Toro GTS 140 - won't start - throttle problems.

I've got a late 80's Toro mower with the Suzuki engine and Mikuni BV 18-13 carb. I got it free from a neighbor who hadn't used it in a decade. I pulled the carb apart and cleaned it and got everything running again, although it would only run on full choke. Once I moved the throttle off choke it would die.

Mowed the lawn with it like that last season and started again this year and mowed the lawn twice with no problems. Took it out yesterday to mow and got a small part of the yard done before the mower died. Thought it was out of gas, but that wasn't the problem. I think the carb's gotten gummed up again, and I'm in the process of taking it apart and cleaning it once again.

I'm also wondering about my throttle problem. When I move the throttle lever, the throttle shaft doesn't get moved at all. I'm thinking I put something back together wrong when I took it apart last year. Can you guys check these pics out and let me know if you see anything?

Full choke


Off

After you get done cleaning the carb again, make sure that you adjust the throttle control cable so when in the choke position the choke plate is fulling closed.

I think the throttle wasn't all the way down, because I went back out to check and the valve was fully closed when at the choke position.

I cleaned up the carb, but didn't find much dirt or anything inside. The jets looked fine. Put in a new spark plug and put everything back together and it fired right up! It'll even run off choke, although not great.

Only problem now is when I engage the clutch to start the blade spinning, it kills the engine. If I restart the engine with the clutch engaged it will continue to run. If I disengage the clutch and reengage it again, the engine dies again. Looks like I'll be needing to pull the clutch apart as well.

Check the safety switch on the blade engagement lever first. This does not sound like a bad clutch, seeing that it does engage.