Repairs MTD Lawnflite Carburettor Link

Chipchase

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I'm re-furbishing a Lawnflite from around 2000 that I got from ebay with some major problems (I will describe how I solved those in some more posts). Re-assembling things now and I'm puzzled by a sliding wire link on the carburettor that is connected to the choke quadrant at one end and to nothing at the other. It just slides in a slot in the nearby bracket, and it may not have been assembled correctly when I bought it. I'm wondering if there is meant to be a spring pulling on that other end, although the choke is quite strongly sprung shut anyway. If I can manage to attach a photo, I have pointed it out with a purple arrow. Thanks for any help.

IMGP5473_sa.jpg
 

NorthBama

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when throttle cable is at max travel it closes choke
 

MowLife

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There is a tab on the throttle mechanism that contacts and pushes choke closed at full throttle position. There is a spring on the carburetors choke shaft that opens choke back up when throttling down.
 

Chipchase

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Thanks for the replies. On mine the closure of the choke at full throttle does not happen. The movement of the throttle mechanism does not go near that sliding wire link at the top. Perhaps I have something missing that should rise up and push it, like I do with my finger in the video clip (link below). Even if something did push the wire loop, it would require a lot of force to close the choke because the choke cable would need to be pushed back up the Bowden outer and hence push out the choke knob on the fascia - I think the wire link would bend first. Perhaps that feature is not used on this engine, a Briggs & Stratton 28000 series 11.5 HP.

In the video I first pull the throttle cable its full travel (which does not affect the choke), then I push the sliding wire link with my finger (which closes the choke), and finally I pull the choke cable by its full travel. The cable outers are unclipped for this experiment rather than using the controls from the fascia.

Must say I'm puzzled why you would want the choke to close at full throttle, I thought a choke was just to enrich for starting.

[video]http://www.lucan.org.uk/Photos/IMGP5478.MOV[/video]
 

Fish

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Adjust the throttle cable so that the choke pushes closed at the fullest throttle position, then when started, it falls back to the full throttle position to run.
 

Fish

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A paddle rotates up and pushes the link,
 

MowLife

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Oh I see what you have. You have a separate choke cable so the wire rod one isn’t used. Newer models went cheaper and use 1 cable for both throttle and choke using the wire rod.
 

Chipchase

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I think what Mowlife says explains it - my model does not use this wire link feature, I could not see how it could work on mine. I see from what the others say that a single control cable can be used to push the choke shut at a full throttle "starting" position - I have a walk-along mower like that (small B&S engine). Perhaps a previous owner fitted a replacement throttle control mechanism of a later design that had this link but which was not needed in this case. Thanks for all the replies.
 
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