Help!! The primer button on my 4 HP Briggs & Stratton Quattro lawnmower engine doesn't work.... any suggestions??

 

Hi Mike76;
I have a lawnmower with a B&S engine and recently had the same problem. The answer is very simplistic.
Take off the cover where the primer is mounted to, disengage the hose that goes from the primer to the carburator. Look inside the cover that you removed and you may see two plastic clips. Work these so that you can remove the pump from the cover. Now look at the pump you probably have a ripped seal on the pump. These are simplistic suction pumps and are not engineering marvels. The replacements are available at any reliable repair store. In fact, I have repaired mine using some black electical tape around the edges. All it needs is a relatively tight air seal.

 

Thanks Bob!!! I'll check it out.....

 

There are 3 different styles of primer bulb on Briggs engines these
days, your solution will vary depending on which one you have.
You may have one like Bob mentioned, or one that fits directly
on the side of the carb{which is mounted on top of a metal tank},
and one that has a primer made into the base that holds a
rectangular paper filter[and a plastic fuel tank above the carb].
Or post the engine's model numbers and I can look the engine
up and tell you. The numbers are usually stamped into the metal
above the sparkplug[you may have a plastic piece slightly over
them].
Fish

 

Fish,
The model number is 10A902. The primer does fit directly onto the carb, on top of the fuel tank.
Mike

 

On these types, the carb itself needs to be disassembled
and cleaned out, unless you can see or feel the bulb has any
rips or deterioration. This carb is easy to take apart and clean,
it takes Briggs part # 495770, which any shop should have in
stock. Primer bulb #494408 is the primer for your carb. Just
take it off, apart, clean with some carb spray, and reassemble.
Make sure you clean the tank part as well and remove and clean
the screen and clean the pickup under it as well.
Let us know if you need anything.
Fish

 

It works again !!! Cleaning did the trick.. very easy to take apart and clean..thanks for your help!! Great web site..

 

--I have a 3 1/2 briggs on a murray 20 in mower--it starts and runs---I cleaned the tank and got new gasket and diaphragm----it runs good but instead of priming it 3 times ,I have to prime it a lot--maybe 10 or 15 times --then it will start on 1 pull---I did buy a new primer bulb but the old one looked ok---what do you think I should do---thanks john