Tecumseh 6.75 HP Not Starting.....Again!!!

[miked2]

I have a 3 year old Toro Recycler with a Tecumseh LV148EA that will not start. It worked fine the 1st summer but since then every once in a while, it won't start. It smells like it's flooded. I have taken it apart, put it back together & it has started. The only things I have done while it was apart was drain the carb, checked to make sure the float moves, cleaned the contact on the wire to the ignition system & cleaned the spark plug. Not this time, I am running out of patience.

The mower has had regular maintenance. Every spring, changed oil, new spark plug, new air filter (twice a year) & new blade.

This is the first mower I have had with a Tecumseh Engine. All of my other mowers have had B & S. Never a problem.

The mower this one replaced was used for 16 years. It always started on the first pull, ever on its first use in the spring. One time I forgot to drain the gas in the fall, it started with no problem 4 months later. It's unfortunate the mower itself was falling apart or I would still have it.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[tomcat27]

does it have a plastic carb? if so, those seem to be much more sensitive than the old metal ones. pull the carb apart, clean it out, and pay special attention to the condition of the two "o"-rings in there. hope that helps.

 

[Warstud]

Have you tried removing the plug and pouring a little gas down into the cylinder?

 

[javacontour]

When it doesn't start, does it have spark? If so, will it "run" if you spray something combustible in the carb like WD-40 or other such spray lube?

If so, then you are probably looking at a carb issue.

Try wacking the float bowl with the handle of a screw driver to see if it will free a sticking float. If so, then you are probably looking at cleaning or rebuilding the carb.

My B&S engine did the same thing. It didn't matter how I prepped the engine for winter storage. I'd empty the tank and run a fresh tank of gas with Stabil in it on the last cut of the year, and fill it again, it would run fine the first cut or two of the spring and then need the carb taken apart and put back together. So the next year, I ran it dry, no gas in the tank, run the engine until it wouldn't run any more.

Next year, same thing. It just didn't seem to matter how I prepped it for storage, the result was the same.

Some summers, the problem would recur, and I'd take the bowl off, spray carb cleaner in there and I'd be good for a few more months. Or, I'd whack the float bowl and it would run for that day.

Finally, I got fed up after years and rebuilt the carb. I've not had any issues since then.

A carb issue could end up with too much or not enough fuel, either is a problem.

If you have spark, and smell gas, then I'd go for the carb as the culprit.

 

[ZZman]

I took my year old Toro recycler in because it won't start.

I checked the carb and dumped the float bowl, sprayed carb cleaner in it etc and nothing. If I sprayed starting fluid in the carb it would run for a second.

They told me the carb was gunked up. They took it apart and cleaned it. They also changed the plug and put in a new air filter. Cost me 68.00. So much for their no start guarantee. Never had a problem with all the cheap mowers I bought over the years.

 

[wander2039]

I just replaced a cotter key on a 6.75 Tec. Tried everything you did and more. The cotter key's shear easily on the Tec's compared to the Briggs, I never had one sheared up till this one. Replaced the key, .50ish, and it started right up. Pop your flywheel off and see what it looks like.

 

[wander2039]

I take that back it was a 4.25.. but it should be the same.

 

[miked2]

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

1) It has an alum. carb bowl, I did check the float & it moves freely.

2) I removed the spark plug and sprayed some starting fluid in it, no luck.

3) I like the idea of whacking the carb with a screwdriver, would a hammer work better? Possibly, I do need a rebuild.
I would have hoped it would last more than 3 years.

4) I am not familiar with what the cotter key is used for, but it is worth looking into.

Thanks again for you interest, any other ideas just let me know.

Mike

 

[fuel tanker man]

It's possibly flooding... if the float isn't seating the needle correctly, the bowl will fill up with fuel and it'll flood.

I have an older Craftsman mower with a Tecumseh engine. Go to youtube.com and look at some of the rebuild videos.

Possibly what has happened is the varnish which naturally accumulates from the gasoline (especially in a seasonally used engine) has been loosened by the ethanol in today's gas. Ethanol dissolves the varnish, and yes, gunks up the carb.

Since it won't even hit with starting fluid in the cylinder, and it smells like gasoline... it's either flooded or you have no spark.

You can easily check the spark by removing the spark plug and grounding it (hold it against the engine with some insulated pliers) and with the plug wire connected of course, pull the rope and look for a spark. If you've got spark... then I'd suspect the carb is flooding.

My Tecumseh carb wasn't closing off the fuel flow. At first, I found that the old brass float had a crack in it, and it was filling with fuel. I replaced that with a modern plastic float and thought that would solve the problem. But another issue was that the float wasn't closing off the needle. This allowed fuel to fill the entire carb and drain out the intake port of the carb (at the air filter).

The youtube videos are good, and should be of help.

Dan

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: miked2

4) I am not familiar with what the cotter key is used for, but it is worth looking into.


The cotter key keeps the flywheel from turning. If the flywheel turns on the shaft the timing will be way off. In my case the flywheel was 180 degrees off. A good way to test it without taking the flywheel off is to align the magnet on the flywheel with the armature at that position the piston should be at TDC.

 

[miked2]

So I borrow my neighbors 22 year old Craftsman with a 5 HP B & S, which of course starts on the first pull. I asked him about his maintenance on it, he can't remember the last time he changed the spark plug but he did change the oil 3 or 4 years ago. OK.

Just for the heck of it I tried to start mine, guess what? Yes, it started right up. It ran perfectly for 2 hours. Will it work next week? Your guess is as good as mine.

I am convinced however, that is a carb/fuel related issue. After watching several videos on you tube at the suggestion of "Fuel Tanker Man" I found out a girl knows more than I do!!

Thanks guys for all you help and remember Consumer Reports is NOT always right!!

 

[coachditka]

I'm going to throw this out there....

1. There is a speck of something messing up the carb. A rebuild should fix it. I have had it happen twice on a new JD mower.

#2 below prevented it from ever happening again.

2. Use an in-line fuel filter. Ever since I have used one, no carb problems on any of my small engines.

That junk ethanol in fuel does wonders to small engines. Yuck.

 

[tomcat27]

adding a fuel filter is a great idea! and yes, sometimes I think that consumer reports should stick to testing toasters!

 

[Nick R]

Tecumseh carbs are bad. They are easily gunked up compared to their Briggs/Honda counterparts. put some seafoam deep creep or whatever into the fuel tank.

 

[ZZman]

A fuel filter is a great idea!

 

[tomcat27]

you get that thing running yet?

 

[ZZman]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
you get that thing running yet?


Runs great now after they fixed it. I probably should have taken the carb all the way off myself and cleaned it. Maybe if I add a gas line filter I will never have to see them again.