Fixing A Craftsman Mower That Won't Start
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
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Thanks for watching. Fixing this mower, was pretty easy, but the recoil was a bit harder to deal with.
This video is meant as entertainment, always practice safety.
Mower Model : 917377593
Engine Model : 143-996704
I'm not sure what's up with these videos, but, I am thoroughly a deck ted to them. I can't can't get enough. You got my itchin to go do some maintenance and repairs to my stuff. I feel like I could fix most mowers now.
Glad you like them!
I had to work on one of these for a coworker,year's ago the Oring where the jet is will swell up not letting enought fuel to the carburetor replace the Oring. Another nice video.
You are absolutely correct. I wasn't going to do a video about it, but the oring had swelled and smashed down, restricting fuel flow. I just took it out, but I found out , without the O ring, fuel was seeping past the Jet. The sputtering is the engine running rich. I replaced the o ring and it runs great now.
I second the main jet o-ring blocking fuel after swelling.
I don't know about the sputtering but I always wire brush and oil the magneto and magnet(s) when I'm that far into one. Briggs says it doesn't matter but I can't see how rust all over a part that relies on magnetism passing within a hairs breadth of another part can help anything. And that might end up being a trip to the shop too. I'm getting to where I believe nothing big shots say about anything. Found a guy that'll come get all the old mowers. My pal that has his own shop does work for the guy a trailer load at a time and he just gave me his number. He builds decks for a living and will make the trip here when he gats a chance. Will sure hate to see some go BUT time marches on and an incredible rate. BLESSINGS!
thank you Lewie McNeely and I see your point.
@@HomeGaragechannel Can't hurt. And if left alone someone will get to buy a new Magnetron.
The vertical crankshaft Tecumseh engines always run a little rough. If you have some jet drills, open up the jet one size to let a little more fuel into the carburetor. It almost always works for me. Good video, too.
thank you shawneehills7 I appreciate the tip
Is there such a thing as jet drills? Would that be the brand or actual drills made for jetting? I was looking for them on Amazon and Maybe I didn't look hard enough.
If the valves are carboned up, l would think that could cause sputtering. If the carb isnt the fix for it, l would try cleaning the valves. Great video as always!
thank you Ethan Miller for the comment, I'll look into It more.
I remember seeing those doing my child hood years. Most of my old neighbors in Illinois had that model mower. And I believe it least two of them still have them. This was my dream mower back then unfortunately I was never able to get one. Because they stop making them I did not get my own mower until 2010. Because we had mowing company mowed our lawn for years. But I did get a Honda mower.
thank you for letting us know
Them back wheels are HUGE. I’ll never forget when my neighbor had one of these beasts with those big star wheels. Iconic. All cheap flimsy plastic nowadays and nobody makes a rear wheel the size of that anymore.
these wheels are some of the best ones out there, that aren't commercial. Built very strong and lasts too.
I have one, they gave it to me because it was difficult to start and it released a lot of smoke. I just cleaned it and it is already working.
Great to find this video ... I also have a pull cord wont retract issue on a Craftsman EZ3 917.377580 ... so looking forward to getting the mower apart!!
nice, and If you do, it might be a good idea, to just replace the entire recoil assembly.
Okay, after much trying I was able to pry off the gas tank. After this is it was mainly bolt removal , along with removing a small plate. Once I got the starter recoil off it still would not turn ... likely many years of rust ... but after some scraping and applying force in the right direction it now turns ... but only with force applied, never on its own ... I just found the spring hook where it should be and used some WD-40 behind it ... I'm not sure about taking the recoil assembly apart, as there is a plastic pin instead of a screw or bolt, but I'm guessing I'll need to try this ... or just buy a new recoil assembly :)
you can try and I've been told it can be done, but I would shy away from taking it apart. BUT at this point you either try it out, and if it doesn't work you can just replace it.
Glad you did this video. I Am working on this same mower. I found the head gadget was bad. I removed it and cleaned everything. Now I am unable to find a new head gasket for this motor. I was hoping you may be able to direct me to a site where I can purchase it. Thank you.
sure,
amzn.to/430PRqn
Never encountered one of those type carbs before yep for that price its the way to go 👍
thank you Bill Clement it was certainly interesting to work on .
An ultrasonic is one of those things you get and think of 500 additional uses. It’s not really worth it for any one on their own but in total is nice to have. Every time I am cleaning something someone in my house shows up with a bunch jewelry or something to toss in for a minute.
I think that carb was not common because it was a late design and Tecumseh went out of business shortly thereafter. Had Tecumseh survived 2008, it might have become as common as the plastic Briggs carburetor.
you are absolutely correct
That’s what I think too.
Yes I agree!
Tecumseh made pretty good engines than most gave them credit though. I like them better than Briggs.
@@WJCTechyman Yes, I also like them better than Briggs!
Great video as always. Replace that o ring on the tube, it looked wore out and needed replaced. The o ring is letting extra fuel pass by.
you already knew the answer!
@Home Garage lol yes I do, I have several snowblowers all have tecumseh engines and all at one point had that o ring go out on that plastic tube, kinda sucks but what do you do?
fix it, and go on, thank you Cameron Cassel
Mustie1 was working on a power wheelbarrow with a Tecumseh engine like this one. It was a mishmash of off the shelf components made by a brand I am not entirely fond of. It had used the manual transmission from a lawn tractor, that brand's brush mower handles, snow blower tires and the bed from a dump trailer for a lawn tractor.
interesting project.
I would go with the carburetor. 👍🙏👍🙏
that's a good choice!
I have a 193 cc engine with a basic design, it sputters too. I don't think there's much you can do about it
Lawn boys for the win!!
thank you TheRandom Man.
Amazing video for the topic.
thank you Paco Ramirez
Clean holes in Emulsioin Tube and enlarge main one from bowl.
thank you Good Baker
Well it sounded more like sputtering than surging to me. So my first thought was a bad gasket, then leaking primer bulb area then valves. That would be my order of checking. Thanks for the videos.
yes the carb was letting more fuel to the engine than It should have. I replace the O ring behind the yellow fuel jet, and it now runs great.
they only used this kind of carb for a few years if that. they get clogged easier then the older Tecumseh design apparently. most people just replace them if the happen to get one in
sounds like good advice to me.
I would check the valves. Look for carbon build up on them. Carbon can be removed by soaking with liquid hydrocarbon, & rinsing away with the valves still in the engine. Also check the ignition system. Plug might look good, but can break down under running conditions. The coil can also do the same, & is warning of impending failure of the coil. If this is the issue, I would replace entire ignition system, including points & condenser, if it has these.
thank you Christopher Marshall for all the tips.
That is a weird style of Tecumseh engine 😂
it was for me!
Yup that was the high torque model
@@Goldenwoodz thanks for the info on this engine young man 👍😎
That´s a YIKES! (Tecumseh) engine :-D
Since the sputtering didn't start until the engine warmed up, I suspect the auto choke may be stuck and not opening up all the way when the engine warms up. Let me know. Loved the video.
sure will
Doesn’t have an auto choke. It’s a prime start.
I have a feeling it is the carb but I was in this same boat and it was a Briggs and Stratton flat head it needed fully rebuilt it was sputtering exactly like this
you are correct about the carb. There's an O ring behind the yellow fuel jet that I removed and didn't realize how it important it was. It was allowing fuel to get past the jet and causing the engine to run rich. I replaced the O ring and it's now running without sputtering.
I had a mower just like that. Used it till the deck rusted out put the engine on another frame and used it till it developed a rod knock. It was my fault for not checking the oil like i always do. I would also check the air filter
good advice, thank you James Hedrick
I have 2 of this mowers doing the same, hopefully is just the carb and not the valves
just replace the carbs, and you'll be done
Ultrasonic is the way to go. You can pre-clean the way you typically do then throw it in an Ultrasonic for 10 to 15 minutes, rinse off and use a compressor to blow it dry. I have been doing this (minus the pre-clean) for a few years now with success. The harbor freight Ultrasonic is a little small though in my opinion.
thank you Eric Oestreich
It is definitely fuel related. So, start with the carb - $13 is not going to break the bank. There may also be a filter or mess in the tank or fuel line.
Good place to start!
This engine when the company was around was supposed to be a "cost savings" design when made and had many corners cut over the first Tecumseh engine made where everything was metal, i.e carb, body ties, many screws etc. But they had to find a way to compete in the market where Sears was still around trying to push sales to the customer before any company made components out of plastic that you see now today
thank you for the information
I had the same problem with the style and I used blue lock tight they didn't back out after that
that's a good idea!
Good video, I have the same engine on my mower and took apart the carburetor to clean it today and mine had a spring that went into the hole before the emulsion tube, yours didn't have the spring. Perhaps that's why it runs rough? I still need to buy new fuel and see if it starts. It didn't start yesterday and only ran with the primer bulb fuel in it. Mine had wires going to a micro switch that were red and orange and I'm not sure which way they went on. Hopefully it runs when I try it tomorrow.
yes the spring is still under the emulsion tube, I just didn't show it.
to me the sputtering WHEN it starts to warm up points me to the valves... hears why.... as the valves heat up the clearance will get smaller.. and IF the clearance was already close to begin with then it would leave the valve from tiny bit open to maybe bigger witch then would have a constant sputter... what are you thoughts on this???
thank you Scott Johnson for the information
I didn't know some early Tecumseh engines from the 90s have plastic carburetor bowls. It might be Tecumseh's prototype version for easy maintenance to compete with Honda.
that's very possible. And to be honest it's actually not tough to clean at all.
@@HomeGaragechannel sounds like easy maintenance!
Try another coil if u have a spare. Tecumseh engines are notorious for bad coils, I’ve had a few callbacks because of them.
thank you mjg263
Check & clean,. then adjust or replace the spark plug !
sounds like a plan!
Cant say what the problem is but in the one i did work on that float works upside-down and it would flood the engine because it couldnt go high enough to stop fuel flow. A new carb was a cheap fix.
that's what I was thinking too.
itd have been nice ot get a better look at that filter and cover the filter has the link but im also missing the cover and the one theyre selling doesnt look like itd work on mine wouldv eliked ot have a bette rlook at this one my mower is identical those parts a few minor differences.
sorry about that
So, with the rust on the coil & magnet. Does it help at all if you sand that & clean it up or would it run just as good without cleaning?
no the rust on the coil will not effect it.
I have thos mower, followed your steps for cleaning the carburetor, but will only run when a but of gas is squirted in the spark plug hole and then dies. Tried a few times with this method but won't keep running. Shorting out somehow?
sure thing, replace the carb.
I have this style carb on my 12.5hl Tecumseh that's on my rider that I restored. The same rider you have. Not sure if if your us the same. Your rider might have the Briggs engine? These carbs are the vector carbs super easy to maintain and rebuild if needed. I've actually grown to kinda like this style carb. What's your thoughts on this carb so far?
I really like it. it's simple to work on.
One Craftsman push mower I tried everything with that thing I could not get it to run right? The coil was bad we replaced it would race real hard I would back it off from racing then I would die back-and-forth. I forget what other problems that had it's been a while I'll do anything to save something from going to the scrapyard. But that thing just didn't want to work with me My sister bought it for me from a guy that kept pulling and pulling to a got it to finally get run She paid sixty bucks for and I put sixty bucks in it and then nonsome I remember how much I put into it but we needed a Is mower really bad Right now I got the snapper mower. It's used but boys at thing Is run Replace the coil on it Is rare drive Thank you for the video
thank you for sharing your experience Lil Joe II.
So adding the new carburetor fixed it or did you install new gasket or adjusted the valves? I have 2 mowers like this and both sputter
no I serviced the carb and I ended up replacing that o ring I took out by mistake behind the yellow plastic jet. This engine is a flathead, so valve adjustment Is very tough to do.
That's the more rare tecumseh engine. 207cc!!!
yes It is, I really like this one to be honest.
great i got a decent mower but the parts are discontinued i guess its going to have to run as is without the filter and filter cover..i mean the fuilter and stuff is available but the cover isnt
try your best try and secure the air filter from falling off, that's the only choice you've got.
@@HomeGaragechannel yeah either i leave it as ist is or buy the filter which is relatively cheap and just tape it in place or soemthing..it wont be too appealing for a sale but teh mower is in great shape, no ruist or anything pretty clean. not even sure if i need to do anything to it-its just out of gas atm i havent tested it.
What would you recommend to do with an almost new Honda lawnmower that had been used to run over paper bark. A relative used my almost new honda to run it over. I took off the air filter and found it was full of paper bark. A definite carb clean is in order. Anything else I should check or do? Thank you
sure, have you checked how dull the blades are?
You are right in thinking twice about buying an ultrasonic cleaner... I don't think they are all that necessary to get good repair results. If you think you are having a rich condition, try pulling the air filter, quite often the Tecumseh filters can get junked up, and also I would pressure check the float valve in the carb, here is how I quickly do it with no special tools th-cam.com/video/bLMTGISY_FI/w-d-xo.html I now have a carb pressure tester and vacuum tester, but that quick way has worked well for me for decades. A $13 dollar carb is cheaper than a carb kit, how can you go wrong if the carb is not right
thanks for the information
That carb looked like a good idea but then again Techumseh went out of business in 2008.
you are correct. I think they might have had a good idea with that carb. No casting just extruded aluminum and some machining.
I have the same mower and engine
I have to prime it 20 pushes of the bulb after it sits for a few weeks
It always starts and runs good but it says prime 5x , any ideas to make it start easier, i want to sell it and don’t want any pissed off buyers , great mower tho
sure either the bulb has a small crack in the fold, or the carb has a leaky bowl gasket.
Yeah, $13 is a better value to your time and a carb kit. I had a Craftsman self propelled mower for 22 years. It just did the job. The 5 year old Honda I have now is a maintenance nightmare compared to the Craftsman. Someone can use that classic.
thank you Tim Rodgers. And yes sometimes the maintenance can be difficult
The Quantum B&S is 'The One'. Runs & Runs. Retorque the head bolts, blade, air filter & sparkplug every few years. Never had the carb or head off mine.
I 'stole' it off a neighbor's cutting deck over a decade ago when they fled after the 2008 collapse. It had a loose cutting blade, plugged air filter, fouled spark plug. $12. & I was cutting again. The engine was built April year 2000. It thinks it's a teenager. Guess I'll pick up a HF Honda Clone vertical shaft when or if the Quantum ever pukes. If.
nice choice, can you still get that engine in your area? All the stores I've check don't offer that engine anymore.
I have a question for you; when you get something where you have no idea what the history is and you have no manual, how do you know what oil, gas, or parts to get?
I have a generator that I got for free. The gas is empty, and it has oil. I want to change the oil before I try to start it, because I don’t know the condition of the oil. The problem is that I have no idea what gas or oil it takes. There’s no sticker on the generator, and I don’t have the manual. It’s a Homelite HL4400, which has many model years. The engine is a B&S, and it has a model number on it too but I can’t read it. What would you do in this situation?
so this is a B&S engine, with an oil dipstick, so I would use automotive engine Oil, so 10w-30 is fine. I'm not sure what you mean, "what gas" it needs, but it's a small engine not a high performance sports car, so 87 octane is fine. As for the parts, you need to find the model number for either the engine for engine parts, or the generator model number for parts for it.
@@HomeGaragechannel The interesting thing is that it actually doesn’t have a dipstick. It does have two fill plugs and two drain plugs though. As for the gas, I figured it would be 87, but it’s just best to make sure. The model number for the engine is unintelligible, and the model number of the generator is HL4400, which has many model years. I have no idea what year this gen is.
for that type of engine, you just fill the oil, until it's flush to the opening. basically you fill it unit it starts coming out and that's it.
@@HomeGaragechannel Thank you, I appreciate your help. After trying to look at the M/N for the engine again, I ended up just guessing the numbers (ended up being 192412) and I was just looking at the manual as you responded. I’ll try to get this generator running, and then update you if I remember. Thanks again!
no problems and good luck to you on it.
These engines never ran right brand new. That’s a fact and it really hurt there sales
thank you Phillip Hall
have an other problem with this motor. Hope you don't mind helping. Installed new head gasket. Then when and did a valve job. Still no response from motor. Will not start. I did notice oil in the breather when I was doing my valve work. Don't know if it means anything. Thanks in advance.
so you only took the head off? you didn't take the oil sump off? If so, have you done a compression test to confirm that you have enough compression from the engine
@@HomeGaragechannel I have done all of the work so far with the motor still on the deck. As far as compression I have done a few. 1st time could only get 25 PSI . then did an other and got 75PSI. now I don't read any compression. have plenty of spark. have not checked the key way. at this point I'm lost as to what to do next. also when I finished doing the valves I had good clearance I had .008 on the intake and .010 on the exhaust. Any help would be appreciated .
Sure thing, I would do a leak down test to find out if the rings are worn out.
@@HomeGaragechannel Thank you for all your help. I did the only thing that I really didn't want to do. I pulled the fly wheel. I found the key was distorted. I replaced the broken key. The machine has not run in 20 years. It started on the 2nd pull.
That hole in deck is dangerous 😅🤨
I know right, I wish I had the cover
So my primer won’t work on my craftsman lawnmower, I have already replaced the gasket, what do you recommend?
is the mower like the on in the video or some other type?
@@HomeGaragechannel My mower is an older craftsman with a primer bulb identical to your
“How a primer bulb works” vid. th-cam.com/video/tWkdLpiVrEo/w-d-xo.html
if you replaced the gasket, I'd double up, on the gasket, meaning use 2 of them , one on top of the other. after that, I'd check to make sure the passage for the primer on the carb was clear and working.
@@HomeGaragechannel thank you, do you think I can check the passageway with our removing the carb?
you can try. I'd use an air hose, set to about 1 to 3 PSI, and blow it into the tiny opening in the primer bulb. this should force the fuel to come out into the throat of the carb.
for this engine would be just run the engine dry of gas empty the gas outta the tank dont leave the machine outside and do basic maintenance on the machine to leave it fresh and make it work for a long time.
that's really good advice
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
thank you!
What site do you go to get your stuff
I use craigslist and FB Marketplace
Also I don’t understand why someone would rip the self propelled system off such a massive and heavy lawn mower like that one. I have one of these and they are very heavy, to fix anything with the drive system is incredibly easy and would be harder to remove it all.
I know right!
that engine design is rather odd for me since i had a briggs new plastic engine.
yes but to be honest, I really kinda like it. I wish I hadn't sold it.
What is that website that you youse to get free stuff
I also use Craigslist as well.
Those carbs are junk
I've heard that too.
That mower's heavy? lol
heavier than other mowers ya
I would bet that engine has a bunch of carbon buildup and clearance issues in the valves. Not worth your efforts to fix. FREE RUNNING MOWER sign will solve the situation.
thank you Darrin Swanson
This engine is awful whenever these 20+ yr old tecemsehs come to my shop I just like and say it can't be fixed. They really are terrible
that's what I've heard
Please if you can do a video how to pull out the pin the one holds the needle and float