Question for Ariens Classic LM21 owners

[threeputtpar]

I ran across an Ariens Classic LM21SW on CL that I have some interest in, but it has a no-start issue that I may need some help on.

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/grd/3894721820.html

From the pics, I cannot tell what engine is on the mower. It doesn't look like the current Kawasaki FJ180V that is on the new ones, and it also looks like an old L-head side valve engine. I'm guessing that it's at least 6+ years old, and the cover for the side discharge is orange as opposed to the black ones on the new models.

The seller states that it just needs a carb to run again, and they are ~$40 on ebay (so why don't you do that and sell it for much more?), but if I knew what engine it was I would have a better idea what the problems could be.

Anyone have an older LM21 that can help with the ID of the engine? I'm at work so I cannot access CL, but it is in the Milwaukee, WI priced at $70, and it's at the top of the page as it was just posted last night. Thanks in advance.

 

[jeepman3071]

I believe that is a Tecumseh. It has a Tecumseh fuel and oil fill cap, and looks different from a Briggs.

 

[Kestas]

In every other OPE ad, where the unit doesn't run, people post "the carburator probably needs cleaning," or something similar. Don't believe it.

How does he know a new carburator would get it running? Carburators rarely need replacing unless they sufferred some kind of abuse or corroded from E10 fuel sitting in the off season. A good 20-min, no-cost cleaning can perk the carburator back to good running condition.

It may not have spark or excessive blowby. Or it made horrible noise when it ran, and the poster doesn't want you to hear it. Fear the worst.

 

[threeputtpar]

That's the approach I was taking, but if it really is a Techumseh I have a fair bit of experience with them and can fix it on the cheap. I just couldn't ID it from the pics very well. IF it ends up being a Kohler that they used a couple of years, I won't want to mess with it.

I thought it may be worth a $40 risk to see if I can find a diamond in the rough. Otherwise I could repower it with something new.

Thanks for cleaning up my OP with the link.

 

[hemitom]

Carb cleaning at most, pull the plug check for compression, I would offer him $50 just to get the deck.

 

[wag123]

I sold a lot of those mowers. They were good mowers and quite expensive. That is a Tecumseh L-head engine. The swivel wheels on the front were a good idea on paper, but in practice they were an annoyance and most people locked them.
If you want to test it to see if it will run, squirt some spray carb cleaner into the carb throat through the air cleaner box then try to start it. DO NOT use starter fluid (either). If the engine and ignition are good, the engine will start briefly and quit.
To fix it all that you will likely need to buy are a needle & seat kit, a float, and an intake manifold to engine block gasket. First, remove the fuel tank and air cleaner assembly and remove the fuel line from the bottom of the tank. Dump out whatever gas is left in the tank. Don't try to remove the carb from the intake manifold, remove the intake manifold from the engine and leave the carb mounted to the intake manifold. Clean out the carb and make sure that you clean the small hole (main jet) in the bowl nut, poke a small wire through it. Replace the needle & seat (hint: blow the seat out with compressed air) and install the new float. Reinstall the intake manifold/carb assembly back on the engine using the new gasket. Be sure to readjust the governor after you have this mounted. Then install the air cleaner assembly, fuel tank, and dump FRESH gas in it.