Another question from me

[Breezy]

Any suggestions on what needs to be done to a lawnmower that sparks but won't actually run. It is a push mower, turns over etc... but will not run continuously we get max about 5 sec.
Dh changed the sparkplug, cleaned the fuel line, loosened the gas cap (read something about it may not be able to vent etc...) I mentioned all of my finds about air filters etc... not sure if it has one cause once he gets pissed off he doesn't talk.
Any way we have tried everything we can think of.
I called my dad how has probably rebuilt 20 or so cause he is too cheap to buy a new one but he isn't home.
Any suggestions on what else to try. DH is weedeating the entire yard (thankfully it isn't big) But I can't weedeat that much, my back would break.

Oh and a few things that may come in handy, it is a craftsman push mower, had it just shy of 11 years, and we cranked just shy of 3 weeks ago before we left for HI.
Thanks!

[bondarnes]

The air filter is probably a foam one and can get clogged with grass and dirt, might be some water in the gas, might be bad gas, might be retirement age.

[Breezy]

Thanks Don.
DH checked everything we can think of. His dad called back and said some thing about a needle something or another. Oh well I guess we will keep an eye out for a cheap one. We had really hoped this one would hold out until he retires, I guess we are out of luck lol.

[CaptainTom]

needle valve can get gunk on it and close up the gas flow.

Here's a tutorial... http://www.instructables.com/id/How-...Mower-Engine./

[ka5txl]

maybe find a cheap running replacement on your local craigslist?

[David Whatley]

Get somestarter fluid, remove the air cleaner and spray the starter fluid in and see if you can keep it running that way. If so the carb is stopped up. Spray real well with carb cleaner and let set, see if it will start and run then

[Breezy]

Thanks for the link Tom.
And thanks for the tips from the rest of you. I will pass it all on to dh. He has duty today so nothing will be done before Tuesday any way. I just hate that it waited until now lol. The yard is tiny but I still am not weed eating the whole thing. I will keep an eye out on craigslist etc.. but we are due to move again in just over a year and if we get what we are expecting there will be no grass. Oh dh will be somewhere with no grass and then I will move on to gosh who knows where and then we hope to have enough acerage to need a riding mower.
Thanks again all.

[picman]

Remove the bowl and clean it out, it is most likely filled with goopy old gas. The bolt that held the bowl on will likely have a hole down the center and out the side, blast it out with some carb cleaner. BTW do this some place that you're not going to burn down - there will be a few ounces of gas dripping out. Load it up with fresh gas and see how it works. If it is a no-go, you will probably have to pull the carb and do a little deeper surgery.

Gas now days lasts about a month before getting bad. When it gets to the point of smelling bad, it's beyond being any good for your equipment. Using a gas stabilize will help. Every one and a while I add a little fuel system cleaner to the gas just to clean things up.

[Bruce M. Morris]

Breezy, Here is an option that involves running around some but would mean not buying a new lawnmower. Check on the bases and see what equipment MWR has available for rent. Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth (dont ask).. their MWR rental office had Tillers, Hole Diggers, Log splitters and loads more for rent (just a couple of dollars). They also had Jetskis and Jet boats and campers and so on if you are interested. I would call first though because when I was there and saw all this was in 1999.
Also if you are in Base Housing, the housing office probably has yard equipment that can be checked out to maintain the residence... Hope this helps..

[photonewb]

1 word...SEARS

[Brains]

Many of the current generation mowers use some flavor of Briggs & Stratton engine, with the plastic carburetors that mount directly to the fuel tank. The top of the tank serves as a portion of the carburetor in fact, and the seemingly simple rubber "gasket" that separates the halves has a pair of little rubber flapper valves, literally functioning as a rudimentary fuel pump. Over time the rubber loses its shape and won't seal/pump properly, and the mower won't run. Swap it out for the couple dollars they cost at your local small engine repair shop, and it's good as new. Don't forget to clean it out, including the screen and possibly the check balls. I did mine last summer when it started surging, and it runs like a champ. Still have the original 9 year old spark plug in that sucker too, even after spraying the mower with nitrous oxide one year when the grass got too high. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, the same stuff you saw used in the Fast & Furious. No it didn't blow up.

Anyway. You might also have the more traditional aluminum bodied, needle valve style carb. Often times the needle will stick - if you take the carb apart, and the float doesn't freely move, the needle is stuck. You'll then need to dismantle the whole thing, clean it all out, replace any of the O-rings and gaskets because they're likely shot too, reassemble, and tweak it until the mower runs right. A bit more work involved with these style carbs, but they're actually better units and typically run more efficiently.

[Breezy]

Originally Posted by Bruce M. Morris

Breezy, Here is an option that involves running around some but would mean not buying a new lawnmower. Check on the bases and see what equipment MWR has available for rent. Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth (dont ask).. their MWR rental office had Tillers, Hole Diggers, Log splitters and loads more for rent (just a couple of dollars). They also had Jetskis and Jet boats and campers and so on if you are interested. I would call first though because when I was there and saw all this was in 1999.
Also if you are in Base Housing, the housing office probably has yard equipment that can be checked out to maintain the residence... Hope this helps..

Hey Bruce,
I know they had them at LC last time we were here too but I don't want to drive to the base every week to rent a mower KWIM? I would probably just pay a neighbor to borrow theirs lol. As long as dh is here though I guess he can weedeat it lol.

As for housing now that they are all PPV, there is no "self help" stores :(. I guess we traded self help for a pool lol. Thanks for the tips.

Breezy added 0 Minutes and 58 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

BTW dh has been working on my props and hasn't gotten around to the mower.

[janikphoto]

I had this same problem... exactly the same problem. It sparked, ran for about 5 seconds then died. It was bad gas that gummed up the lines and/or carb. I took about a half hour and used very basic tools (screw drivers and a socket set) to pull off the carb and fuel line. I then cleaned it with carb cleaner and an old toothbrush, blew compressed air through the fuel line to make sure it wasn't blocked, reattached to the mower and it ran like new.

[dixonduke]

Originally Posted by janikphoto

I had this same problem... exactly the same problem. It sparked, ran for about 5 seconds then died. It was bad gas that gummed up the lines and/or carb. I took about a half hour and used very basic tools (screw drivers and a socket set) to pull off the carb and fuel line. I then cleaned it with carb cleaner and an old toothbrush, blew compressed air through the fuel line to make sure it wasn't blocked, reattached to the mower and it ran like new.

+twenty or so.

Every other year or so I have to same for either my parents or my sisters.

[Breezy]

Thanks guys working on it now. Starter fluid in the carb doesn't work.

Breezy added 16 Minutes and 1 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Doing the needle valve now but it doesn't look hopeful

Originally Posted by Brains

Many of the current generation mowers use some flavor of Briggs & Stratton engine, with the plastic carburetors that mount directly to the fuel tank. The top of the tank serves as a portion of the carburetor in fact, and the seemingly simple rubber "gasket" that separates the halves has a pair of little rubber flapper valves, literally functioning as a rudimentary fuel pump. Over time the rubber loses its shape and won't seal/pump properly, and the mower won't run. Swap it out for the couple dollars they cost at your local small engine repair shop, and it's good as new. Don't forget to clean it out, including the screen and possibly the check balls. I did mine last summer when it started surging, and it runs like a champ. Still have the original 9 year old spark plug in that sucker too, even after spraying the mower with nitrous oxide one year when the grass got too high. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, the same stuff you saw used in the Fast & Furious. No it didn't blow up.

Anyway. You might also have the more traditional aluminum bodied, needle valve style carb. Often times the needle will stick - if you take the carb apart, and the float doesn't freely move, the needle is stuck. You'll then need to dismantle the whole thing, clean it all out, replace any of the O-rings and gaskets because they're likely shot too, reassemble, and tweak it until the mower runs right. A bit more work involved with these style carbs, but they're actually better units and typically run more efficiently.