Lawn Mover Start/Run

I've searched the recent posts and couldn't find an answer to my problem, so here goes:

I have a 1-season old rebuilt Briggs and Stranton lawn mower that I recently tried to start up after sitting for a long winter. The first day it wouldn't start it at all. The second day I replaced the spark plug and after starting, it only ran for 5-10 minutes (half my lawn was mowed). Near the end of this run, the mower started reving very high, and then very low, like it was running out of gas. The tank was still half full- - from gas I put in last year. Yes, I know I should have emptied the tank before I put it away for the winter, but I didn't. What should I do now? Do I need to add a dry gas to the tank? How can I get my mower going again?

Also, in my yard there is a shaded area that gets rather dusty in the summer. Ususally I just run the mover over this section to get the sparse grass that grows here, and the dry dirt kicks up a bit. Is this bad for the mower? What are the areas of the mower that would be most affected by this dry dirt - i.e. air filter and should I replace it?

I appreciate all the help I have received over the years from the forums - - and look forward to your advise on my questions. My big concern is getting the mower running again. What should I do next?? Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

 

Replace the oil and air cleaner often in dusty conditions. Also, keep the fins of the mower engine (near the head) and the shroud clean of dirt and dust). That causes the mower to work harder.

As for the surging, sounds like bad gas. Try dumping out the gas and putting fresh gas in it. If that doesn't work, time to rebuild the carburetor.

 

Hello BGH!

What size HP engine is this? It sounds like you may have water in the carb, but not sure....depends on what engine you have. The filter will need to be checked often, and cleaned or replaced when needed. I can give better details when I know what engine you have.

 

Cheese,
The engine is a 4.0 horsepower Briggs and Stranton. It is a simple push lawnmower that is about 1 year old/

Thanks

 

If the air filter is clogged, clean it and try. Otherwise, remove the carb and tank, dump it, remove the carb, replace the carb diaphragm, and reassemble. This should solve your problems at a cost of less than $5.00 and 30 minutes of work.

 

Cheese,
Thanks for the recommendation. Would you be able to tell a novice handyman like myself the steps necessary to remove/drain/replace the carb? Or maybe that information is already listed on this site somewhere. I really want to learn to do these projects on my own, but appreciate the guidance I receive from this forum.

BGH

 

Picture's worth a thousand words. I know that you can find those small engine books in the local library. Mine has them.

 

Remove the air filter and housing. Between the gas cap and the carb, there is a 1/2" bolt. Remove it. At the end of the tank near the top of the tank, is a 3/8" bolt. Remove it. Pull the tank away from the engine gently until it comes loose from the engine. Tilt the tank enough to work the wire link out of the hole in the throttle shaft on the carb. Now the tank and carb should be off the engine and in your hands. Set it on a bench and remove the phillips screws holding the carb onto the tank. When you get it off, you will see the diaphragm. Replace it an its' gasket. Dump the old gas out into a suitable container. Reassemble and mow the grass, lol

Carry the old gas to an auto parts store that accepts old gas and used oil to dispose of it.

 

Thanks for the instruction. I'll let you know how things go after the weekend. Enjoy your memorial day.

BGH