Riding lawn mower won't start

[Turbs3000]

So I'll start by saying I have minimal to no small engine experience. We picked up a craftsman 46in riding mower from one of my wife's coworkers. It has 50 hours on it but the condition was it hadn't been started in 4 years. He bought it new used it for a year or so and hired a service to do it from there.

 

I changed the spark plugs and drained all the fuel, added fresh gas, cleaned the intake and checked the fuel filter wasn't clogged up.

It just cranks and cranks but won't fire up. With starter fluid it will at least turn over a few times.

 

My guess is that the carb isn't letting fuel through or something so my next step was going to be removing and inspecting that and go from there?

 

Anyone have any ideas or better advice?

It's a model 917.288570

 

Thanks

 

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

Edited March 25, 2020 by Turbs3000

[carl1647545492]

Gummed up carb would be my guess, just went through this with my generator with zero hours just started when new and it was the carb.

Brake cleaner and a tooth pick worked for me then fresh gas.

[Hwilli1647545487]

Well, fuel, spark, air, and time..

 

Sounds like your troubleshooting is showing no fuel.... and you've already found a fucked fuel filter. Keep in the fuel system, and systematically go through that....

[gillbot]

Carb, there may also be a solenoid that closes to prevent gas until the ignition is on. These are prone to fail, I disabled mine. If you are brave you can attempt to clean the carb or you can flood it with cleaner and hope for the best.

 

EDIT: if you are "hold my beer and watch this" brave, just manually get some gas into the air intake and see if it'll fire over that way. If so, likely the carb isn't letting gas in properly.

[Geeto67]

When you changed the plugs, did you check for spark? or just throw the new plugs in it? Most small engines still use a points and condenser attached to a governor (like a distributor but meant to run at a specific RPM - no advance). you check the spark by pulling the plug out of the cylinder, ground it to the engine, and hit the starter and see if the plug sparks. If it isn't getting spark, find the points and see if they are corroded, if so lightly rub them thinly with very fine sand paper (or a brown paper bag if you don't have fine sandpaper) for a few passes and see if that helps. Also inspect the coil and see if it has any cracks in it.

 

When you pull the plug is the plug wet? if it is then your issue isn't fuel. If its bone dry then it isn't getting fuel.

 

On the carb, take the float bowl off and see if it is getting fuel into the bowl. If it isn't then the clog is in the float needle. If it is, then the next step is to check the jets for clogs. you can use a small piece of rigid wire (like safety wire) to clear clogs in the jets, just becareful as you could hog out the jet with excessive rubbing.

[unfunnyryan]

Check for spark... see if it'll start on starter fluid.

 

see if there is a seat sensor (depending on type either weight detection or seat folded forward) that isnt working

[gillbot]

Check for spark... see if it'll start on starter fluid.

 

see if there is a seat sensor (depending on type either weight detection or seat folded forward) that isnt working

 

Good points, also sometimes footbrake or parking brake sensor.

[Green Bastard]

A friend gave me a generator that had sat for like 5 years that he couldn't get to start. I pulled the carb bowl and sprayed carb and choke cleaner through the main jet, made sure fuel was getting to the carb, then slapped it together and fired it up. I imagine you are looking at a similar scenario. Use the straw on the can and go through the carb opening and see if you can angle it down through the main jet.

[supldys]

My mower was having this issue, I just replaced the carb. Got the whole kit for like $20 on amazon.

Depending the model there should be some fuel adjustment screw, I had an old mower that would tighten the screw with vibration to where it would cut off fuel.