Craftsman 917.388220 Resurection

[Astro_Guy]

I took a look at this old Craftsman 22" push mower today. I am guessing that it hasn't run in ten years. It appears to have a Tecumseh 4.5 HP flathead.

I hit it with a shot of starting fluid, gave the rope a tug and it started. Encouraged by this I added fresh 90 Octane E0 to the bone dry tank and tried again. Unfortunately it would only run for a second until the starting fluid was consumed. The primer bulb didn't appear to be giving any resistance so I inspected the fuel lines and moved them around a bit. After a little while it started expelling all thue fuel via the red line shown in the image below. Are there any suggestions other than just replacing the carburetor? I neither need nor want this machine and it's not clear if I should invest any further time or money to get it running. Maybe someone would pay $20 for it as is.

 

[wavinwayne]

Just me, but if I didn't need or want it, it's not worth my time trying to make $20 selling it. I would set it by the road and forget it. YMMV

 

[Lubener]

I would pull the bowl off the carb and see that the float is free. I have found especially on inactive engines the pin that serves as the hinge for the float corrodes. That causes the float to bind. If it binds, I would remove the pin , needle and float. A little emory cloth on the pin will remove the corrosion. The float is plastic and you can also make sure it floats in water.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I agree with @Lubener the float is likely stuck.

If you can now walk away without it running your a bigger man than I. For me the fight would be on - need it or not.

 

[Brian123]

I took a look at this old Craftsman 22" push mower today. I am guessing that it hasn't run in ten years. It appears to have a Tecumseh 4.5 HP flathead.

View attachment 300878

I hit it with a shot of starting fluid, gave the rope a tug and it started. Encouraged by this I added fresh 90 Octane E0 to the bone dry tank and tried again. Unfortunately it would only run for a second until the starting fluid was consumed. The primer bulb didn't appear to be giving any resistance so I inspected the fuel lines and moved them around a bit. After a little while it started expelling all thue fuel via the red line shown in the image below. Are there any suggestions other than just replacing the carburetor? I neither need nor want this machine and it's not clear if I should invest any further time or money to get it running. Maybe someone would pay $20 for it as is.

View attachment 300880

I will get some flak for this, get a 1-quart bottle of MMO and take the carburetor off. Get a container and submerge the carburetor in MMO for 12 or 24 hours. Take the fuel bowl off 1st before doing the MMO thing.

The other thing you can do, and yes it works, there is a product called Mechanic in a Bottle, just follow the Instructions.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

Oooooorrrrr, since fixing it is a compulsion not a need, get a $20 Tecumseh carb from amazon and declare victory.

 

[Astro_Guy]

If you can now walk away without it running your a bigger man than I. For me the fight would be on - need it or not.

Unfortunately I believe that we are cut from the same cloth; I need to fix it and see that it gets a good home.

 

[mk378]

Those Tecumseh have a rubber seat on the float needle that gives a lot of problems. Either clogged up or somtimes overflowing.

 

[cptbarkey]

I donate those small push mowers to my neighbor, he focuses on mowers only. I prefer the thrown away 6.5 Briggs or above that people leave at the end of the driveway. Plenty of power and more appeal.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Worked on many of these Tecumseh engines ( garbage picked flatheads). Not worth it. I see oil near the engine where the carb filter sits. It's got blow by. 1st you will need a new carb from Amazon, then new fuel lines, then clean out the gas tank. If it wasn't for the blow-by, I'd say go for it. But the blow by will just clog the air filter. Put it by the side of the road. Let another garbage picker grab it. That's probably from the late 80's, early 90's. Not worth it.....Then you have the deck and blade to deal with yet. Toss it. BTW, those are a PITA to start with a good carb because there's no choke. ALWAYS had to use starting fluid on my 4.5 to get it going. The 5hp was a better engine.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Worked on many of these Tecumseh engines ( garbage picked flatheads). Not worth it. I see oil near the engine where the carb filter sits. It's got blow by. 1st you will need a new carb from Amazon, then new fuel lines, then clean out the gas tank. If it wasn't for the blow-by, I'd say go for it. But the blow by will just clog the air filter. Put it by the side of the road. Let another garbage picker grab it. That's probably from the late 80's, early 90's. Not worth it.....Then you have the deck and blade to deal with yet. Toss it. BTW, those are a PITA to start with a good carb because there's no choke. ALWAYS had to use starting fluid on my 4.5 to get it going. The 5hp was a better engine.

Actually I purchased this as a gift for the previous owner sometime on or after 1996. Note the reference to a 1996 blade safety standard on the label. I doubt tht it has been started in upwards of twenty years.

I was thinking of pulling the carb to see what's going on inside. Would I be correct to assume that the easiest way to do thi is to remove it with the intake manifold still attached?

 

[SC Maintenance]

Actually I purchased this as a gift for the previous owner sometime on or after 1996. Note the reference to a 1996 blade safety standard on the label. I doubt tht it has been started in upwards of twenty years.

I was thinking of pulling the carb to see what's going on inside. Would I be correct to assume that the easiest way to do thi is to remove it with the intake manifold still attached?

I would not remove it yet, you will need to make a new gasket.

Pop off the bowl and see how gummed up it is. Clean it and the float. Remove the needle and seat and make sure its free and clean. Then put it together and try again.

 

[Astro_Guy]

I would not remove it yet, you will need to make a new gasket.

Pop off the bowl and see how gummed up it is. Clean it and the float. Remove the needle and seat and make sure its free and clean. Then put it together and try again.

View attachment 301125

Thanks!

 

[50yr Street Mech]

I would try the above first. ( I did, never worked ). You can remove the carb without removing the intake using needle nose pliers to hold the back nuts. If not, then you will need an intake gasket ( which I never bought, just re-used the old one with some high temp silicone added to it ) But you're still gonna need new fuel line and clean out that gas tank good. Get whatever garbage is stuck to the bottom of the tank out. There is a screen filter inside the tank. Make sure that's clean too. I would buy some Stabil Fix too. That stuff works wonders. Get a new spark plug too, and plenty of starting fluid. New engine oil too. Gap @ 0.25-0.28 should be fine. If you get it runnin, and notice blow by, just run a heavier oil in it. You'll see the smoke and the oil running down the side of the engine near the air filter. The breather is located in that area. A rectangular hose coming off the top of the engine and dumping out in that area.

 

[Astro_Guy]

I started tearing into this today. The oil had been overfilled by a lot which probably explains the evidence of blow by. The bowl and float were pretty gummed up with green stuff but to float appears to be moving freely. Gave everything a shot of Brake Kleen and will let it soak a bit before giving it another try.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Yep, overfilled oil will get you plenty of blow by. One problem solved. Good for you ! Best of luck with the carb ( I never did, but maybe you will). I used to take the carb off, clean all the jets, everything...Still wouldn't run. Even the new ones from Amazon were a PITA to start. Had to spray the air filter with starting fluid, get it running, then keep pumping the primer until it picked up fuel on it's own. Not the best designed Tecumseh carb. But, once it warmed up, it ran fine. Don't forget new fuel line and clean out the gas tank. They got that varnish in them too.

 

[meep]

Carb may need mechanical cleaning. Fortunately they are dead simple. Clip a fine wire off of a wire brush and run it through the main jet. If there’s an idle jet, run it through there too. There aren’t many passages in these. I think you can do this.

 

[Astro_Guy]

After draining the oil, cleaning the bowl and float and refilling the oil with 15w-40 RT6 I gave the rope a tug and the machine started and ran a few seconds without any starting fluid or adding fuel to the tank. Sadly it would not repeat that performance after adding fuel. It seems that I will really need to tear into this project by removing and cleaning the carb. Being retired I have time on my hands to tinker with this.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Was it puking gas out the Emulsion tube again?

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I will get some flak for this, get a 1-quart bottle of MMO and take the carburetor off. Get a container and submerge the carburetor in MMO for 12 or 24 hours. Take the fuel bowl off 1st before doing the MMO thing.

The other thing you can do, and yes it works, there is a product called Mechanic in a Bottle, just follow the Instructions.

I’d suggest Berryman’s B12 to dissolve any gum and gunk in the passageways and moving parts. MMO doesn’t have the solvency you need.