Won’t stay running.

[John mitchell]

Fellas. I have a 126 with the stock K301A engine. I thought I had a no spark situation due to cankered/chalked over points contacts as the engine would not fire up. It ran fine in the fall and seen use around the yard pulling a #2 garden cart. I pulled the tin cover off the points and ran a points file between the contacts, then sprayed the tips with electric contact cleaner. Good to go. For the heck of it. I tried starting the engine. Turns over as strong and the same as always, but didn’t start. I have a spark test light that fits inline from the plug wire to the spark pull. Strong spark. Very good spark. Still no start. I drained the fuel tank, sediment and carb bowls, replacing the gasoline with fresh and ethanol equalizer fuel stabilizer-ed gas. Waited for the bowls to fill. Tried starting it. No joy. I pulled the air filter off and sprayed the highly flammable electrical contact clearing spray into the intake of the carb. Fired up and ran until the cleaning spray had burned up. The engine will not even try to fire up off the fresh gasoline. The only other thing I can think of is pulling the carb off and cleaning it. Any of you folks have any other ideas? As I said. It was running great last fall towards the end of the year. Starting good, ran great. I’m at a loss. It has fat spark, will fire up on the cleaning spray, but won’t pick up and run off the fresh gasoline. Where else can it be besides a carb issue.
Thanks
John Mitchell
Cecilia Kentucky

 

[kphill]

Sounds like carb needs cleaned.. I would take it off and take it apart and clean it and get a carb rebuild kit (new gaskets and main jet with needle valve )... CC Specialties have them.. They are very inexpensive.. be careful tightening the bowl nut and don't distort the aluminum bowl..

 

[dschwandt]

Float needle stuck in the closed position.

 

[John mitchell]

Float needle stuck in the closed position.

yes sir. I thought of that after I was back at the house. I’ll try tapping on the bowl with a screwdriver handle and try to unstick the float valve before I buy a kit. That carb ought to be like new. When I was rehabilitating the 126, that carb soaked in simple green, submerged in a ultra sonic bath for 12 hrs, blown out, re submerged for a couple more hours and a new rebuild kit was installed. It’s got to be something silly simple. Thanks for reminding me about the stuck float possibly being the culprit .

 

[titan]

Just a thought. Do u know if fuel getting to the carb? Pull off fuel line and check. Does your machine have a fuel shutoff? Might save you a carb rebuild... Good Luck.

 

[RAllison]

John as ambarrased as I am to say,I will...cause you just never know! Last fall I had an almost identical situation with my 127. After I went through all that and finally started checking a fuel line I discovered....I was out of gas!

 

[dschwandt]

I always shut the gas off and let the tractor run out of gas before long term storage.
Just remember to turn off the key when it does!!

 

[PACub100]

John as ambarrased as I am to say,I will...cause you just never know! Last fall I had an almost identical situation with my 127. After I went through all that and finally started checking a fuel line I discovered....I was out of gas!

Reminds me of the time I spent about half an hour or so trying to figure out why my 100 wouldn't start. I could see gas in the tank but what I didn't realize is that the petcock valve was above the fuel level.

 

[John mitchell]

Reminds me of the time I spent about half an hour or so trying to figure out why my 100 wouldn't start. I could see gas in the tank but what I didn't realize is that the petcock valve was above the fuel level.

I drained the entire fuel system and put fresh gas in. It’s got gas, and good fuel flow the carb inlet fitting. I suspect the float needle is stuck closed. However. There was a bowl full of gas that drained out when I removed the half inch bowl retaining bolt. I’m going to shoot some Berrymans aerosol spray carb cleaner via thelittle red pipe tube into the carb inlet fitting in the effort to dislodge the float valve from its seat. I’ve ordered a rebuild kit for the heck of it in case I do have to take the carb off and clean it. It’s something simple. But lack of clean fresh gas or the flow of gas to the carb are not the problem.

 

[dschwandt]

If the bowl was full of fuel when removed, the float should have been in the up position, hence the needle valve would be closed.
If ethanal fuel was in the bowl and the needle closed, weird stuff happens when that stuff sits for a long time.

My 169 spent. the winter in the enclosed trailer.
Turned on the fuel, choked a bit and it was running, ethanal free gas w/ MMO, no issues.

 

[gary noblit]

John, just another thought ..you had the carb off before so it's possible the gasket is not sealed well..if it sucks air in the wrong place it will not suck fuel....you were bypassing the system with the spray so it has to be carb related...

 

[mgwin]

The choke butterfly bushings could be worn also, allowing air in. (Hope that is the right terminology for the part.) Put some grease on both sides (outside) and see if it will crank. This would be a quick and easy way to eliminate that possibility.

 

[John mitchell]

All good replies folks. I totally appreciate your responses. I took the carb off, pulled the bowl off and found some black colored material inside. I now suspect the black line I used as to gas line is being affected by the fuel. It sits 99.9 of its life seeing occasional use as my snow plowing tractor and pulling a garden cart around a little bit by the wife in the warm months. I have a carb kit coming, a fresh aerosol can of Berrymans carb cleaner, plus a length of Tygon gas line, in addition to a inline fuel filter. One reason I suspect the black fuel line is breaking down is the fact the gas tank is perfect and the sediment bowl has absolutely nothing sitting on the bottom of the glass bowl. I use a brand of ethanol treatment. Liquid Performance, Ethanol Equalizer that lasts 24 months. I’m going to take care of the type of fuel line usually the Tygon line. I’m not sure that the guy at the parts counter didn’t sell me oil line back when I was working on the machine a few years ago. The Tygon line is ethanol safe.

 

[rfunk]

Been interested in this thread. Finally thought of a similar case I had a while back. Neighbor kid's dirt bike wouldn't start. Gas to carb, hot spark, dry plug. Disassembled carb, found fuel varnish had formed a plastic-like "cap" over the end of the needle, inside the jet. Poked out with fine wire and happy kid. Started right up.

 

[PACub100]

If it doesn't get much use, I'd suggest getting a jug of ethanol free gas to keep around so you can avoid having to use treatments altogether. Use it for all your small engines like chainsaw and weed trimmer.

 

[tkhoffman]

Today's 'rubber' gas line is expensive because it is now made to handle the alcohol in the gas. I'm sure you 'old' line is not happy. Sad part about 10% ethanol is that it does nothing to help pollution. I still own my pre ethanol cars. When 10% ethanol became mandatory, my gas mileage went down 10%. So it's all a joke... Like gramma adding more bread to the meatloaf. It feeds more bellies but you aren't gaining any more meat protein.

 

[rjruchti]

Today's 'rubber' gas line is expensive because it is now made to handle the alcohol in the gas. I'm sure you 'old' line is not happy. Sad part about 10% ethanol is that it does nothing to help pollution. I still own my pre ethanol cars. When 10% ethanol became mandatory, my gas mileage went down 10%. So it's all a joke... Like gramma adding more bread to the meatloaf. It feeds more bellies but you aren't gaining any more meat protein.

Spoken like a true ethanol hater. More BS than fact.

 

[gary noblit]

Today's 'rubber' gas line is expensive because it is now made to handle the alcohol in the gas. I'm sure you 'old' line is not happy. Sad part about 10% ethanol is that it does nothing to help pollution. I still own my pre ethanol cars. When 10% ethanol became mandatory, my gas mileage went down 10%. So it's all a joke... Like gramma adding more bread to the meatloaf. It feeds more bellies but you aren't gaining any more meat protein.

However....gas is from petroleum,a nonrenewable resource...the alcohol comes from corn or other biodegradables....soybean oil has moved way up the ladder for uses as well...

 

[jbland]

pull the gas line off at the carb and see if you have a good flow of gas there

 

[kkuhlman]

True ethanol hater here. I had to replace the bowl gasket every three months on my 147 because of ethanol. When non-ethanol became available I switched and have not replaced one in five or six years. My 129 has never had a carb issue and I run nothing but ethanol free. My small engine shops here also state do not use ethanol in your small engines. I bought a log splitter that had run ethanol for several years and the inside of the carb was completely destroyed. Ethanol is bad juju in your small engines especially if they sit around a lot. P.S. Stabil is your friend.