Help required - engine cuts out as soon as I try to engage cutting blades

[jaxs]

"Any advice would be gratefully appreciated."

#1 Unless you are female,in which case I understand,try to be less wordy and stick with relivent info.
#2 Always look at these things with logic before acting. Logic tell's us it's probably related to removing final drive and the only switch that kill's engine is the reversing safty switch. Check your diagram for reversing switch circuit. You might even try activating the over-ride to see if that make's a difference.

 

[TractorGuy]

Since you had the deck off make sure you reconnected the linkage or cable that releases the spindle brakes when you engage the mower. You can check that with the engine off.

 

[Hefner]

Here's an up date - I've tested all the switches ( 6 in total) and they all seem to be working fine. I kept trying to engage the blades after each test but no joy. Then the engine would not start! I then notice what seems to be a mixture of oil and petrol dripping out of the muffler. I then took the valve the cover and that was full of oil. I then took the spark plug out and lots of petrol came out through the spark plug hole.

Does anyone know the engine is now full of gas and the valve cover also full of oil. When I took the valve cover off a few weeks for the first in 9 years there was no oil in there.

Once I get the engine running I will remove the kill wire and see what happens.


Thanks.

 

[TractorGuy]

Fuel shutoff solenoid has failed and filled sump with gas.

You can probably find a whole new carb with a solenoid for the same price or cheaper.

 

[RandyT]

Fuel shutoff solenoid has failed and filled sump with gas.

You can probably find a whole new carb with a solenoid for the same price or cheaper.

Fuel solenoid didn't fail. the float valve isn't closing off the fuel flow and overfilled the carb and either ran down the intake into the cylinder and past the rings or into the breather tube into the crankcase. Contrary to what a lot of people think the fuel solenoid on the carb doesn't control fuel flow into the carb. It just helps prevent the after fire bang at shutoff by preventing fuel from entering the high speed jet of the carb. It will not prevent fuel from overflowing into the carb through the vents.

 

[Hefner]

Thanks Tractorguy. Luckily I had a spare carb so just changed it over. Drained all the oil and and refilled and engine started again.

I have now disconnected the kill wire and engine started and when I engaged the blades the engine did not shut down. I presume that this means it is a definitely an electrical problem. As all the switches seem to be working I'm at a complete loss to understand what could be causing the problem. I have checked all the other electrical connections and they seem fine and I cannot see any bare cables that my causing the engine to ground.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Fuel shutoff solenoid has failed and filled sump with gas.

You can probably find a whole new carb with a solenoid for the same price or cheaper.

If he hasn't bent a rod.

 

[Hefner]

i appear to have sorted the issue. I have no disconnected the bagger switch and everything works fine.