snapper 1433

14 hp ohv engine B&S. Picked this machine up for free from a friend who is moving. When I got it home i removed the spark splug and a gush of gasoline came out. Removed the oil and nothing but gasoline came out. The spark is strong. I have rebuilt the carb/cleaned. Replaced onto the machine and filled with 30 weight oil. The engine starts and runs but surges constantly. What am i missing? There is a sensor at the bottom of the float, could this be the problem?

If the sensor your refer to has a wire attached, that is a fuel shut-off solenoid. This may be a contributing factor as to why the engine was full of fuel, if solenoid fails to shut off. The surging could be caused by a passage that is still restricted in the carb, but I would check the governor adjustment also. Just some thoughts.

I have redone the gas line with a new filter and placed a shut off valve also. Idea on what i am missing with gov. adjustment?

When you cleaned the carb, did you shake the float? If there is a liquid sound in it, it needs to be replaced. The brass floats go bad, the plastic ones not so much.

Make sure the intake gasket is not torn. I think there might be an adjustment for the idle fuel mixture on top of the carb. The high speed is set from the factory.

Good idea to install a second shut-off valve.

The "sensor" is a fuel shut off solenoid. When you turn the key to 'on', the wire should have power to it and you should hear a clicking sound coming from the solenoid.

Surging is an indication of lack of gas. Did you check the float setting? You might need to blow out every hole in the carb again. Make sure the solenoid plunger is moving up and down when you turn the key on.

The governor adjustment would be my last choice to mess with. Very simple on Briggs and Stratton tho. Basically, you want to hold the throttle butterfly open at full throttle. Loosen the governor arm. Turn the governor shaft(goes into the engine) counter-clockwise while holding the butterfly open all the way. Tighten governor arm. I think I picked the right rotation. They very rarely move unless someone messes with them.

Got er going nice now. Had to take carb back off and give it another cleaning. Running smooth. Took the blade off and gave a nice sharpening. Never been on a snapper before, says 33 inch cut, it really cut even. Thanks so much.

Use the second shut off valve.

The needle is supposed to stop the fuel from going into the cylinder then into the crankcase. Sometimes the needle doesn't seat properly. Sometimes the carb has a hairline crack in it but functions ok.

The fuel shut off solenoid is supposed to stop fuel from going into the carb when you turn the key off in order to prevent back firing from a hot engine.

Two telltale signs of gas in the cylinder are it smokes white when first starting and a vapor lock. You will need to change the oil and blow out the cylinder if this happens.

Way to go! Gives you a real sense of accomplishment, doesn't it? Sounds like you got a real deal there. At one time Snapper was considered to be one of the best.