Fixing A Mower That's Tough To Start When Hot

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Thanks for watching. The mower starts and runs but starting it again after it gets hot is the real problem with this one. Here's what I did to fix it.
This video is meant as entertainment, always practice safety.

[@UhBuddy1976]

Hey. I appreciate that you’re willing to consider ideas from viewers. That’s really cool. Several brains are always better than one, even with geniuses. However, you obviously knew what you were doing, and could have fixed the mower a lot quicker so in this case, you hit a home run!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

oh you're right about that, but i have to present the case, show the evidence and then get a verdict. thanks!

[@watchinglclowns9890]

Great video

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks

[@mjg263]

I had this problem with a similar mower (exact same engine). Turned out the plastic retainer ring for the primer bulb was deformed and wouldn’t seat properly, causing an air leak. I think it’s fairly common for those retainer rings to warp and not seat properly, I’ve run into it before.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

interesting someone must have done it.

[@Anthony071177]

I’ve definitely gotten to a point that on cheaper items I’ll quickly get a new aftermarket carb; but on more pricey items I tend to try harder to rebuild the original carb. I know for many people it makes no difference but to me, I believe the original parts on higher priced items tend to be better quality.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you have a point but the buyer only cares that it works well.

[@martiningenbrandt4336]

Also a good idea to check resistance in spark plug when it gets hot. Cheap aftermarket plugs seem to be the ones with the most issues.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

good idea.

[@danteerskine7678]

​@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGEmy god, these mowers have very bad build quality. Plastic carburetor??? I just purchased a Ingco (Chinese brand) generator and you would be surprised to know that it's carburetor is not plastic but metal with a dedicated drain bolt to keep excess of fuel out, it also recommends sae 15w40 and sae 40 engine oil and super 95 unleaded (it also states to avoid gasohol at all costs in order to keep the machine running without hiccups). If I ever come across any small engines with plastic carburetors, I'm definitely skipping these garbage. It's unbelievable that Chinese brands are offering metal carburetors on small engines while briggs and Stratton couldn't do the same thing

[@b286guy]

Nice! One pull is definitely better than four 👍🏻

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I think so too!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

I always wire brushed and oiled the magneto and flywheel magnets to get the rust off. I've heard it didn't make any difference but if you kill the rust the mag won't disintegrate either. I don't mind pulling one if it'll run but I'm not selling it either. You did the right thing for the end you were looking for. Happy Memorial Day and Blessings!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you and you too!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Trying my best!

[@davidanderson2523]

I noticed when you pulled the carb off, the black rubber gasket was on outside of the white one. The black one goes on first, then the white one. Try that,

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

the rubber O-ring goes into the opening of the carb first, followed by the white ring. The ring is a retainer to keep the O ring from coming out and not sealing.

[@robertmehlfelderbob]

I noticed that even after you ran the carburetor through the ultrasonic cleaner after reinstallation the engine had a slight surge. When you put the new carburetor on that surge seemed to go away.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes I totally agree with you. The original carb was still having some very small issues

[@ME-kv8ew]

You did the right thing. Great job.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Thank you!

[@Guns_and_Saints]

6:39 I love seeing lawnmowers that won't start. I love watching neighbors struggling to start the lawnmower and keep pulling on the rope because I hate the loud noise and the smell of cut grass & onion. I make neighbors more upset by saying "Please, don't start. That's right lawnmower, don't start. Nice job, RIP". And the neighbor looks at me in an angry way 😒.

[@ahmedm6041]

Always a great video.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I appreciate that

[@appelmac1]

Great choices!!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you

[@liljoeii6091]

I think you've done everything perfect I would have done it the same way thank you for the video

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you very much

[@YogisNoviceGarage]

I probably would have done the same thing whether I was going to keep it or sell it. I myself don’t like having to pull the cord more than once to start a mower, even twice is pushing it for me. So even if I was going to sell it, I’d prefer it to run for someone else how I’d want it to run for me.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I understand

[@RichsMowersNBlowers]

I haven't had to replace the whole carburetor... just the white plastic jet about 6 bucks. Would like to see if you just replace the jet will it work? Nice video as always. Do you talk in the video to have notes then do a voice over?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I do believe I tried swapping the cartridge off camera and the result was the same. The problem was the body of the carb. I film first, edit, script what I see and the voice it.

[@laurentco]

This is my cheap Craftsman lawnmower (I have a couple of really good ones-Toro and Honda). It was doing this right out of the box. If it's cool out or it's sat for more than 5 minutes, I have to use the primer. I guess I know what I'll be doing soon.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

there's a good chance that it's the same issue

[@mattwickert736]

I wonder if the gasket on the front of the carb wasn't making great contact with the air filter base. I've had to replace a few of those over the years. I've also had a few of the carbs not secure properly because one of the holes in the carb were stripped where the 2 screws go into it. Then you get air leaks, even if slight, can cause re-start issues where the priming puts extra fuel to help offset. Either way, the effort to continue to disassemble/reassemble makes a carb swap an easier option.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

interesting idea, I might have to try staring the engine without the gasket just to see if it makes any difference. Last I checked that gasket is to help dirt from getting into the carb and also sealing the passage for the air from the primer bulb

[@mattwickert736]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I think you are right on the primary purpose of that gasket. I haven't checked lately, but I *think* that the priming occurs into the small enclosed circled section in the top right of the carb. A leaky gasket anywhere else, could possibly cause a slight air leak that it is simply able to overcome when running but maybe not when trying to restart. I think we're starting to get to the point of these newer Briggs plastics beginning to warp and deform a little (similar to how Quantum ones did as they got older sometimes), as I have had a few that the gasket was slightly compressed and it wouldn't run correctly. I would be curious to see what your testing finds, too.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

me too

[@deanmasters-rd5xw]

I always replace cause I found it usually fixed the issue I had. And in most cases it's the problem. I own a small engine shop.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you for the comment and your time!

[@Shawnee.Hills.Small.Engine]

It's best to simply change those out if one cleaning doesn't bring them back. It's interesting that every one of these I've sold was purchased at Lowe's. They hold up reasonably well for a budget priced push mower. Good video 👍

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes I'm begging to realize just how many mowers, Lowes actually sells. It's a lot

[@mvehmaa]

Nice video. But still want to know what was wrong with the old carb? Smaller jet maybe?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

there's some part of the "body" of the carb that not sealing or allowing air to get where it's not supposed to. Finding out would be interesting but would have to done off season

[@crisprtalk6963]

Carbs even the metal ones develop little imperfections that affect their performance. No amount of cleaning will help this. Good video.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Great point and thank you !

[@brianking1138]

I have never had this particular problem with that carb. I would probably replace it if I was going to sell the mower.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I know right, this does not happen all that often

[@davie66fly]

I have a carb repair tool kit that has very small files/drill bits. I've had this happen before, selected a bit just slightly larger than the main jet hole, filed/drilled it out, and problem was solved. Surging went away, too.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I would not recommend changing the jet size but if it works for you, go for it. Beside, if increasing the jet size works, it means you're having to compensate for another issue.

[@davie66fly]

@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I actually got this from another big YT content provider who is a B&S certified technician. He said that in comparison to the older, metal carbs (Walbro, etc.) these plastic carb port tolerances are are too small due to EPA mandates and allow for zero small problems like previous generation carbs did. He said that it's well known in the B&S network that a microscopic enlarging of the ports to richen the fuel mixture slightly is the recommended solution....?????

[@MUUKOW3]

Surging is usually ftom the idle circuit being plugged, opening up the main jet will make it run rich under load .

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you do what you want to

[@jguedea1212]

I enjoy your helpful videos. But please, please ,please could you include what your suggested price is for resale? Thank you in advance

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I could but the prices vary so much, it would look like this, "$60-$150 depending on where you live" I don't think that's going to help anyone price their machine.

[@covishen]

For my own personal use,I don't consider 4 pulls excessive. 19-20 maybe,4? No. Selling it is totally different. As you said, the fewer pulls the better.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you make a great point

[@ramadinsookhoo6141]

Hey bro what's up? I had a feeling that you would of replaced the carburetor since it was giving trouble starting when it was hot. My lesson from this video is although you invested a lot of time cleaning out the carburetor, it's sometimes better just replacing it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you could be right, another round of cleaning might have fixed it.

[@RussellBooth1977]

I think that there may have been some crap which was still stuck in the carburettor so a new carburettor.may have not been needed. I might have also checked the float needle which has a special type of rubber tip,it could've also been worn out as well,AFAIK the seat is made of brass,the engine could've been flooding a bit as well !

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

great point.

[@sirrebral]

The problem is less "the carb" than something about/within the carb. To quickly troubleshoot the problem, one could re-install the original carb but with a spare carb's main jet assembly. If that resolved the issue, I might be inclined to buy a few of those jets as spares, since they can be had for less than a buck a piece.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's a good idea, not sure about the time investment but if I get some free time, I might try it.

[@gearhead366]

I can't believe that this is the mower you chose to make a video for. I JUST bought one of these, used, to be used for trim work. My Recycler, of course, is a better mower, but it doesn't like being pulled backwards, and for trim work, I'll be pulling it backwards as much as going forward. I would have kept the original carb. I can pull the rope 4 times. At 8 or more pulls, I would have replaced the carb. Could you post a link to the carb you used?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

hey if you're Okay with 4 pulls, there's nothing wrong with it. Sure, I'll add the link in the description

[@gearhead366]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Thanks.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem

[@landscaping-yx1gs]

That puts the bold in bolans lol

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

LOL!!

[@rubberduck4966]

The carburetor needle valve seemed to be very dark on the tip - maybe this one is not opening wide enough on the old carburetor?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

interesting, on this style of needles, I've only ever seen them to be rubber which is dark in color, I might have to check other carbs I have to see if they're any different

[@jesterr7133]

It looked like you were using that Harbor Freight degreaser in your ultrasonic. If you don't already know, they changed the formula. Be very careful using it with metal carbs, especially if they are made of aluminum. It will damage them. The new formula is highly corrosive to certain metals. I'm still trying to settle on a new brand for mine. I have been using Purple Power lately.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes I was still trying to figure out what liquid to use in the ultra sonic. The degreaser does NOT work well in there.

[@crisprtalk6963]

Ahhh the carb part number you showed is listed on Amazon now is 40$ How do you come up with 20$?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

The part number is the actual part number, but I would search for the equivalent carb. I could not put the "equivalent" part number otherwise someone would call me out on it.

[@crisprtalk6963]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE ahhh you aftermarket cheapo china stuff. lol!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

then buy the expensive one.

[@adrianmcardle85]

I've got a parkside hedge trimmers that hate cold starts

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

sorry to hear that. Have you considered fixing it?

[@NickSpires09]

Just curious what year is this mower from

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

2015

[@Patrick4959]

well for me i,d inspect the condition of the seals and gaskets before replacing the carburetor aka carby as they can shrink or go flat over time etc.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

interesting idea

[@Patrick4959]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE yep always good to look into i reckon.

[@Wyatt.leatherwoodLeatherwood]

Hey I have a question my STIHL FS 56 RC weedeater is having some throttle trigger issues whenever you start it, it acts like its at half or almost full throttle and you don’t need to push down the safety bar to use the trigger what’s wrong with it and how do i fix it? Thank you and I enjoy watching all of your videos they are entertaining and I learn alot of new things so I don’t have to take them and get them fixed it saves me a lot of money. Once again thanks.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

sure, have you tried turning the idle set screw?

[@Wyatt.leatherwoodLeatherwood]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE no sir I have not

[@Wyatt.leatherwoodLeatherwood]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE or do you think it’s something inside the handle? I’m not telling you your wrong I’m just curious of what the problem might be I don’t know why it would be the idle adjustment screw but I will play with that and let you know thanks.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

since you're asking, no I don't think it's in the handle, at least no with the information you given

[@jeffsnodgrass9747]

At the 4:42 mark it looks like that o-ring between the carb and engine is deformed. Could it possibly be that after the engine gets hot there is a slight air leak around that o-ring causing the hard start problem? I noticed that the new carb came with a new o-ring that you installed.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I have never seen one of these o-rings deform but I guess anythings possible. However when I was handling it, I didn't notice anything wrong with it.

[@SouthernScratcherGirl]

I have a question unrelated to this particular repair. I have a Troy Bilt tb110 push mower that I'm in the process of fixing to sell. The problem it's having is when I start it, the engine sends like it's running at slightly higher rpms than it should, but then the moment the blade hits the grass (which is not even tall. It's about 4 inches high right now and this high is set to 3) the engine slows down severely and then after aminute dies completely. Then won't even start back up. I checked the governor, chock linkage, cleaned the carb, put in fresh gas, checked and adjusted the valves, made sure under the deck was clean, and am still having the same problem. Any thoughts on what else the issue could be?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Unfortunately without the Specific model number from the label on the mowing deck, I can only assume which engine your has. Is the air filter clean or dirty? Have you tried running the mower with the fuel cap "loose"? And lastly have you check to make sure the thermostat arm is in the correct orientation on the carb? The air filter is probably not a real issue as I've seen these run packed with dirt and grass. If the fuel caps not venting air properly it won't allow fuel to leave the tank and will cause it to stop after a minute or two.

[@SouthernScratcherGirl]

@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE air filter was very dirty. I put a new one on already and that didn't fix it either. Yes, I did check the thermostat arm also. That was working fine. Only thing I haven't tried yet is running it with the cap loose. I will give that a try and let you know. I'll also check for the model number. Sorry I did forget to specify in my first comment that it's a briggs engine with the plastic carb.

[@SouthernScratcherGirl]

@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE unfortunately loosening the gas cap did nothing either. The model number is 11A-A2BM711. I want to also include that when it is running, oil is dripping/leaking out from under the valve cover. Oil is at just the right level. Not past the full line or anything. And once I shut it off, it backfires once each time I stop it. Even if I don't mow over grass, after running for a few minutes it starts backfiring and then shuts off. And the muffler starts smoking a lot like its way too overheated. Checked the blade too and it's balanced.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

not a problem

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

the backfiring would indicate that the intake valve is not closing completely. Also did the mower hit anything "hard" before this work was done? Even a light hit on something hard could partially shear the flywheel key. If so, the ignition timing would be "advanced" causing the spark to happen while the intake valve is still closing and causing the backfire. Take off the starter up and look at the flywheel key and see if it's off by a little bit.

[@edrodrigues5623]

4 pulls on an older push mower that you're going to sell isn't too bad. then again, a carb is only 10+ bucks. What's is your thought on why that carb wouldn't work right after being cleaned 2 times?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

man.. you got me, there must be something not sealing or not working like it should in the body of the carb, and not the cartridge. I've done cartridge swaps before but the problem is in the body.

[@EverythingCombustion]

The old carb was running too lean. TarylFixesAll has a video where he cleans the jets and drills them out for more fuel.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Sorry I don't like the idea of enlarging jet sizes.

[@razorback20]

There's a small styrofoam washer located between the throttle spindle and the carb body. I noticed that at the start of the video, it was already in poor condition. Then, after the ultrasonic cleaning, it has gone totally missing. Of course, its absence will cause a noticeable air leak making the engine run overly lean and thus hard to start without priming, even when hot. And it's pure luck that this one engine wasn't surging in these conditions... This crappy little part made of the cheapest possible material has already been the cause of my issues on 2 different mowers (the last one having the same B 450 engine). It decays very fast, ruining the fuel/air ratio. Shame to Briggs & Stratton for having cut costs at such a sensitive spot. 😤 Of course, replacing the whole carb will fix the issue... for some time. On my side, I've replaced the defective washer with 2 rubber O-rings stacked on each other. Of course the throttle axis won't move as freely as before, but at least it works. For almost free.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

can you link a diaphragm of the intake system so I can see this "small Styrofoam" washer you're talking about? Thanks

[@jesterr7133]

The OEM plastic carbs were like $8 last time I bought one. There is no sense in keeping one that isn't working properly. If I can spend that amount of money and make the mower run better, then I am spending it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I do believe the OEM carb is a lot more than $8. According to Ereplacementparts dot com the part number is 84001982 and is $53 plus Tax and shipping.

[@kevingallagher-hi7cq]

How about a n u r r Murray lawn mower have the same issue is it the same problem

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I'm sure the methods on the video will work for yours

[@Idkx2ummm]

Please tell me what type of oil do you use for the air filter???

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I use WD-40 but you can use any thin oil you have around

[@Idkx2ummm]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Thank you

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem

[@robertmailhos8159]

The 2 thing's that I think of is the ignition coil is going out And back in the day when Briggs and Stratton engine s didn't like high octane gas

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

interesting ideas.

[@robertmailhos8159]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I had a Briggs and Stratton engine that did not work on the higher octane gas 😡😠🤬👎

[@electroddxful]

I would have replace once it got a little worse if it was my own. 👍🙏👍🙏

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

great choice

[@anthonypatt179]

Can you help me with my mower when i prime it 2 or 3 times gasoline comes out from the air filter

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I need to know which mower you have. What's your model and serial number on the mower?

[@anthonypatt179]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE dam bro that mower is like 10 years old but I can check the box if it has the model name or number

[@anthonypatt179]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE it has two different numbers one one the pull rope and one on the motor the pull rope number is Rato-01 18114-200301 And the number on the motor is 445722Rv1401and has something like [|] Rv1400mr00304fa-001a120311047

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

unfortunately the number you've given have come back with no results

[@matthewwearsch242]

Faulty choke thermostat behind the muffler

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

this is a priming carb, no thermostat here.

[@rayburnett3066]

Replacing the carb is the thing to do

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

agreed

[@kennylavay8492]

opinions are like A holes every body has one. my mower is the opposite three or four pulls to start on cold after it is hot pulls and starts first pull.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

interesting have you check the valve lash to see if it's off?

[@wade-be7sz]

yeah if you sell it you did right by fixing it

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

agreed

[@christophermarshall5765]

I would have replaced the carby. Those bits of plastic are a nightmare. Fortunately, both my mowers have metal carbs on them, as does my new Vyking Force 4kvA generator.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice, I wonder if anyone's replaced these plastic carbs with a metal one.

[@christophermarshall5765]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE good question.