It absolutely is the carburetor
You need to drain the fuel and remove the carburetor. I would get a good carb cleaner then the most important tool you can have: you know those little ties from bread bags? Strip the paper off, and you have the best carb jet cleaning tool known to man. You should look on YouTube to see if there is a video for your particular model on how to break it down, but they are generally not that complicated. Zap the parts with carb cleaner and use that little metal piece to clear the jet nozzles. I do this every year on my mower and 4 cycle weed wacker. Works like a charm. As an alternative, you can just replace the carb. Most shops now do not break down and clean carbs because it's cheaper to buy a new one than the labor required to troubleshoot, clean, and re-install an old one.
You probably got crap in your carb from the crap in your air flow. It's important to keep a clean air filter to help prevent junk from getting into your carb when it draws air into it.
Thread Replies (21)
Lawn Tractor diagnosis help?
-- Late 80s Hokie
Oct 01, 2023 at 05:51 PM ET
Late 80s Hokie
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10/01/23 05:51 PM ET
In my limited small engine experience, if its got a carburetor then
-- HokieNoVA
Oct 02, 2023 at 02:08 AM ET
HokieNoVA
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10/02/23 02:08 AM ET
It absolutely is the carburetor
◄
-- Happy Dog
Oct 02, 2023 at 07:52 AM ET
Happy Dog
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10/02/23 07:52 AM ET
I second replacing, instead of cleaning carbs on small engines.
-- EDGEMAN
Oct 02, 2023 at 09:54 AM ET
EDGEMAN
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10/02/23 09:54 AM ET
You just posted that as an excuse to say "orifice", didn't you
-- Happy Dog
Oct 02, 2023 at 10:02 AM ET
Happy Dog
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10/02/23 10:02 AM ET
In that case, buy a replacement carb, then spend the next year trying...
-- EDGEMAN
Oct 02, 2023 at 10:22 AM ET
EDGEMAN
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10/02/23 10:22 AM ET
Yep. I have to replace the carburetor in my snow blower every single year
-- HokieNoVA
Oct 02, 2023 at 08:51 AM ET
HokieNoVA
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10/02/23 08:51 AM ET
They are pretty much a consumable at this point
-- Happy Dog
Oct 02, 2023 at 09:51 AM ET
Happy Dog
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10/02/23 09:51 AM ET
Does it actually have a fuel pump?
-- MP4VT2004
Oct 01, 2023 at 07:40 PM ET
MP4VT2004
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10/01/23 07:40 PM ET
Fuel pump is a definite yes.
-- Late 80s Hokie
Oct 01, 2023 at 07:47 PM ET
Late 80s Hokie
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10/01/23 07:47 PM ET
Hope you did not overheat your engine.**
-- UsherDog2008
Oct 01, 2023 at 07:21 PM ET
UsherDog2008
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10/01/23 07:21 PM ET
…could be a distributor or it could be a coil
-- chumley
Oct 01, 2023 at 07:03 PM ET
chumley
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10/01/23 07:03 PM ET
Muffler good? gotta have outake as much as intake? using only non-ethanol?
-- astrohokie
Oct 01, 2023 at 06:22 PM ET
astrohokie
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10/01/23 06:22 PM ET
It's run for 12+ years on partial ethanol, so unless that added up a LOT
-- Late 80s Hokie
Oct 01, 2023 at 06:36 PM ET
Late 80s Hokie
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10/01/23 06:36 PM ET
If you don't treat your gas, I would start with the carb
-- MAHokie69
Oct 02, 2023 at 08:37 AM ET
MAHokie69
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10/02/23 08:37 AM ET
I bet it's the Johnson Rod...drink heavily and buy a Kubota...what about...
-- Major Kong
Oct 01, 2023 at 06:18 PM ET
Major Kong
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10/01/23 06:18 PM ET
If the fuel lines haven't been replaced, that's cheap insurance.**
-- EDGEMAN
Oct 02, 2023 at 09:55 AM ET
EDGEMAN
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10/02/23 09:55 AM ET
That I'm able to check. I'd think it's OK as no signs of mouse there, but
-- Late 80s Hokie
Oct 01, 2023 at 06:35 PM ET
Late 80s Hokie
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10/01/23 06:35 PM ET
Fairly new actually. Have never run into an issue there before. Just
-- Late 80s Hokie
Oct 01, 2023 at 06:08 PM ET
Late 80s Hokie
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10/01/23 06:08 PM ET