On Monday, March 25, 2019 at 9:23:22 PM UTC-4, Clare Snyder wrote:
I'm a mechanic.
It does
That's why I asked questions (which were not answered)
Try it again. when it quits prime it immediately and see if it
restarts. If it DOES it could be a fuel problem. If it doesn't , let
it sit to cool down and try again. Could be bad Magnetron ignitor.

Update. It's been cold and rainy and I haven't had a chance to mow. But this weekend it was 70s and the weeds are taking over. So it was time to try that "prime when it fails" test.

I primed it and it started first pull. I mowed the whole yard without any problems. Never got to try priming it when it choked off, because it ran fine.

Guessing, either it doesn't like cold weather, or running a half tank of gas through it cleaned out something.

On Sun, 14 Apr 2019 05:16:25 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote:

On Monday, March 25, 2019 at 9:23:22 PM UTC-4, Clare Snyder wrote:
I'm a mechanic.
It does
That's why I asked questions (which were not answered)
Try it again. when it quits prime it immediately and see if it
restarts. If it DOES it could be a fuel problem. If it doesn't , let
it sit to cool down and try again. Could be bad Magnetron ignitor.

Update. It's been cold and rainy and I haven't had a chance to mow. But this weekend it was 70s and the weeds are taking over. So it was time to try that "prime when it fails" test.

I primed it and it started first pull. I mowed the whole yard without any problems. Never got to try priming it when it choked off, because it ran fine.

Guessing, either it doesn't like cold weather, or running a half tank of gas through it cleaned out something.
If it is ethanol gas it will be running on the lean side and with no
choke will be a bit miserable running cold. Also you MAY have had a
bit of moisture in the gas that settled out when cold and recombined
when warmed up. Get fresh ethanol free fuel if possible (around here
Shell Premium is ethanol free)

Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed, rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it; by priming the heck out of it I could get it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon. About $20 US. It's a Tecumseh LV196EZ engine. To my surprise the new carburetor matched the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding, all the parts fit. The only thing that broke was the fuel line clamp. I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started. I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I got about half the lawn mowed. I had to stop a couple times to move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart. I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part? Or the right part, and something else is broken?

On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed, rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it; by priming the heck out of it I could get it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon. About $20 US. It's a Tecumseh LV196EZ engine. To my surprise the new carburetor matched the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding, all the parts fit. The only thing that broke was the fuel line clamp. I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started. I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I got about half the lawn mowed. I had to stop a couple times to move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart. I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part? Or the right part, and something else is broken?

Blue smoke means it's burning oil. Did it do it before the last
time you stopped it? Did you tip the mower over for some reason? Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in. Try starting it again.

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:09:30 PM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed, rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it; by priming the heck out of it I could get it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon. About $20 US. It's a Tecumseh LV196EZ engine. To my surprise the new carburetor matched the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding, all the parts fit. The only thing that broke was the fuel line clamp. I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started. I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I got about half the lawn mowed. I had to stop a couple times to move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart. I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part? Or the right part, and something else is broken?

Blue smoke means it's burning oil. Did it do it before the last
time you stopped it? Did you tip the mower over for some reason? Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in. Try starting it again.

I may have been hasty. I was a bit discouraged having put the effort in and thought I'd failed. I gave it an hour to cool off. It started right up, ran fine, I finished the yard without trouble. It does bog down in thick stuff. The self propelled feature is nice. I've never had one and don't really need it but it sure is convenient.

What else goes wrong? Rings, valves, head gasket?

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

On 8/26/20 6:36 PM, TimR wrote:
On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:09:30 PM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed, rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it; by priming the heck out of it I could get it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon. About $20 US. It's a Tecumseh LV196EZ engine. To my surprise the new carburetor matched the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding, all the parts fit. The only thing that broke was the fuel line clamp. I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started. I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I got about half the lawn mowed. I had to stop a couple times to move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart. I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part? Or the right part, and something else is broken?

Blue smoke means it's burning oil. Did it do it before the last
time you stopped it? Did you tip the mower over for some reason? Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in. Try starting it again.

I may have been hasty. I was a bit discouraged having put the effort in and thought I'd failed. I gave it an hour to cool off. It started right up, ran fine, I finished the yard without trouble. It does bog down in thick stuff. The self propelled feature is nice. I've never had one and don't really need it but it sure is convenient.

That reminds me of a mower my parents had, oh, so long ago. It
wouldn't start hot but worked fine otherwise. I think they just decided
to live with it. A little break didn't hurt the mower pusher.

What else goes wrong? Rings, valves, head gasket?

All possible. Then the issue might be cost to fix. The Surplus
Center in Lincoln, NE has a few engines. I bet there are plenty of
other places that do also. I have no idea what kind of season end
deals there might be on new mowers.

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?
I'd probably toss it mainly because I don't have much space.

On 8/26/2020 7:36 PM, TimR wrote:
On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:09:30 PM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed, rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it; by priming the heck out of it I could get it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon. About $20 US. It's a Tecumseh LV196EZ engine. To my surprise the new carburetor matched the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding, all the parts fit. The only thing that broke was the fuel line clamp. I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started. I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I got about half the lawn mowed. I had to stop a couple times to move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart. I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part? Or the right part, and something else is broken?

Blue smoke means it's burning oil. Did it do it before the last
time you stopped it? Did you tip the mower over for some reason? Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in. Try starting it again.

I may have been hasty. I was a bit discouraged having put the effort in and thought I'd failed. I gave it an hour to cool off. It started right up, ran fine, I finished the yard without trouble. It does bog down in thick stuff. The self propelled feature is nice. I've never had one and don't really need it but it sure is convenient.

What else goes wrong? Rings, valves, head gasket?

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

You might want to clean the linkage to the governor and adjust. That
might keep it from bogging down in heavy grass.

On 27/8/20 9:36 am, TimR wrote:
On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:09:30 PM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed, rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it; by priming the heck out of it I could get it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon. About $20 US. It's a Tecumseh LV196EZ engine. To my surprise the new carburetor matched the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding, all the parts fit. The only thing that broke was the fuel line clamp. I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started. I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I got about half the lawn mowed. I had to stop a couple times to move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart. I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part? Or the right part, and something else is broken?

Blue smoke means it's burning oil. Did it do it before the last
time you stopped it? Did you tip the mower over for some reason? Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in. Try starting it again.

I may have been hasty. I was a bit discouraged having put the effort in and thought I'd failed. I gave it an hour to cool off. It started right up, ran fine, I finished the yard without trouble. It does bog down in thick stuff. The self propelled feature is nice. I've never had one and don't really need it but it sure is convenient.

What else goes wrong? Rings, valves, head gasket?

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Save it, learn how to clean it. Also, clean out the fuel tank and lines.
Might be a bit of crp floating around in there.

--

Xeno


Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:36:26 PM UTC-4, TimR wrote:
On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:09:30 PM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed, rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it; by priming the heck out of it I could get it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon. About $20 US. It's a Tecumseh LV196EZ engine. To my surprise the new carburetor matched the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding, all the parts fit. The only thing that broke was the fuel line clamp. I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started. I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I got about half the lawn mowed. I had to stop a couple times to move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart. I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part? Or the right part, and something else is broken?

Blue smoke means it's burning oil. Did it do it before the last
time you stopped it? Did you tip the mower over for some reason? Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in. Try starting it again.

I may have been hasty. I was a bit discouraged having put the effort in and thought I'd failed. I gave it an hour to cool off. It started right up, ran fine, I finished the yard without trouble. It does bog down in thick stuff. The self propelled feature is nice. I've never had one and don't really need it but it sure is convenient.

What else goes wrong? Rings, valves, head gasket?

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Take the carb apart and take a look inside. It may have some gunk, need
cleaning, but it's probably OK. You can typically get a rebuild kit on
Ebay for $7 or so. It includes new gaskets, needle valves if it has them,
float valve, etc. If it has welch plugs it should include those too.
Those are flat pieces of thin metal that cover openings. To clean it
well, you take the old ones out with an ice pick or similar, then push the
new ones in to seal it again. Supposed to apply some nail polish too to
make sure it's sealed. It's a big help to have an air compressor to blow
out any gunk too. On the other hand you can buy a new carb for $20, so
that may not make all the above worth it. Also may not be worth any of
the above until you're sure there are no bigger problems.

On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 9:37:59 AM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote:
Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Take the carb apart and take a look inside. It may have some gunk, need
cleaning, but it's probably OK. You can typically get a rebuild kit on
Ebay for $7 or so.

I bought a new carb for $20 and installed it. I was just questioning rebuilding the old one as a spare, figuring this one will last a year or two and need to be replaced. It's probably worth getting the rebuild kit just for learning, but on the other hand it's probable better just getting another $20 one for the spare.

Next step: get a new carb for the string trimmer that doesn't run. Could I get lucky twice?

In article ,
says...

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Save it, learn how to clean it. Also, clean out the fuel tank and lines.
Might be a bit of crp floating around in there.




Probably a good time to replace the fuel filter. I had a weedeater that
I clenaed the carborator and about the 2nd time I used it, had to clean
the carborator again. Found there was a small fuel filter in the fuel
tank that had broken off and letting all the junk go to the carborator.

On 8/26/2020 6:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

Add an inline fuel filter to prevent tank junk from getting to the carb.

https://www.amazon.com/Briggs-Stratt.../dp/B000KKI908

On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 11:14:34 AM UTC-4, Roger Oveur wrote:
On 8/26/2020 6:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

Add an inline fuel filter to prevent tank junk from getting to the carb.

https://www.amazon.com/Briggs-Stratt.../dp/B000KKI908

That seems like a great idea. Also you could add a shutoff valve, making maintenance easier.

However. That fuel line is 3 inches long and wedged between the engine and carburetor. And it has to gravity feed. So even though it's a good idea on my model it's probably not workable.

On Thu, 27 Aug 2020 07:11:04 -0700 (PDT), TimR wrote:

On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 9:37:59 AM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote:
Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Take the carb apart and take a look inside. It may have some gunk, need
cleaning, but it's probably OK. You can typically get a rebuild kit on
Ebay for $7 or so.

I bought a new carb for $20 and installed it. I was just questioning rebuilding the old one as a spare, figuring this one will last a year or two and need to be replaced. It's probably worth getting the rebuild kit just for learning, but on the other hand it's probable better just getting another $20 one for the spare.

Next step: get a new carb for the string trimmer that doesn't run. Could I get lucky twice?

I got rid of my gas trimmers. Been using this for 2 years. https://tinyurl.com/yyt8y2mh
I highly recommend it for general trimming. It edges well too.

On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 1:34:17 PM UTC-4, Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 27 Aug 2020 07:11:04 -0700 (PDT), TimR wrote:

On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 9:37:59 AM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote:
Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Take the carb apart and take a look inside. It may have some gunk, need
cleaning, but it's probably OK. You can typically get a rebuild kit on
Ebay for $7 or so.

I bought a new carb for $20 and installed it. I was just questioning rebuilding the old one as a spare, figuring this one will last a year or two and need to be replaced. It's probably worth getting the rebuild kit just for learning, but on the other hand it's probable better just getting another $20 one for the spare.

Next step: get a new carb for the string trimmer that doesn't run. Could I get lucky twice?

I got rid of my gas trimmers. Been using this for 2 years. https://tinyurl.com/yyt8y2mh
I highly recommend it for general trimming. It edges well too.

Interesting. Per Amazon it has Easyfeed, a button that advances the line. Bump feeds work but break, autofeed sends your line out faster than you want and breaks. How have you found that Easyfeed?

"Xeno" wrote in message
...
On 27/8/20 9:36 am, TimR wrote:
On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:09:30 PM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed, rotted
sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it; by priming the heck out of it I could get it
to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon. About $20 US. It's a
Tecumseh LV196EZ engine. To my surprise the new carburetor matched the
old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding, all the
parts fit. The only thing that broke was the fuel line clamp. I just
touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at Home
Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started. I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I got
about half the lawn mowed. I had to stop a couple times to move lawn
furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart. I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke comes
out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from me
this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part? Or the right part, and something
else is broken?

Blue smoke means it's burning oil. Did it do it before the
last
time you stopped it? Did you tip the mower over for some reason? Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in. Try starting it again.

I may have been hasty. I was a bit discouraged having put the effort in
and thought I'd failed. I gave it an hour to cool off. It started right
up, ran fine, I finished the yard without trouble. It does bog down in
thick stuff. The self propelled feature is nice. I've never had one and
don't really need it but it sure is convenient.

What else goes wrong? Rings, valves, head gasket?

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Save it, learn how to clean it.

Also, clean out the fuel tank and lines. Might be a bit of crp floating
around in there.

Thats not going to produce his latest symptoms.

"TimR" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 9:37:59 AM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote:
Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Take the carb apart and take a look inside. It may have some gunk, need
cleaning, but it's probably OK. You can typically get a rebuild kit on
Ebay for $7 or so.

I bought a new carb for $20 and installed it. I was just
questioning rebuilding the old one as a spare, figuring
this one will last a year or two and need to be replaced.

It should last much longer than that.

It's probably worth getting the rebuild kit just for
learning, but on the other hand it's probable
better just getting another $20 one for the spare.

Next step: get a new carb for the string trimmer
that doesn't run. Could I get lucky twice?

"Rod Speed is an entirely modern phenomenon. Essentially, Rod Speed
is an insecure and worthless individual who has discovered he can
enhance his own self-esteem in his own eyes by playing "the big, hard
man" on the InterNet."

https://www.pcreview.co.uk/threads/r...d-faq.2973853/

--
Sqwertz to Rodent Speed:
"This is just a hunch, but I'm betting you're kinda an argumentative
asshole.
MID:

On Thu, 27 Aug 2020 10:55:25 -0700 (PDT), TimR wrote:



I got rid of my gas trimmers. Been using this for 2 years. https://tinyurl.com/yyt8y2mh
I highly recommend it for general trimming. It edges well too.

Interesting. Per Amazon it has Easyfeed, a button that advances the line. Bump feeds work but break, autofeed sends your line out faster than you want and breaks. How have you found that Easyfeed?

Works fine. If you press the button too often you're going to waste line. Trick is to
only feed line when it shortens. I can tell when it needs line - some folks probably
can't.

On 28/8/20 12:34 am, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Save it, learn how to clean it. Also, clean out the fuel tank and lines.
Might be a bit of crp floating around in there.




Probably a good time to replace the fuel filter. I had a weedeater that
I clenaed the carborator and about the 2nd time I used it, had to clean
the carborator again. Found there was a small fuel filter in the fuel
tank that had broken off and letting all the junk go to the carborator.


A lot of them don't even have a fuel filter, just a strainer at best.

--

Xeno


Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 28/8/20 3:56 am, Rod Speed wrote:


"Xeno" wrote in message
...
On 27/8/20 9:36 am, TimR wrote:
On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:09:30 PM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed,
rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it;Â* by priming the heck out of it I could get
it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon.Â* About $20 US.Â* It's a
Tecumseh LV196EZ engine.Â* To my surprise the new carburetor matched
the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding,
all the parts fit.Â* The only thing that broke was the fuel line
clamp.Â* I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at
Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started.Â* I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I
got about half the lawn mowed.Â* I had to stop a couple times to
move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart.Â* I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke
comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from
me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part?Â* Or the right part, and something
else is broken?

Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Blue smoke means it's burning oil.Â* Did it do it before the
last
time you stopped it?Â* Did you tip the mower over for some reason?
Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Â*Â*Â* Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in.Â* Try starting it again.

I may have been hasty.Â* I was a bit discouraged having put the effort
in and thought I'd failed.Â* I gave it an hour to cool off.Â* It
started right up, ran fine, I finished the yard without trouble.Â* It
does bog down in thick stuff.Â* The self propelled feature is nice.
I've never had one and don't really need it but it sure is convenient.

What else goes wrong?Â* Rings, valves, head gasket?

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Save it, learn how to clean it.

Also, clean out the fuel tank and lines. Might be a bit of crp
floating around in there.

Thats not going to produce his latest symptoms.

No, never said it would, but it will prevent fuel issues recurring. Fuel
left in a tank for extended periods without a stabiliser added leaves a
lot of nasty residue hanging around. By replacing the carb, he solved
the generally worst affected area but the lines and tank aren't exempt.
They too need a cleanout to prevent future issues.

The bogging down issue was covered elsewhere here - the governor. What
also might need checking is the fuel level in the fuel bowl and the
jetting. I would have done that anyway, even given it's a new carb, as
it might be a fitment to a range of slightly differing engines. The
replacement carburettor may not have the same jetting as the original,
even though outwardly it looks identical, so may run richer or leaner
than specified. Note, float bowl fuel level will influence mixture
strength so check there first.

--

Xeno


Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 28/8/20 12:11 am, TimR wrote:
On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 9:37:59 AM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote:
Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Take the carb apart and take a look inside. It may have some gunk, need
cleaning, but it's probably OK. You can typically get a rebuild kit on
Ebay for $7 or so.

I bought a new carb for $20 and installed it. I was just questioning rebuilding the old one as a spare, figuring this one will last a year or two and need to be replaced. It's probably worth getting the rebuild kit just for learning, but on the other hand it's probable better just getting another $20 one for the spare.

Get the rebuild kit for learning. That is always worthwhile *but*,
before you do that, just strip the carb down and clean it out. It might
just have degraded fuel blockages which can be very easy to clean out.

Next step: get a new carb for the string trimmer that doesn't run. Could I get lucky twice?

Unlikely. Check the spark plug first - or simply replace the plug as a
matter of course. They are easy enough to check for spark, just don't
assume the plug won't fail under compression pressure in the cylinder.

--

Xeno


Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 28/8/20 2:08 am, TimR wrote:
On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 11:14:34 AM UTC-4, Roger Oveur wrote:
On 8/26/2020 6:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

Add an inline fuel filter to prevent tank junk from getting to the carb.

https://www.amazon.com/Briggs-Stratt.../dp/B000KKI908

That seems like a great idea. Also you could add a shutoff valve, making maintenance easier.

The fuel shutoff, if needed, would be fitted. That's usually only with
gravity feed carbs and prevents the fuel bypassing the needle valve and
flooding into the engine when it isn't being used. This tends to dilute
the oil and cause bearing issues and or piston seizure.

However. That fuel line is 3 inches long and wedged between the engine and carburetor. And it has to gravity feed. So even though it's a good idea on my model it's probably not workable.

Yes, a lot of lawnmowers are mounted *on* the tank directly so no fuel
line and nowhere to fit one. No need to fit a tap either as the fuel
can't get up out of the tank *unless* the engine is running. That said,
the carb on those does have a fuel strainer. It just doesn't cope with
degraded fuel very well.

--

Xeno


Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On Fri, 28 Aug 2020 14:10:50 +1000, Xeno
wrote:

On 28/8/20 2:08 am, TimR wrote:
On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 11:14:34 AM UTC-4, Roger Oveur wrote:
On 8/26/2020 6:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

Add an inline fuel filter to prevent tank junk from getting to the carb.

https://www.amazon.com/Briggs-Stratt.../dp/B000KKI908

That seems like a great idea. Also you could add a shutoff valve, making maintenance easier.

The fuel shutoff, if needed, would be fitted. That's usually only with
gravity feed carbs and prevents the fuel bypassing the needle valve and
flooding into the engine when it isn't being used. This tends to dilute
the oil and cause bearing issues and or piston seizure.

However. That fuel line is 3 inches long and wedged between the engine and carburetor. And it has to gravity feed. So even though it's a good idea on my model it's probably not workable.

Yes, a lot of lawnmowers are mounted *on* the tank directly so no fuel
line and nowhere to fit one. No need to fit a tap either as the fuel
can't get up out of the tank *unless* the engine is running. That said,
the carb on those does have a fuel strainer. It just doesn't cope with
degraded fuel very well.
Pretty much limited to the old side valve Briggs and Stratton
engines - pretty much over 15 years old by now

On 28/8/20 2:51 pm, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Fri, 28 Aug 2020 14:10:50 +1000, Xeno
wrote:

On 28/8/20 2:08 am, TimR wrote:
On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 11:14:34 AM UTC-4, Roger Oveur wrote:
On 8/26/2020 6:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

Add an inline fuel filter to prevent tank junk from getting to the carb.

https://www.amazon.com/Briggs-Stratt.../dp/B000KKI908

That seems like a great idea. Also you could add a shutoff valve, making maintenance easier.

The fuel shutoff, if needed, would be fitted. That's usually only with
gravity feed carbs and prevents the fuel bypassing the needle valve and
flooding into the engine when it isn't being used. This tends to dilute
the oil and cause bearing issues and or piston seizure.

However. That fuel line is 3 inches long and wedged between the engine and carburetor. And it has to gravity feed. So even though it's a good idea on my model it's probably not workable.

Yes, a lot of lawnmowers are mounted *on* the tank directly so no fuel
line and nowhere to fit one. No need to fit a tap either as the fuel
can't get up out of the tank *unless* the engine is running. That said,
the carb on those does have a fuel strainer. It just doesn't cope with
degraded fuel very well.
Pretty much limited to the old side valve Briggs and Stratton
engines - pretty much over 15 years old by now

Yep, they have changed a bit over time. Most seem to be OHV 4 stroke
beasts these days. That said, my lawnmower is *still* a side valve B&S,
very much old school, and it is 10 years old at the most, likely less.
What's more, it is eminently reliable, never had to do anything at all
to the engine beyond bending the governor spring anchor point back to
where it needed to be and a few oil changes. I use it all year round so
no need to winterise it for the off season and I don't have fuel issues
because of that.

--

Xeno


Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 11:59:53 PM UTC-4, Xeno wrote:
On 28/8/20 3:56 am, Rod Speed wrote:


"Xeno" wrote in message
...
On 27/8/20 9:36 am, TimR wrote:
On Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 7:09:30 PM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 8/26/20 5:17 PM, TimR wrote:
Update.

It hasn't run since April 2019.

I didn't have a place to work on it while I repaired my shed,
rotted sill plate and studs, all replaced now.

So I tried starting it;Â* by priming the heck out of it I could get
it to start but only run a few seconds.

So I ordered a cheap carburetor on Amazon.Â* About $20 US.Â* It's a
Tecumseh LV196EZ engine.Â* To my surprise the new carburetor matched
the old one, all the bolts came off without breaking or rounding,
all the parts fit.Â* The only thing that broke was the fuel line
clamp.Â* I just touched it with pliers and it fell apart.

Ethanol free gas is quite a ways so I grabbed a can of Truefuel at
Home Depot to start this thing ethanol free.

It started.Â* I had to prime the heck out of it but it started and I
got about half the lawn mowed.Â* I had to stop a couple times to
move lawn furniture but it always restarted.

Now it won't restart.Â* I pull the cord and a puff of blue smoke
comes out the exhaust.

It also bogged down in thick grass, but the lawn did get away from
me this year and mulchers do that.

So, did I replace the wrong part?Â* Or the right part, and something
else is broken?

Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Blue smoke means it's burning oil.Â* Did it do it before the
last
time you stopped it?Â* Did you tip the mower over for some reason?
Maybe
add oil and overfill it?
Â*Â*Â* Try pulling the plug out and pull the cord a few times then put the
plug back in.Â* Try starting it again.

I may have been hasty.Â* I was a bit discouraged having put the effort
in and thought I'd failed.Â* I gave it an hour to cool off.Â* It
started right up, ran fine, I finished the yard without trouble.Â* It
does bog down in thick stuff.Â* The self propelled feature is nice.
I've never had one and don't really need it but it sure is convenient..

What else goes wrong?Â* Rings, valves, head gasket?

Also - save the old carburetor and rebuild it for a spare, or pitch it?

Save it, learn how to clean it.

Also, clean out the fuel tank and lines. Might be a bit of crp
floating around in there.

Thats not going to produce his latest symptoms.

No, never said it would, but it will prevent fuel issues recurring. Fuel
left in a tank for extended periods without a stabiliser added leaves a
lot of nasty residue hanging around. By replacing the carb, he solved
the generally worst affected area but the lines and tank aren't exempt.
They too need a cleanout to prevent future issues.

The bogging down issue was covered elsewhere here - the governor. What
also might need checking is the fuel level in the fuel bowl and the
jetting. I would have done that anyway, even given it's a new carb, as
it might be a fitment to a range of slightly differing engines. The
replacement carburettor may not have the same jetting as the original,
even though outwardly it looks identical, so may run richer or leaner
than specified. Note, float bowl fuel level will influence mixture
strength so check there first.

--

Xeno


Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)



I just rebuilt a carb on a five year old generator with a B&S engine.
I was expecting gunk, varnish type stuff, but instead found corrosion,
the brass parts had a bit of corrosion and it doesn't take much to
partially block the main jet. That was the problem. Ethanol attracts
water and this one had stabilizer too. This was a friends unit, he
stores it with a tank closer to empty than full. If it was mine, I'd
run it dry after each use if it was going to sit for months to a year
or more. He starts it every few months he said, but that obviously
doesn't solve the problems of what happens with the old gas that
still sits there.

In article ,
says...

I just rebuilt a carb on a five year old generator with a B&S engine.
I was expecting gunk, varnish type stuff, but instead found corrosion,
the brass parts had a bit of corrosion and it doesn't take much to
partially block the main jet. That was the problem. Ethanol attracts
water and this one had stabilizer too. This was a friends unit, he
stores it with a tank closer to empty than full. If it was mine, I'd
run it dry after each use if it was going to sit for months to a year
or more. He starts it every few months he said, but that obviously
doesn't solve the problems of what happens with the old gas that
still sits there.





I had the same problem with a 5 kw generator of mine. First time I had
left the gas in it and had not started it for about a year. Cleaned out
the carborator of a bunch of green looking stuff. It would then fire
with one or two pulls. A few years later it would not start and I had
been starting it about every two months, so cleaned it out again. This
time I started using the ethanol free gas in all small engines. Think I
will start doing it to my car and truck as I only put about 3000 miles
on each in a year.

I now run all my 4 cycle small engines dry and only fill them when
needed and drain and run them dry. Been doing that for about 10 years
with a tiller and it starts every year after sitting for almost a year
with the first or 2nd pull.

I do not like to run the 2 cycle engines dry, but I do use the ethanol
free in them and also put the Sta-bil stuff in all the small engine gas.
Might not be needed, but I just feel better using it all the time.

I had good intentions of ordering a carb for my string trimmer (Weed Eater GTI-19T, WA199 carb) but they seem to be obsolete.

Even the replacements are obsolete.

Might set this out on the curb at trash day and let the scavengers get it. That's our neighborhood version of Freecycle.

TimR writes:

I had good intentions of ordering a carb for my string trimmer (Weed
Eater GTI-19T, WA199 carb) but they seem to be obsolete.

Even the replacements are obsolete.

Might set this out on the curb at trash day and let the scavengers get
it. That's our neighborhood version of Freecycle.

I used to have a gas powered string trimmer.
Really hard to start, noisy as hell.
I'd rarely use it.
It went to the curb.

I replaced it with battery powered.
I use the battery powered all the time and love it.

I use if for lots of things including lawn edging.
What a difference it makes when you edge your lawn
after every mowing.

I actually bought 3 different attachments to the power unit,
hedge trimmer, string trimmer, tiller.

I've also got the battery powered lawn mower.
Great stuff.

--
Dan Espen

On 8/29/20 10:34 PM, Dan Espen wrote:
TimR writes:

I had good intentions of ordering a carb for my string trimmer (Weed
Eater GTI-19T, WA199 carb) but they seem to be obsolete.

Even the replacements are obsolete.

Might set this out on the curb at trash day and let the scavengers get
it. That's our neighborhood version of Freecycle.

I used to have a gas powered string trimmer.
Really hard to start, noisy as hell.
I'd rarely use it.
It went to the curb.

I replaced it with battery powered.
I use the battery powered all the time and love it.

I use if for lots of things including lawn edging.
What a difference it makes when you edge your lawn
after every mowing.

I actually bought 3 different attachments to the power unit,
hedge trimmer, string trimmer, tiller.

I've also got the battery powered lawn mower.
Great stuff.

I gave up on string trimmers a few years back. Problem was the line
feed- it never worked right.

The line would always get tangled and not feed. I'd have to stop, pull
the cord reel, untangle the line, re-feed it through the holes and start
again. Too much of a PIA.

Tried different brands, weights, profiles of line, special feeder heads,
different line winding methods, different brands of trimmers. None of
them worked a flip- though most of the ones I had did start/restart OK!

--
When did Western society decide that instead of helping mentally ill
people, we should indulge their delusions 100% and allow them to set
policy for the rest of us?

On 8/31/20 10:04 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:

[snip]

I gave up on string trimmers a few years back. Problem was the line
feed- it never worked right.

The line would always get tangled and not feed. I'd have to stop, pull
the cord reel, untangle the line, re-feed it through the holes and start
again. Too much of a PIA.

Tried different brands, weights, profiles of line, special feeder heads,
different line winding methods, different brands of trimmers. None of
them worked a flip- though most of the ones I had did start/restart OK!

I used to use a string trimmer for edging, and had the same problem.

I now use a real edger (with a blade), which works much better.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"A just government has no need for the clergy or the church." --
President James Madison

On Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:17:03 -0500, Mark Lloyd wrote:

On 8/31/20 10:04 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:

[snip]

I gave up on string trimmers a few years back. Problem was the line
feed- it never worked right.

The line would always get tangled and not feed. I'd have to stop, pull
the cord reel, untangle the line, re-feed it through the holes and start
again. Too much of a PIA.

Tried different brands, weights, profiles of line, special feeder heads,
different line winding methods, different brands of trimmers. None of
them worked a flip- though most of the ones I had did start/restart OK!

I used to use a string trimmer for edging, and had the same problem.

I now use a real edger (with a blade), which works much better.

We use a corded electric string trimmer for close-up trimming. It's the
cheap one from Home Depot. Not the cheap green brand, Ryobi, but the even
cheaper orange and black brand. Skil, I think. The only change I've made is
going to the next larger string size. The original string size used to
break frequently, but the next size bigger never breaks. It also never
tangles, always feeds correctly, etc. I was concerned that the bigger
string would overheat the motor, but we're at least 10 years into it now
and still no problems.

We use an edger for edging, but my 3 closest neighbors all use string
trimmers for edging.

On Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:17:03 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:



My problem with the darn things is the line feed works TOO well and
I'm always out of line - - -

On Monday, August 31, 2020 at 1:56:59 PM UTC-4, Jim Joyce wrote:
We use a corded electric string trimmer for close-up trimming. It's the
cheap one from Home Depot. Not the cheap green brand, Ryobi, but the even
cheaper orange and black brand. Skil, I think. The only change I've made is
going to the next larger string size. The original string size used to
break frequently, but the next size bigger never breaks. It also never
tangles, always feeds correctly, etc. I was concerned that the bigger
string would overheat the motor, but we're at least 10 years into it now
and still no problems.

I bought the cheap corded trimmer from HomeDepot this summer, probably that same model. It had autofeed, ran out too much line, then broke the first time I used it. One of the plastic pieces came off. Home Depot is good about returns so no problem but disappointing.

On Tue, 1 Sep 2020 05:16:10 -0700 (PDT), TimR wrote:

On Monday, August 31, 2020 at 1:56:59 PM UTC-4, Jim Joyce wrote:
We use a corded electric string trimmer for close-up trimming. It's the
cheap one from Home Depot. Not the cheap green brand, Ryobi, but the even
cheaper orange and black brand. Skil, I think. The only change I've made is
going to the next larger string size. The original string size used to
break frequently, but the next size bigger never breaks. It also never
tangles, always feeds correctly, etc. I was concerned that the bigger
string would overheat the motor, but we're at least 10 years into it now
and still no problems.

I bought the cheap corded trimmer from HomeDepot this summer, probably that same model. It had autofeed, ran out too much line, then broke the first time I used it. One of the plastic pieces came off. Home Depot is good about returns so no problem but disappointing.

Your story is a reminder to me that I've been lucky to have mine still
going strong after 10 years, and that's with abusing it by using heavier
string.
I agree, HD is good about returns. No receipt required if you present the
same CC that you used during purchase. Lowes is even better. No receipt
required, regardless of payment method, if you scan your MyLowes card.

On Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at 12:03:56 PM UTC-4, Jim Joyce wrote:
On Tue, 1 Sep 2020 05:16:10 -0700 (PDT), TimR wrote:

On Monday, August 31, 2020 at 1:56:59 PM UTC-4, Jim Joyce wrote:
We use a corded electric string trimmer for close-up trimming. It's the
cheap one from Home Depot. Not the cheap green brand, Ryobi, but the even
cheaper orange and black brand. Skil, I think. The only change I've made is
going to the next larger string size. The original string size used to
break frequently, but the next size bigger never breaks. It also never
tangles, always feeds correctly, etc. I was concerned that the bigger
string would overheat the motor, but we're at least 10 years into it now
and still no problems.

I bought the cheap corded trimmer from HomeDepot this summer, probably that same model. It had autofeed, ran out too much line, then broke the first time I used it. One of the plastic pieces came off. Home Depot is good about returns so no problem but disappointing.

Your story is a reminder to me that I've been lucky to have mine still
going strong after 10 years, and that's with abusing it by using heavier
string.
I agree, HD is good about returns. No receipt required if you present the
same CC that you used during purchase. Lowes is even better. No receipt
required, regardless of payment method, if you scan your MyLowes card.

Well. I have a worse story. I do have a corded string trimmer where the feed quit working long ago. I can't even remember if it was auto or bump or where I got it. It's set up for .065 line of course. But it doesn't feed and the line wears down fast. So I go up two sizes, to .095. I cut a six inch piece, tie a knot in it and tighten with pliers, then insert it in the hole in the line spool. I weed wack until it breaks or stops cutting, stop and do another. Yeah I know I should just buy one that works, but I can't seem to find one, so I keep doing this. It's the second trimmer I've done this to, but the first one the motor got hot and burned up on the heavy line.