another one:

http://www.landscapepower.com

Glad to hear that you hav had good experiences with John's. I'd be
buyng blind.

Sears was surprisingly cheaper for a carb ($ 59.99) than
the site I found ($ 62 and change).

Again, thanks.

Very unlikely to need the entire carb. Much more likely just the
float.

You're one of the few people on this site who can properly use
site and cite in a sentence when you cite someone.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"jJim McLaughlin" wrote in message
...
:
: Thanks for the parts site cite.
:
: I found another one:
:
: http://www.landscapepower.com
:
: Glad to hear that you hav had good experiences with John's.
I'd be
: buyng blind.
:
: Sears was surprisingly cheaper for a carb ($ 59.99) than
: the site I found ($ 62 and change).
:
: Again, thanks.

Stormin Mormon wrote:




You're one of the few people on this site who can properly use
site and cite in a sentence when you cite someone.



That comes of my disolute youth, been lawyering and then
judging for too long until I retired a couple years ago.

Which is why I love tinkering with things mechanical,
electrical, and constructionish.

Very relaxing and as far removed from what I do / did
as a job to be fun.

And mechanical stuff actually sometimes does what you
"tell" it to do, unlike 99% of criminal defendants
and 90% of civil litigants.

Stormin Mormon wrote:
You're one of the few people on this site who can properly use
site and cite in a sentence when you cite someone.

Being as how Usenet is not a site, apparently you're not.

--
Postulate a God who's so smart He designed things we won't discover for the
next ten years, but who's so incredibly stupid He couldn't think up the
theory of evolution. Duhhhhhhhh. "Damn, Darwin, what a great idea!"

clifto wrote:
Stormin Mormon wrote:

You're one of the few people on this site who can properly use
site and cite in a sentence when you cite someone.


Being as how Usenet is not a site, apparently you're not.

You really can't as dumb as you write, can you?

On Mon, 07 May 2007 12:23:40 -0700, jJim McLaughlin
wrote:

Come back in half hour, notice intense gasoline odor.
Gas is running out the air filter, puddling on the deck and down
onto the grass.

Was this mower sitting in the hot sun by chance?

I filled my tank recently, sitting in the HOT 90F sun for awhile I
think it leaked onto the deck of my mower. Maybe a tight cap and
expanding gas forced it out onto the mower deck via the carb.

I don't know for certain, but the deck looks the color of bee's wax,
just under the carb. The mower still runs.

--
Oren

...through the use of electrical or duct tape, achieve the configuration in the photo..

Oren wrote:

SNIPS

Was this mower sitting in the hot sun by chance?

I filled my tank recently, sitting in the HOT 90F sun for awhile I
think it leaked onto the deck of my mower. Maybe a tight cap and
expanding gas forced it out onto the mower deck via the carb.

I don't know for certain, but the deck looks the color of bee's wax,
just under the carb. The mower still runs.


Hmmm. Good idea. Real cloudy here yesterday, though, all day.
Temps never broke 60. So I do't think thats it.




--
Oren

..through the use of electrical or duct tape, achieve the configuration in the photo..

On May 7, 3:23 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote:
Usually I have no concerns with lawnmower maintence issues...

But yesterday I found a problem not previously encountered....

Old mower (25 years ?), Sears model 917.372110, has a whopping
3.5 HP "Craftsman" engine, Model 143.374082, which looks to me like
a pretty standard Briggs and Stratton.

I serviced the mower thoroughly beginning of March. New plug, fresh oil,
blade sharpened,
new air filter, new coil / ignition module (once every 5 years, it was due).

Mower has been used this season about 8 - 10 times, ran fine...

Cold start. Follow directions, primeer bulb pushed 5x, waiting about 15
seconds
between pushes.

Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to, runs about
5 - 10
seconds, dies.

Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.

Re prime. Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to,
runs about 5 - 10
seconds, dies.

Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.

Repeat several times.
Clearly, its a fuel supply issue.

Getting frustrated, so I walk away. Grass will still be
there in a half hour, and I'll try again in case I flooded it.

Come back in half hour, notice intense gasoline odor.
Gas is running out the air filter, puddling on the deck and down
onto the grass.

Tank, which was filled (fresh gas, Stabil) before I started this
adventure is now about 3/4 empty.

Remove tank and pour remaining gas back into can.

Swear loudly.

I'm thinking carburetur issue, probably a split rubber primer bulb
or some gasket issue inside carb, alliwing air to go up the fuel line
into the tank, and fuel to run down the fuel line to fill the float bowl
and rise up so it drains out the air intake pipe, though the air filter
and onto the frund.

Air filture is a circular catridge type that screws into a plastic housing
at the front end of the air intake tube.

I don't like messing with carbs, but will if I have to. I can always haul
it to a repair place if I can't fix it. I sure can't break it any more
than it
already is.

Anybody have any idea which B&S engine Sears used in this thig?

Anybody run into a similar problem?

Anybody have a good lead on buying B&S parts?
I hate Sears prices and sipping charges on parts.

TIA.

Sounds like classic case of carb-flooding- could be dirt in
needle-valve, or corroded (thus sinking) float, mostlikely.

Carb-kit time.

JN

wrote in message


Sounds like classic case of carb-flooding- could be dirt in
needle-valve, or corroded (thus sinking) float, mostlikely.

Carb-kit time.

Or dirt in the float valve.

Bob

On Mon, 7 May 2007 15:50:28 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:


wrote in message


Sounds like classic case of carb-flooding- could be dirt in
needle-valve, or corroded (thus sinking) float, mostlikely.

Carb-kit time.

Or dirt in the float valve.

Bob


Float valve and needle-valve. Did I miss something or are they one in
the same?
--
Oren

...through the use of electrical or duct tape, achieve the configuration in the photo..

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 7 May 2007 15:50:28 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote:


wrote in message


Sounds like classic case of carb-flooding- could be dirt in
needle-valve, or corroded (thus sinking) float, mostlikely.

Carb-kit time.

Or dirt in the float valve.

Bob


Float valve and needle-valve. Did I miss something or are they one in
the same?

As I understand it, the float valve controls the fuel level, needle valves
control fuel mixture.

Bob

wrote:

HUGE SNIPS

Sounds like classic case of carb-flooding- could be dirt in
needle-valve, or corroded (thus sinking) float, mostlikely.

Carb-kit time.

JN


I read and hear about "carb kits".

At the risk of showing how ignorant I can sometimes be,
what's a "carb kit" and where do you get one?

All I see on web sites for this Tecumseh are lots and lots
of real small parts being sold separately, or a complete,
unbolt the old one rebolt the new one, replacement carb.

http://www.perr.com/cgi-bin/shopper....keywords=a ll

On Mon, 07 May 2007 16:48:34 -0700, jJim McLaughlin
wrote:




I read and hear about "carb kits".

At the risk of showing how ignorant I can sometimes be,
what's a "carb kit" and where do you get one?

All I see on web sites for this Tecumseh are lots and lots
of real small parts being sold separately, or a complete,
unbolt the old one rebolt the new one, replacement carb.

There doesn't appear to be one from Sears. Any mower shop should be
able to get an after-market kit.

--Andy Asberry--
------Texas-----

wrote:

MAJOR NIPS


Sounds like classic case of carb-flooding- could be dirt in
needle-valve, or corroded (thus sinking) float, mostlikely.

Carb-kit time.

JN


Got the float and the cab kit here locally (Roy Boys, Tigard , OR) and some
great advice from the parts counter guy about removing the old jet
and reseating the new one.

First time I ever played with the insides of a carb.

It now runs perfectly.

Thanks to all who helped with the diagnosis and
pointing to the float.

Drained fuel out of the old float for about a half hour.

Sixteen bucks in parts, supported a local merchan, avoided
a $ 75.00 labor bill and leared a new skill.

Thanks folks.

"jJim McLaughlin" wrote in message
. ..
wrote:

MAJOR NIPS


Sounds like classic case of carb-flooding- could be dirt in
needle-valve, or corroded (thus sinking) float, mostlikely.

Carb-kit time.

JN


Got the float and the cab kit here locally (Roy Boys, Tigard , OR)
and some
great advice from the parts counter guy about removing the old jet
and reseating the new one.

First time I ever played with the insides of a carb.

It now runs perfectly.

Thanks to all who helped with the diagnosis and
pointing to the float.

Drained fuel out of the old float for about a half hour.

Sixteen bucks in parts, supported a local merchan, avoided
a $ 75.00 labor bill and leared a new skill.


That's what we like to hear.

Bob

1) It's a Tecumseh. Looked it up on the sears parts site.
http://www3.sears.com/

2) Your gas problem sounds a lot like a defective float in the
carb. Part number 632019 which costs six bucks. The floats are
noted for leaking, and then they don't float. And then the gas
floods.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"jJim McLaughlin" wrote in message
. ..
: Usually I have no concerns with lawnmower maintence issues...
:
: But yesterday I found a problem not previously encountered....
:
: Old mower (25 years ?), Sears model 917.372110, has a
whopping
: 3.5 HP "Craftsman" engine, Model 143.374082, which looks to
me like
: a pretty standard Briggs and Stratton.
:
: I serviced the mower thoroughly beginning of March. New plug,
fresh oil,
: blade sharpened,
: new air filter, new coil / ignition module (once every 5 years,
it was due).
:
: Mower has been used this season about 8 - 10 times, ran fine...
:
: Cold start. Follow directions, primeer bulb pushed 5x, waiting
about 15
: seconds
: between pushes.
:
: Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its supposed to,
runs about
: 5 - 10
: seconds, dies.
:
: Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.
:
: Re prime. Pull starter, gets a good loud "pop" just as its
supposed to,
: runs about 5 - 10
: seconds, dies.
:
: Pull again, weaker pop, runs shorter, dies.
:
: Repeat several times.
: Clearly, its a fuel supply issue.
:
: Getting frustrated, so I walk away. Grass will still be
: there in a half hour, and I'll try again in case I flooded it.
:
: Come back in half hour, notice intense gasoline odor.
: Gas is running out the air filter, puddling on the deck and
down
: onto the grass.
:
: Tank, which was filled (fresh gas, Stabil) before I started
this
: adventure is now about 3/4 empty.
:
: Remove tank and pour remaining gas back into can.
:
: Swear loudly.
:
: I'm thinking carburetur issue, probably a split rubber primer
bulb
: or some gasket issue inside carb, alliwing air to go up the
fuel line
: into the tank, and fuel to run down the fuel line to fill the
float bowl
: and rise up so it drains out the air intake pipe, though the
air filter
: and onto the frund.
:
: Air filture is a circular catridge type that screws into a
plastic housing
: at the front end of the air intake tube.
:
: I don't like messing with carbs, but will if I have to. I can
always haul
: it to a repair place if I can't fix it. I sure can't break it
any more
: than it
: already is.
:
: Anybody have any idea which B&S engine Sears used in this thig?
:
: Anybody run into a similar problem?
:
: Anybody have a good lead on buying B&S parts?
: I hate Sears prices and sipping charges on parts.
:
: TIA.