Engine sputtering on hills - riding mower

Have a Craftsman rider with Kohler Command engine. It sputters and/or dies when ascending hills especially, after about 10 minutes of use. I replaced entire carb as it was ethanol damaged. Replace fuel filter as well. New fuel filter was a little larger than original Kohler filter. Still sputtering. So I cut out fuel filter and hosed it direct from tank to carb. Started running better. Are these motors particular to Kohler only fuel filters maybe? Anyone have suggestions to this problem? Is the problem even something else?

I am not trouble shooting your issue as I have to leave to make some money but wanted to chime in on fuel filters. People buy the fuel filter they think the need and not the one they need. Picture is a universal filter with 2 size openings. If it does not fit on the smaller fittings they are supposed to be cut off for larger hose. That way more fuel can flow through. I personally just buy the one that fits the fuel line correctly
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Depending on the angle of the slope, location of the tank, where the pickup tube is located, and if it occurs at other times, your problem could be the result of a few different things. I doubt the filter is the cause. Here's what I would be checking. Fuel tank, is there something in there, which is moving around, which may be blocking the output or pickup. Fuel hose at the tank, had one this week where the line was so bad no fuel could leave the tank. If the slope is too large, the pump can't pull fuel from the tank or the outlet has no fuel by it to go to the carb.

And what Rivets forgot to mention, if it is a gravity fed system, and the hill is a bit steep you can end up with the carb being higher than the tank.
Like water, fuel does not flow up hill.
Was a big problem with the old flatheads with the tanks bolted onto the motor driving across a slope.
One way and the carb was above the fuel tank, the other way the oil flinger was above the oil.

Is there an electric fuel pump that can be added to these engines? My internal driven option is a no go I assume, since the normal place is not drilled out.

It would be better to use a pulse fuel pump if you can install it. Need to drill a hole in your valve cover and install a line to the pump.
http://www.cpooutlets.com/oregon-07...gL75PcUwD90xL7PAGYm13DeLpxUjYwodPQaAlz28P8HAQ

If you add a fuel pump, you are going to have to change the carb. Yes, I know some of you have done it without changing the carb, but this is your warning. Better off finding a good service tech and solve the original problem, instead of possibly adding to it.

tankmcnamara said:

Have a Craftsman rider with Kohler Command engine. It sputters and/or dies when ascending hills especially, after about 10 minutes of use. I replaced entire carb as it was ethanol damaged. Replace fuel filter as well. New fuel filter was a little larger than original Kohler filter. Still sputtering. So I cut out fuel filter and hosed it direct from tank to carb. Started running better. Are these motors particular to Kohler only fuel filters maybe? Anyone have suggestions to this problem? Is the problem even something else?

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TO answer your exact question.
1) There is no such thing as an engine specific fuel filter. I have never fitted an original filter except when a customer asks me to do it.
Filters have varying mesh sizes from 15 used for fuel injected engines to 150 used on gravity fed engines.
Most universal ones as shown in the photo previously posted are around 75 so no the filter is not Kohler specific but if you fit one that is too fine it will slow the fuel supply a little.

Changing things is not and never has been the answer.
Finding the problem & fixing it is the way to go.
Remove the fuel tank & clean it out carefully.
Replace the fuel lines or even modify the way you mow.

It is very easy to end up with the oil splasher / pump running in air when mowing on a slope and the result of this is always BANG

BlazNT said:

I am not trouble shooting your issue as I have to leave to make some money but wanted to chime in on fuel filters. People buy the fuel filter they think the need and not the one they need. Picture is a universal filter with 2 size openings. If it does not fit on the smaller fittings they are supposed to be cut off for larger hose. That way more fuel can flow through. I personally just buy the one that fits the fuel line correctly
View attachment 28976.

Click to expand...

This may or may not be the case but I had this issue and I think it was water in my fuel blinding over the filter element which would not let gas pass through it. I think water had condensed in the fuel tank over the winter and sunk to the bottom. Normally I top off the fuel tank before putting the mower up for the season but for some reason I didn't last fall.

I siphoned the gas out and disconnected the hose past the filter and was going to let the rest of the gas just hit the ground. Well instead of a solid stream, It was more of a drip.

The original 6 year old filter looked OK. I had new one in a box of stuff that fits a 5/16" fuel line or a 1/4" fuel line with the ends cut off (like the one pictured above). So I installed it, mowed for three hours and parked the mower for a couple of weeks. Well same thing happened.

The mower would run for about 5 minutes then started sputtering. I did the same thing and once again, fuel was dripping instead of trickling.

This is what the second filter looked like:





So I drained the tank once again and what was left in my 5 gallon gas can and filtered all of it through one of those Mr. Funnels that's supposed to filter water out of fuel as well as remove any junk that might clog up the filter:



I've seen people on those Alaska shows use these when refueling their snowmobiles.

I've mowed a couple of times since then with no sputtering issues.

By the way. I've got a Trabant 601 and did away with the petcock valve and tank filter and went with a solenoid operated shut off valve and external fuel filter. I had the same thing happen when I was using one of those sponge element filters after about 30 miles. I seem to think the 2 cycle oil was blinding over the element material. Since then I'm using a paper element filter with no problems.

In case anybody is wondering what a Trabant 601 is, here are some photos of my car:

http://s222.photobucket.com/user/turbofiat/library/Trabant?sort=6&page=1

Yes
Water will contaminate a foam, felt or paper filter and reduce the flow.
Looks like you have found the culprit.
paint a spanner on the side of your mower & shout yourself a beer.