Thanks for all the replies. To close the loop on this . . . what a difference fresh (and real) gasoline make! The mower now starts up on the first (sometimes second) pull and runs great. When I have the time to watch it for leaks (this weekend), I will leave the fuel cut-off open to see if I still get a leak with the regular gas. At the end of the mowing season, I will likely overhaul the engine according to the wonderful suggestions here. It seems I need to rebuild the carb and replace the crank seals.
Repairs Help with hard starting and minor fuel leak - F series
- Thread starter yaknuts81
- Start date
beg
Well-Known Member
I just had the same issue with a m series I purchased.The carb was clean but the gas was old.engine would run a few seconds and die.had to flush out the tank with it on the mower as the screw that holds it in was stripped out.It runs great now.you may not need crank seals look for wetness around the bottom of the crank.that is the one that goes first.oh yeah ya gotta remove the blade and muffler.good time to clean the ports and sharpen the blade
2 places gas can leak. In the carb, with a bad float, needle and seat (easy replacement parts readily available). and the Fuel Shut-off. This uses a rubber gasket that over time takes a seat and will leak. This gasket is not available, AFAIK. Oh, and maybe old gas hose, which does not grip the nipples on carb and fuel valve tightly.