Small engine question

I'm going to replace the fuel hose from the tank and blow out the others. Plus I'm going to clean the port to the engine vacuum.

Getting spark. Regapped plugs. The carb is flooding so I'm adjusting the floats. Trying to find a link to help with that.

Usually you set the float so it's level with the bowl flange (hold the carb upside down)

Carb not flooding. Working with spraying fuel from a bottle but still not on its own. Gotta be something simple but...

BrokenYugo wrote: Usually you set the float so it's level with the bowl flange (hold the carb upside down)

Are you saying the bottom (flat part) of the float?

DID YOU BLOW OUT THE JET?

Which one?

Replacing the line to tank is a major PITA. Tons of mud, run inside the frame and I had to pull the back half of the body off to get a clear shot at the hose clamp. On the plus side I have a lot to clean. Wait, thats a negative.

Dr. Hess is on to something--I've fixed a lot of small engines with clogged main jets. A lot of the carbs have a hollow bolt that holds the float bowl on. That bolt picks up the fuel from the float bowl and feeds the main jet.

Diagnose your fuel a little more deeply: Do you get fuel out of the fuel pump (then you know it's pumping)? If yes, does the float bowl get fuel (then you know the needle/seat and float are more or less doing their jobs)? If there is fuel in the float bowl and you're sure you've got spark, you've got something plugged between the float bowl and the venturi. The venturi creates a vacuum that sucks fuel out of the float bowl, usually through one or two jets (main and/or idle). If you can't blow them out, run a small piece of wire through them.

markwemple wrote:

BrokenYugo wrote: Usually you set the float so it's level with the bowl flange (hold the carb upside down)

Are you saying the bottom (flat part) of the float?

With gravity holding it seated the needle side flat of the float should be parallel with the flat ring that the bowl seats/seals on, that more clear?

If running on spray bottle I'd say you missed something in the carb. I've not been inside a Kohler that new but generally after screwing the main jet out of the body (lives in the same hole as the bowl hold down/anti diesel solenoid) the brass bit under the jet (the "emulsion tube") should hopefully drop out for cleaning if you smack the carb on the table or reach in past the choke plate with a chopstick and push down on the protruding end, if it doesn't want to come out leave it in there though and just make sure the center is clear, they're easy to damage and usually don't get trash in them (stops at the main jet). Look at the carb body until you've got all the flow paths mapped out and then verify they all flow, especially the idle circuit which is typically the one that ends in a tiny hole on the engine side of the throttle blade. When you get into the double digit horsepower carbs they're pretty easy to work with, the little <8HP stuff you need a dark room and a small flashlight to see if some of the holes are clear. It doesn't take much buildup to get trouble out of the newer non adjustable carbs that are already jetted on the lean end.

Just went through a Walbro carb w/ the solenoid fuel shutoff last week, 15 hp Kohler. Not exact same symptoms as the OP, it would only run at half choke, would run in gear sporadically and not w/ mower engaged. Plug read lean so fuel metering restricted.

Cleaned all orifices as others said. Removed the main jet and clipped the solenoid leads to the battery to open the solenoid poppet, shot w/ carb cleaner and air through the side ports.

That would be the likely culprit dirt catcher/ restrictor right there before the main jet.

Bowl had small rubber bits in it, obviously fuel hose. School of thought is old hoses don't like new fuel. I'd already replaced hoses from tank to filter and pump w/ only short pieces of original hose left to carb, they're rock hard btw, they get replaced next or this will likely happen again.

After cleaning it purred like a kitten. Needle and seat were like new and even reused the original bowl gasket. Not bad for a near 20 y/o carb.

Not related but several years back had another fuel starve condition. Engine would run a few minutes and shutoff. Took some troubleshooting but found the fuel cap vent had a felt-like piece that got clogged, no vent no fuel. Removed the felt and was good.

Along the cap line, I also tried starting w/o the cap. On my old JD 212, which I have at my rental in NY and love, it was the problem. Not so here but it is always a good one to check.

Those little-bitty carbs can be a biiiig pain. I'd start looking at the different circuits in the carb for junk that's not supposed to be there. Orange based degreaser in an aerosol can works wonders for blowing out the passages.

Yeah. I'm going to tear it down again. The hose fron the tank was in bad shape but I don’t think it's the culprit.

Posted separate emulsion tube question

Got it to hold an idle for a few minutes so I shut it down, put everything together, started it up and drove it for 100 feet. Then I went to start the pto but before I could, she died and is now pulling the exact same bs. Carb all cleaned 3 times.

Cleaned carb again. Works again. Now the electric pto doesn't work out of the blue. Wtf?

I'm not much help without having hands on, but just wanted to say I sympathize. Getting my riding mower to start and mow the yard 2 consecutive times without some sort of failure took over a year.

Does it crank evenly? When was the last time you adjusted the valves? I have 3 riding mowers I maintain, and 2 of them​ had similar non-start issues after sitting that were resolved​ with valve adjustment.

Supposedly this engine doesn’t need valve adjustments. I thought about that too as old Hondas are very sensative to valve lash.

Electrical gremlins huh.

Earlier fuel starvation could have been loss of power to fuel solenoid, it's NC. That should come off the keyed switch. Electric PTO as well. Maybe wonky switch, bad connections or ground. Check schematic. May be DVOM time.

Good point. The ignition switch actually turns while you the key and is already having trouble with the brake safety switch. I'll try to locate a diagram.

PTO now works, loose wire. 2 more problems (it hates me, I swear) the PTO causes it to cut out (stall out) and if I release the brake it shuts down (like I turned off the switch).

Both are somehow safety switch issues. Just can't figure out how they are related.

Stuff like this is why I rage-purchased a new Gravely commercial mower ~2009. I really HATE working on mowers/tractors. I'm a subsistance mower, not a lawn enthusiast.

Good luck...I can hear that grass growing just to spite you.

Worst part is that this thing was working fine and was purchased just to mow a few times until my Bolens/Iseki diesel is back together. WTF?