Riding Mower Engine Surging - Easy & Inexpensive Fix!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

June 2024 six year update with 350 hrs now. This spring repair is still holding.

[@apersunthathasaridiculousl1890]

6yrs later update is crazy, great video!

[@edmckinney8457]

My D105 John Deere developed this issue after 1 year of ownership. Small Engine repair claimed it needed a new carb that cost $350.00 bucks. I wouldn't pay so I lived with the misfire and surging for a couple of grass cutting seasons. I finally ordered a carb through Amazon for $25.00 dollars and 6 weeks later from China I put it on. Still had the same issue so I checked the Governor linkage and adjusted. Run's great now. I retired recently from my 45 year career repairing Industrial Machinery and Electronics. Now I have time to repair my own stuff. Not get ripped off by unscrupulous small engine shops.

[@LOOSE-WHEELS]

I have the D110 with same issue and only 45 hrs on it. Not making Deeres like they used to for sure,.1 tire on front dry rotted already. ignition replaced, sad fact.Update, this did fix my issue ^5 to the poster!

[@morriswaller5952]

Must have spent 4-5 hours off and on trying to figure out why my Kohler 19hp started surging. Your video was the only one I found that talked about the governor spring. I re-connected it and problem solved. Your videos are very high quality, clear and concise. Thank You! Your time and effort in producing these videos are much appreciated!

[@clintstevenson1214]

That is EXACTLY what that spring is for. Tightens up linkage slop to help prevent surging. Thanks for the video

[@AbalengHero]

My husband has been teaching me how to fix things.. Hes at work today and I was to mow.. Unfortunately I havent been taught about the Snapper we have, but thanks to this video I was able to see our "slop spring" has been disconnected and could be my problem today. Lord willing that fixes it, and my husband will return from work and see his wife didnt need him to show her how this time 😍

[@davedennis6042]

Your husband is a lucky man.

[@rottiesdad]

@@davedennis6042 Agreed!

[@ellikerdonald5660]

marry me!

[@greglawson8001]

Wow he is lucky

[@NoURider]

Is it a red snapper 😏

[@boblowrey8266]

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE FIX! THE GOVERNOR SPRING IS ESSENTIAL! I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT UNTIL IT FIXED MINE! NOW SHE'S SMOOTH AS GLASS!!! THANK YOU MR. SALT!!!

[@zarb88]

Im really not sure what this spring is for, i really dont know. How wonderfully refreshing. A man who doesnt have to pretend he knows everything but knows enough to get the job done.

[@RickyPisano]

I'll be darned!! I have a Kohler Courage 19 HP and this is EXACTLY what was wrong. I reattached it and it's running beautifully now. Incredible!! Talk about a quick fix!!! Awesome!! THANKS!!!!

[@winfordnettles3292]

My 1980 Craftsman GT18 began having the same problem as described in the video a couple of weeks ago. I tried all the common fixes, flushing and cleaning the fuel system, replaced the filter, fresh fuel, checked the spark plugs, checked the air filter, etc. Now, after watching this video, I realize that I might have missed this dampening spring. I hope this works, as I love my GT18. Thanks again for posting.

[@ChristopherJones16]

Same, but I wasnt missing the spring connection. Everyone says to buy a B&S OEM carb for $100. Cost is 5x more than generics, but guaranteed to not surge like the new generics can.

[@tmarinelic]

I bought Briggs OEM carb Made in China 6 years ago, works like charm

[@1973chevycar]

Good sir, I just bought a new husqvarna 22 horse riding mower and I've got less then 3 hours on it and it started to do the surging thing. I watched at LEAST 20 different videos and after I watched yours, I went out to see if that was the problem. As it turns out, ( and I have no IDEA what I did, but just by loosing up the top cover, and pushing the arm around a little, I tried starting it up and BAM: no more surging. I haven't the foggiest ideal what I did, but THANK YOU for suggesting the wire thing. I'm now a very HAPPY PERSON.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad to hear you got your new machine sorted. Don't you love those repairs where you can't find a bloody thing wrong, but after putting it back together it works fine. Almost sounds like something might have been sticking? Hope it continues to work well now. 👍

[@handsomeyousy]

Incredibly rescue!! I have a Honda HRR 216vka, was doing fine until the other day I pushed it deep into bushes then it started surging high and low. I already called warranty but saw your video last night so I checked it today, exactly same issue due to a spring not attaching anywhere. Took me 2 seconds to figure out where to attach it back. Thank you soooooo much for your video!!

[@mattnichols4493]

I was so mad with my lawnmower i almost pushed it by the road and got rid of it. You video saved me thankyou!!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad it helped.

[@outfoxedgameingfgg7213]

You literally have no idea how much you helped me, we spent a hours upon hours and it was literally so easy. Thanks again keep it up.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Great to hear! 🙂

[@airforcegamer82]

i almost ripped the carburetor off, decided to look up the symptoms and found this video...thanks, saved me a lot of unnecessary work...my spring wasn't broke though it was just gummed up and stuck...i played around with it and now the surging has stopped :)

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad the "easy spring" fix was the cure by freeing it up. I never thought of that also causing it, but it makes sense. A stuck/gummed up spring would have the same effect as a broken or missing one - no tension to take up slop in the linkage. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@hans-jurgenwiegand7465]

I was so tired from working in the garage, that I fell asleep watching it the first time! You definitely caught my interest, so when I woke up, I watched it again, was very impressed, & subscribed & liked your video! I’ve always been better @ breaking things, than fixing things, from lack of knowledge & a good teacher. I think this is a great video, thanks!👍🏻

[@randyreader4520]

That's called a surge spring,commom issue broken off,theres only a few things that cause surge

[@shack6111]

Even after watching your video AND Looking at my machine, I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out WHAT does that spring even do? But I tell Ya, JOHN, You nailed it!! Sure nuff, I did exactly what you did and the revving stopped. THANK YOU --- THANK YOU --- THANK YOU !!!!!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yep, it's a common issue & glad to hear this was the easy fix on yours too. The spring is taking out slop that develops in the linkage rod between the governor arm and carburetor throttle plate arm so it (the throttle plate) can't "flutter". The spring has little effect when the machines are new (why some comments are adamant the spring does bugger all) but as they age and the pushrod holes ovalize from vibration wear, the throttle hunting/surging really starts showing up in the low to mid throttle range if that spring is missing or busted.

[@bobsaduwaji1866]

Hey, The spring is for preventing the left and right motion of the carburetor flap which causes the surging/hunting movement of the lawnmower

[@richardkrasicki6086]

I also have the same engine and carby in a MTD, it was running very rough and surging too, i did re adjust that spring, it helped a little, but the major improvement was, cleaning the flywheel and magneto/coil contact area, from rust and the build up of other crap, now it starts straight away and idles and revs very smooth.. i did notice on your video that your flywheel has a lot of rust build up too. I seems that keeping the flywheel ,magneto/coil contacts clean, is overlooked by many..

[@daveycrockett64]

Are you sure about that? As long as it is grounded well, from my limited understanding of how it works, I wouldn't expect it to make any difference.

[@thisislargemouth5566]

That's not how magnets work my friend. I'm not saying nothing changed after you did this but I don't think this was the reason.

[@cjoakman7715]

the rust will not affect your mower unless it has built up so much that it starts hitting the coil legs or caused the magnets to weaken somehow.

[@DWinnie67]

@@cjoakman7715 THE main cause of a surge is a lack of fuel , most likely in the float bowl or main jet area, clean it and put a new filter on and fire it up!

[@michaelcre8]

This would make sense if the problem is the engine overheating because the rust makes the iron hotter. I wonder if that's the problem I'm having.

[@am6066]

Thank you Mr. Salt for your video and thanks to Exinanition for your excellent explanation; my Kawasaki went into the permanent idle mode while mowing at full throttle ( I am a one-man, self employed landscaper), after a visual inspection, I saw the broken end of the spring hanging down and after pulling on the spring, engine revved up. Found some plyers, bent the spring and attached it to a screw hole; finished the mowing job and loaded the mower. Thank again guys! (and AbalengHero, God bless you; your husband is a lucky man!)

[@hamoonkts7144]

I bet you small engine shops suggested that Lousy spring in metal connections. And they can fix it for $500. $200 part and $300 labour. Scam.

[@sandmanbub]

If you round off the edges of the hole the spring goes through, the spring shouldn't break again. The grease might hold onto any dirt or debris that lands there.A shoe lace impregnated with some metal cutting/buffing compound should make a great tool for doing this.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Good tip & good proposed method with compound on a shoe lace. This original modded spring is still holding 3 years later believe it or not. I was sure it would break shortly after as others commented it would, but no issues at all. The hole has already rounded off on the edges a fair amount so maybe that is why it's still lasting? No question, having a radius on the edges of the holes should certainly help spread the load over having a sharp contact point.

[@NB-ir1me]

Use a q tip on a drill dipped in compound

[@gregfair9455]

John, dude! THANKS! - I had the same exact problem on a John Deere LA115, saw your video and just stretched the spring a little and... Vwa-Lah, the engine stutter went away, like magic! Thanks a million!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad yours was an easy "slop spring fix" as well.

[@jm1551701]

Great close ups, and good explanation of the issues, sometimes it is the simplest fix's that are overlooked. This was a great tutorial, Thank you.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching!

[@clintsinger6893]

It's an anti surge spring and just prevents the throttle from over compensating due to it being hooked to the governor and not directly to the throttle.

[@k5laman]

These springs are on most all small engine throttle systems, no matter who manufactured it. The governors are similar in operation on all of them. Any slack between the throttle shaft in the carburetor and the actual governor flyweight assembly inside the crankcase will cause surging! Sometime even if there's no play, a restriction in the metering orifices inside the carb.,causing a lean mixture will cause surging.

[@georgespangler1517]

If you rince your mower engine like I always do,,,be sure to check the magnetic pickup on your flywheel because it will rust and cause surge and backfire also,,,just use a little sandpaper...mine drove me crazy until I realized it...

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for the tip.

[@georgespangler1517]

@@thetune3020 your welcome,,,glad it helped you.

[@SteveBueche1027]

My new JD is doing this with only 4 hours on it! Will check for the same issue. My old Ariens run like a champ for 6 years without issue. I just gave it to my daughter for the JD. now I want to trade back.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I'm guessing it's something else being that new as it's unlikely the anti-slack spring has failed already or that there is much slop in the linkage/pushrod yet; but it's an easy first check before digging deeper. Keeping fingers crossed it's an easy fix.

[@windowcreek1798]

I had the same problem, i was told to buy a large can of carb cleaner, remove the air filter and spray the whole can into the intake. I did and it super cleaned the carb, problem solved. Great video. Cheers.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Appreciate the view 🙂👍

[@KenTeagueIpswich]

I had the same problem with a Craftsman Lawn Tractor, Briggs & Stattron engine, made the same repair as your video. The wire spring in my machine is far thinner than in your video. Won't have looked for that issue without this! Thanks

[@densocling1235]

Well, after I tried loosening the gas cap, put in a new fuel filter, a new fuel pump and a new carburettor, I checked the fuel hoses and they were clear. So I checked 12 volts to the solenoid. It was there and steady - no bad connection. I was out of ideas and then thought of one more. Can I blow air into the gas tank? Nope, it was clogged tight. I used compressed air to blow it clear and now it finally runs like new.

[@douglasthompson9516]

What was clogged?

[@hawkenman.549]

You just taught me a $100.00 dollar lesson. Thank you my brother.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad to be helpful.

[@orangejuice4332]

The spring takes up the backlash or slop in the linkages.

[@carlosjimz]

my new, but old Stratton is doing exact surging thing, I just went to check right now, and my spring is detached, I will fix it tomorrow to see if it works

[@trickyricky2920]

How did you fix it my is gone

[@mikejohnson9118]

HOLY SHEET! I can't get over how clean the lawnmower is. I mean that is better than new from the factory. Weird.

[@DIYVariety]

Lol had to laugh at your comment, i was thinking same thing

[@NoURider]

City mowers never get dirty, lucky ducks in that regard 🙂

[@loganbarker328]

You should see mine! It’s a 2007 and looks brand new. I also have a 1984 John Deere 216 that is completely original and still looks new.

[@stevemcc4447]

Thanks! This is very helpful. I was mowing along...with that surge...then it died. It would turn over but not fire. Now it won't seem to turn over???

[@jimklebes5790]

Great post John Salt. I have a John Deere LA110 that recently could not handle an increased engine load. I replaced the spark plug, fuel filter and air filter. I also removed the fuel shut off solenoid from the carburetor fuel bowl and tested it but that did not resolve the engine load problem. I found your post and decided to remove the engine hood and the governor spring was broken! I repaired the spring and the engine is now running normal under a load. I wish I had removed the engine hood earlier because I also discovered the engine fins were clogged with debris. I purchased my John Deere LA110 in 2007 and I maintain it myself according to the manufactures schedule. My John Deere LA110 with 700 hours of use has been a workhorse. I use it to mow 2 acres and clear snow (44" snow blower) from my large driveway along with an additional 2,000 feet of the neighborhood private street. I also have a Johnny Bucket for the front that allows me to move 10 cubic yards of mulch every spring. I did replace the original hydrostatic transmission with a unit from a larger John Deere model and added gator tires to have better traction mowing my ravine lot and clearing snow.

[@MrHhesser]

Now that's using your equipment. I'm impressed.

[@whwoods1]

Kawasaki FH680V This was exactly my issue. Thanks for posting this quick fix. Worked like a charm.

[@DumbCarGuy]

at 7:49 That U shaped rod/linkage/wire whatever you want to call it. seems to get stuck when you full choke and your motor will chug until the motors vibrations lets it go back in place. This is when you choke then the motor starts and then you put the motor to normal running speed. except it now chugs because that U shaped wire thing has a hard time going back into the not choked position.

[@wild8757]

Maybe you could help me with this question, I got an old craftsman 12 horse Rider with a Briggs & Stratton engine, my governor has linkage with the spring the same as the one you have there, my engine is surging back-and-forth constantly, you can see the linkage and governor going back-and-forth back-and-forth, I took the carburetor off and totally cleaned it and rebuilt with new nozzles and jets, also bought a brand new spring from Briggs & Stratton put it all back together and the governor and linkage is still surging back-and-forth even with the new spring, if I hold the governor with my finger I can make it idle smoothly so I assume it’s not the carburetor right? I can’t figure out why when I take my finger off that linkage and governor it is still bouncing back-and-forth causing it to surge , it’s the older one piece Flo-jet carburetor, any ideas? Thanks

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Sounds like an issue with either the mechanical governor or something binding or loose in the governed linkages to the carb. All the linkages should be free to move easily, if they are sticking, surging/hunting will occur. Same can be said for a weak governor spring with slop or linkage slop but if you hold the governor arm steady, and that gets rid of it - it sounds like it could be the internal governor mechanism. If it's the actual mechanical governor that is hunting, that is an engine apart repair I believe on that specific engine - I'm no expert on Briggs of course. Use your Google Fu to get diagrams of your specific engine model's governor linkage & spring layout & fault trace procedure.

[@tomheathfield5530]

Hello, I was experiencing the same issue, inspected my spring, but found intact, however little to no tension on the spring, shorted spring by 1/4 of an inch and corrected surging. Thx.

[@garyrichter5745]

My spring was not broke or detached but it WAS the problem. After watching your video, and trying 3 different carbs, I shortened the spring and it fixed the surging. I am guessing that over time it just stretched out. Thanks!

[@reynaldo05]

Mine was surging at mid and high rpms. I changed the air filter, carbs, the fuel filter with the shut off valve, I made sure air and fuel lines were okay. Then I came across this video and of course mine didn’t have that spring. I tested it with a rubber band. It stopped surging completely!!! I ordered the spring from Amazon to replace the rubber band. lol

[@DtoTha]

Thank you! I've been trying to figure out if I could just bend that and replace it I have a break in the same spot and you're the only found that said so. It is used to return the throttle rod (Governor lever) back to close/start to prevent it from staying open causing potential surging and other throttle related issues.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yep stretching it a bit and putting a new hook in the end works fine and it's still working fine all these years later. BTW - this tiny spring has absolutely nothing to do with any sort of throttle return; if it did, the carburetor wouldn't close back to idle when the tiny spring breaks. The throttle/governor return spring is much beefier and is located on the governor arm. This tiny spring's only purpose is to take slack out of the throttle linkage at the carburetor as the linkage hole wears larger over time, causing the butterfly to fluctuate as many others have correctly pointed out in the comments.

[@rickarddt]

There it is! Thanks John and commenters (not all of you, don't get cocky). My Briggs & Stratton lawnmower runs great again! Cleaned all the linkages and gave them some dry lube.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Right on!

[@johnutting9615]

Hi Rick was your B&S lawn mower have the 6.5 Intek engine ?

[@mikesnuggs6233]

Correct problem diagnosis about spring. Repair ok, but go ahead and order new spring. Temporary rebending of spring end wont last. Good video and explanation.

[@dorothyandrews8872]

Thanks so much for this, my mower is doing this today, I don't know if my mower will be like yours as its a Columbia, but I will attempt to take off the housing and see if I have a wire-like yours. The other issue I have is that when I try to cut, it starts then stops, so I turn of the cutter and then turn back on and it cuts for a while but again stops cutting. Anyway, as a senior woman who knows nothing about this stuff, i will attempt what I can otherwise I will have to try and get it delivered or picked up from a repair place, but right now don't know if they are open due to Covid 19

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Hopefully it's an easy fix with that throttle anti-slack spring. If the spring is still there however, then it's going to be more involved. Try fresh fuel first (if you haven't), and if that doesn't work, then it could be a clogged fuel filter, dirty/blocked carb, or bad spark plug as the most common items. The engine dying out issue after engaging the blades could be a fuel starvation issue, or perhaps one of the safety interlock switches/wiring is faulty. If it stumbles and slowly dies out, that would be consistent with fuel starvation. If it dies out quickly (like if you turned the key off), that would be consistent with an interlock/electrical issue. Anyway - hope the surging issue might be the easy to check and fix spring.

[@Razor_36]

I have a Murray that turned 21 years old this summer and it still runs strong. Always used synthetic oil in it before all the cool kids did. Used Honda 4 stroke racing oil in it when I rode dirt bikes. The carbs for these are so cheap anymore that instead of rebuilding them I just toss them and bolt a new one on. Plugs are also cheap insurance. I did keep the original for keepsake. I hate the throttle linkage setup on the Briggs. The choke setup having to put it at full throttle for startup makes zero sense. I'll set the choke for a few minutes and pull it back down to start at low idle and it works every time.

[@williamgreen3065]

My brand new John Deere mower is surging at startup only for about 15 seconds. No misfire yet. So I'm going right now to check that spring. Thanks

[@mikeward2922]

Just slapped a new carb on an old Briggs 17hp motor. That spring is there, but I am concerned it is misshapen a bit due to swapping carbs / cleaning carbs a few times. I am going to give it a really good look. It and the rod on which it is wrapped may also have been bent out of alignment somewhat. My engine does surge.

[@mikeward2922]

Please let me know if you have success. Same deal here - multiple carb swaps - this spring and rod may be out of shape.

[@Brandon_Jackson]

I got a craftsman riding mower and it’s doing the same thing! I’ll check that tomorrow and see and I’ll leave an update comment if it works. Thanks for the help!

[@XavierGM503]

So, did that fix your problem?

[@JodBronson]

@@XavierGM503 - No update, it broke! LOL

[@Grant849]

It's been two years, I guess it didn't work 😂

[@Brandon_Jackson]

@@Grant849 it sadly didn’t work. I sold that pos😄

[@tazmun]

Nice video, very clean machine. You’re on point with your problem solving. The only thing I would say is I might mess with bending that spring around in an emergency and while waiting for a new one. I would definitely replace the spring with a new one though because it won’t be quite right tension wise until you do and it’s just so cheap you’ll be crazy not to.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yes, I ordered a new spring shortly after the video and planned on replacing it when the repair failed. That was six years ago now and the "repaired" spring is still holding fine as per the pinned comment. Tension on this spring is not at all critical; its only job it to take up the slack that develops in the pushrod linkage.

[@sonnym9954]

So I tried pretty much everything I was able to find in your videos. I have a Kawasaki FR730 on a zero turn. It seemed to be giving me “dirty carburetor” trouble. I say this because every time I used carburetor cleaner I was able to cut two acres of grass. I refuel every month and use stabilizer. I decided it was easier to replace the carburetor than take it apart and clean it so I bought one on Amazon that brings fuel pump and air filter. I replace it and it bogs down if I increase the throttle too fast or when I put a load on it. I check if both cylinders were firing, I changed the sparks, oil and tightened the springs that go to the governor. It starts and gets to full throttle if I increase it very slowly. Once there it starts to misfire and eventually die out. Not sure what to do.

[@mos8541]

WHAT is that "word" you used at 7:39 or so? Hookum? Skukum? and whut duz it mean?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Skookum = Strong, robust, solid, powerful, impressive, etc...

[@marymathis9299]

Looking at the comments made to your video, l surmise you are a lawn mower HERO! Thanks for the trouble of posting this! Much appreciated! 🛴🚲🛵🏍🏎🚗🚒🚌🚜⚡️💫💥👍❤️👏👏👏👏👏💥🇺🇸

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad to help

[@louisandrus8532]

I have

[@REDWINGJON]

I have a John Deere XR 30 and it is not starting it is turning over but won't start.. i was using its band it run our of full i added som e new fuel and it won't start i think it may have got some muck in the field tank. I have removed the small fuel filter to see if any fuel is coming out of the tank and nothing was pumping through how do I remove the tank to clean it or empty the tank can you help please.

[@alfredorobledo3309]

Is it safe to rivet up and mow the lawn

[@RickyPisano]

Mine is sputtering at idle...runs fair but could run a lot better. I'm hoping that minus any minor differences in the motors I have the same problem I'm SURE I saw a similar spring on my linkage, I'll check it. THANKS!!

[@jimmacaulay844]

My S170 only has about 20 hours (yes, two zero) on it, and started surging. Today I flushed the tank and line, still surges badly. So this evening I went to KZbin and found this easy fix. Don't know why the spring would break after only 20 hours, but I intend to check it out tomorrow. Hope this is it!

[@DineNastyLakers]

Was that it?

[@jimmacaulay844]

Not the spring. I took the bowl off, sprayed it with carb cleaner. Better, not perfect. Will try Seafoam in the gas.

[@eyeswideopen866]

I have a S170 with 38.8 hours…. With a blown head gasket. Oil blowing all overt the air filter, oil all over the right plug ( and white smoke from right side). …. 38.8 hours……

[@southernoutdoors5515]

Exactly what mine is doing now, with only 8 hours on new mower. I looked while running rough that silver arm which the spring is attached to was moving forward and back as its surging grabbed it to stop it from moving and it ran just fine..so this must be my issue..

[@whourdadie]

Same here. Mine is idling fine, but mid to high-mid it surges. I'll have to try and shorten the spring to see if I can get more tension on it and if that fixes it.

[@jsolo7576]

@@whourdadie got it fixed?

[@bobmcl2406]

Very useful video. Seems to apply to many engine brands, judging by the comments. I'll file this one away for future reference. Thanks!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thank you.

[@robertross4728]

LT 1500 Ran like a clock. That is: At any speed or load the engine would violently surge every 2 seconds. The governor instantaneously opened the carburetor and dumped fuel into the engine. The spring in question was not broken. But, the long end of the spring had one wrap around the linkage rod. Apparently that was enough to cause the problem. Reinstalled the spring so that the rod didn't interfere with the spring movement. 90% of the surging went away.

[@ryanhennessy2436]

Mine is sparking and keeps breaking off. All my grounds seem to be fine. Any idea?

[@Flowshow88]

My mower only does this when the bag is on and I am completely bewildered 😕

[@ronlowery5438]

Thx bud. Only video that I found that deals with this. So much help.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad I could help 🙂

[@markconnoly6574]

I replaced my carb and now the governor is NOT speeding the motor up when I use the handle to throttle up??? Any idea why? Thank you!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

My only guess is the pushrod from the governor to the carb popped off or was never hooked back up correctly??? Can you increase the speed by manually pushing the carb open? If so, then it has to be a linkage issue.

[@leslamb9190]

Was thinking it was the transmission belt on my Westwood S1600…but it was the little spring. It hadn’t broken but had no spring power. Fixed that and bingo…no surging. Cheers.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

👍

[@jarrodalveyalvey1665]

Im more impressed how clean your mower is lol..im thinking "hows this brand new mower having problems already"

[@Rchelicopterfun]

🙂

[@billmeyers9584]

My brand new E170 pops and surges just like this but different carb set up. Springs look like they are all attached. Warranty work is 1 month out! Ugh...

[@rikityrik]

Bill Meyers that how they design them. Guaranteed not to break until...

[@goodear1540]

Lemme see if i got this...your spring broke, you re-bent the hook which shortened it then you stretched it to get your length back? Am i correct? Thanks

[@Rchelicopterfun]

100% 🙂

[@redneckman1488]

The spring Sir takes up any and all access space and or movement in the Governor linkage

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yep

[@ronkampsen1098]

I checked everything to this point as well. Mine was still attached..guess I'll need to look at the carb. Mine runs rougher than this one. Fuel filter, pump or carb??

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Whenever diagnosing running issues that are not easily obvious, general practice is to start at the simple stuff and work your way up. Might even be ignition related (misfire) so you can't rule that side of it out either. Fuel filter will generally show up at higher speeds with higher fuel flow. Nothing wrong replacing the fuel filter of course if it's been a while since last replaced. Putting in a new spark plug won't hurt either if it's been a while since the plug has been changed (if it's an ignition/misfire issue). My hunch is a dirty carb however as it seems to be the most common reason for runnability issues these days. Of course that is just a guess. Without seeing it in person first hand to get the full scope of the issue & exact behavior... it's just guessing.

[@RichardSmith-ew6ds]

Thanks for the video. I recently replaced my sump gasket and apparently lost that little guy in the process. Thanks to you, problem solved.

[@burtjones4598]

Hi John, Don't care if it works or not. Finally found out what that spring was for. I have a Kholer that does the same thing. Will look at it. I have bastardized this mower to the most simple wiring and carburetor. My biggest problem is blades and tires. Doing road work in the Caribbean. I use it more as a rock chopper and spiky tree cut offs. I want to thank you. Forgot what a new mower looks like.

[@josevasquez8193]

Where exactly can a linkage with the spring be purchased --most suppliers offer the linkage without the spring ?

[@GrauBartMedia]

Thought this was gonna be my fix. My wire still connected. Still surging. Thanks for the video!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Sorry it wasn't this "easy" fix on yours.

[@peteosinga8845]

Might be gunk in the carb float area drop the bowl poll the pin on the float lift out clean every thing and reassemble.

[@brysonlee4623]

I have a johndeere E110, it starts up and run fine for about 10 minutes then it starts to surge for a around 5 seconds after that runs fine for another minute but keeps doing it over and over again. Also I noticed if you bring the throttle from mowing position down to idle it surges and sputters but clears up after a while and idles fine again. It never has this problem if you keep it on idle only if you give a little throttle I've changed fuel filter and pump but it made no difference. Any idea what would cause this?

[@cogaussie]

I wonder if anyone could help me... I have an MTD ride on mower.. The previous owner overfilled with oil and there was a bang and smoke.... Since then the oil has been drained, new spark plug, compression tested good and have got it running... It has an 4P90JUA Engine and has a chinese special carb very similar to the one in this video... with the arm from the governor and the spring.. mower will run without issue.. but seems to run too rich and will puff out black smoke as if it was exhausting unburnt fuel.... Any idea??

[@dgriffin6074]

Thank you for this video. I noticed that on my Troy Bilt B&S engine that vertical governor arm (or whatever it is called) jumps back and forth like someone crossing hot sand as the engine surges/slows/surges/slows then quits. First thing today is for me to check that tiny wire spring. BTW, $200 for that? Boy am I in the wrong business!!

[@chetg2924]

no sprin at all on mine but will add one or see if the holes are there for it and add one.

[@Mindvirus-ly5ed]

this is exactly how my mower is acting. did all the basic things still surging and misfiring. Was just getting ready to rip it open... will check this first. I have a BnG, so we'll see.... I will report back.

[@Rural_Racooon]

Thanks for the vid. Good info. Some small engine repair shops may sell a small grommet to help prevent metal on metal wear.

[@miikkajaaskelainen7339]

Thank you for the video. This fixed the stalling issues/symptoms my Husqvarna had.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad it helped

[@orweyztungchiu5819]

Wow - have the same problem and just checked for the spring - zilch! Also missing is the plastic grommet that the link fits into the top of carby lever - that's gone as well. Thanks for the video - I would have been looking everywhere else but the spring. Cheers!

[@ary9663]

Good idea to check. My LA 110 spring is intact. I think it's an electrical issue now.

[@jdthomas1988]

Mine is surging in mid to high rpm as well. Spring is intact, haven’t checked the play on it yet though. Only way I can get it to run halfway right is to put the choke lever about halfway into choke and it clears out.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I doubt that's an issue with the "throttle rod spring" like I had (mine was surging in the low to mid range - not mid to high). From your description (mid/high surge and it gets better with a little choke), that would be more consistent with a lean running condition. Following the easy to hard diagnostic progression the suspect list includes: bad fuel, dirty fuel filter, richen high speed needle adjustment, gunk in carb requiring carburetor removal/cleaning service. Check that spring of course as it's an easy visual confirmation, but I'm thinking it's a lean running condition fix that you will be dealing with.

[@dam1041960]

Right on! Are in the south Lat of S.c. Or very close to sea level you will be running lean They are set to a alt of 1,000 and higher ref john thomas. Will need a carb drill bit set and know to do it. just one over size should do it.

[@jdthomas1988]

Thanks dam, worked perfectly. Took it to 1.5mm and she runs like a beaut now. Thank you

[@Eagles0690]

My John Deere 320 was doing that and I got some SeaFoam and put in the tank. Took about 20-30 min running it with the choke on, but gradually I was able to run it normally. Since talking to a friend at John Deere, he said to quit running this new gas. So I have at QT that sales the old stuff (it’s the red handle pump) . Haven’t had any more problems.

[@NootNoot67]

Thanks for the informative video. My John Deere LA140 surges but can be steadied somewhat by using the choke. I tore the carb down and cleaned it, bi that didn't fix it. It seems to be running rich. The exhaust fumes burn the eyes. I put new plugs in it and next I am going to try getting all the rust off of the flywheel. Otherwise, it runs and cuts great. It's seems to pop and misfire some at times. Bad or intermittent coil?

[@PilotViewProductions]

Norm, I have a L130 that, on two separate occasions, has a tendency to surge 'except' when I apply 1/2 choke or more, indicating it is fuel-starved. I thought about breaking down the carb, but changed out the plugs, removed the air filter, changed the fuel filter, nothing worked...except....I tried a can of Sea-Foam in the fuel. They are not a sponsor of mine. It has worked not once, but twice now. After running this through the fuel, within 10 minutes, the surging is gone and stayed gone.

[@terriharrison6534]

@@PilotViewProductions sea foam cleaned up the diesel exhaust in my sailboat. Great stuff.

[@guninkdesigns3838]

Thanks. This is EXTREMELY clear and specific. I really appreciate how clear it was when you talked about bending the end of the spring rod. I’ll check this when I get home. Also, great quality on the video and thanks for the super clean mower. Makes it easier to see the details.

[@mattewpichot523]

One of the most simplest yet most overlooked thing. In my case is was connected however the "spring" part was worn out and had next to no tension

[@shannonbrooks8834]

I put a cam in an old Briggs and Stratton 17.5 HP . Would start up, backfire, misfire. OMG ! Bad CAM ! No,bad coil. Took me a month too figure it out. Not the carb,not the plug,all replaced. The COIL .

[@chrisp3193]

I have the same issue at a low throttle position on a husqvarna Koehler 7000 please let me know if there’s a fix to this

[@derrickzenner9300]

Do you have a video showing how you get a 200 hour machine so clean?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@Derrick Zenner, I just blow all the grass clippings and dust off with the leaf blower after every use, keep it dry/ parked inside the garden shed when not in use, and wash it once or twice a season (when needed). Blowing it off with the leaf blower however is the single biggest help in keeping it clean and it takes next to no time. I'm blowing the sidewalks off anyway after cutting, so it only takes 30 seconds or so extra time to blow the mower off too. I do mention this in the yearly maintenance video I did for this mower: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ27aYhqoLeAd6s

[@derrickzenner9300]

@@Rchelicopterfun it really looks impressive

[@johnhicks9529]

It's takes out the play in the distance.& slack in the rod. When it actuwaits back& fourth on the govern linkage rod at high.& idle speed controled by the throttle cable. It's called A tention spring for taking out the slack.& play in the rod is basically all. Witch you seen if it's breaks how.& what happens in that type of situations like that alone. The fuel agitator spray pump silanode is inside of the carburetor bowl to with wires comming out of it aswell. That can cause the same affect also if it's suck.,or clogged up to.,or there's dirt.& debris inside of the bowl.& agitator silanode aswell.

[@kennthtreadway3504]

I was moving with it went wide open it does it everytime you start it

[@gextreme2381]

That mower has 200 hours on it? It looks factory new! What do cut? Putting greens right after the golf club professionally mows them? Then it spends the rest of the day getting detailed? Impressive!

[@N3SHXX]

Nothing wrong with taking extra care of an expensive tool bought with hard earned money.......!!!!

[@garyhaley1674]

You got a super clean engine for 200 hrs! Thanks for the info!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching 🙂

[@arthurkingsley7591]

so is it meant to be kinda tight? that hook thing you fixed

[@arthurkingsley7591]

mine still has hook attached but is a little loose?

[@mauricesmith9560]

Yes your right taking the slack out of linkages for firm movement

[@sportstough5622]

Very clear video , good job explaining everything , that was what was causing mine to surge , thank you for making this you saved me a lot of time and money

[@carolwennerstrom1353]

i'm having the same issue as well, i thought that it was the feul filter and the spark plug this video helped me

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad you got yours sorted too.

[@creepingenderman6697]

Should this spring be tight or have slack when the engine is off?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Spring tension is there to take up slack in linkage and should be there regardless of throttle position.

[@LOOSE-WHEELS]

I think this may be my problem, At first I thought a spring might be missing from the black choke cam as there are 2 holes with nothing. I see thatès normal. so when I get to the ranch Ièll check this out. Thanks for the post.