Small engine gurus...

Catfish

straight-up ninja'n
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
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What's going on here? This is a Briggs and Stratton 6.5hp that has been out of service for several years. I replaced filters, hoses and the primer bulb. When i filled it with it pours out the center of the primer bulb. What's going on?
 
It was stored dry but yes I did used to run ethanol contaminated fuel in it. I'll pull the carb and see what's in there.
 
If you grab the serial # off of the engine block you should be able to order a rebuild kit online or prolly find one in stock at a local dealer.

The diaphragm behind the primer bulb is shot and the float/needle is hung up with a piece of gunk.

Grab a can of carb cleaner and hose it all out, check the fuel line as well because it likely isn't far behind on the failure path.


My weed eater started the same trick, I tried a complete rebuild kit after soaking/compressed air and a small gauge wire probe to clean the ports and passages.. Finally gave up and just ordered a new carb..

No more ethanol.. Ever..
 
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Likely you can pull the bowl clean the needle if it has a rubber point and clean out the seat and the hole the needle was in and be GTG, if the seat is rubber it may need replacing. If you are careful you might not need a bowl seal but if you have to fetch parts get one anyhow.
 
Small engines? Here's your friend...............use it and be happy.

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Well... I thought it was stored dry but there must have been some old gas left in it. When I pulled it off it reeked of junkyard. Anyone try buying a carb off amazon?
 
Well... I thought it was stored dry but there must have been some old gas left in it. When I pulled it off it reeked of junkyard. Anyone try buying a carb off amazon?


Ain't cheap.
 
Remove rubber/plastic pieces and boil carb in lemon juice it will be like new. Learned that trick a while back and it is my now go to method after trying it and skip wasting time with carb cleaner. Just do it in a well ventilated area as it stinks. Seafoam is another good thing like mentioned before to run in one but once it gets so bad you still have to pull one and clean all the jets.
 
Well... I thought it was stored dry but there must have been some old gas left in it. When I pulled it off it reeked of junkyard. Anyone try buying a carb off amazon?

IIRC I was getting better prices off E Bay YMMV, sometimes it is more cost effective to just buy a new one.Beware the chinese knock offs I had one for a Tecumseh that refused to work at all, I never did figuer out what was wrong with it just threw it to the side and found one on a junker.

boil carb in lemon juice it will be like new.

I'm gonna have to give that a try, I may just go pull one from the scrap pile for kicks and giggles, dang neat trick there.
 
Those carbs are cheaper than most. Get model, type, and code number to check the price with your closest B&S dealer. They may have a carb on the shelf, rebuild kit atleast. On that one, numbers should be stamped on the metal tab that's over the muffler on the right side of the engine.
 
I'm gonna have to give that a try, I may just go pull one from the scrap pile for kicks and giggles, dang neat trick there.


Let me know I was impressed after trying it on one for a fourwheeler, I let it boil good for about 10 mins using gas grill burner and just rinse with water and blew it off after it cooled and worked perfect. Still had to pick up a rebuild kit for the rubber parts on the one I did but much cheaper usually than a whole carb. Brother has had good luck as well with some of the cheap ebay carbs as well but that was before we learned the lemon juice trick.
 
I quit rebuilding them unless they are expensive. new carbs are so cheap on ebay now my time is just worth more. I just got one for a small honda tiller that came with extra primer bulbs and a couple of feet of hose for $12.99 including shipping. I didn't even have to adjust it.worked perfect.
 
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So I bought a rebuild kit at the local shop and went to town on it with a can of carb cleaner and the air hose. All the channels are clear and I replaced the needle seat, needle, and gaskets. I put it back on and it's still not right. I have to pump fuel with the primer bulb or it will not run on it's own... any ideas what I did wrong?
 
Replace ALL fuel lines since ethanol eats them from the inside out. Make sure to get ethanol proof replacements then clean the carb again...
 
I already replaced the fuel lines and filter, and there is no adjustment - unless I installed the seat incorrectly... hmmm
 
The float and the tab are plastic. I'll pull it and see what's going on - thanks!
 
I'm pretty sure the "screw" that holds the bowl on is the main jet it has a horizontal hole in it and a smaller vertical hole these must be cleaned out with a wire a bread tie is almost big enough.
 
Get the engine number or specs and head over to eBay. You can get the entire carb as cheap as a rebuild kit in some cases. Probably what I'll do with my tiller. I run non ethanol in it but looks like there is a bunch of junk in the tank and I think it's gotten plugged up. It will crank and idle but it quit running with the throttle up to till.
 
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