Tiggy

Lawn Mower Help Needed Possible Auto Choke Problem ?

Model: Craftsman gas push mower, Craftsman 190cc* Briggs & Stratton Engine, Low-Wheel Rear Bag Push Mower . Please excuse my complete ignorance of engine terminology as I am a novice do it yourselfer. Last summer my lawn mower started running very sluggish, like it was always about to stall, so I removed the air filter assembly and saw that there is a little plastic piece that is the shape of a "V" or maybe a boomerang that if I moved it to and fro the engine would either shut down or would run at full force (sounds like an airplane engine!) It appears to me a spring or something is missing. I jerry rigged it with by tying in position with a small wire but it runs too fast now and is very loud. Can anyone identify if there is a piece ( maybe a spring ) that fell off? I took the attached picture last night. it isn't the best shot but you can see at 12:00 on the photo is the "boomerang" and around 1:00 you should be able to make out the wire that I used to hold the boomerang in position. Thanks!

cheese

Yes, the spring is missing. Don't run it like you have it or it will likely blow. Your local small engine shop should have a spring to replace it with.

Tiggy

Thanks Cheese. I would like to do this myself, but what do I call this spring when I want to ask about getting one? I don't want to bring my lawn mower into a repair shop as they always take weeks to get through their backlog of repairs.

cheese

What model engine is that? It's the governor spring.

Tiggy

550 Series Briggs and Stratton Engine. Lawn mower is model number 917.388191

cheese

There is a model number for the engine, probably on the exhaust shield or the engine shroud. You might have to take off the plastic cover to see it.

Tiggy

The model number is 10T802 The type is 1244 and the trim is B1.
I specifically would like advice as to what exact parts I need to order and also whether installing these parts is difficult. Thanks!

cheese

Briggs part number 698719 is the spring that is missing. It's simple to install, it connects to the throttle and to the little tab of metal sticking up in the top right or your picture.

geogrubb

Here is a pic of the spring hookup. Have a good one.
Geo

cheese

Actually this model is a bit different... it only has the one spring that connects similarly to the pic, but not the same.

Tiggy

Here is a much clearer picture of my mower. Ignore the curley-cue jerry-rigged wire I have in there. So does the governor spring go from the tiny hole in the boomerang shaped piece of plastic to the hole in the metal tab at 3:00 in the photo? And which end of the governor spring goes where? Thank you all, especially Cheese, for the help! You guys are rock stars to me.

cheese

The small end connects to the hole in the throttle "boomerang" and the bigger end connects to the metal tab if I recall correctly.

Tiggy

Ok, I finally got around to installing the spring and starting up my mower this weekend (waited for the 100 degree temps to go away!). The boomerang "throttle" snaps into one of two different positions, either a very slow speed that sounds like it is going to stall out or very high speed. Is the throttle supposed to stay somewhere in the middle? If I try to leave it in the middle I am sure it will snap back into either the low or high setting as I push the mower along.

cheese

Is there no tension on the spring?

Tiggy

I am not sure I get the question about tension. I suppose there is. Is the boomerang supposed to be somewhere in between high and low throttle? Are you saying the spring should keep it in that position?

cheese

No, the spring should be pulling it to the right.

Tiggy

Why bother having a spring at all, especially on a lawn mower with no throttle settings?

cheese

To keep the engine from over revving and blowing up.