Repairs Craftsman Rider Gas Line Design Flaw - Model 917.2735

[stevernh53]

My neighbor borrowed my rider while I was on vacation, said he smelled gasoline when he stored it in the garage. Long story short, the gas line (about 3/8" diameter) snakes through from the gas tank just ABOVE the mower deck. Over the years, the gas line drooped down and the belt from the mower deck ate a hole through the gas line. But it was difficult to diagnose because the gas dripped down on the deck and evaporated (thus the gas smell but no gas on the floor of the garage). So if you own one of these riders, make sure the gas line is snugged up (there is a clip) if you are servicing your mower deck (you can see the line from the engine compartment through the firewall).

 

[exotion]

Good catch by your neighbor. Did you replace gas line with thicker line? Did you add or replace the fuel filter. I would have I also would have zip tied the hell out of it

 

[stevernh53]

Good catch by your neighbor. Did you replace gas line with thicker line? Did you add or replace the fuel filter. I would have I also would have zip tied the hell out of it

I used a razor knife and cut out the bad section of line. Then inserted a 1/4" male-male connector and taped up the line. That operation took the slack out of it, but I still got the line way up in the chassis by pulling back on it (original clip still had tension in it). And yes, I replaced the fuel filter. Needless to say, I was dumbfounded that the engineers who designed the rider would ever give the gas line the opportunity to come near a fast moving belt!! Ijits!!

 

[exotion]

I used a razor knife and cut out the bad section of line. Then inserted a 1/4" male-male connector and taped up the line. That operation took the slack out of it, but I still got the line way up in the chassis by pulling back on it (original clip still had tension in it). And yes, I replaced the fuel filter. Needless to say, I was dumbfounded that the engineers who designed the rider would ever give the gas line the opportunity to come near a fast moving belt!! Ijits!!

I say run to napa get some good thick hose material and replace the line. Zip tie it a lot.

 

[DaveTN]

Speaking of leaking gas lines and garages reminded me of a neighborhood disaster back in 1985 when a neighbor's house blew up and burned to the ground! What happened is this...he was mowing and it was around lunch time, so he decided to ride his mower into the basement of the brick rancher. So far, so good. Then he decides to get off the mower and pour gasoline into the mower that is turned off. BAD IDEA!! Why? The ~~~fumes~~~
from the gasoline being poured dropped down to the floor (fumes heavier than air) and drifted across the garage floor to the PILOT LIGHT burning on the gas water heater. As the fumes went across the room they mixed with oxygen and became even more explosive! When the fumes hit the pilot light the whole basement literally exploded as the flames went back to the mower and it caught on fire and exploded as well as the gasoline can. It blew the house off its foundation and the man barely got out to run and tell his wife, who was in the kitchen preparing lunch. In his haste, he made matters worse by NOT turning off the natural gas valve on the meter, so now natural gas is feeding under pressure into an already burning house! His wife barely got out of the house before it went up in flames, fed by flame-throwers, natural gas lines erupting. The house might have been saved had he turned off the natural gas supply valve. Don't ever refuel a mower or anything else in a garage, especially under the house! That leaking fuel line on the borrowed mower could have made enough fumes to travel and find an ignition source and repeat the above situation. Even a freezer coming on could ignite gasoline fumes!