On 2008-05-16 10:13:24 +0100, Yuri said:

teapot wrote:
I have a Sovereign Classic 35 lawnmower with a Briggs and Stratton

FWIW I have just had a mower fuel problem that turned out to be caused
by 'old' petrol. according to the mower repair shop modern unleaded
petrol goes off after approx 12 weeks. Mine had been serviced in the
autumn and came to use it two weeks ago filled it up with last years
petrol - no water or contaminants - and would start but not run.
Apparently this is a common fault and some engines like my Honda are
more prone to this than others.

Yup. With my Mountfield petrol mower, every spring I would need to
empty out any remaining fuel and replace with fresh, then also take the
spark plug out and bake it in the oven for a while. If I didn't do
this, there was no way in the world it would start, but with this
procedure, it always started on the first pull.

On Fri, 16 May 2008 11:38:47 +0100, adm wrote and
included this (or some of this):

On 2008-05-16 10:13:24 +0100, Yuri said:

teapot wrote:
I have a Sovereign Classic 35 lawnmower with a Briggs and Stratton

FWIW I have just had a mower fuel problem that turned out to be caused
by 'old' petrol. according to the mower repair shop modern unleaded
petrol goes off after approx 12 weeks. Mine had been serviced in the
autumn and came to use it two weeks ago filled it up with last years
petrol - no water or contaminants - and would start but not run.
Apparently this is a common fault and some engines like my Honda are
more prone to this than others.

Yup. With my Mountfield petrol mower, every spring I would need to
empty out any remaining fuel and replace with fresh, then also take the
spark plug out and bake it in the oven for a while. If I didn't do
this, there was no way in the world it would start, but with this
procedure, it always started on the first pull.


Whereas with my 10 year-old Hayter (unleaded petrol rotary) it's been
left with fuel in the tank every winter. I've never had the plug out
and it starts easily in the spring after priming. I give the engine
oil a bit of a top up occasionally and that's all the maintenance it
gets. Touch wood.


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®óñ© © ²°¹°-°²

On Fri, 16 May 2008 11:38:47 +0100, adm wrote:

Yup. With my Mountfield petrol mower, every spring I would need to
empty out any remaining fuel and replace with fresh, then also take the
spark plug out and bake it in the oven for a while.

Did our "lawn" last week. First time the mower had been used since Oct or
Nov last year. Checked the oil looked at the plug (but didn't do anything)
filled it with petrol from the can last used Oct/Nov. Primed it pulled,
nothing, repeat twice and off it went I suspect I didn't prime it enough
to refill the chambers in the carb. Bog standard B&S engine, probably
what you have on the "Mountfield".

It might be a bet more interesting starting the two stroke strimmer, that
only got two or three outgings last year and hasn't be used for a lot
longer than the mower.

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Cheers
Dave.