Had to brag...I am a 73 year woman. My 3 year mower was running bad last year and this year no go. I WENT ON THIS SIGHT AND FOLLOWED IT STEP BY STEP.AND THANKS TO YOU I AM NOW A MOWER REPAIR GAL! Runs like a deer! Thanks for your help
Good for you, however the deer part, can't agree with that. Not a john deere fan, you pay more for the name than the product itself, especially parts, simply because it says john deere on it.
@@xbigshot1 'sweetie'...really? I know you're trying to be supportive, but maybe think about how a competent, mature woman, doesn't need to be called 'sweetie'
Magic. Battling with my B&G mower for 2 years. Was about to go buy a new one until I found your video. Followed your instruction and found the well area black. Put it back together and started on the second pull. Thank you!
I was so apprehensive to even start on my stone dead lawnmower. Today I mustered the courage to trust your guidelines and hope for the best. Well, I'm glad to report that not only that my lawnmower has come back to life but I'm also so thrilled at my new found confidence in myself and what I've been able to do for the first time. I feel like a fully flexed mechanic already, thanks to you. Awesome detailed narratives and great tips and guidance throughout. Thank you again immensely.
Remember to change the oil and sharpen the blade every spring, and replace the spark plug every two or three years, and it will run like new for 10 or 20 years.
Eight years later and this video is still relevant. I have the same mower and having issues with an over-season non-starting issue. Totally unknowing where to begin, what to do and what tools needed. Thank you very much for this video, it's still important :) p.s. Amazingly, after all this time, the Amazon link takes you to the replacement gasket and diaphgram too, the most recent one needed. Perfect!
i have a similiar nging on my mower, but not that problem. i have more of a constant oil-problem with said filter.... might not have helped that my father back then filled it opposite....
I viewed this several times. I was able to replace the gasket so that the mower runs better for a couple years. Then I became fearless. I tried to clean and fix many small engines. I managed to maintain most small engines I have. This is a very thorough video.
I have a Weedeater Sprint II I bought years ago- in fact, I can't remember when. TBH I have NEVER done any maintenance on it. Recently it started running unevenly- the engine would speed up, then decrease. I thought it about time to do something. I changed out the air filter and spark plug and did an oil change, all for the first time. It was still running roughly, so I went online and read that it was probably the carburetor, but I could not find instructions for any mower even remotely like mine. until I saw yours. I just followed your video closely, finally reassembling everything and, holding my breath, fired he mower up. PERFECT! It runs like new. I am so pleased- you saved me a hefty bill at a repair shop. And you got yourself another subscriber. Thank you so much. You rock!
I searched on this engine model number, "10L902 0543 E1, " and TH-cam took me here. What an excellent video! Exactly what I needed. It's a Craftsman mower with a 22" (I think) blade.
This guy literally nailed it. This is a guy who knows what his talking about. You can tell by the confidence that is very important when doing a instructional video because it gives begginers like me reassurence. I've literally seen so many garage videos and Finally I have found what I was lookin for Thx alot Subbed!
Video made 2015, just helped me fix my mower in 2024. Bless you and yours, this was by far the easiest and best tutorial I've used (and I've used a lot!).
I cannot thank you enough sir for posting this very detailed and helpful video. This morning, I got my Brute Briggs & Stratton pressure washer up and running. I followed your instructions step by step and it worked. I didn't need to scribe but was careful with the reassembly. Best instructions. Thanks again. Tony
Thanks for the free mower, it worked! This is my first house, and a neighbor was throwing out his mower, I refused to believe it was unfixable, it had compression and spark but ran very slow with misfire. I went to a repair shop and got that gasket for 6$ (while another lady was being quoted 100$ just to investigate her mower, no wonder why people throw mowers away). This year I have seen 3 mowers on the side of the road, now I don't know if I could resist taking them all anymore!
I know you put this video up almost 5 years ago, but it helped me out today in June 2019. Thank you for taking the time to put up such a useful & thorough video.
WOW. Most likely the best tutorial I've ever watch. I haven't done anything to a mower ever.. except pull the cord. I bought an non-running edger. I searched and found this vid. Same carb, maybe same motor 3.5 hp? don't know. But I bought the parts, followed all of the directions and am now enjoying the Victory that is my nicely edged driveway and sidewalks. Thank you sir!!
Hey thanks a lot for the video. I did this today with a 20" sears weed eater mower briggs 8bsxs.1581vg. Yup that little gas well was full of debris. Ultrasonic bath on the carb for good measure. Put the scratch on the tank for good luck. My throttle adjuster was super loose, adjusts from 2800 to 3800 rpm so I tightened it up and set it about 3300. I was convinced the arrangement of the two springs was wrong but its the same as yours. it is running great now. Will stock up on a new diaphragm for next year.
This is the best lawnmower repair video on TH-cam. Period. Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar. :)
90% of what I see is that Diaphragm failing. Spraying the old diaphragm causes it to curl up and become unusable. As a general rule, ANY TIME you pull that plastic carburetor from the tank, that diaphragm should be replaced unless you need to get back into it right away. Brake cleaner is generally a lot less damaging to the diaphragm as well. Good video and good to mention the crud in that well. I always clean the whole tank anyways. You can see that crud as soon as the plastic carb is off.
Easiest thing to do and I tell all my customers, use 93 octane or above for 4 cycle mowers and 2 cycle mixes, 94 sunoco gas has 0 Ethanol.... Ethanol kills small engines, I have used 94 in my small engines for 10 years and have never had to rebuild my carbs, it might be a little pricey but saves you money and head aches in the long run..... Great video.
Octane has nothing to do with quality of fuel. Running a higher octane than an engine is designed for will cause pre-ignition and detonation and will eventually cause catastrophic engine failure.
1st time I hear that advice. Turn it over spark plug up or carberator up. Don’t know how I made it through my entire adult life without that advice. Makes complete sense. Solves so many problems
Thanks. Great video. Really appreciate the help. Could not have fixed my mower without the likes of you. I watched a load of TH-cam videos on these carbs 'running too rich', 'lumpy throttle control', sooting up spark plug, 'fuel leaking', 'not sucking up fuel unless tank more than half full', 'primer bulb not sucking fuel' etc. My mower was doing all of these things. I started off cleaning the carb with carb spray and changing the diaphragm and gasket for a non genuine version off ebay. This may have made it a little worse. Making a sandwich with the diaphragm between two gaskets made minimal difference. The problem was these plastic carbs are prone to distorting with heat and time making the surface that contacts the gasket uneven. I tried flattening it a bit with a sharpening stone and that did not help. Finally using the carburettor replacement fixed all the problems. If your carburettor is distorted get a Briggs and Stratton genuine replacement. They are not expensive
Thank you so much for this video. The clear, step by step instructions made cleaning my carb a breeze. And the best part is the feeling of accomplishment of being able to fix a mower yourself!
This is a prime example of what a TH-cam diy fixit video should be. The only thing I would add is a closer look at the spring situation on the carb, a close-up or slightly more in-depth talk but that’s just me being needy. Thanks!!!!
This video was a lifesaver, clear and concise. It took me a looooooong time to find one with the same motor that I have in my Craftsman push mower. Thanks a million!
Thank you so much for this video. I have a Bolens MTD gas mower which I purchased May 2011. Earlier today, I thought my mower was on its last legs. The primer bulb had stopped working altogether. I was about to go out and buy a new mower (which I probably should have) but I looked at a few videos on You Tube and came across yours (your carburetor is the same exact model as mine). I followed your video to the tee. I re-assembled everything and couldn't believe the primer bulb was working properly and the mower was able to start. Again, many thanks for your knowledge and video.
Many thanks for your video. COVID restrictions down here in Australia have closed our local mower repair shops. It is spring time here and the grass is growing like crazy. I was able to get the mower going again thanks to your video. many thanks again. Cheers. Good on ya, as we say in OZ.
Five years to the day you released it, this video has helped me rescue my Briggs & Stratton from 7 years of non-use, sitting in its old oil, to a fully run like new state. Thanks!
Just want to say: This is the best video on this problem. Too bad I didn't come here first. Etching the line and making the diaphragm seal tight was the key. Thanks!
I've watched 16 videos on why my mower won't start, replaced the carb and spark plug, tested everything from the pull cord to the ignition coil and wires and no one mentiond blowing out the carb chamber. After doing that, the mower is working better than ever. Thanks for this video, I was on my last day of troubleshooting before going and buying a new mower!
Thank you! For me it was the part into the gas tank you started to clean where the bottom is cross-hatched. There was a lot of fine residue that was the same color as the surrounding metal. After digging it out and cleaning all the ports as prescribed, my lawnmower started right up and stayed running smoothly. Thank you for your effort in making this video and spreading the knowledge!!!
Didn’t”t mean to sound rude. I had done those same kinds of repairs for a long period of time before retiring and when people brought the machines to me because they couldn’t get them working right, the first thing I asked was did you check the fuel bowl. They would say no. Then I would show them what they had missed. Happened a lot because they said they didn’t realize it. You have a great video here. Keep it going. Just remember to mention the little things that would be common sense to you and me but not to a lot of diy’s
I took my Lawn mower to several "Repair Shops" to try and get my mower fixed as it was running like a pig...(they were all hopeless to say the least.)...Thought l was going to have buy a new mower...As a last resort l looked into how to clean the Carb on my mower myself...I followed these instruction on this cracking little video,it took about half an hour to clean it and resemble..and now my mower runs beautifully...if an idiot like me can do it, anyone can. Thanks a million...Keep up the great work.
Hey man, just wanted to say that I was having the same issue with my 11 year old mower. I am not very handy with machinery. I followed these instructions and my mower works perfect!! Thanks so much for posting this. Great job in explaining.
Hello That's a great description. Thank you very much. I repaired my lawnmower exactly as instructed. Madness, he runs better than ever. So here in Germany your video has already completed the first help with me successfully.
Dieter Schmidt Hello, I thank you very much for posting a very informative and useful video where you have explained step by step. I have a similar product. My initial problem was the engine that would start to run just for about 5 seconds and then stop. So, my good neighbor John sent me your video link. So, I cleaned the carburetor following your demonstration. After changing the plug, the engine continues to run but steadily at a very high RPM which is not right. So, I must have done something wrong in putting back the carburetor house. I suspect, I suspect the small spring is not able function to restore the normal RPM level. It’s too high and I can not let it run at that high RPM. I wonder what my fault is??
I have just come across this video today when trying to find a repair for my lawnmower. I have barely any mechanical experience but this has made repairing it so much easier. Thanks.
My mower quit on me 2 weeks ago & I can't get my boyfriend to do anything other than tell me he'll work on it. We have about 2 football fields worth of property to mow & it's now September. The riding mower runs but my push mower, the one that quit, really cuts way down on the weed eating. I decided to look on you tube to see if there was any chance in hell I might be able to do this myself & your video makes me feel like I just might be able to! I have already seen comments from a 73 yr old woman & a 61 yr old woman that did it so I guess I'll be representing the females in their 50's category lol Wish me luck! I think I can I think I can I think I can ...
My lawn mower would slowly cut out after a minute.Your diagnosis is spot on especially the bit about the diaphragm not being seated properly.Thanks for taking the time to do the video.
This saved me a trip to the service center, thank you so much! Considering I've never pulled anything apart before your video was perfect. My mower went from dead to working! :D
I've been given about 10 or so 3.5 to 5 HP B&S engines this year all non-running. Honestly 95% of them needed the gasket between the carb and fuel tank. A super easy and quick fix that makes the machine run like new. This video really helped with getting into working on these engines. 👍
I watched this last night and today my mower is running again today after i followed your instruction, I lost the spring so modified another, it ran after a few pulls once the petrol had circulated,it ran fast so i stretched the spring until it ticked over nicely. later i found the proper spring, so have it as a spare! Thank you very much!
I can see that that 'gasket' serves a dual function. It serves as the gasket between carb and tank, but it is also the fuel pump diaphragm. Suction from the intake stroke pulls the diaphragm against a spring and on the other side of the diaphragm, suction is created which pulls the fuel up from the tank to that fuel well/bowl. You can see little flaps on the membrane that act as tiny valves. I've worked on the older Briggs horizontal shaft engines and the carb/tank gasket and fuel pump diaphragm are two separate parts. The rubber diaphragm fuel pump design is clever, but combining the membrane and gasket is extra clever.
my briggs is a 150cc 4 stroke and its 45 years old. starts 3rd pull every time! gave it a new filter and plug 10 years ago. update! i took a look at the oil for the first time and it was just a little black sludge! cleaned it out and refilled with semi synthetic. runs the same😀
Great little tutorial. Was having issues with myself propelled not running. Followed this tutorial and she's back to starting on the first pull again. Thk U.
Thanks for that mate, who would have thought down here in New Zealand I have the exact same engine with the same problem all fixed now and the missus is out mowing the lawn as I speak
I went from knowing nothing about these mowers, to fixing other peoples Murray B&S mowers. Ever since I watched this video, I have been curious to learn more about these motors, and this is where I started.
Thank you for the great video. Because of your clear instructions i was able to clean and reassemble the carborator in under 30 minutes and get this mower working for another season. Thank again
I picked up a gas edger that uses this motor. She said to get it to start they would have to prime it 10+ times, and they took it In a bunch of times but the repair people kept saying its normal. So she sold it to me for 20 bucks. I watched this video before buying it and figured it was worth a shot. Last winter I got a non running snowblower for cheap and youtube videos helped me figure it out so I'm hoping this works out too. thanks for posting
Ok yeah for the price I am giving it a shot. They haven't tried to start it in 2 years but claims it used to work. There is still gas in there so I need to get that out. I am going to change the spark plug and replace the carb and gasket. Any suggestions beyond that I should expect to need to do
Eric Dyer yeah I think it's worth a shot. As far as fuel delivery and old gas really there's nothing else that goes wrong on these engines. at least that's from sitting a long time. you may want to add some seafoam in the first tank of gas. and obviously change the oil. good luck👍
Beautifully done video! My mama and I both have this 500 series mower (mine has a 21" deck). I will be replacing the carburetor on my mower soon and upgrading a few other parts. The carburetor on Mama's mower needs cleaning, and your video is exactly what I needed to review. I especially appreciate you providing the tool sizes needed.
Great video. This type of job is very intimidating to people when as you show it's rather simple. Learning the basics of a small engine would really help people get over the fear.
Thanks so much for this vid..i was about to throw out my briggs mower ...but after following your instructions ...fixed 1n 40 minutes ...starts with the second pull when cold ..awesome saving on the $$$$$
Good and really smart--talks to the viewers, not the ether. "Believe it or not..." sort of comment is refreshing and gives perspective. I will search for a troubleshooting video as well, getting into symptoms to use as directional guide perhaps. .
Over the years I have had several Briggs & Stratton engined mowers. I always chose a mower because of the engine make, the rest is just tin work. A couple of years ago I bought a very similar mower to the one in your excellent video. The problem with this model engine has always been muck blocking the jets in the carb. It seems some bean counter at Briggs thought they could save some money by building the carb into the fuel tank. What a disaster that turned out to be. Any slight muck in the fuel .... a blocked jet. Formally when they had a carb with it's own separate float bowl it was easy, usually just one bolt, to remove the float bowl and any muck. This also created an additional barrier to protect the jets. Also as you point out the gasket is very prone to distortion. Cutting corners on design is not a good way to ensure repeat business when it come to buying a replacement mower. Thanks for taking the trouble to make this very helpful video.
Thank you Sir! My mower is much older than this one, but in principle (sort of..) the same. With your help mine now starts 1st time and runs like a champ! My fuel filters were blocked and the gas tank was a bit mucky. All good now, so unfortunately I've no excuses for not doing the lawn...
My power washer wasn't working this morning. I followed your instructions and it's running fine now. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!
Correction on my previous comment. It appears I am now in the 90% section! Left the mower out in the sun over lunch, tried again afterwards and it started with the second pull! Lawn mowed for Xmas, happy wife = happy life!
I wish I knew this about the oil problem. I got one second hand today and I put it on its side to look at the blade and when I put it back down I had oil every where and the carb was full of it. I don't think people like the smoke machine effect when I got it running lol but its burnt off now.
Good video I've done this to almost every mower in my neighborhood with the exception of one I had a Honda motor what the fuel bowl on the bottom of the carburetor that you must clean out but on New Year's generally that gasket under the carburetor Goes to Hell and won't suck fuel as soon as you replace it it works fine I also always reset the timing mark and the gap between the points in the flywheel those two things will make any mower run
I've had my self perplexed Briggs motor over 7years and it has always started on first pull so I'm a very pleased 61year old lady thankyou Briggs never had nothing taken off to repair has original everything as if it was bought new again 😃
Brilliant! My lawnmower wasn't priming at all. Followed the instructions and now running very nicely indeed. Well done on excellent and very clear set of instructions. Thank you very much! Why would anyone down rate this video???
I’ve never needed to take in lawnmower to repair shop but I’m guessing I saved $50+. My filter was super clogged/filthy and I wasn’t able to start my lawnmower. I gave it a good cleaning like in the video and it started working! Thank you for taking the time to make this video!!!
How the heck would you find someone competent enough at a manufacturer to tell you what the fix was? Or care? Also- the intimate knowledge some people have of things like this is very impressive.
race them ... no racer who wins uses them ... their small engines are crap ... Briggs and Stratton make ok industrial engines and pumps but crappy private small engines and pumps ... BS engines tell you how good they are in their name ... they are BS
10 mins before finding this video I was looking at new lawn mowers on the web. I didn't have any carb cleaner on hand but I was able to clean up the carb well enough with compressed air. Cleaned up the spark plug as well and the mower fired up on the first couple of pulls. Thanks for saving me a few hundred bucks.
5 years later and this video just saved another lawnmower from a dump run. Thanks, thanks, thanks 🙏. I inherited a 3.5 HP Briggs & Stratton lawnmower in a cottage purchase that ran for 20 minutes, then won’t start again. I followed all these steps and voila.... extended life for this old lawnmower. Instead of carb cleaner and air compressor, I used Dawn liquid dish detergent and the garden hose to clean tank & carb body , but first be sure all small parts are removed such as the spring, metal screen filter & all gaskets. Takes longer but it works. Soak the metal filter screen in Dawn , rinse carefully in warm tap water (not hose). Lots of drying time needed to remove all trace of water from carb body and especially the tank. Box cutter knife used to score the metal surface. Thin layer of AquaSeal glue used as a gasket cement on that critical edge and I used AquaSeal as a lock-tight for the 5 carb screws. Fresh gas in the tank. Primer bulb didn’t work at first (not sure why) , so I put a few drops of gas in the carb bowl. Started on 2nd pull. Runs great at all speeds. Cheer 🕺. Primer bulb works fine on subsequent test starts. Guess I needed to prime the primer bulb with a test start 🙃. Foam air filter cleaned with Dawn dish detergent, dried for 4 hours, then I added a few drops of (10W30) engine oil to the foam air filter, as per owners manual. Thanks again.
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This vid was made sometime 2015, and you helped me out 2022. May this vid be one for the ages. Thankyou
2024! 👏👏
Excellent tutorial! No fluff, no unnecessary BS. I wish every TH-cam tutorial was as fast-paced and to the point as this one.
Had to brag...I am a 73 year woman. My 3 year mower was running bad last year and this year no go. I WENT ON THIS SIGHT AND FOLLOWED IT STEP BY STEP.AND THANKS TO YOU I AM NOW A MOWER REPAIR GAL! Runs like a deer! Thanks for your help
Lois Haley 👍😁
Good for you, however the deer part, can't agree with that. Not a john deere fan, you pay more for the name than the product itself, especially parts, simply because it says john deere on it.
Good for you. It feels good to fix something yourself. Woman can fix anything a man can if they want to learn.
Fantastic, sweetie...........seniors do it better, lol!
@@xbigshot1 'sweetie'...really? I know you're trying to be supportive, but maybe think about how a competent, mature woman, doesn't need to be called 'sweetie'
Magic. Battling with my B&G mower for 2 years. Was about to go buy a new one until I found your video. Followed your instruction and found the well area black. Put it back together and started on the second pull. Thank you!
I was so apprehensive to even start on my stone dead lawnmower. Today I mustered the courage to trust your guidelines and hope for the best.
Well, I'm glad to report that not only that my lawnmower has come back to life but I'm also so thrilled at my new found confidence in myself and what I've been able to do for the first time. I feel like a fully flexed mechanic already, thanks to you. Awesome detailed narratives and great tips and guidance throughout. Thank you again immensely.
Remember to change the oil and sharpen the blade every spring, and replace the spark plug every two or three years, and it will run like new for 10 or 20 years.
Eight years later and this video is still relevant. I have the same mower and having issues with an over-season non-starting issue. Totally unknowing where to begin, what to do and what tools needed. Thank you very much for this video, it's still important :) p.s. Amazingly, after all this time, the Amazon link takes you to the replacement gasket and diaphgram too, the most recent one needed. Perfect!
He’s a bloody good Australian this bloke
i have a similiar nging on my mower, but not that problem. i have more of a constant oil-problem with said filter.... might not have helped that my father back then filled it opposite....
I viewed this several times. I was able to replace the gasket so that the mower runs better for a couple years.
Then I became fearless. I tried to clean and fix many small engines. I managed to maintain most small engines I have.
This is a very thorough video.
I have a Weedeater Sprint II I bought years ago- in fact, I can't remember when. TBH I have NEVER done any maintenance on it. Recently it started running unevenly- the engine would speed up, then decrease. I thought it about time to do something. I changed out the air filter and spark plug and did an oil change, all for the first time.
It was still running roughly, so I went online and read that it was probably the carburetor, but I could not find instructions for any mower even remotely like mine. until I saw yours.
I just followed your video closely, finally reassembling everything and, holding my breath, fired he mower up. PERFECT! It runs like new. I am so pleased- you saved me a hefty bill at a repair shop. And you got yourself another subscriber. Thank you so much. You rock!
Your video saved me money and taught me how to fix my issue. Thankful for creators like yourself!
I searched on this engine model number, "10L902 0543 E1, " and TH-cam took me here. What an excellent video! Exactly what I needed. It's a Craftsman mower with a 22" (I think) blade.
Great video, nice and clear, and no music in the background. Have a cold one my friend, you've earned it.
This guy literally nailed it. This is a guy who knows what his talking about. You can tell by the confidence that is very important when doing a instructional video because it gives begginers like me reassurence.
I've literally seen so many garage videos and Finally I have found what I was lookin for
Thx alot
Subbed!
Wow, did this on a mower that hadn't run for 7 years, started first pull. Thank you so much😊
Video made 2015, just helped me fix my mower in 2024. Bless you and yours, this was by far the easiest and best tutorial I've used (and I've used a lot!).
I cannot thank you enough sir for posting this very detailed and helpful video. This morning, I got my Brute Briggs & Stratton pressure washer up and running. I followed your instructions step by step and it worked. I didn't need to scribe but was careful with the reassembly. Best instructions. Thanks again. Tony
Thanks for the free mower, it worked! This is my first house, and a neighbor was throwing out his mower, I refused to believe it was unfixable, it had compression and spark but ran very slow with misfire. I went to a repair shop and got that gasket for 6$ (while another lady was being quoted 100$ just to investigate her mower, no wonder why people throw mowers away). This year I have seen 3 mowers on the side of the road, now I don't know if I could resist taking them all anymore!
I know you put this video up almost 5 years ago, but it helped me out today in June 2019. Thank you for taking the time to put up such a useful & thorough video.
WOW. Most likely the best tutorial I've ever watch. I haven't done anything to a mower ever.. except pull the cord. I bought an non-running edger. I searched and found this vid. Same carb, maybe same motor 3.5 hp? don't know. But I bought the parts, followed all of the directions and am now enjoying the Victory that is my nicely edged driveway and sidewalks.
Thank you sir!!
😁
Ppp
steve c immigrant
Bill by
Siri
Keep
Thank you for clear instructions! I was lucky to find this vid right away instead of going through 20 who dont really know what they’re doing.
Hey thanks a lot for the video. I did this today with a 20" sears weed eater mower briggs 8bsxs.1581vg. Yup that little gas well was full of debris. Ultrasonic bath on the carb for good measure. Put the scratch on the tank for good luck. My throttle adjuster was super loose, adjusts from 2800 to 3800 rpm so I tightened it up and set it about 3300. I was convinced the arrangement of the two springs was wrong but its the same as yours. it is running great now. Will stock up on a new diaphragm for next year.
This is the best lawnmower repair video on TH-cam. Period. Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar. :)
Is his mower resting on the floor or is it on a table/platform raised up?
90% of what I see is that Diaphragm failing. Spraying the old diaphragm causes it to curl up and become unusable. As a general rule, ANY TIME you pull that plastic carburetor from the tank, that diaphragm should be replaced unless you need to get back into it right away. Brake cleaner is generally a lot less damaging to the diaphragm as well. Good video and good to mention the crud in that well. I always clean the whole tank anyways. You can see that crud as soon as the plastic carb is off.
Easiest thing to do and I tell all my customers, use 93 octane or above for 4 cycle mowers and 2 cycle mixes, 94 sunoco gas has 0 Ethanol.... Ethanol kills small engines, I have used 94 in my small engines for 10 years and have never had to rebuild my carbs, it might be a little pricey but saves you money and head aches in the long run..... Great video.
👍😁
Drain your gas tank in the fall at the end of each mowing season. That helps a lot as well to.
It would help if you drain the carb as well.... or use stable....
Octane has nothing to do with quality of fuel. Running a higher octane than an engine is designed for will cause pre-ignition and detonation and will eventually cause catastrophic engine failure.
I would think it'd only be a waste of money, not engine failure, but I'm no expert. @@dontblameme6328
1st time I hear that advice. Turn it over spark plug up or carberator up. Don’t know how I made it through my entire adult life without that advice. Makes complete sense. Solves so many problems
Thanks. Great video. Really appreciate the help. Could not have fixed my mower without the likes of you. I watched a load of TH-cam videos on these carbs 'running too rich', 'lumpy throttle control', sooting up spark plug, 'fuel leaking', 'not sucking up fuel unless tank more than half full', 'primer bulb not sucking fuel' etc. My mower was doing all of these things. I started off cleaning the carb with carb spray and changing the diaphragm and gasket for a non genuine version off ebay. This may have made it a little worse. Making a sandwich with the diaphragm between two gaskets made minimal difference. The problem was these plastic carbs are prone to distorting with heat and time making the surface that contacts the gasket uneven. I tried flattening it a bit with a sharpening stone and that did not help. Finally using the carburettor replacement fixed all the problems. If your carburettor is distorted get a Briggs and Stratton genuine replacement. They are not expensive
Thank you so much for this video. The clear, step by step instructions made cleaning my carb a breeze. And the best part is the feeling of accomplishment of being able to fix a mower yourself!
You are an awesome tutor. Mower appeared dead, followed your steps and woop woop, running just as it was brought brand new 7 years ago - thank you.
This guy and his video are great. He's really clear on the basics for a knuckle head like me, and he even has innovative solutions too
Thanks mower is 10 years old repair guy said it was dead, 10 min after watching this I was back mowing, cheers mate
Great video, I am not a small engine repair guy. This video walk me right through it perfectly. My mowers running the best it has in years. Thank you!
You are a legend! I live in Auckland New Zealand and you saved me $90.0 nz On a mower service. 12/10 vid bro!
This is a prime example of what a TH-cam diy fixit video should be. The only thing I would add is a closer look at the spring situation on the carb, a close-up or slightly more in-depth talk but that’s just me being needy.
Thanks!!!!
I've worked on these things all my life yet I still learned from you.
I’m 65 years old and what you said is The humbling truth.
This video was a lifesaver, clear and concise. It took me a looooooong time to find one with the same motor that I have in my Craftsman push mower. Thanks a million!
Thank you so much for this video. I have a Bolens MTD gas mower which I purchased May 2011. Earlier today, I thought my mower was on its last legs. The primer bulb had stopped working altogether. I was about to go out and buy a new mower (which I probably should have) but I looked at a few videos on You Tube and came across yours (your carburetor is the same exact model as mine). I followed your video to the tee. I re-assembled everything and couldn't believe the primer bulb was working properly and the mower was able to start. Again, many thanks for your knowledge and video.
Many thanks for your video. COVID restrictions down here in Australia have closed our local mower repair shops. It is spring time here and the grass is growing like crazy. I was able to get the mower going again thanks to your video. many thanks again. Cheers. Good on ya, as we say in OZ.
Yeah psyop19 messed alot of crap up...here in Kanada also..😬
Five years to the day you released it, this video has helped me rescue my Briggs & Stratton from 7 years of non-use, sitting in its old oil, to a fully run like new state. Thanks!
Just want to say: This is the best video on this problem. Too bad I didn't come here first. Etching the line and making the diaphragm seal tight was the key. Thanks!
Matthew Booker set a magneto
Set a magneto
It's 2024 and you are a legend, mate!
Scribe trick worked a treat.
Regards from Australia
I've watched 16 videos on why my mower won't start, replaced the carb and spark plug, tested everything from the pull cord to the ignition coil and wires and no one mentiond blowing out the carb chamber. After doing that, the mower is working better than ever. Thanks for this video, I was on my last day of troubleshooting before going and buying a new mower!
Thank you! For me it was the part into the gas tank you started to clean where the bottom is cross-hatched. There was a lot of fine residue that was the same color as the surrounding metal. After digging it out and cleaning all the ports as prescribed, my lawnmower started right up and stayed running smoothly. Thank you for your effort in making this video and spreading the knowledge!!!
Thanks so much for such an excellent tutorial. Today I feel like a real man... I fixed my own lawn mower.
👍😊
Didn’t”t mean to sound rude. I had done those same kinds of repairs for a long period of time before retiring and when people brought the machines to me because they couldn’t get them working right, the first thing I asked was did you check the fuel bowl. They would say no. Then I would show them what they had missed. Happened a lot because they said they didn’t realize it. You have a great video here. Keep it going. Just remember to mention the little things that would be common sense to you and me but not to a lot of diy’s
I took my Lawn mower to several "Repair Shops" to try and get my mower fixed as it was running like a pig...(they were all hopeless to say the least.)...Thought l was going to have buy a new mower...As a last resort l looked into how to clean the Carb on my mower myself...I followed these instruction on this cracking little video,it took about half an hour to clean it and resemble..and now my mower runs beautifully...if an idiot like me can do it, anyone can. Thanks a million...Keep up the great work.
Hey man, just wanted to say that I was having the same issue with my 11 year old mower. I am not very handy with machinery. I followed these instructions and my mower works perfect!! Thanks so much for posting this. Great job in explaining.
Hello That's a great description. Thank you very much.
I repaired my lawnmower exactly as instructed. Madness, he runs better than ever.
So here in Germany your video has already completed the first help with me successfully.
Dieter Schmidt Hello, I thank you very much for posting a very informative and useful video where you have explained step by step. I have a similar product. My initial problem was the engine that would start to run just for about 5 seconds and then stop. So, my good neighbor John sent me your video link. So, I cleaned the carburetor following your demonstration. After changing the plug, the engine continues to run but steadily at a very high RPM which is not right. So, I must have done something wrong in putting back the carburetor house. I suspect, I suspect the small spring is not able function to restore the normal RPM level. It’s too high and I can not let it run at that high RPM. I wonder what my fault is??
I thought VW made mowers in Deutschland!
Thank you for replying, I have replaced Diaphragm, gasket, primer bulb with original briggs parts & it runs fine now, thanks, great tutorial videos.
I'm a lady and this helped me fix mine. I also replaced my spark plug and blade!! Yeah!!
I have just come across this video today when trying to find a repair for my lawnmower. I have barely any mechanical experience but this has made repairing it so much easier. Thanks.
My mower quit on me 2 weeks ago & I can't get my boyfriend to do anything other than tell me he'll work on it. We have about 2 football fields worth of property to mow & it's now September. The riding mower runs but my push mower, the one that quit, really cuts way down on the weed eating. I decided to look on you tube to see if there was any chance in hell I might be able to do this myself & your video makes me feel like I just might be able to! I have already seen comments from a 73 yr old woman & a 61 yr old woman that did it so I guess I'll be representing the females in their 50's category lol
Wish me luck!
I think I can
I think I can
I think I can ...
Fantastic video, clear and concise, plus no annoying music 👍, thank you very much 🙏
Great video! Easy to follow, well detailed. My husband got our mower running like a Ferrari after it kept revving up & down and stalling. Thanks!
😁
He's the man!
My lawn mower would slowly cut out after a minute.Your diagnosis is spot on especially the bit about the diaphragm not being seated properly.Thanks for taking the time to do the video.
This saved me a trip to the service center, thank you so much! Considering I've never pulled anything apart before your video was perfect. My mower went from dead to working! :D
I've been given about 10 or so 3.5 to 5 HP B&S engines this year all non-running. Honestly 95% of them needed the gasket between the carb and fuel tank. A super easy and quick fix that makes the machine run like new. This video really helped with getting into working on these engines. 👍
I watched this last night and today my mower is running again today after i followed your instruction, I lost the spring so modified another, it ran after a few pulls once the petrol had circulated,it ran fast so i stretched the spring until it ticked over nicely. later i found the proper spring, so have it as a spare! Thank you very much!
Where did you find the spring?
I can see that that 'gasket' serves a dual function. It serves as the gasket between carb and tank, but it is also the fuel pump diaphragm. Suction from the intake stroke pulls the diaphragm against a spring and on the other side of the diaphragm, suction is created which pulls the fuel up from the tank to that fuel well/bowl. You can see little flaps on the membrane that act as tiny valves. I've worked on the older Briggs horizontal shaft engines and the carb/tank gasket and fuel pump diaphragm are two separate parts. The rubber diaphragm fuel pump design is clever, but combining the membrane and gasket is extra clever.
Exactly as I see it.
my briggs is a 150cc 4 stroke and its 45 years old. starts 3rd pull every time! gave it a new filter and plug 10 years ago. update! i took a look at the oil for the first time and it was just a little black sludge! cleaned it out and refilled with semi synthetic. runs the same😀
I've got a 22 year old Lawn Boy. I only hope it lasts that long.
I'm a small engine mechanic this video was straight and to the point
Great little tutorial.
Was having issues with myself propelled not running.
Followed this tutorial and she's back to starting on the first pull again. Thk U.
Thanks for that mate, who would have thought down here in New Zealand I have the exact same engine with the same problem all fixed now and the missus is out mowing the lawn as I speak
They are made in China now, so we all have the same crap. Off the topic-The city in the states where I live is Hobart. lol
@@tubaljohn1 I bought this carb from Jack's Small Engines online. Installed it yesterday. The OEM Briggs carb says Made in USA on the box.
I’m more impressed that you got the missus to mow the yard than you fixing the mower. Well done sir!
Excellent Video! Can't stand narrators who love to hear themselves talk on and on. Your was done "Very Well!" to the point and done!!!!
Agreed done very well.
Thanks for the video. Looks like doing this just fixed my problem. Of course now I am caught between Yay, I can mow again and Damn, I can mow again.
My mower is having the issues you mentioned at the beginning. I look forward to this repair now. Thank you.
I went from knowing nothing about these mowers, to fixing other peoples Murray B&S mowers. Ever since I watched this video, I have been curious to learn more about these motors, and this is where I started.
Awesome video. Has saved me giving up on my machine. Easy to follow - 15 minutes procedure and the engine is up and running again. Thanks!
Thank you for the great video. Because of your clear instructions i was able to clean and reassemble the carborator in under 30 minutes and get this mower working for another season. Thank again
I picked up a gas edger that uses this motor. She said to get it to start they would have to prime it 10+ times, and they took it In a bunch of times but the repair people kept saying its normal. So she sold it to me for 20 bucks. I watched this video before buying it and figured it was worth a shot. Last winter I got a non running snowblower for cheap and youtube videos helped me figure it out so I'm hoping this works out too. thanks for posting
On amazon there are after market kits with a carb, spark plug, gasket, for not very expensive. Have you ever heard of people having luck with these?
Eric Dyer Hit and miss.. I have tried a few and only one out of about 5 was a little off.. Worth a try..
Ok yeah for the price I am giving it a shot. They haven't tried to start it in 2 years but claims it used to work. There is still gas in there so I need to get that out. I am going to change the spark plug and replace the carb and gasket. Any suggestions beyond that I should expect to need to do
Eric Dyer yeah I think it's worth a shot. As far as fuel delivery and old gas really there's nothing else that goes wrong on these engines. at least that's from sitting a long time. you may want to add some seafoam in the first tank of gas. and obviously change the oil. good luck👍
Thanks will do that as well. Thanks for the advice. Not that it necessarily matters it was already pretty clean they said they didn't really use it.
Beautifully done video! My mama and I both have this 500 series mower (mine has a 21" deck). I will be replacing the carburetor on my mower soon and upgrading a few other parts. The carburetor on Mama's mower needs cleaning, and your video is exactly what I needed to review. I especially appreciate you providing the tool sizes needed.
Great video. This type of job is very intimidating to people when as you show it's rather simple. Learning the basics of a small engine would really help people get over the fear.
Thanks so much for this vid..i was about to throw out my briggs mower ...but after following your instructions ...fixed 1n 40 minutes ...starts with the second pull when cold ..awesome saving on the $$$$$
Good and really smart--talks to the viewers, not the ether. "Believe it or not..." sort of comment is refreshing and gives perspective.
I will search for a troubleshooting video as well, getting into symptoms to use as directional guide perhaps. .
Over the years I have had several Briggs & Stratton engined mowers. I always chose a mower because of the engine make, the rest is just tin work. A couple of years ago I bought a very similar mower to the one in your excellent video. The problem with this model engine has always been muck blocking the jets in the carb. It seems some bean counter at Briggs thought they could save some money by building the carb into the fuel tank. What a disaster that turned out to be. Any slight muck in the fuel .... a blocked jet. Formally when they had a carb with it's own separate float bowl it was easy, usually just one bolt, to remove the float bowl and any muck. This also created an additional barrier to protect the jets. Also as you point out the gasket is very prone to distortion. Cutting corners on design is not a good way to ensure repeat business when it come to buying a replacement mower.
Thanks for taking the trouble to make this very helpful video.
Excellent video! Your camera angles are great and you explained everything in a concise manner. This video helped me a lot. Thanks.
Your videos is the most easily way to fix Lown mowers. Thanks from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
Thank you Sir! My mower is much older than this one, but in principle (sort of..) the same. With your help mine now starts 1st time and runs like a champ! My fuel filters were blocked and the gas tank was a bit mucky. All good now, so unfortunately I've no excuses for not doing the lawn...
Great job. Glad you told us about scribing a line on the base of the gas tank so that the diaphragm gasket
has something to grab onto ++++
i just did this to my mower and it runs like a champ again almost 12 years strong. Thanks again!!!
Edited. This worked for my mower without carb cleaner cuz i didnt want to drive to town. Very nice ty
Working on one right now James. No gen output, hooking up my drill to see if she will work. Great video’s, nice to see you teaching!
My power washer wasn't working this morning. I followed your instructions and it's running fine now. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!
👍😊
Correction on my previous comment. It appears I am now in the 90% section! Left the mower out in the sun over lunch, tried again afterwards and it started with the second pull! Lawn mowed for Xmas, happy wife = happy life!
I wish I knew this about the oil problem. I got one second hand today and I put it on its side to look at the blade and when I put it back down I had oil every where and the carb was full of it. I don't think people like the smoke machine effect when I got it running lol but its burnt off now.
Good video I've done this to almost every mower in my neighborhood with the exception of one I had a Honda motor what the fuel bowl on the bottom of the carburetor that you must clean out but on New Year's generally that gasket under the carburetor Goes to Hell and won't suck fuel as soon as you replace it it works fine I also always reset the timing mark and the gap between the points in the flywheel those two things will make any mower run
I've had my self perplexed Briggs motor over 7years and it has always started on first pull so I'm a very pleased 61year old lady thankyou Briggs never had nothing taken off to repair has original everything as if it was bought new again 😃
Amen hope nothing happens now for braging😢
Superd. Was about to scrap my mower now its running better than ever. God bless you sir.
Best advice I ever got: Don't use fuel containing ethanol in small engine/lawn equipment. Saves a lot of headaches.
Thank you for making this video, just mowed the lawn because of you.
Followed your instructions to the letter and it worked perfectly. Thanks very much for the video.
You're a legend, love from England.
Brilliant! My lawnmower wasn't priming at all. Followed the instructions and now running very nicely indeed. Well done on excellent and very clear set of instructions. Thank you very much! Why would anyone down rate this video???
I’ve never needed to take in lawnmower to repair shop but I’m guessing I saved $50+. My filter was super clogged/filthy and I wasn’t able to start my lawnmower. I gave it a good cleaning like in the video and it started working! Thank you for taking the time to make this video!!!
How the heck would you find someone competent enough at a manufacturer to tell you what the fix was? Or care? Also- the intimate knowledge some people have of things like this is very impressive.
race them ... no racer who wins uses them ... their small engines are crap ... Briggs and Stratton make ok industrial engines and pumps but crappy private small engines and pumps ... BS engines tell you how good they are in their name ... they are BS
Dude this is the best guide damn I followed it and the broken mower is now fixed
100% perfect although i dont like to get carb cleaner on diaphragm as it can distort its shape
Non-starter after the winter, followed the instructions to the letter, carb cleaner and new plug bought.....literally first pull and away...thank you😀
Thank you. I’d tried everything I knew. Then I spotted the tip about a scratch on the gasket seat.
Now running sweet as a nut.
I liked that carb/primer set-up better than the ones they have now. The new set-up has a hole in the primer ball, with a horrible air filter housing..
And some like the one I have now has no primer and have to use starting fluid
Thank you, my 9 year old MTD lawnmower runs like a champ again!
Just getting into small engine repair, this will be a big help, thanks 👍.
10 mins before finding this video I was looking at new lawn mowers on the web. I didn't have any carb cleaner on hand but I was able to clean up the carb well enough with compressed air.
Cleaned up the spark plug as well and the mower fired up on the first couple of pulls.
Thanks for saving me a few hundred bucks.
5 years later and this video just saved another lawnmower from a dump run. Thanks, thanks, thanks 🙏.
I inherited a 3.5 HP Briggs & Stratton lawnmower in a cottage purchase that ran for 20 minutes, then won’t start again. I followed all these steps and voila.... extended life for this old lawnmower.
Instead of carb cleaner and air compressor, I used Dawn liquid dish detergent and the garden hose to clean tank & carb body , but first be sure all small parts are removed such as the spring, metal screen filter & all gaskets. Takes longer but it works. Soak the metal filter screen in Dawn , rinse carefully in warm tap water (not hose). Lots of drying time needed to remove all trace of water from carb body and especially the tank.
Box cutter knife used to score the metal surface. Thin layer of AquaSeal glue used as a gasket cement on that critical edge and I used AquaSeal as a lock-tight for the 5 carb screws.
Fresh gas in the tank. Primer bulb didn’t work at first (not sure why) , so I put a few drops of gas in the carb bowl. Started on 2nd pull. Runs great at all speeds. Cheer 🕺. Primer bulb works fine on subsequent test starts. Guess I needed to prime the primer bulb with a test start 🙃.
Foam air filter cleaned with Dawn dish detergent, dried for 4 hours, then I added a few drops of
(10W30) engine oil to the foam air filter, as per owners manual.
Thanks again.