Small engine won't keep running

[Diamondpilot]

When tou get her running use premium, it doesn't have grass gas in it. After several trips to the mower repair shop he finally told me about it.

That depends where you live. In Indiana all gas sold for on road use must have 10% ethanol in it. Only gas that is exempt is for aviation, marine, and off road use like from a co-op but that is almost impossible to find.

Diesel here is the same way. It all must contain 2% bio.

Both were required as of 2 years ago when a law was passed. I hate it but it helps my business fixing things that are gummed up.

I recommend 100LL aviation gas in all small engines or if you must run 87, 89, 91, or 92 use Marine Grade StaBil for Ethanol. Not the cheap old red crap StaBil has sold for years. This stuff is blue or black and much stronger. 10 oz bottle will treat 100 gallons and cost about $6 at WalMart.

Chris

 

[Dana Warner]

In your picture you show the choke fully closed (yellow or white plastic piece) and the throttle at wide open (silver metal on top of carb), when you start the engine does the throttle close or stay wide open?

 

[Dana Warner]

This engine has an internal mechanical governor. If you removed or loosened the screw that holds the governor arm the governor must be readjusted. Under the fuel tank is a spring that connects the governor arm to the throttle control which must be connected or the engine will go to idle as soon as the engine is started.

 

[ruffdog]

I've had two lawn mowers with plastic gas caps that prevented air from entering the gas tank. Both would run great for awhile, depending on the fuel level, before they sputtered and quit.

Ditto on checking the fuel cap vent first. The metal caps will have 3 vent holes that will get plogged with dirt dust. Then go for the diaphram.

 

[Seth]

This engine has an internal mechanical governor. If you removed or loosened the screw that holds the governor arm the governor must be readjusted. Under the fuel tank is a spring that connects the governor arm to the throttle control which must be connected or the engine will go to idle as soon as the engine is started.

I think this may be where my problem is. How do you adjust that?

I've put the linkage from the old motor on there (I can affect the throttle from the handle bars). It helps, but it doesn't bring it up to operating speed. Just a little above idle. It does give it enough to start though. When I first put it back together, I had to reach under the air filter and give it a little throttle to get it started.

About the two levers - one is the choke, the other is the cut off. The old motor had the cutoff under the tank, this one is right there behind the lever. Neither of the levers control the throttle.

 

[Dana Warner]

From your pic I see the choke lever and the on/off lever. I need to know if you have a remote speed control connected to the spring behind the plate under the fuel tank.
Did you change the governor setting by loosening the governor arm which is slightly to the left of the fuel tank plate under the fuel tank if not leave it alone.

If you look behind the plate under the fuel tank there is a spring connecting the speed control to the governor arm top speed is adjusted by carefully bending the speed control arm which will increase the spring tension on the governor arm. Do not touch the governor or it's adjustment. If you miss adjust the governor arm you may not be able to control engine speed and cause damage.
A pic of the speed control under the fuel tank and the spring behind the tank support will show me how you have it hooked up.

If you send me a PM I can try to send you the repair manual for your engine. It is 10.4 mb so not sure how it will go though.

 

[Seth]

Turns out I had some of the linkages wrong. With Dana's help I got things where they belong and now it runs like it should. I even tilled a little dirt...just because I could. Thanks again to all of you.