mower needed carb cleaner to get started?

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This was odd, but maybe not. My old exmark 21" (old faithful)got retired a while back and I've been pretty good at starting it once a month, well the last time I let it go maybe 1.5 months and it took a few pulls to get going, now this very last time I started it the mower probably hadn't been run in a couple months maybe. I went ahead and removed the air filter cover and squirted a couple squirts of carb cleaner in the intake and it fired right up.

Now this engine fj180v 6hp Kawasaki doesn't have a primer bulb, so did it just need a little prime to get things pumping again? I went ahead and let it run for about 15-20 minutes with a string holding the bar down and it restarted about 15 minutes later when I tried it.
 
Do you have Ethanol-free gasoline available?

I'd dump a little Berryman's B-12 in the existing gas in the tank for now, and mow with it. That'll help de-gum the internal carb parts.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Do you have Ethanol-free gasoline available?

I'd dump a little Berryman's B-12 in the existing gas in the tank for now, and mow with it. That'll help de-gum the internal carb parts.


It ran fine once I got it started, so I don't think anything is clogged.
 
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Do you have Ethanol-free gasoline available?

I'd dump a little Berryman's B-12 in the existing gas in the tank for now, and mow with it. That'll help de-gum the internal carb parts.


It ran fine once I got it started, so I don't think anything is clogged.


Maybe not clogged but gummed-up, it would do that.

Just went through something similar myself.

A path of least effort is to run a tank of new fuel with some Techron in it. It will clean the gumming from the carb bowl, fuel lines and carb jets.
 
I had a small generator that was not very cooperative in starting but run with a fresh tank of gas with some carb cleaner additive and all was well after a couple hours running.

Fresh gas, no booze, means a lot now these days. My fault for not starting and changing last winter but it was 1600 miles away.
 
Nope never has, but always started on the first pull regardless. I guess unless it sits.
 
Stuck choke is a known issue with this particular engine, but it never caused a starting problem, so I never looked into it.
 
My Toro 20611 GTS began to need a spray of carb cleaner to start. After 2 seasons of this, I decided to investigate. Very carefully, I freed up the cable. The cable was OK, the butterfly's shaft was frozen open. A little oil and some exercise and the GTS is working as advertised. The mower is 25 yrs old and it purrs.
 
It does have winter gas in it from like January now, assuming we have that down here in Houston. This is just so weird. When I've had a clogged carb it's either two things. The engine will start and die when sprayed with carb cleaner or it will surge up and down when running IE running lean. I've never had and engine fire up and start running normally after a spray of carb cleaner like this one.
 
I find it hard to believe that fresh fuel will fix the problem. The gas in my generator is who knows how old and it runs fine. The gas in the generator is probably a couple years old.
 
Gas spoils, like food. Believe it or not and like it or not, this is a FACT! First it looses volatility (makes an engine hard to start) then it begins to varnish (two year old gas even SMELLS like varnish). Eventually the varnish WILL gum-up your carb. Just drain the old gas out of it and refill with FRESH gas (fresh from the gas station, not just fresh from the gas can). Run it for 30 minutes and it will be fine. You'll see.
BTW, diesel fuel also spoils.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: wag123
Gas spoils, like food. Believe it or not and like it or not, this is a FACT! First it looses volatility (makes an engine hard to start) then it begins to varnish (two year old gas even SMELLS like varnish). Eventually the varnish WILL gum-up your carb. Just drain the old gas out of it and refill with FRESH gas (fresh from the gas station, not just fresh from the gas can). Run it for 30 minutes and it will be fine. You'll see.
BTW, diesel fuel also spoils.


I'll give it a try.
 
Also, although you say that you were able to start it in the past without the choke functioning, the newer E10 fuels that are available these days make the engines run lean, so it may very well NEED the choke NOW for cold starting. By shooting carburetor cleaner into it you are priming it, much like some engines that use a primer bulb instead of a choke. Go ahead and fix the choke, it likely only needs a simple cable adjustment.
 
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