Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - 4.5 hp Tecumseh

Ok this going to sound odd but my lawnmower is a 4.5 hp Tecumseh engine on an eager 1 lawnmower and it starts but dies immediately but I know the problem has to do with air. It is getting too much air! The carb has been cleaned thoroughly and all the gaskets and seals are new, new oil, new gas with carb cleaner, has spark and enough fuel but it only runs if you cover the air filter hole almost all the way! What can I do to fix this?!?!

I moved your posting to a stand alone thread to prevent confusion.

How about posting an engine model and spec. number so we will now what exactly we are looking at.

Actually your problem is the carburetor is not getting enough fuel. Restricting airflow causes the carburetor to pull more fuel through fuel passages that are not blocked.

Did your carburetor have a welch plug? Did you remove it and clean behind it?

Make sure the bowl nut(main jet) is clean, it can have from 0 to 4 holes, the tiny ones at the top next to the threads are very difficult to see sometimes, I use the wire from a twist tie to clean them, refer to the picture below as an example. Have a good one. Geo

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z120/geogrubb/tec_bowl_nut.jpg

Geo's got your answer... I've run into 40 or 50 of them this year & that is all it takes.... You're bolt may look different,, But it still has the almost invisable holes in it @ the top.. As Airman asks,,, post the engine numbers so everyone knows what you're working on,,,,Roger

The model number on the mower reads 944-394181. I don't know the engine number though. I have not tried the carb bowl bolt cleaning yet so I will try that. I am hoping that works.

Cleaning the bowl nut didn't work. What else could it be?!?!:wall:
:madhell:

I cannot find anything with that model number, the engine identification can usually be found on the metal engine shroud just above the spark plug or on a tab above the muffler. Have a good one. Geo

I found this number on the engine and I'm hoping hoping it helps:

143.944502 4122K


As well I re-cleaned the carb and it runs for about 10 seconds now before dieing but it still dies.

Sears model 143.944502 is Tecumseh model TVS115-57023B

The carburetor on this engine is as simple as they make them.

Here are some tips I can add:

Ensure fuel flows freely from the fuel tank to the carburetor.

Remove the inlet needle seat. Polish the hole the float needle sits in using a Q-tip saturated with metal polish and polish the needle unless it is new. This is to prevent the inlet needle from sticking. Install a new inlet needle seat.

Clean the main jet area and verify there is no blockage. The main jet area is the hole where the bowl nut screws in.

Clean the bowl nut as described by geogrub.

That is about all there is to this carburetor.

This manual covers your engine:
http://www.cpdonline.com/692509.pdf

That tiny hole near the top of the bowl screw is hard to see if it's clogged. You may have cleaned it already, but your problem is consistent with the hole(s) clogged in the carb.

This is going to sound stupid on my behalf, and I should have probably mentioned this earlier but thought it was of no help but it was the problem........the primer button.....yes, I bought a new primer button today for easier starting when testing the engine plus it didn't have one before as it had rotted away......and it started stayed running for 30mins then mowed the grass and turned it off......I think the primer button hole was leaking the fuel wastefully out of it and that was the problem.....sorry for bothering you for such an easy fix......plus I feel very embarrassed right now, I didn't think that that could cause such a problem.

Thanks for the help though. All that cleaning and what not wasn't bad for the engine that's for sure!

Hey,, If you learned something,, than we're all glad to have been of help... No need to be embarressed...Even I learned to check the primer bulb closer next time I run into a no-start,,, Thanks,, Roger

I know I was just surprised that something like that would cause that. It never even occurred to me until I noticed petrol spraying out of the primer hole and then I didn't believe it. Well next time I will take everything into account.

Over the phone, a local repair shop quoted me $60 for labor... parts extra... saying the carburetor was bad.

Although clueless as to engines, I found the brass bolt pictured on this thread, unplugged the 3 holes I found with a little fishing wire and the grass is now cut.

I feel like I owe someone here money.

I can only speak for myself, however,
The sound of success is payment enough for the people on this forum. Have a good one. Geo