Toro walk behind runs then stalls

Got three cuts out of my 96 Toro Recycler walkbehind mower this season and when trying the 4th the mower starts and dies after running for a few seconds. This particular mower has a primer. Plug is good. Air cleaner is good. Oil is freshly changed. It's never given me a lick of trouble and all of sudden this pops up. Anyone have any ideas? Is 5 years a good time to get an overhaul at a servicer?

 

Hello: bakerjg

Very good possiblity the gas caps vent hole is restricted or plugged. Try running the mower without the fuel cap on the tank and see if this corrects the problem. If so, the caps vent is plugged.

If that does not correct the condition, check elsewhere for a fuel restriction. Might be an inline filter between the fuel tank and the carb. Check fuel flow by removing the fuel hose from the carb and verifing plenty of fuel flows out of the tank.

Look inside the tank for a restriction at the fuels drain location within the tank or a fuel shut off valve if so equipped with one.

A 1996 engine will have an electronic spark module that needs no service. Nor will it need any professional routine service above that which you have already done.

Except for blade sharpening......I just had to toss that part in, since I have a sharpening business too...

Good Luck,
Tom_Bartco
Accurate Power Equipment Company.
Small Engine Service and Repair Technician.
Personal Quote:
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

 

did u drain gas last year ? if not varnish gas set up in the jet causing that problem, need to remove the nut at bottom of carb. clean jet hole with tag wire or carb cleaner ,replace in reverse order guarantee to run ,to adjust carb there is a screw on side of carb turn in until seat'back out 1 an half turn engine start you are now in grass cutting business again.

 

Check the brake cable. I had a similar issue with my mower stalling out after only a few minutes of use. I checked the gas, the filter, the spark plugs and cleaned the carburetor--nothing seemed to help. Then I figured out that the brake cable was just loose enough that it would be tight enough to hold open the safety cut-off switch at start up, but any slight change to cable tension, i.e. due to vibration, changing your handhold, etc., would cause the switch to close and kill the engine.

I was very surprised to learn this was the real culprit, especially after spending the better part of two hours tearing various parts of the mower apart to no avail. I'm sure that after a couple years of use, a lot of other Toro owners could be in the same boat with their own loosened brake cables. And the way that the cut-off switch is set on such a hair-trigger, it can be misleading when the mower quits so suddenly.

 

You're in an 8 year old thread, toreador; probably has a new mower by now.