Stubby wrote:
On May 3, 9:59 pm, Brandon McCombs wrote:
Stubby wrote:

Brandon, Hold the float bowl in your hand and blow into the fuel
inlet. Use your other hand to move the float up and down. This
should close and open the needle valve that allows fuel to enter. (I
assume you cleaned the fuel filter!)

Fuel comes out of the needle valve if I rotate the float bowl just the
right way. A paperclip can also go all the way up through the needle
valve so I know that is clear. I stick the paperclip through the hole
that the fuel hose connects to and the paperclip doesn't go in very far,
maybe an inch. That isn't far enough to meet any other holes in the
middle of the carb but since fuel comes out of the float bowl, etc. when
I rotate it in various directions (including the fuel intake where the
hose connects) I have to assume that fuel is making its way into the
carb just fine (although maybe only when I prime it, thus the problem).
I can't see into that hole that the fuel hose connects to so I can't
tell if it is blocked or just narrows to a hole smaller than a paperclip
can squeeze through much like another hole that I discuss below.

I took out the bottom bolt with the pinholes in it. The hole on the end
was open but part way down the hole it narrowed very much to the point I
couldn't get a paperclip to go through to meet the lateral holes. I
shoved the paperclip very hard into that end hole but it wouldn't go all
the way. Is that end hole supposed to narrow to an even smaller hole? I
shined a flashlight through the lateral holes and could barely see the
light when looking at the tip of the bolt. Surely the hole should be the
same size all the way through? Maybe not.

I can't clean the fuel filter because it must be inline. THe fuel line
may be partially blocked but I know it isn't totally blocked because
every time I test something with the carb I have to let fuel drain and I
do it through the end of the fuel line closest to the carb which is the
far end of the hose. Shining a flashlight down the fuel line did not
allow light to appear on the other end. Does that indicate anything?

I bought a new spark plug at WalMart tonight designed for B&S engines.
It wasn't exactly the same as the one that was in there but the one that
I took out was black. The new one was already gapped to the right spec
(.020") but I had the same problem: mower stalls after a second.

So spark plug seems to be good, fuel line seems to be clear, bolt in
bottom of float bowl is clear (although I question how clear it should
be for the hole on the end of it), so I don't know what else to try now.
I'm at a loss.



Brandon