Difficult Starting Torro Mower with Kawasaki FJ180V Engine

[Nukeman7]

This illustration represents my carbs set up.

What I don't understand is how the prime function works; the bulb is sealed, and needs to draw air from somewhere, but where?

On the bottom of the carb, where the main jet resides, there was some black residue (which I scraped off), suggesting some sort of seal, but the parts diagram doesn't show anything there. If this was sealed, how would fuel or air get into the circuit? I think this is the crux of the problem; the system doesn't have a proper flow path. Should the bulb push air, or fuel? Where is the flow path? I'm starting to think this is a flawed design. But how to improve?

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Can you post a photo of the inside of the bowl itself so we can see how the primer air flows into the carb? I'm thinking that there could be a blockage in the bowl's priming air pathway restricting the flow from reaching the emulsion tube.

While the top portion of the carb shows no white grunge deposits at all, you still need to remove the emulsion tube to inspect and clean it thoroughly. You should be able to use a flat blade screwdriver and unthread the main jet orifice (where your arrows point) and extract the emulsion tube.

 

[Nessism1]

That yellow stuff looks cosmetic to me and I wouldn't fret a lot about removing it. Whatever goes on at the bottom of the bowl is more important.

If you're willing to swap enough parts intended for other versions, you could convert it to conventional choke. That would be the carb and whatever controls the choke, and maybe the air cleaner / upper intake. Someone here said that even when the bulb system works, it doesn't work very well.

California regulators probably frown on chokes since it is easy to leave a choke on while running which will make a lot of pollution.

I'd love to switch to a "choke" version carb. A proper Walbro version carb isn't cheap, though.

 

[Opelman]

Does the nut that holds the float bowl on have an orfice? It looks as if it should, that being plugged will keep the primer from working. It appears that the hole on the side of the "stem" which holds the main jet is where fuel goes in.

 

[Nessism1]

Does the nut that holds the float bowl on have an orfice? It looks as if it should, that being plugged will keep the primer from working. It appears that the hole on the side of the "stem" which holds the main jet is where fuel goes in.

I can't see a flow path for the fuel in the primer bulb system. The bulb is sealed, connected via a tube to the bowl. So how is fuel supposed to enter the system? A gap between the bowl and the main jet pickup? No wonder this prime doesn't work.

 

[Nukeman7]

I can't see a flow path for the fuel in the primer bulb system. The bulb is sealed, connected via a tube to the bowl. So how is fuel supposed to enter the system?

In your next to last photo, I can see a small orifice in side of the bowl bottom where the purge air would enter the bowl bolt leading to the main jet. You need to verify the passage from the black tubing is open to that bowl orifice. The bowl bolt is hollow and should have 1 or 2 holes drilled through the side of the shaft to allow gas to enter as propelled by the purge air.

A gap between the bowl and the main jet pickup? No wonder this prime doesn't work.

I suspect this is the core of your problem. The black residue you scraped from the section of the carb body and the bottom of the bowl was probably the degraded remnants of a gasket/o-ring/RTV sealant that seals the body to the bowl and prevents the priming air/fuel mixture from leaking through the gap.

 

[Nessism1]

Finally got back to this thing.

I think the crux of the issue is a very weak prime system. When depressing the bulb, it pushes gas up the fuel pickup tube with the main jet. Problem is, there are holes in the side of the pickup tube, so any fuel pushing up, can easily be diverted.

Instructions say to depress the primer bulb 1x, but that's not enough. Since cleaning the system, depressing half a dozen times or so gets fuel into the carb throat, so it's starting easier. Bad thing: it surges 6 times on a cold start, before settling down and running correctly. What's up with that?

At this point, I'm just going to dump this thing. Taking a huge loss, but I don't care. Got a Honda that is way easier to use.

 

[Nessism1]

Sold the mower to a nice Mexican dude, and his son, who have a yard maintence business. Glad to see it go to a good cause, so to speak. I see guys on Marketplace and Craigslist selling similar machines for way more than I did, but these guys are resellers. Likely, picking up cheap machines from guys like me and then flipping them. Anyway, thanks to those that offered help. That California carb clearly ain't so great, and the machine is likewise a beast. It would be great for people with a 1/4 acre to cut; larger yards. Manouvering a 120 lb mower around obsticals every 25 ft isn't it's forte.