Cheap Chinses Carb

[2ball]

A couple years ago, I got a free mower with a blown engine. I bought a $150 used engine and I have been running it for the 3rd seasons now. It burns or leaks oil and if I don't use the fuel shout off when I put it away it leaks gas into the oil. I recently with your help figured out which engine I have (31C707-0154-E1).

I feel like I'm just not going to spend $135 on a carb from Briggs and Stratton on what's now an $80 engine.

someone on here said the engine was from 2004. That predates any vehicle engine that I own, it predates Facebook and Gmail.

I think I fixed the oil leak by tightening up the rocker cover, but we will see.

I hear the gas in the oil is a needle and seat issue.

I am feeling like a $20 Chinese carb is in my future.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

You rolls the dice and you takes your chances.

 

[2ball]

You rolls the dice and you takes your chances.

At the end of the day its a lawnmower. Its not like its going to strand my wife on the beltway!
Worse case scenario I have to cut the yard with a push mower one time and I put the old one back on.

 

[sgkent]

Since you already have a solution you want to go with, how is it exactly folks here can help?

 

[2ball]

Since you already have a solution you want to go with, how is it exactly folks here can help?

I don't know, maybe someone before me bought a cheap Chinese Carb and has a story to go along with it, maybe it worked out good for them or bad for them. Or maybe someone who knows a lot about these engines will suggest I just rebuild the current carb and offer suggestions on exactly what I need to do to get my current carb working correctly. There seem to be an insane amount of people here who make a living repairing, and running these things, that maybe one of those people can offer some insight that I have not thought of. Maybe someone will suggest that a used carb off of a lawn mower will be a better solution then a Cheap Chinese Carb.

Those are some of the things I hope the folks here can help me with.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

I bought a cheap chinesium carb for a customer last spring, at his request... He came in a few days ago. said the carb flooded and filled his crankcase.... Now, i always keep old carbs..... found his old one... or at least an identical one, told him i had i rebuild kit and i could have him running by that evening....
I always give 4 options, and the prices.... i'd say about 30% go for quality aftermaket, 20% for OEM's. and 50% for Cheap chinese carbs.
OEM carb
OEM Rebuild Kit
Quality aftermarket (stens etc.)
Aftermarket ( Amazon, best reviewed)

 

[sgkent]

I had a factory carb from circa 1992 on an edger. It worked find for about 10 years and needed rebuilding. Rebuilt it and it worked fine. One day a jet unscrewed (that I never removed before) and it ran badly. Replaced the jet and it ran 3 more years great. One day I opened the shed and it smelled of gasoline. The carb started leaking and the whole tank drained. Rebuilt it again. Same. Rebuilt it again. Same. Rebuilt it again using a magnifying glass on every part. It leaked again. So I bought an old stock carb and it solved the issue. Maybe some day I will rebuild the old one - maybe not. I am 71 and have been rebuilding carbs since age 16. Raced successfully SCCA for quite a few years so I am pretty good with them. I'd rebuild that one with a good factory kit, or look for a new factory one. What you paid for the mower doesn't determine its value. What determines it is what it will cost you to replace it with similar in working condition. If you are a drive it until it drops kinda guy, it dropped. If you are a rebuild it kinda guy I'd look for a direct factory replacement, preferably sealed old stock.

According to Jacks Small Engine that model came with either a Walbro or a Nikki carb. Might be a serial number based thing. Partswarehouse shows that model with a Ruixing carb. First step is to figure out what carb you have on it I think.

 

[sgkent]

based on your other thread I am guessing it was orginally a 794572 carb replaced by 594593. I am not certain because I do not know what your engine came off of. Looks like about $112 for a genuine one. If the fuel solenoid at the bottom is leaking, that is about $80 by itself. If you decide to try a chinese clone, make sure there is room to fit because the solenoid on those looks a lot longer than the original.

 

[2ball]

based on your other thread I am guessing it was orginally a 794572 carb replaced by 594593. I am not certain because I do not know what your engine came off of. Looks like about $112 for a genuine one. If the fuel solenoid at the bottom is leaking, that is about $80 by itself. If you decide to try a chinese clone, make sure there is room to fit because the solenoid on those looks a lot longer than the original.

Nice thanks for this info. I am having trouble figuring out what Carb I need. The carb was on the used engine when I bought the engine and its still on there.
I have been told that it is a Walbro Carb based on the LTM 4993 stamped on it. I have found a LTM 5-4993 carb. I believe my engine is a 31C707-0154-E1.
Is there enough info yet to figure out what carb I need?

The issue I have right now is when I put it away, I have to turn off the fuel and run it out of gas. If I don't, its very hard to start, and somehow gas leaks into the oil. It will also backfire. To start it I usually use starter fluid so I don't have to let it crank for 30 seconds.
I ran it like that all of last season, but it was a major PITA. Maybe its worth $120 not to have to shut it down like that.

What is the exact OEM carb I need?

 

[bertsmobile1]

The simple answer is buy from an honest vendor
All of the after market parts suppliers do aftermarket carbs from 1/4 to 1/2 the price of a factory one
So go to the Rotary , Stens, Prime Line & Oregon on line catalogues and look up Walbro LMT carburettor .
Then at their home page look up "find a dealer " .
Many of them actually get the carbs from the same factories that the manufacturers get the original from .
I am yet to get a bad one and I fit quite a few because a new carb is only a bit more expensive than an original float bowl and cheaper than an original solenoid .

Go the lazy way and flick through Ammo Zone or Evil pay any there is a 50:50 chance that you will be buying a defective carb that was rejected by the QC inspector for the engine company or the aftermarket supplier .