Hi folks,
So i bought a edger from Habitat for Humanity and the problem is that it starts but then dies quickly. The main symptom i can see is that gasoline comes out of the air filter!
After taking most everything apart and clean up (including the nasty black oil that was in there), the problem is still happening. I had not removed the carb thou. It is now out and into parts on my work bench.
What do you think is the problem?
Info about the machine are:
On the body: Model # 536797461
code # 709711631
On the Top cover: Engine model # 143973502 Sears
On the carburetor (where it connects to the intake manifold) # 1050B7X
Thanks for your help.
Cheers

 

Shake the float near your ear. If you hear sloshing in it, it needs replacing. The brass floats on these are notorious for this problem. The replacement is plastic.

 

Sure sounds like the float is sticking in the carburetor.
Get yourself some carburetor cleaner and take the carb. completely and clean it.

 

thanks folks for your advise. So far i took the carb completely apart and cleaned all the crap from it. After checking in inside, i wld agree with the float sticking: it was quite corroded (greenish layer on it) and i found all that material everywhere inside the carb. It's all clean and nice now. as for the float, can i just hold it under water to see if it take liquid in? I haven't noticed any slashing

 

The best way to check it would be to warm the float in your hand for a couple minutes, then submerge it in gasoline for a half an hour or so. Then shake it.

You warm it first to expand the air in the float. Then as it cools in the gasoline it will draw gas in through any holes. If you don't warm it first the air in the float will keep the gas out.

 

Cool! That a nice trick. I'll do that tomorrow afternoon. Just in case, where could i order just the float if it is faulty?
thx again, you guys rock

 

so i use a hair dryer to heat up the float. There was a spot that appeared slightly cracked after i was done cleaning it on Sunday. Sure enough, with the heat i started seeing a little smudge of liquid coming out of it. I nonetheless put it in a container with gas afterwords to check the rest of your tip.
Huston, we have a leaker!
Thx folks. I'm ordering a new float!
cheers

 

so today i received replacement parts for the carb. Since i don't want to have to take this apart again and since i do not know the machine's history i replaced: the float, valve kit, the priming bulb, and the bowl gasket. I can start the edger but it still dies after 5 seconds or so. If i raise the front wheel of the ground by pushing down onto the handle, it keeps going and doesn't die but isn't working 100% perfect. If you put it back down it dies again.
How does the gasoline move from the carb bawl to the cylinder? Is there some sort of suction action happening as the piston goes up and down? If so, could it be a bad gasket where the intake pipe meets the cylinder?
I am at lost here and can use some expert opinion.
thank you folks
Cheers

 

I didn't see anywhere in the previous post where you cleaned the main jet which is the bowl nut, refer to the pic for where your problem is, I use the wire from a twist tie to clean it. Have a good one. Geo

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ha! i have not even noticed that there was such a hole, i mean jet. Thx Geo, i'll clean it tomorrow and will write a note in the evening.
cheers

 

alright, so call me picky but, since i manage a research lab, i used what i had in hand! so i socked the bowl nut in concentrated acid, followed by methanol rinse, and sonication with dichloromethane. USed pressured nitrogen gas to blow anything out of the part. I didn't see that tiny hole you are pointing at on your pictures despite looking carefully with a magnifying glass.
That said, i placed the part back in and the machine is now running strong!
Thank you all for your expert advice.
Cheers