Fuel fuel problem with kohler 15hp

dirtlord · May 28, 2017

i got a snapper with a kohler 15hp motor with a 33in deck. am not sure if the issue is the carb or the fuel pump. i picked this mower up for 75 bucks. did some deck work to it and basic stuff like plug, air filter, fuel filter. changed the oil. I've mowed the grass with it one time it ran great. now it starts up great and runs for about 2 min. then its sputters and cuts off. start it up again runs and dies. would this be a fuel pump or carb issue?

me am a big snapper fan i got 2 and one for spare parts. this one i just bought is in great shape paid 75 for it. came with a bagging system. tires are great. it need the usual stuff clutch basic maintenance. its been wrecked deck blade holder was bent. my other snapper has a 13hp motor 28in cut its on its 3 summer.

NorthBama · May 28, 2017

Hello Lower Tenn. North Bama here
If you have fuel in the carburetor bowl its not a fuel deliver problem its a fuel pick up problem.

dirtlord · May 29, 2017

NorthBama said:
Hello Lower Tenn. North Bama here
If you have fuel in the carburetor bowl its not a fuel deliver problem its a fuel pick up problem.

turns out it doesnt even have a fuel pump so am cleaning the carb. what part of bama i worked all over north ala from scottsboro to Florence.

turbofiat124 · Jun 4, 2017

dirtlord said:
i got a snapper with a kohler 15hp motor with a 33in deck. am not sure if the issue is the carb or the fuel pump. i picked this mower up for 75 bucks. did some deck work to it and basic stuff like plug, air filter, fuel filter. changed the oil. I've mowed the grass with it one time it ran great. now it starts up great and runs for about 2 min. then its sputters and cuts off. start it up again runs and dies. would this be a fuel pump or carb issue?

me am a big snapper fan i got 2 and one for spare parts. this one i just bought is in great shape paid 75 for it. came with a bagging system. tires are great. it need the usual stuff clutch basic maintenance. its been wrecked deck blade holder was bent. my other snapper has a 13hp motor 28in cut its on its 3 summer.

I was going to suggest that the coil maybe bad. My father would make 2 laps around the front yard on his Snapper Kohler 15hp and it would die but would require 30 minutes before it would restart. After determining it was not getting fire, I came to the conclusion it was the coil.

Other issues I've seen. I've had water saturate the fuel filter where gasoline wouldn't pass through it. If you take the hose going to the carb off, is there a steady flow of fuel?

If the mower has been sitting over three years, the float valve is undoubtedly clogged up with funk.

DaveTN · Jun 6, 2017

Hi Guys...I was working on a 6 HP Tecumseh OHV engine on a Craftsman wood chipper. Original complaint
is that it would start after 5 or 6 pulls on choke, then kick the choke down to about 1/2 and let it warm up.
It would run fine, and not leak fuel. Then when you shut it off it would start leaking fuel in about 15 to 20
seconds. The guy who brought it knew enough about the engine to put in a new needle and seat. Still leaked.
He brought it to me and I tinkered with the needle and float, removed the seat, cleaned it and put it back...
still leaked as before. So, I disassembled the carb, brushed all the aluminum oxide (similar to rust but aluminum
dust and caked on particles) off and put it in the cleaner pot overnight. Next day clean as a whistle, rinsed it off
blew it out and put it back together same seat and needle. Slightly adjusted the plastic float tab to put a little more
pressure on the needle, put on a new fuel line and it never leaked a drop. Also started MUCH easier with only 1 pull
for it to fire off on Choke and then die if I wasn't quick enough to kick the Choke down to 1/2 way position to let it
warm up, then throttle it up and chop brush. That means a lot on one of those old Craftsman wood chippers when you
pull the recoil rope and the whole blade, pulleys, belt and all rotate with it. You'd think they'd put a dis-engage on the
thing to let the engine start easier, then engage the blade! But in reference to your machine, sounds like a fuel starvation
problem. Take the carburetor off and disassemble it and boil it out, clean it off and dry it and re-assemble it like I did.
You can tinker with it till the 2nd Coming and still not get it right. Could be some partial internal blockage in the carb that
only boiling it out will fix hopefully. Good Luck! :ashamed:

DaveTN · Jun 6, 2017

DaveTN said:
Hi Guys...I was working on a 6 HP Tecumseh OHV engine on a Craftsman wood chipper. Original complaint
is that it would start after 5 or 6 pulls on choke, then kick the choke down to about 1/2 and let it warm up then take off choke.
It would run fine, and not leak fuel. Then when you shut it off it would start leaking fuel in about 15 to 20
seconds. The guy who brought it knew enough about the engine to put in a new needle and seat. Still leaked.
He brought it to me and I tinkered with the needle and float, removed the seat, cleaned it and put it back...
still leaked as before. So, I disassembled the carb, brushed all the aluminum oxide (similar to rust but aluminum
dust and caked on particles) off and put it in the cleaner pot overnight. Next day clean as a whistle, rinsed it off
blew it out and put it back together same seat and needle. Slightly adjusted the plastic float tab to put a little more
pressure on the needle, put on a new fuel line and it never leaked a drop. Also started MUCH easier with only 1 pull
for it to fire off on Choke and then die if I wasn't quick enough to kick the Choke down to 1/2 way position to let it
warm up, then throttle it up and chop brush. That means a lot on one of those old Craftsman wood chippers when you
pull the recoil rope and the whole blade, pulleys, belt and all rotate with it. You'd think they'd put a dis-engage on the
thing to let the engine start easier, then engage the blade! But in reference to your machine, sounds like a fuel starvation
problem. Take the carburetor off and disassemble it and boil it out, clean it off and dry it and re-assemble it like I did.
You can tinker with it till the 2nd Coming and still not get it right. Could be some partial internal blockage in the carb that
only boiling it out will fix hopefully. Good Luck! :thumbsup:

Fuel fuel problem with kohler 15hp

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