[Draftsman6943]

Hello everyone. New here so hope I don't screw up. I've never had the knack for small engines, but I think I can handle the carb on a walk behind mower with ya'lls help.

I'm from South Louisiana and having a problem with Bolens model 11A-A14A065 with briggs engine won't start. When I fiddled with the lever on the carb near the engine (between the carb and the engine) it started for a second, then died. What is this lever and could something be clogged in there?

I was told by my repair guy to use Seafoam as an additive to the fuel and have been doing that faithfully, so I'm confused. The only thing I can think of is that it's been really dry and dusty lately and maybe that is causing trouble, although I've been cleaning the air filter.

 

[bwdbrn1]

Hi Draftsman, welcome. Don't worry about screwing up, ain't no such thing here when it comes to asking questions.

Sounds like you might have jiggled the governor lever a bit. Looking at parts diagrams for your mower, it looks like it has a primer bulb on the side for priming in stead of a choke. Just make sure that area you pointed out isn't all clogged up with dirt and grass clippings.

Here's something to consider. Some Briggs and Statton engines will not start with anything less than a full tank of gas. They'll run the tank dry once they're running, but for some reason, if it only has half a tank of gas when you try to start it, you can pull on that rope until you're exhausted and it won't go. Something to do with the fuel delivery system I suppose.

 

[Draftsman6943]

Thanks for your advice. I used some choke cleaner in the area and in the carb and it fired, coughed out some smoke and ran like a champ. Next time I will take the carb apart and submerge it in cleaner or if it consistently refuses to start. It even has a kind of snap when it fires that I can feel in the starter rope. Been a long time since it felt like it had good compression.