My Poulan Pro model PP20VA46 is acting up on me. It keeps idling up and down, up and down. Checked the plugs. Both are good. Replaced them this past summer. Cleaned the carb with a can of carb cleaner. Replaced the air filter. Added seafoam fuel treatment in the gas tank. Nothing has made a difference. Any suggestions? Can anyone help a brother out? Thanks.
Idling up and down
- Thread starter JP98
- Start date
Auto Doc's
Lawn Addict
Hello J.,
How you cleaned the carburetor is likely an issue. The internal idle passages get plugged and just spraying cleaner around does very little good except for wasting it.
What is the information on the engine manufacturer tag or valve cover if it is a B&S engine? Poulan does not build the engines.
EDIT:
Watch some of the You Tube videos by James Condon. He works on a lot of generators with small engines. He also works on many other lawn and garden machines with carburetors. He is very thorough when it comes to cleaning carburetors and correcting surge issues.
Carburetors in general all have the same basic function with minor changes as needed. They accurately mix the fuel and air to obtain a good running engine.
Surging problems are what I term as "gulping" air/fuel issues. When the ideal mixture of 14.7 to 1 air/fuel ratio cannot be met, the engine will surge.
That involves the internal bleed air passages inside the carburetor or an O-ring gasket that is blocking a passage.
Most can be corrected with methodical cleaning methods. For those that cannot, the carburetor may require replacement.
Do not mess with the governor adjustment, that will just create more problems or possibly damage.
How you cleaned the carburetor is likely an issue. The internal idle passages get plugged and just spraying cleaner around does very little good except for wasting it.
What is the information on the engine manufacturer tag or valve cover if it is a B&S engine? Poulan does not build the engines.
EDIT:
Watch some of the You Tube videos by James Condon. He works on a lot of generators with small engines. He also works on many other lawn and garden machines with carburetors. He is very thorough when it comes to cleaning carburetors and correcting surge issues.
Carburetors in general all have the same basic function with minor changes as needed. They accurately mix the fuel and air to obtain a good running engine.
Surging problems are what I term as "gulping" air/fuel issues. When the ideal mixture of 14.7 to 1 air/fuel ratio cannot be met, the engine will surge.
That involves the internal bleed air passages inside the carburetor or an O-ring gasket that is blocking a passage.
Most can be corrected with methodical cleaning methods. For those that cannot, the carburetor may require replacement.
Do not mess with the governor adjustment, that will just create more problems or possibly damage.
Last edited:
StarTech
Lawn Royalty
Okay looked up the 5 versions of the PP20VA46. Four used a 40N877 series with single barrel Nikki carbs and one used a 40R877 with a twin barrel Nikki carb. They all used an auto choke system and they used the governed idle system.
40N877-0004-G1 Single Barrel
40N877-0005-G1 Single Barrel
40R877-0024-G1 Twin Barrel
So it can dirty carb, loose jet(s), or the base idle speed is set wrong. If idle speed setting is the issue then the op needs a tach to set it. You can;t simply blindly adjust the idle speed as it cause problems.
40N877-0004-G1 Single Barrel
40N877-0005-G1 Single Barrel
40R877-0024-G1 Twin Barrel
So it can dirty carb, loose jet(s), or the base idle speed is set wrong. If idle speed setting is the issue then the op needs a tach to set it. You can;t simply blindly adjust the idle speed as it cause problems.
sgkent
Lawn Addict
I'm tried to delete one of the post. I don't see the option to do so.
Auto Doc's
Lawn Addict
Hello JP98.
Hit the home tab at the top of the page, then scroll down that page to "site discussion" They can remove the duplicate post or any other problems you encounter.
Hit the home tab at the top of the page, then scroll down that page to "site discussion" They can remove the duplicate post or any other problems you encounter.
Submitted the delete request. Thanks.