[AT] I wouldn't know it if it hit me in the face

[Mattias Kessén]

😁

Den sön 6 juni 2021 07:47Dean VP <deanvp at att.net> skrev:

> ATIS members need a good laugh once in a while.  This should help provide
> that at my expense. ,
>
> One of my Grandsons just purchased his first house which has a small grass
> lawn with it.  Small enough lawn a self-propelled 20 - 22" push mower would
> be just fine.  Since he is moving out of an apartment he would need to buy
> a mower.   I volunteered to give him one of mine that I have out in the
> barn that haven't been run for a while. Don't even remember now when or
> where I got this one, it was probably cheap at some garage sale or auction
> and is a Toro Model 20216.  Probably 20" to 22" (haven't measured) deck
> with a 4HP Briggs motor and it can be self-propelled with 3 forward gears
> .Everything worked fine on it when I used it last probably several years
> ago (ran when parked)  and my only two complaints about it were the 4HP
> made it underpowered and the aluminum deck was pretty brittle  and has been
> welded once. I have been blessed with a wealth of rocks on  my yard.   I
> noticed the deck now has a couple more cracks but the mower is useable as
> is, all I have to do is get it running.
>
> I cleaned everything up, cleaned the spark plug, changed oil and put in
> new gas.  I don't have a manual for the mower and the only way I could
> figure out how to get the old oil out was to either pump it out or lay it
> on its side and drain it out the fill tube. . Very dumb and very owner
> unfriendly. . Anyway tried to start it.    Not even a pop. Choke full on.
>  Tried ether. Yep, I could get it to run for a second or two but obviously
> not getting gas to the cylinder. Check gas line, check bowl, yep getting
> gas to the carburetor.  Sum Ting Wong with the carburetor.
>
> Now mistakenly I think I know what I'm doing relative to carburetors with
> several successful Antique Tractor and Garden Tractor carburetor rebuilds
> under my belt but it has been a long time since I have worked on a Lawn
> Mower Carburetor.   But needing to be humbled a bit I guess I have
> forgotten a key detail about Briggs carburetor's. I pulled the carb,
> removed the bowl and found a sandy white substance (dirt?) in the bowl and
> also in the needle and seat well.  Not typical of what I have seen in carbs
> in the past. But continue to disassemble removing the float and needle.
> Don't see a removable seat and disassemble the rest of the carb.  Run small
> wires through any opening I can find and make sure they are clean and blow
> air through any passage I can find.  One thing that happened worried me. I
> had the air hose nozzle on the gas intake pipe and a little pop occurred
> and something hit me in the face. My observation was that it had come out
> of the bottom where the needle seats..   Hmmmm .............must have been
> plugged right there. 😊  Couldn't find what came out. I bet the carburetor
> will work now.  Operator now in full idiot mode!😊
>
> Moving on, soaked the carburetor in Pine Sol overnight and this morning
> cleaned it with fresh water.  Carburetor looks like new.  Man.... I am
> really good.     Hmm, the bowl gasket has expanded in diameter in the pine
> sol. That is not good. But start reassembling the carburetor and put the
> float and needle in place  and it is obvious the needle is dropping too far
> down and not seating properly.   Aha, that is what must have blown out and
> hit me in the face. Hummmmm  how do you blow out a brass seat?  Now I'm
> confused.  Get on the internet and watch a video of an overhaul of this
> type of lawn mower carburetor.  Gets to the part about removing the needle
> and seat. " An easy way to get the little rubber needle seat out is to blow
> air into the gas inlet of the carburetor"    Been there, done that.   Yep,
> I can completely verify that works very well but I didn't know it when I
> did it. @#$%^&*()   Now I sure as hell know what hit me in  the face. I
> can't find that little sucker.  So... $9 gets me a carburetor overhaul kit
> over night from Amazon.   Needed a new bowl gasket too.  Isn't it amazing
> how the problem and solution can hit you right in the face???
>
> In searching for the right carburetor kit  I noticed I could buy a whole
> new carburetor for $10.49. But I have been down that road before and I was
> not pleased with what I received. So I'm staying with the OEM Carburetor.
> One day delivery on the parts.
>
> BTW, I'm not very sure this mower is even worth the $9 carburetor repair
> kit. But....  I am going to  beat this sucker into submission.  This is the
> way us old folks turn one hour jobs into a full day's entertainment.
>
>
> Dean VP
> Snohomish, WA 98290
> "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and gospel
> of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."
> ..Winston Churchill...
>
>
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