Lawnmower hard cold-start - works fine otherwise. How to fix?

[mazzgolf]

@hunterbob1 is on to something! I watched this video and notice when he presses the bulb no fuel comes out of that little injector nipple? Same thing on mine! No fuel coming out when primer is pushed. Unfortunately, my solution isn't as simple as his - with the bolt all the way in, still no fuel on my mower. But for some reason my primer isn't working. That answers a lot of questions. I have to believe that little injector is gunked up. If I can figure out how to just clean it out....

 

[mazzgolf]

Welp, this is a pita It's turkey season, I can't be bothered doing this right now (see video below) ... I'll stick with the starter fluid and fix this in June 

But if you watch the beginning of this - this guy's problem is identical to me (he has almost the identical mower, too) - cold-start problem, no gas coming out when primer is pushed... but when he spritzes with starter fluid, it starts up and runs fine. The rest goes through how to fix it. Maybe if I tag out early one of these turkey weeks I'll do it.  

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by mazzgolf

[Bucndoe]

26 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

Welp, this is a pita It's turkey season, I can't be bothered doing this right now (see video below) ... I'll stick with the starter fluid and fix this in June 

But if you watch the beginning of this - this guy's problem is identical to me (he has almost the identical mower, too) - cold-start problem, no gas coming out when primer is pushed... but when he spritzes with starter fluid, it starts up and runs fine. The rest goes through how to fix it. Maybe if I tag out early one of these turkey weeks I'll do it.  

 

That's what I meant by taking the bowl off in that other video is a half assed job. Take the whole thing off and clean it completely. It's a fuel issue. If you are going to do it, make sure you have eye protection on when squirting the carb with cleaner. It will come right back in your face if your looking at it

Edited April 24, 2022 by Bucndoe

[mazzgolf]

Thought about just buying a new carb... Tecumseh model LV195XA 362089E --- cost of a new carb is $78!  I think I'll just take it apart and clean it 

[Greybeard]

Carb for my weedwacker was only around $20-$25 and came with filter, lines, plug.  While changing it I noticed the old gas line wasn't tight on the nipple of the old carb.  Probably why it would start but then stall when I gave it gas.  Sucked in air.  China nockoff carb works great though.   Have the old one for a spare now

[hunterbob1]

3 hours ago, mazzgolf said:

@hunterbob1 is on to something! I watched this video and notice when he presses the bulb no fuel comes out of that little injector nipple? Same thing on mine! No fuel coming out when primer is pushed. Unfortunately, my solution isn't as simple as his - with the bolt all the way in, still no fuel on my mower. But for some reason my primer isn't working. That answers a lot of questions. I have to believe that little injector is gunked up. If I can figure out how to just clean it out....

 

Forgot to mention how you know if your bulb is working test.

With the engine running depressing the bulb the engine should want to stall,stop running meaning you're flooding out the carburetor if the engine continues to run fine it's the bulb.

[gnttn]

Bring it back to the engine shop you’ve been going to every other year.  Tell them what’s going on, since they’ve worked on it a bunch of times they should be familiar. Tell them what the problem is. It just buy a new one.  

[midwestxpress]

You can get a carb on amazon for a lot less than 78 bucks.

[mazzgolf]

5 hours ago, midwestxpress said:

You can get a carb on amazon for a lot less than 78 bucks.

Wow.. thanks for the tip! Didn't even think to check Amazon - but here they are... $20 to include also an air filter and plug and some spare parts, or $15 for just the carb! I'll still try to clean my old one, but if it doesn't work, I'll buy one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Venseri-Carburetor-Tecumseh-LV195EA-Recycler/dp/B07PG9PGH3

https://www.amazon.com/Milttor-LV195EA-Carburetor-Tecumseh-LV195XA/dp/B0774S9522

[mazzgolf]

Last night I took apart and cleaned the entire carb and re-installed it, all following this video. I was able to start it normally (without the help of starter fluid), though it took me a few more primer pushes and rope pulls than I was expecting. But I think that was probably because the carb bowl was completely empty - figured I didn't prime it enough to fill up the bowl again? Gonna mow later to see how it goes.

But thanks to @hunterbob1 - he wins a cookie for suggesting the primer is the problem. After I cleaned and re-installed, I saw the primer was able to inject fuel in the bowl (unlike before) - so definitely the primer system was clogged and that was causing the problem.

[hunterbob1]

Good job Mazz

[Bucndoe]

It takes a few pulls to get the gas back into the system after a carb is cleaned and reinstalled on small engines

[mazzgolf]

Saga complete. All better now. But not without some drama.

I went to mow the next day - started on the first pull. Awesome! Then I started mowing - engine cut out after 30 seconds Started it again, engine dies again. WTH! Last time this happened to me, the main jet was clogged. So I tear down the carb AGAIN and clean it AGAIN. Put it back together AGAIN. Now the primer is back to not working again (the original problem I had that started this whole mess!!)  I look, the primer bulb has a tear in it. It sucks because now it doesn't suck.

I look up Amazon for bulb replacements. Cheapest I could find is $6 for 2 new primer bulbs (can't buy just one). A whole new carburetor (with a new air filter and spark plug thrown in!) costs $17. I bought the new carb.

Before getting it delivered, I tore down the mower to get ready. Took off the old carb. To get to the bolts easy, I had to take off the muffler. There are two bolts holding the muffler onto the main engine block. As I take one of them out, the threads strip right at the end! Are you kidding me???

Thought I was screwed (no pun intended), being that I messed up threads in a bolt hole that are directly into the main engine block. But I asked my neighbor across the street and he had a tap and die set and he was able to fix the threads for me. Phew.. crisis averted.

Got the carb delivered today - I installed it without issue. Mower started on the second pull, ran the whole time I mowed the back yard.

The End.

Now back to turkey season 

Thanks to everyone that offered advice and encouragement. I now know how to clean and replace a mower carburetor. A life skill that took me over 50 years to finally learn how to do  

[Greg]

If you need more area/yard to fully test it out let me know and i'll pm ya my address. It should be ready by the weekend.