Mower troubles

[0TransAm0]

Its a bolens rider has the Briggs and Stratton 15.5Hp I/C
Started running like shit so I shut it down checked all the easy stuff air filter,oil,fuel filter and replaced the plug. Mower is only 3 years old. Wont start unless the air filter is off and it still runs nasty and backfires thru the carb very bad/loud if I put the air filter back on when its running it eventually dies. If I turn the blades on it dies.
And by running like shit I mean shaking, backfiring, and hardly running at all..
Any ideas? Major breakage internally? Bent valve or something?

[Holeshot]

Is this the first run this year? whats in the fuel ? is it fresh ?

[michelle]

Did you clean out the carb? Sounds like it needs more fuel.

[0TransAm0]

Has been ran pleanty of times this year. I was about 35 minutes into cutting the grass when this happened. its blowing fuel back into the airfilter area when it backfires...

[Nix]

This may seem like bull shit but I had a very similar problem with my push mower last year and I changed the air filter and all was well again.

Good luck

[0TransAm0]

This may seem like bull shit but I had a very similar problem with my push mower last year and I changed the air filter and all was well again.

Good luck

Its cheaper than buying a new so its worth a shot! Thanks.

[jbiscuit]

Carb issue. Probably debris causing it to run super rich. It's spitting fuel out the air inlet because it's drowning in gas. Gonna have to clean/rebuild the carb. Hopefully you don't buy gas at the Marathon in Franksville...I have gotten a bad tank of gas as a can of garbage fuel from there in recent months.

[jbiscuit]

If you try and run it, let it die and pull the plug. Is it gas fouled?

[0TransAm0]

If you try and run it, let it die and pull the plug. Is it gas fouled?

By gas fouled if you mean black and covered in gas(wet) then yes.
When it runs it has ZERO power. I try to move it and it Boggs it down and hardly moves.

[BAD LS1]

Valve lash? Bent pushrod? Happens from time to time on that model 31... Exhibits same issues. Popping back thru carb Is a good indicator. It's not a carb problem if it was running fine and all of a sudden went cowshit. Even if it had something restricting fuel flow to the carb taking the air filter out wouldn't help, it would hurt it.

Carb or fuel is most engine's problems right after storage... Not if it was working fine and piping back thru the carb is almost always timing related, ignition or valve events.

Now a plugged air filter on a externally vented (read bowl vent) carb will deff make it run richer and drown it. Internally vented it will just keep leaning out as pressure on the fuel in the bowl drops linear with the lack of airflow thru the filter, which means less fuel.

[Cryptic]

my kohler had a bad ignition coil from factory... gave me hell for a long time. I had no idea how good my tractor could of ran till ast year when I figured it out. It was backfiring and wouldn't rev up when under load. Would sometimes die when you turn on the PTO (mower deck). Basically I was intermittently running on one cylinder.

[BAD LS1]

I need to give a class to ya'll on small engine troubleshooting sometime

[bikedad]

Briggs motors are notorious for crappy carbs.

I had to rebuild the carb on my pressure washer after one year. There's a gasket that cracks and blows out.
It's not hard to rebuild them just a pain in the ass when you need the device.

[Prince Valiant]

I need to give a class to ya'll on small engine troubleshooting sometime

You just replace everything!

[BAD LS1]

Briggs motors are notorious for crappy carbs.

I had to rebuild the carb on my pressure washer after one year. There's a gasket that cracks and blows out.
It's not hard to rebuild them just a pain in the ass when you need the device.

Lol. The carb is only as good as the fuel that goes in them or that is left in them for that matter... Which engine model and what specific gasket are you reffering to? I guess i have never seen a gasket fail in the manner you are desrcibing.

[BAD LS1]

You just replace everything!

*Face palm* Thats what i try to instruct people NOT to do! lol Or NOT blame the component they dont fully understand (carburetor) that seemingly gets a bad rap when other outside (wildcard = fuel) factors are at actual fault.

[bikedad]

Lol. The carb is only as good as the fuel that goes in them or that is left in them for that matter... Which engine model and what specific gasket are you reffering to? I guess i have never seen a gasket fail in the manner you are desrcibing.

The pressure washer is from Farm&Fleet. 2500PSI with a Briggs 6.5HP
I don't let gas sit in the tank for any length of time. Reformulated gas wreaks havoc on small engines. When I need fuel for the small engine items I fill a 1 gallon container with fresh gas. What I don't use I pour into my car. I change oil twice a season.
(My Cub Cadet tractor with the Kohler engine is a little different. But I still drain the fuel before I store the tractor)

I had a hard time keeping the motor running on the pressure washer. Couldn't engage the pressure without it quitting each time. Called Farm&Fleet and described what was happening. (Just off warranty) the guy at the desk said to come in and he would give me the carb rebuild kit for it for free. He told me there is a gasket that separates the the jets and it has a tendency to crack and blow out internally. He said they were having problems with a lot of the Briggs motors like this.
I picked up the kit and sure enough I found the cracked gasket. I replaced it and it works fine now.
I'm just reiterating the comment from the guy at Farm&Fleet about the crappy carbs from Briggs.

[BAD LS1]

The pressure washer is from Farm&Fleet. 2500PSI with a Briggs 6.5HP
I don't let gas sit in the tank for any length of time. Reformulated gas wreaks havoc on small engines. When I need fuel for the small engine items I fill a 1 gallon container with fresh gas. What I don't use I pour into my car. I change oil twice a season.
(My Cub Cadet tractor with the Kohler engine is a little different. But I still drain the fuel before I store the tractor)

I had a hard time keeping the motor running on the pressure washer. Couldn't engage the pressure without it quitting each time. Called Farm&Fleet and described what was happening. (Just off warranty) the guy at the desk said to come in and he would give me the carb rebuild kit for it for free. He told me there is a gasket that separates the the jets and it has a tendency to crack and blow out internally. He said they were having problems with a lot of the Briggs motors like this.
I picked up the kit and sure enough I found the cracked gasket. I replaced it and it works fine now.
I'm just reiterating the comment from the guy at Farm&Fleet about the crappy carbs from Briggs.

Even for my own personaly knowledge im trying to picture where this gasket is located inside the carb. If its only 1 year old its not a 6.5HP, B&S does not use HP ratings on something with a direct coupling like a pressure washer, it would have a series (i.e. 650 Series = 6.50 gross ft/lbs tq per SAE J1940). Im trying to understand what this guy is describing and what model of engine in particular. This is the only pressure washer i see that fits your general description, is this the correct one? http://www.farmandfleet.com/products...re_washer.html

Now i just looked up the 675 series engine on that model and pulled up a carb exploded view with kit, which refference number was the offending part?

[cyclone70]

I agree with the carb issue. My ATV's used to flood out. pulled the carbs apart and cleaned the needle and seat for the floats.

[bikedad]

Even for my own personaly knowledge im trying to picture where this gasket is located inside the carb. If its only 1 year old its not a 6.5HP, B&S does not use HP ratings on something with a direct coupling like a pressure washer, it would have a series (i.e. 650 Series = 6.50 gross ft/lbs tq per SAE J1940). Im trying to understand what this guy is describing and what model of engine in particular. This is the only pressure washer i see that fits your general description, is this the correct one? http://www.farmandfleet.com/products...re_washer.html

Now i just looked up the 675 series engine on that model and pulled up a carb exploded view with kit, which refference number was the offending part?

I'm sorry. I forgot to specify that my pressure washer is now about 4 years old (purchased late in the season). I did the rebuild about 2 years ago.
On your diagram of the "Overhaul Kit" I believe it was the part "163" gasket.

My Briggs motor is black in color and has the 6.5HP on the top cover where the one you show in the link is red.