Fixing A Bolens Mower That Won't Start

[@hairballmanor]

2 weeks ago I scarfed up a 2018 twin of this mower at the dump. A guy was throwing it away and I asked to have it. The thing had no spark and low compression. I took off the head and found one of the bolts was very loose and the head gasket was flaky in two areas (it was wheezing when turned over).. i replaced the coil, head gasket, cleaned the carb, re-gapped the valve clearances and re-torqued the head blots. The mower restarts on first pull and runs great. Total investment was $27. Nice video, keep them coming.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem and you did a great job saving that mower!

[@Turningwrenches85]

You did nice work fixing this one up, they usually sell good in my area

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks and yes these are nice little mowers for small yards

[@chickenray182]

On my personal mower I bought an aftermarket carb. After 15 years it earned it, and I still have the original for spare parts.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

great choice

[@lawrencecarroll2031]

Time is money! Clean or replace, whatever is quickest and cost effective. Good video.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

You got that right!

[@maiiyoyo]

I had this exact mower i cleaned the carb and stuff it worked great and i sold it a few days ago

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice work !

[@jesterr7133]

When I am washing one, I will usually put some plastic under the fuel cap and the air filter cover, just to make sure that no water gets in. I learned my lesson on a pressure washer that I own. I decided to pressure wash my pressure washer, and I forgot about the vents on the fuel cap. It took me a year to get all the water fully purged from the system.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's good advice

[@jesterr7133]

I have one of these. It's nothing special, but it is a reliable little mower. I have had it loaned out to a customer for almost two years. I have his mower to repair, and he has been ghosting me. It is a Cub Cadet self propelled that is more valuable, so I about to fix it, send it down the road, and call the Bolens a loss.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

well, as long as you get something out of the deal.

[@hickorystx]

Redoing the carb depends on. having free time as a hobbyist or commercial business. Users choice. Either way, it will be a job well done. Thanks again for your quality video!!!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

well said and you thank you

[@richrell1]

The best video I’ve seen on this matter 🙌🏽

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Thank you!

[@gregorypierce6703]

Tuff call on a aftermarket carburetor because its a roll of the dice! I have a great story about aftermarket carburetors

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I know right. We'll see what happens in the next installment. I hope you can share that story one day.

[@MUUKOW3]

Good thing is you can buy two or three of them and still be ahead with some carbs , if they are bad I just turn them into carb kits ,as the parts usually fit the original.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

I've had sme old primer bulb flatheads that acted like that but I just kept on priming them and they cleared up themselves eventually. They never had the plastic carbs though. Good fix but I always figured on pulling them several times and when they cranked quickly I was happy! Happy week to you and Thanks!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank for sharing that, hopefully this one will be the same

[@jesterr7133]

I managed to find a clone for $9 on Ebay, and it worked pretty well. I cleaned the carb four times onmine before I bought one. I hate buying a carb for a $50 or $60 mower that still needs oil, a filter, and probably a blade.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes, $9 is worth the risk

[@kevinsands6769]

I keep a couple of extra complete fuel systems clean and ready. I don't even pull the rope ripe. I just pull off the entire old fuel system and put on a cleaned one. Pull the rope. These little mowers are so common and i can't keep them in stock. If i could get enough of them, i could sell 10/day for $80.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

wow I like your method.

[@philliphall5198]

Put grease on opening off cable to keep water out works great 😊 I dap it good and park it

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Great tip!

[@gpecci2253]

Another great video. I would order a new carb if cleaning the old carb did not solve the starting issue when the mower was warmed up.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

great choice

[@jesterr7133]

I recently got defeated by a plastic carb for the first time. I trash picked a little Murray mower that had been sitting for a while. The carb had a clog in the idle circuit, so the mower was surging. Nothing was going through the idle circuit. I eventually managed to at least clear some of it and got fuel flowing through the circuit, but it still would not run properly. I didn't have time to keep messing with it since it was the end of the season, so I bought a new one. I did keep it though, and I am going to work at it some more and maybe save it for another project if I can get it cleared.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I like your determination

[@liljoeii6091]

THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Thank you for watching

[@AnthemBassMan]

That Bolens has got to be about the cheapest mower made! I worked on one a few years ago for a friend of my Wife’s. The deck is about the thinnest gauge of steel I’ve seen and that terrible plastic carb Briggs came out with is about as bad. And you have to unbolt each wheel to change the cutting height. The valves were good, but she left gas in it over the winter. I found the micro drill bit that just fit the main jet hole then went one size larger. So far she hasn’t had any trouble with it since. No idea why Briggs used such a small hole size for the jet. But fixing it kept one more mower out of the landfill and still in use like it should be.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you for sharing that, and yes the jet size is amazingly small.

[@MUUKOW3]

There is nothing wrong with the jet ,size obviously the carb wasn't properly cleaned. The jet size is what's needed to not run rich.

[@bassinbillRC5300]

I'm looking for the linkage that connects the throttle lever assembly to the choke and throttle liver assembly. I can work the choke back and forth by hand with the linkage that's attached to the top of the Carburetor. However when I squeeze the handle at the top of the lawnmower handle the throttle of something does not move. Because it doesn't move The choke is not engaging it won't start unless I use starting fluid. After running 3 seconds it shuts off. I went to Lowe's to go look at this but they wouldn't let me take the top off the motor which has the recoil starter.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

good luck fining it. Sorry I can't help

[@deebee3901]

I'd be inclined to clean the old carb. I've had mainly bad experiences with cheap aftermarket carbs.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's definitely on the table

[@angelicaconiguliaro3179]

Good video as always! I'd go thru the carb again just because of my OCD. I gotta know if i missed something. I do have a question, I have a 2022 Toro Recycler takes 4-6 pulls to start when cold but starts with 1 pull when warmed up. Is it the valve's? Has 27.2 hours on it.

[@anthonylenzi2471]

100% valves

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

from the information given, I would take a look at the valves.

[@arthurwilliams1922]

Another great video thank you

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mjg263]

I usually try to keep the original carb with the mower and repair it, however once in a while you get one that refuses to work properly no matter what you do. I rarely have any problems with aftermarket carbs though, they seem to work pretty well in most cases.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I completely agree

[@MrLeslloyd]

I have the same 450E and 500E on two mowers,I always start them with throttle just up from idle,no more and they start first try every time,just like Old British Motorcycles,just crack open throttle,any more and you risk a backfire.That engine looks like it had only one run before you got it,i scored 4 mowers like this from my new neighbor (one of them a Bolens) ,who just bought a new mower as soon as the present mower played up.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you for sharing that. I wish this one had throttle control

[@MrLeslloyd]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Oh no,I was wondering why the cable on that one went into the back of the crankcase,never seen that before,will have a look on mine in the morning to see if the undrilled casting for that is visible.Only mower I've operated with no throttling was a "Pace" from the 1960's and the motor was a Villiers,competitor of the Victa.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

the cable that goes to the back is only the "brake cable" which is connected to the bail handle

[@goofe.washington953]

Although not shown in this video, ALWAYS disconnect the spark plug prior to blade removal, blade installation or cleaning the bottom of the deck. There is a bail handle on most mowers that’s used as a safety device, but a good precautionary habit is to disconnect the spark plug. Your fingers - or even your entire hand - will appreciate it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks

[@b286guy]

Great job! As a note about your gas can, I’d throw it in the trash if it were mine. It consistently spills gas when you’re pouring! 🤢😩

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I know right!

[@MUUKOW3]

FMC Bolens another company swallwed up only to be a badge engineering nameplate. The old Husky tractors were tanks while the walk behind mowers had gotten a little over complicated toward the end but way better than the little MTD wearing its badge.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

it certainly feels that way

[@word1901]

i wouldn't check valve clearance on an engine that's been sitting a long time without running the engine for 5/10min as the valve seats and edge of the valves build up a layer of corrosion while sitting closing up the clearances i've always taken out the plug put a few squirts of penetrating oil in the cylinder before attempting to start anything i know has sat over 12 months to avoid dry starts and helping any corrosion find it's way out

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you make a good point

[@shadowopsairman1583]

Oxy acetylene tip cleaner kit works

[@fcdrummer1806]

My toro had a smoking issue on cold startups. Funny thing is it only does it sometimes and it stops smoking shortly after. I’m assuming because our patio has a slight slope, some oil might have flowed into an area it shouldn’t have and that’s why it smoked. I will look at it when it stops raining. You guys have any ideas of what I should check? Maybe rings not seating or valve seals? I just changed the oil with the correct type of oil and fill with a new air filter.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

unfortunately not knowing the exact model I would only be guessing. Have you checked the oil level? pull the dipstick, wipe it clean and then reinsert it to check the oil. If it's above the High level would put the oil on the back side of the piston and rings. That oil would then seep past the rings and on start up, would smoke.

[@fcdrummer1806]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE The oil level was at the full mark. It only does it sometimes which might have been because of the tilt of the patio. It stopped smoking so it’s not a constant issue. Thanks for the feedback!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem and thank you for your time

[@SA-iw4ci]

It's funny that people don't realize that the difference between many older mower brands is the color of the deck and the decals on the engine shroud.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I know right!

[@beepseatsfindingfoodtreasu8756]

My practice is to replace the carb and rebuild the old one for use later. Not having the part is also time spent waiting.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I like this practice

[@DavidBlair-o4t]

Awesome

[@watermanone7567]

Some of those engines need to be primed each start time. It may get better with extended run time.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I hope so

[@edrodrigues5623]

Go through it again, instead of waiting a couple of days for another. You're right there an only takes 10-15 minutes.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

very good choice

[@YogisNoviceGarage]

I personally would probably give the carburetor a good cleaning and inspection making sure I don’t miss anything and if it does the same thing, break down and get a new one. Or just order a new one anyway and if you get the original one to work as it should, you’ll still have a spare carburetor

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I like the way you think!

[@ethanmiller3935]

I would go through it again. You have that carb right there so you are only out time, but if you buy an aftermarket one you have to wait for it to be delivered

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you make a great point

[@SA-iw4ci]

There's something that I've always wondered. Why do you use the .005 in. feeler gauge when the specs are .004 - .008 in.? Why do you not use the .006 in.?

[@davie66fly]

I always use .004 because when you gap it, you will always be over that gap. I've always been successful.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

choice

[@jesterr7133]

I am using the same degreaser that you do, and I am using it at half strength. It still takes the clear coat off. How do you prevent it from doing that?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

sure, don't let it sit for more than 20 or 30 seconds. Otherwise, only use the degreaser on the worst parts of the engine and use a softer cleaner for the paint.

[@jesterr7133]

Lol. I don't even take the engine cover off to deal with a carb on these mowers. I probably should though.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I would.

[@RussellHoughton]

I would go back into the carb to see what I missed.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

good choice

[@williamsnow1531]

I’m shocked you didn’t do a compression test. You did everything else.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I only typically do a compression test when I think it might be an issue or if I might gain something from the reading. Everything with this one showed that nothing would be gained from one.

[@crisprtalk6963]

Dont you be bad mouthin' Okeechobee.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

oh I like Okeechobee. it's beautiful!

[@owenrobertson-n6o]

In looking at picking up a broken Troy bilt jet leaf blower for 15$ it looks in good shape they said it starts for only a couple of seconds I I’m pretty sure it’s a easy fix what do you think should. Take it or not

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

take it, replace the carb for $15 and enjoy it!

[@jesterr7133]

How do you properly clean the filter for these engines? I have a basic Murray that I am trying to get ready to sell. I have already bought a carb for it, so I don't want to invest any more money on it, so I can make something off of it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Do you mean the air filter or the fuel filter? For the fuel filter, you'll have to "back" wash thru the filter in the tank. As for the air filter, you'll need to use a good Degreaser

[@electroddxful]

I would go though the carburetor me more time before making a decision 🙏👍🙏

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

great choice

[@4860550]

Good morning can please make video on how you can replace the governor arm on toro mower with tecumseh engine and the governor shaft ty

[@SA-iw4ci]

A Toro with a Tecumseh? Must be a pretty old lawnmower. I personally encounter a Tecumseh maybe twice a year.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I will definitely try

[@SHOINOFF]

I was wondering where you get all these practicly free mowers at Looks like ill have to take a drive an hour north to check out the lake in the middle of the state i live in.also dont forget to let people know to use sae 30 engine oil.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

It depends on the city you live in. I'm not sure how many people live here.. but there's just enough so that's it's not overwhelming. one small international air port, one national guard.. and a lot of small towns around it. If you live in a much larger city, I doubt the dynamics would be the same.

[@jct300m]

Not used to much...but looks like it sat outside its entire life...Plug looks Original..Black spray paint mist still on it..Blade (other than rust) looks new too..Think u got a LOW hour motor...I think when do these carb jobs on this type eng...thats been sitting long period...Take tank & fuel line off too with carb & clean it all...putting a clean carb to a ??? fuel line & tank is only contaminating what you just cleaned...just a thought...

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

good thought

[@ramadinsookhoo6141]

Hey bro what's up? I would go through the carburetor once again and hope that the matter is resolved.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

great choice

[@4570govt8]

I would go through the carb. Aftermarket carbs have become really hit and miss lately.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

agreed

[@BigRay910]

Hey guys, a question that I have: Where do you guys find free lawn equipment to work on?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I use Craigslist and FB marketplace

[@shadowopsairman1583]

Clean the coil and fly wheel,

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

all clues point to fuel issue, not spark

[@TravisSturm-wb9jp]

what is your favorite app you find stuff foe free on

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Craigslist and FB Marketplace

[@jwayne777]

There's water in the engine

[@RoldanRR00]

Looks like there was, but he changed the oil. Probably built up at the same time the gas tank did and it never actually ran with water in it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yep

[@alansantaniello4536]

I'd think you would check for spark early in the investigation - don't see that it was done here at all.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

The reasons spar was not tested was because I already know that it was there. But you are correct when dealing with a new machine, a spark check is a wise choice

[@davidtroxel6018]

Lawn tractor will not start 1:27

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

sorry to hear

[@MarkMeadows90]

I hate it that Briggs & Stratton are using plastic carburetors for some of their engines these days. That's cheap.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I know right

[@jameskrivitsky9715]

If all it takes is a couple primer pumps, I would use the mower AS-IS and not put more time and cash into a "seller".

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I like the way you think

[@genesmay6589]

Seafoam and ship it out the door

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice

[@christophermarshall5765]

My yard force mower needs priming to start when hot. It has been like this since I first bought it. I have cleaned the carby out several times with no difference. It doesn’t bother me that it’s like that. My new one is the same.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

wow really? Interesting..you never considered this to be an issue?