My 20 year old Scotts mower with 6.5 hp B&S Intek engine has become very hard to start. Watched several videos which indicated that carb probably needed cleaning. So I ordered the correct carb rebuild kit and took it off and cleaned it up. Put in a new needle and seat and bowl gasket. Put it back together and seemed to go together smoothly. Put some gas in the tank and gas is running out the small hole in the primer bulb. Is that indicative of anything specific that I did wrong? I did not change the primer bulb as it looks okay.

Thanks!

 

Sounds like the needle and seat are not shutting off fuel flow.

 

Primmer bulb should have been changed, it's one of the first things that fails.

 

????? The primer bulb should never have fuel in it regardless of condition.

 

I was working on hands and knees today and I'm getting too old for that much up-and-down. I did buy a new primer bulb but the old one looks okay and I was getting tired... I tried to be very careful as this is my first carb work. Amazing how simple these things are. I may have put the seat in upside down. I tried to be careful with it and get the smooth side up. It could have flipped over inside of the carb while I was pushing it down. I will take it apart again tomorrow and have a look.

Any tips on getting the seat out without damaging it? I don't have another one.

Thanks!

 

Honestly it has been some time since I have been in the biz, and originally I was thinking of a needle with a solid tip, and a seat that is soft. Rethinking I am not sure now if that is Tecumseh or Briggs. (been out of the trade now for 5 years and getting feeble myself)
With out model number I can't refer to a drawing.
If your needle has a soft tip, then, most times the seat need not be replaced, (usually a solid brass seat that is pressed in) In this case some times using a Q-tip and some polishing compound can clean the seat up a bit if needed and the new needle solves the problem.

If it does by chance have the soft seat and solid needle, since recently installed, you may be able to get it out without damage. Start with a toothpick, then file a paper clip or safety wire. If you can get it to flip perpendicular to the channel, it should come out easy enough.
To reinstall, the grooved side goes in first. Set the seat in the channel and use the needle to insert and seat it, or such as a drill bit that just fits, the shank end not the business end.

Hopefully one of those will get you there and otherwise, I am sure cheese will be along later to straighten me/us out.

 

The seat will generally blow out with comressed air from an air compressor. How did you get the old seat out? Did it have a rubber seat to begin with? Did you install a rubber tipped needle or a meedle that is solid metal?

The primer rarely ever goes bad on these.

 

Hi ya cheese, must still have that mind meld going on

 

Hi folks. It has a solid metal needle and a soft seat that looks like a tiny gasket - smooth and domed one one side and with a groove on the other side. I got the old one out the way I saw on youtube - wood screw twisted in a bit and then when it grabs pull out. I did not get it out in one piece as it was brittle with age. I was careful not to twist very hard and I did clean it all out thoroughly with carb cleaner. The new one I just set it into the channel and then pushed it down with an allen wrench that just fit.

 

Lol BFHFixit... I didn't even know you had replied... your reply wasn't there when I read the post and I made my reply and hit send and moved on. We were at it with the same info at the same time, just like the old days, haha!

The wood screw works well for the old seat as long as you are careful to not scratch the bore. If there are any bits of the old seat or scratches in the bore, it could be the cause of the leak. Shoine a light in and see if the seat is upside down or not. If you pull it out and tyr again, put a little bit of oil on the seat. It will help it slide in place more easily without deforming or trying to flip as much.

 

Hi magee35, glad to know I was not too far off on my original assumption going on your description.
If you have compressed air available I like cheese;s method to remove the seat without damaging it. I would be careful however, place it on a soft surface (I used to use a piece of short napped carpet for my carb work) to capture the seat, not using your hand as it could cause injury with enough air pressure, and even then just short blasts and check for any movement. Still might be better off seeing about a new seat, any local shop might or likely have one and just give it to ya, (at least I use to keep some around from kits) if not you might be ahead to purchase another minimal kit and get a new seat to save any chance of having to have a do over.
Again the grooved side goes in first, and as cheese mentioned, a bit of lube, even vegetable oil or wd-40 or some such just prior. Not much just enough to lube the bore
Allen wrench is good to install with as well IMO. Touch of Vaseline on the needle to get the seat to stick to it and insert works also.

cheese, not sure you have enough years to be talking about "old days" but I feel ya Hope you and them youngins and Mom are doing well.

 

Hi folks. I got busy with other things for a few days but had time to look at my mower this morning. I noticed that the rag I placed under the carb was dry. I looked into the tank and it looked empty but there is usually enough gas in the bottom and hose to start and run the mower. So I gave a few yanks on the starter and she fired up and ran solidly. No sign of leakage anywhere.

I decided to go ahead and pull the carb off again anyway to have a look at the seat. It was in correctly but the bowl gasket looked kind of stretched out. Put it back together and the bowl appeared to capture the gasket okay so I reinstalled the carb and poured a little gas in the tank. All looked well and it fired up and ran just fine. Feeling overconfident I filled the tank and thought I'd have a go at the lawn. I then noticed that the gas tank is leaking. Crap, I put on a new tank 4-5 years ago too for that same problem. I may be about done with this mower. I did get my money's worth though

Thanks for the kind help. Guess I'll decide whether or not to get another gas tank for this old beater.

 

Where does this mower's gas tank keep developing the leaks that require replacement ?

 

It's all plastic and I live in a hot dry climate. Seems like it cracks somewhere along a molded seam up higher on the tank. Right now mine has stopped leaking and there's about 1/2 tank of gas left in it. I had filled it to about 3/4 or 7/8 full this morning. Did the same 4-5 years ago and I found that so long as I only put in about 1/3 tank I could mow without losing any gas when turning. Eventually it cracked again lower down and that's when I replaced it. Here's what it looks like on Amazon if your are interested: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...L._SL1500_.jpg

 

That is a bit strange maggee, I don't recall the plastic tanks leaking other than hoses or fittings. I wonder if maybe the fuel cap vent is failing and the heat is causing some swelling creating problems....just a thought, fill it and leave the cap loose, see if the leak still occurs.
Gas leaks are difficult to locate the source of especially when they are intermittent.

 

Well the old tank was definately cracked in two placed when I finally replaced it. I got a new cap with the new tank too... I will probably live with it for a while like last time.

Funny, but shortly after I replaced the tank last time I noticed a guy at Ace Hardware with the exact tank in his hand. He was trying to find something to seal the crack in his tank. It was hopeless as it had also cracked along a molded seam where it would be very hard to get any kind of sealant to hold on. But I wished him luck and told him he could get a new tank on Amazon for $30.

 

Those tanks are pretty notorious for leaking along the seam.

 

cheese likely has more experience than I as I live in a fairly mild climate in the PAC NW, so, mold is our biggest issue lol.

 

Yeah I know... Born in Tacoma now living in AZ.

 

So is verdict that the design of that tank is particularly vulnerable to splitting when left in the sun with a full tank . . . . I would have expected the expanding fuel to exit through the vent in the cap before it did such damage.

I have a black plastic tank around here that dates from 1973, and I am careful to keep it out of the sun; not for fear that it'll break but because the fuel expands (15-20%) and/or evaporates out the vent.

Injection molding has allowed the creation of some pretty unusual shapes to utilize the space available.