From fire to frying pan

[Vikas]

I dragged this beauty from VA to all the way to MA. It had not been started in few years.

Keen eye would notice the binder clip on the spark plug. The boot wire was completely chewed by critter and it was hanging by few strands. The boot broke off there. Few strands which were left, I twisted them and put them over the plug and put the binder clip to hold.

It took us over an hour of yanking to get it to start. Even when it was firing, it would run for half a second and quit. Eventually, I remembered how mechanics used to nurse a carburetor when I was a kid back in India. I removed the cylindrical air filter element and put my palm on the intake. By judiciously controlling the air intake, I was able to get it to stay running for few minutes and then it was able to run on its own with the air filter hooked up. I had Gumout Regane in the gas and let it run for a while.

Loaded it up in the van and got to MA and when I tried to start it back home, I had the same problem i.e. once in a while it would fire but quit instantly. I shot some carb cleaner through the throat and eventually got it running. Once it was running, I had no problem restarting it. I believe intake gasket has a leak because when I spray carb cleaner around the linkage area, the idle went up.

I have tried to google this model but did not find any information on it.

By the way, this was purchased in 2000 and was only used one season. BIL said he used to start it once in a while but looking at it, I don't think it was started in this decade. The battery is shot and even after charging it for 16 hours, it was only at 11.3V

Any redneck way to fix the spark plug boot? Can I at least find the replacement coil (which will have its own boot) cheaply?

I think I have traded one set of problems for another with this one. Here are the pictures

 

[rshaw125]

I have an old weedeater and the only way I can start it is with a spray of starter fluid in the carb. Just the cheap Walmart can.

Once running I can do the whole yard.

 

[SnPb]

Looks like a Tecumseh OHV engine. Remove the plastic engine cover and look for a label with the Tecumseh part number. Perform an Internet search for the Tecumseh part number and you ought to be able to find some sites that sell parts for Tecumseh engines.
From the Tecumsehpower website, it may be a OVRM120.

 

[danthaman1980]

You should be able to fix that spark plug issue. Pick up a single spark plug wire from a local auto parts store - the type that goes onto an old domestic GM distributor cap (w/90 degree boot). The terminals on those distibutor caps are the same dimensions as a normal spark plug.

Pull the boot off of the distributor end to reveal the terminal. Uncrimp the terminal from the wire, and re-crimp it onto the lawnmower wire. Re-install the 90-degree boot. Problem solved.

 

[TFB1]

If it doesn't try to start by the third pull, the primer in the carb isn't working(note here, don't keep cranking till you wear out yourself and/or the recoil mechanism)... I have same problem with a Tecumseh powered lawn vac, finally tossed the air cleaner and just start it on either, brake clean, WD40 or what ever I have handy...


You can try pumping it 8-10 times to see if that will help but often those primers don't function at all...

 

[bchannell]

Ok, this sounds like an easy fix. First, you can buy replacement sparkplug terminals w/ the boot at the auto parts or small engine repair shop. Discard the old one, crimp on a new one and it's fixed.

There are two ways to fix the carb. One is a rebuild, but that's really not feaseable unless you can find the two very small o-rings in the main jet tube, which you probably don't want to go that route. Search and find the carb # from a parts list which you can find online. Then go on ebay and buy a whole new carb. I just bought that exact carb and it cost me a whopping $23.95 shipped to my door. Pop it on the mower and it'll likely start on the first pull. That carb looks like part #'s 640271, 640303 & 640350, which I believe fit all the same engines, but you need to look at your parts list.

 

[jrustles]

Yeh, I recognize that engine, and that carb.

Sometimes I have the same problem, it runs leans, and will only stay running if I keep pumping the primer (which tells me its lean). Having had similar symptoms as you, I have removed the carb now but havent gotten around to dismantling it to clean. I'm sure the main jet is contaminated, it runs fine on low-medium load, but as soon as the governor demands open throttle, it runs lean and chuggles/stalls. Other than this recent development, and barring the corrosion on the coil terminal and water in the bowl, it's been first-pull start and reliable operation.

 

[OVERKILL]

You should be able to get the boot and female terminal at any place that does snowmobile or ATV repair work. My grandfather used to keep a collection of the NGK ones around for situations like this where a squirrel/mouse/chipmunk would chew one up.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Ok, I'm probably a little late, but a 5 minute search found these items, hope it helps, Wayne
--------------------------
Search string:Scott Easy Start 6.5 3n1 Magna Torque
===================
Scott's 22" rear bagging self-propelled front drive mower, Model 229630x8 (8/2001).

It has a Tecumseh Easy Start Performance (ESP) magna torque 6.5hp OHV engine, Model OVRM120-22032E.
===============
1. Outdoors Distributors
I first found an online site called "Outdoor Distributors" (OD) that has parts lists and schematics in Adobe PDF document format for all Murray-made lawnmowers (yes, this includes the Scotts lawnmowers, made for Scotts by Murray). I found the parts list and schematics for my Scotts TurfVac3 model mower there, on this page:

http://search.cartserver.com/search/sear...&go=Find+It
=============
http://www.justanswer.com/small-engine/57gln-scotts-6-5-magna-torque-it.html
==============
Re: 2000 6.5 HP Tecumseh lawn mower will not start
Reply #22 May 16, 2009 7:32 pm
http://www.abbysguide.com/ope/discussions/15377-0-1.html

Here's how I fixed mine. (Actually a neighbor was throwing it away so I hauled it home to see if I could fix it. I did!) At the bottom of the carb bowl is a nut. Empty the tank of as much fuel as possible and remove this nut. I believe it was a 7/16 socket. Don't lose the gasket. The nut is part of a threaded bolt that feeds fuel to the carb. There are 4 holes in this bolt that I cleaned with a combination of WD 40, a pin, and compressed air. 2 holes at the bottom that line up with each other. You should be able to see daylight through it. One inside the hollow bolt that I cleaned with air and WD 40 and one other one that goes diagonal at the very tip of the bolt. It is small but there. Done deal.
=====================

 

[Dean85]

The tiny hole at an angle just before the threads is usually the problem. A wire from a twist tie works well to open it up. The center one can also be an issue. I have found the o-rings for the main jet at an auto parts store.

 

[Vikas]

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestion and especially that Google sleuthing work!!

I still have the detached spark plug boot. I also have the complete coil from Honda GXV140. Do the boots come off the coil wire? Is crimping easy to do if I carefully cut the insulation?

 

[jrustles]

Originally Posted By: Dean85
The tiny hole at an angle just before the threads is usually the problem. A wire from a twist tie works well to open it up. The center one can also be an issue. I have found the o-rings for the main jet at an auto parts store.

yeah that tiny angled orifice looked like a problem waiting to happen. i soaked that whole orifice nut in some acetone and air blasted it out
there was some kind of sludge contamination... water? ethanol?

sprayed TB cleaner down the jet tube

it all cleaned up well and now the mower is dead nuts reliable again. my hayfever also dead nuts reliable....
if you decide to get in there, be really careful with the bowl gasket if you don't have a replacement ready

 

[TFB1]

That little bit of residue in the bowl is the gas that was left in there when it was put away years ago, wasn't much... My guess is it's the remains after it was "run dry", not all the fuel will be used leaving a couple table spoons in the bowl(this is why I store mine wet with fuel stabilizer)...

 

[Dean85]

I see that quite often when working on carbs. People run the tank dry until the mower quits, but do not realize the teaspoon left in the bowl.

 

[JTK]

That's a nice clean looking mower, but an odd-duck, somewhat uncommon beast of a Tecumseh OHV engine. I haven't seen a vert shaft (small mower) one of those in years.

I've got a horizontal shaft version of that engine on my ~15yr/old Yardman/MTD snowblower.

Some Tecumseh parts are hard to source given Tecumseh has been gone for some years now.

 

[Vikas]

Here is the progress report:-

I took the old boot and slit it across to get at the internal. I took the connector out, cut the frayed cable end and put it back. Fortunately, there was just enough slack to reach the spark plug. I used shoe epoxy in the slit to seal it.

I also got brand new NGK plug for the auto parts store. Visually, the spark plug matched perfectly.

Unfortunately, to start the lawn mower, I had exactly the same issue. Eventually, using the carb cleaner and putting my palm across the air intake, I got it running. As long as the engine is warm, it has no problem starting.

While the engine was running, I verified that primer bulb is working by pushing it in and observing increase in idle speed.

I believe my problem is there must be air leak between the carburetor and intake tube. I check those bolts and those are tight. However, if I spray carb cleaner around that area, the engine speed jumps up. There is no leak between the engine intake and intake tube. The gasket between the carburetor and intake tube needs replacing.

That will explain all the symptoms as the leak must be quite bad when the engine is cold but is manageable once the engine warms up.

All the numbers provided by helpful BITOGers match. I am little bit worried about that this engine has integrated throat control i.e. that red lever on the top. Most pictures on the ebay do not show that part.

Is it possible to get the exact gasket? bhcannel can you confirm that you have the same engine and if so, can you give me the ebay link for the cheap carburetor? I hope it came with the new gasket.

 

[Vikas]

Few more pictures; notice Made In USA tag! I would like to revive this rather than junking and buying a Chinese one.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: Vikas

Unfortunately, to start the lawn mower, I had exactly the same issue. Eventually, using the carb cleaner and putting my palm across the air intake, I got it running. As long as the engine is warm, it has no problem starting.

While the engine was running, I verified that primer bulb is working by pushing it in and observing increase in idle speed.


That means the primer is just pumping air, if it were pumping fuel two or three good pumps would flood the engine and it'd try to stall... As I mentioned earlier you apparently have same issue with that carb as I do my lawn vac, I start it on fluid as well and have for three or four years now...

 

[nitehawk55]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
Originally Posted By: Vikas

Unfortunately, to start the lawn mower, I had exactly the same issue. Eventually, using the carb cleaner and putting my palm across the air intake, I got it running. As long as the engine is warm, it has no problem starting.

While the engine was running, I verified that primer bulb is working by pushing it in and observing increase in idle speed.


That means the primer is just pumping air, if it were pumping fuel two or three good pumps would flood the engine and it'd try to stall... As I mentioned earlier you apparently have same issue with that carb as I do my lawn vac, I start it on fluid as well and have for three or four years now...


Yes , if the primer was pumping fuel it should almost stall (or will) and you should see black smoke come from the exhaust .

 

[bubbatime]

As someone else said, don't bother rebuilding the carb. A new eBay carburetor is only $20-$25. The rebuild kits are like $17.

Maybe take it apart and soak it overnight to see if that fixes the problem. If not, try a new carburetor.

I just picked up a lawn boy with a Tecumseh so I'm going through the same troubles as you.