Mower issue....

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
I have a Honda mower I bought over 30 years ago. When I bought it I had no job and not a penny to spare but I paid most of $500 for it and used it to mow my lawn and hired myself out to cut other folks lawns and kept the wolf from the door for a year until I got something better going. I want to use it to mow the slope around the east side of the tractor shed. Just a tad too steep for the ZTR. When I pulled it out it had not been run in about a year. I drained the gas and replaced it but it would not start on choke like it usually would. I used a little fluid and it fired up but it doesn't sound like it is on choke. If I drop it down to "HIGH" it stutters and stalls. It will run and cut grass in the choke position but does not want to keep running in any other position. Sputters and eventually stalls even when warmed up. The cable is moving freely and the levers on carb seem to be moving thru their full range. I am thinking the carb has an issue and that it is not getting as much fuel as it normally should even when in choke but, honestly, if I was a natural at this stuff I wouldn't have to ask. Anyone have any ideas of how I can get this running better? I have no experience with small engines.
 

Is there an inline fuel filter somewhere? Another thought is to run a little seafoam or something similar through it. Personally, I have never used seafoam, but it wouldn't hurt to try.
 
(quoted from post at 15:30:49 10/16/18) I have a Honda mower I bought over 30 years ago. When I bought it I had no job and not a penny to spare but I paid most of $500 for it and used it to mow my lawn and hired myself out to cut other folks lawns and kept the wolf from the door for a year until I got something better going. I want to use it to mow the slope around the east side of the tractor shed. Just a tad too steep for the ZTR. When I pulled it out it had not been run in about a year. I drained the gas and replaced it but it would not start on choke like it usually would. I used a little fluid and it fired up but it doesn't sound like it is on choke. If I drop it down to "HIGH" it stutters and stalls. It will run and cut grass in the choke position but does not want to keep running in any other position. Sputters and eventually stalls even when warmed up. The cable is moving freely and the levers on carb seem to be moving thru their full range. I am thinking the carb has an issue and that it is not getting as much fuel as it normally should even when in choke but, honestly, if I was a natural at this stuff I wouldn't have to ask. Anyone have any ideas of how I can get this running better? I have no experience with small engines.

Restricted main jet. If you can remove float bowl and run a fine wire up into the main jet to knock "stuff" loose replace bowl and 90% of the time you will be good to go. While you have it off clean the float bowl and examine what kind of debris it has in the fuel.
 
The main jet in the carb is partially plugged up. Take the bowl off and look up under there will be a jet hanging down into the bowl. Clean it and run a wire through it, wiggling the wire and using carb cleaner spray. Jim
 
I agree with the plugged jet. I try to use a copper electrical wire with insulation stripped back. Usually the jet is brass and softer than steel wire. I don't know how likely it is to damage jet with steel wire, but I don't chance it. I use a stranded copper wire and strip the insulation back as required. If it is too big, fold enough strands down to fit. I then rotate as I work it in and out. Good luck. Much easier to get it to run better than if not running at all. A lot of people like to use a gas stabilizer when putting away for the winter. I heard Briggs and Stratton fuel stabilizer works good. My son uses Seafoam. I have used Stabill with good results. I have also shut fuel off and ran the engine until carburetor was dry. I use non-ethanol regular. We have that choice in Iowa. As with a lot of subjects, there about as many solutions as there are people reading this. If you follow this forum, you will find a lot of help. Read it awhile and you will soon find common sense solutions to common problems. Great people here sharing their wisdom!
 
Dave, I agree with M Man. Mechanic-in-a-bottle is a miracle worker! I have used it many times and had great success! Menards has the best price, but I like to find the larger bottles (other than the 4 oz) because it works so good. If it doesen't work, then you need to pull the carb and clean out the main jet like others said. I repair mowers on the side, along with installing water conditioning equipment.
 
You didn't say what size deck your mower is. I just bought a new 21" Honda self propelled for about $500.00. I thought that 30 years would have made the price go up.
 
You can try some Berryman's B-12 Chemtool, similar stuff to the "mechanic in a bottle." I've had it work 90% of the time, even bringing old chainsaws with gummed up carbs back to life. Only thing it hasn't 100% fixed is this Onan welder I just bought.
 
I would put some Seafoam in it and run it a little, leave it sit, run it some more. I imagine the small passages in the carburetor are built up with varnish and the Seafoam will wash that out, it's worth a try. Be careful using a 4-stroke lawn mower on steep slopes, sometimes they don't' oil properly.
 
Appreciate all the help! I will give a shot at getting it working better. Really nice mower, aluminum deck. I used to lift it in and out of the trunk of my car when I had mow jobs. It was a couple years before there was money for a truck but by then my lawn mowing days were done. :)
 
I'm thinking 21" is right. This was a top of the line mower in the day. Been so long I don't really know what made it top of the line but it has a gear drive, rear bag, electric start that I bypassed years ago, aluminum deck, lots of power. I was in my 20's and never would have guessed it was the last walk behind mower I would buy...hopefully.
 
Take the exhaust off and remove that little screen. It tends to gum up with today's gas. Throw the screen as far as you can. Re-assemble and mow.
 
Some honda carbs have a bolt on bottom of bowl to drain them. Try that first. Catch fuel in paper towel. If you see any crap come out, then take the carb apart, use carb cleaner and compressed air to blow out the jets.

You could have water in carb too.

If all else fails, aftermarket carbs are surprisingly cheap.
 

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