Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Tecumseh 6.5 Won't Prime.

I rebuilt the carb in my Scotts mower. The thing will not prime to start it. I give it a squirt of starter fluid and it starts right up and stays running. I believe I have cleaned and blown out everything nook and cranny. What did I miss that is not allowing the primer to do its' job?

Did you make sure the primer bulb doesen't have any holes or cracks in it?? Is there a hose from the primer to the carb that may be leaking?? Make sure to use a new gasket between the float bowl & the carb body & the carb to the intake 'cus if they leak, the primer pressure will escape thru the float bowl & not push fuel into the carb to prime, or the engine wont draw the air thru the carb to pick up the fuel. (a vacuum leak )You soaked it in a bath & installed a new kit?? Also verify the float level is not too low.... Let us know, Thanks ,Roger

I would say you haven't cleaned the carb well enough and you didn't indicate if you reconditioned it either so i'll assume you haven't. You need to, if not. Specifically, how have you cleaned it? The other thing with Tecumseh carbs with integral primers is priming procedure. Yours will call for either 3 or 5 primes and it is essential that you properly prime it up. Using the fat of your thumb push in for one second, release for one full second, push in for one second, release...for either the 3 or 5 that yours calls for and see what happens. Going to town with the bulb will yield no favorable results and will be as if you haven't even primed it at all.