"Tony Miklos" wrote in message
...
ngreader wrote:
"Larry R Harrison Jr" wrote in message
news:dC6Pf.41467$V27.17760@fed1read06...
I have an Ace Tecumshi-engine lawn mower that won't crank. I bought it
at
a
yard sale for 35 bucks, it had sat for a year or so unused until today.

It actually ran fine before but even then it was only after quite a bit
of
time of trying, typically it would crank after you sprayed starter spray
on
it & pumped the thingie 3 times, but then it wouldn't STAY cranked. It
would
then cut right off.

By spraying starting fluid you're providing fuel directly into the
cylinder.
Since it 'wants to start' (I think is what you're saying) that tells me
it
has a fuel/carburetor problem.

Well after sometime it got to where you'd crank it & it would stay
cranked,
you also could shut it off & restart it with no problems, and I cut a
fair
amount of grass with it. Then the symptoms returned, and I'm still
there.

There is still some gas in it, but not that much. One part of me thinks
to
dump the old gas out and replace it with new, as the mower had sat for a
year or so prior to today. Then again it had exhibited those problems
previously with more gas in there than there is now, so it makes me
think
that isn't it.

Tips?

Yes, dump the gas, and replace with fresh. Then (if it still has
problems)
take it to a shop where somebody knows what they're doing can fix it. And
lay off the starting fluid- you'll score the cylinder if you keep that
up!


I know this is late, but maybe it will help in the future. When emptying
old gas, please don't "dump" it. Pour it in your car. Mixed with even a
couple of gallons of fresh gas, your car will never know the difference,
but the earth will thank you.

Tony

I just pour the old gas and motor oil into an old well behind my house.
That stuff originally came from the ground, and I am just returning it to
where it came from.