Mower Only Runs Well On Choke (Lopey Idle)
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gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: boraticus
What's the issue with the fuel. It's treated with Stabil. Leave it in there until it's time to use it. Just leave it in there and plug/pinch the line or turn the fuel valve if it has one.
No valve. Thanks for reminding me of the obvious...I'll pinch the line.
What's the issue with the fuel. It's treated with Stabil. Leave it in there until it's time to use it. Just leave it in there and plug/pinch the line or turn the fuel valve if it has one.
No valve. Thanks for reminding me of the obvious...I'll pinch the line.
I have pulled and cleaned a few carbs for my own stuff and neighbors and buddies that gave up on their OPEs. Its always some kind of gel or brittle piece of gunk that stops the whole process.
I recently bought a husqvarna 223L on a facebook yardsale page for $20 because it would only run on choke.
I have the exact same trimmer which is why i bought it.
I have taken apart my carb once due to ethanol [censored] but wasnt afraid to do it again..but wanted to try something first.
I dumped the tank, put in a hefty dose of Stabil 360 and JASO MA 2 cycle oil with a dose of fresh gas. I ran it like i stole it then shut it off, then ran it like i stole it again then let it sit overnight.
I ran it again the next day and it was cured..i added on top of the brew fresh 40:1 and havent looked back.
I run stabil 360 and JASO MA 2 stroke oil in all my OPE..4 strokes too.
I recently bought a husqvarna 223L on a facebook yardsale page for $20 because it would only run on choke.
I have the exact same trimmer which is why i bought it.
I have taken apart my carb once due to ethanol [censored] but wasnt afraid to do it again..but wanted to try something first.
I dumped the tank, put in a hefty dose of Stabil 360 and JASO MA 2 cycle oil with a dose of fresh gas. I ran it like i stole it then shut it off, then ran it like i stole it again then let it sit overnight.
I ran it again the next day and it was cured..i added on top of the brew fresh 40:1 and havent looked back.
I run stabil 360 and JASO MA 2 stroke oil in all my OPE..4 strokes too.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
You put 2-stroke oil in your 4-strokes? What ratio do you use? Any carbon issues?
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
You put 2-stroke oil in your 4-strokes? What ratio do you use? Any carbon issues?
Yes i usually use tcw3 at 1oz per 5 gallon. There are some posts on here of a guy that has a Honda ATV and he pulled his head and the combustion chamber is spotless.
Im trying JASO FD in my OPE 4 strokes instead of TCW3. its supposed to be loaded with detergents..
https://www.oilspecifications.org/jaso.php
I recently ran out of gas for my generator on a power outage and ran the generator for 9 hours on 40:1 VP 2 stroke oil..ran like a champion lol.
You put 2-stroke oil in your 4-strokes? What ratio do you use? Any carbon issues?
Yes i usually use tcw3 at 1oz per 5 gallon. There are some posts on here of a guy that has a Honda ATV and he pulled his head and the combustion chamber is spotless.
Im trying JASO FD in my OPE 4 strokes instead of TCW3. its supposed to be loaded with detergents..
https://www.oilspecifications.org/jaso.php
I recently ran out of gas for my generator on a power outage and ran the generator for 9 hours on 40:1 VP 2 stroke oil..ran like a champion lol.
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
You put 2-stroke oil in your 4-strokes? What ratio do you use? Any carbon issues?
Yes i usually use tcw3 at 1oz per 5 gallon. There are some posts on here of a guy that has a Honda ATV and he pulled his head and the combustion chamber is spotless.
Im trying JASO FD in my OPE 4 strokes instead of TCW3. its supposed to be loaded with detergents..
https://www.oilspecifications.org/jaso.php
I recently ran out of gas for my generator on a power outage and ran the generator for 9 hours on 40:1 VP 2 stroke oil..ran like a champion lol.
I do it too. I don't measure the oil and don't add oil every time. I dispose of premix that is older than I want to use in my two stroke by dumping it in the riding mower.
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
You put 2-stroke oil in your 4-strokes? What ratio do you use? Any carbon issues?
Yes i usually use tcw3 at 1oz per 5 gallon. There are some posts on here of a guy that has a Honda ATV and he pulled his head and the combustion chamber is spotless.
Im trying JASO FD in my OPE 4 strokes instead of TCW3. its supposed to be loaded with detergents..
https://www.oilspecifications.org/jaso.php
I recently ran out of gas for my generator on a power outage and ran the generator for 9 hours on 40:1 VP 2 stroke oil..ran like a champion lol.
I do it too. I don't measure the oil and don't add oil every time. I dispose of premix that is older than I want to use in my two stroke by dumping it in the riding mower.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
I can see 1 oz/5 gal; but holy moly, 40:1 in a 4-stroke? That sounds really "rich"!
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
I can see 1 oz/5 gal; but holy moly, 40:1 in a 4-stroke? That sounds really "rich"!
Nah the Predator 6.5 HP runs great on my oily 32:1 +MMO mix So does 11HP B+S
I can see 1 oz/5 gal; but holy moly, 40:1 in a 4-stroke? That sounds really "rich"!
Nah the Predator 6.5 HP runs great on my oily 32:1 +MMO mix So does 11HP B+S
You shouldn't have to remove the fuel line from the carb. Take the air filter housing off and you should be able to get at the plastic plug on the top of the carb. Just make sure not to screw the idle screw in too far, when you put it back together. Many, many people successfully clean their carburetor and then turn that screw in too far. The motor will run like it's trying to mow a hole through the Earth. Find a lot of 'curb treasure' like that.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
I noticed the mower smelled a little like gas this morning, and the deck had a bit of wetness beneath the carb, but I couldn't see any active leak.
I looked again after running the mower and noticed that the carb was leaking gas at a rate of about a drop/second. I clamped off the fuel line and tried to find out where it was coming from, by performing the following:
1. The Bowl stud was a little loose, so I tightened it and the bowl drain
-----No change in leak-rate when I un-clamped the fuel line
2. The carb gasket plate (between the carb and the air cleaner housing) appeared to be the source of the leak.
2.a. I removed the air cleaner assembly and inspected the gasket plate
-----It looked fine and matched the old one that it replaced
2.b. Figuring I had failed to torque it down properly I was careful to tighten down the entire carb (two nuts), sequentially, 1/4 turn each until tight. The forward nut tightened snugly, as expected. The aft nut seemed to require less torque, even though I had tightened it one flat past where the forward one was fully snug.
-----BIG MISTAKE!
-----Suspecting something was wrong, I attempted to loosen the aft nut and noticed it was wobbling
-----With three flats exposed, it began to back-out the head stud
3. I could not see at the time, but when I tried to slowly work the nut back and forth, the fact that the stud was stripped was apparent...
-----Ah, poop
//
I also removed the idle-adjust screw and popped out the plug yeehaw mentioned. It didn't look bad in there, but I douched it with carb cleaner. The o-ring looked to be in pretty bad shape, but usable for now...
Regardless, with the stripped head stud, this thing is OOC until I find a replacement. Any ideas on where to find new studs? The manual for this model number (12A-18MC056) only shows the whole cylinder head (including the carb studs) as one unit, with no individual part numbers. Looking at newer models of the CC550, the stud is available, part #: 710-04981 (STUD-M6X113)
I looked again after running the mower and noticed that the carb was leaking gas at a rate of about a drop/second. I clamped off the fuel line and tried to find out where it was coming from, by performing the following:
1. The Bowl stud was a little loose, so I tightened it and the bowl drain
-----No change in leak-rate when I un-clamped the fuel line
2. The carb gasket plate (between the carb and the air cleaner housing) appeared to be the source of the leak.
2.a. I removed the air cleaner assembly and inspected the gasket plate
-----It looked fine and matched the old one that it replaced
2.b. Figuring I had failed to torque it down properly I was careful to tighten down the entire carb (two nuts), sequentially, 1/4 turn each until tight. The forward nut tightened snugly, as expected. The aft nut seemed to require less torque, even though I had tightened it one flat past where the forward one was fully snug.
-----BIG MISTAKE!
-----Suspecting something was wrong, I attempted to loosen the aft nut and noticed it was wobbling
-----With three flats exposed, it began to back-out the head stud
3. I could not see at the time, but when I tried to slowly work the nut back and forth, the fact that the stud was stripped was apparent...
-----Ah, poop
//
I also removed the idle-adjust screw and popped out the plug yeehaw mentioned. It didn't look bad in there, but I douched it with carb cleaner. The o-ring looked to be in pretty bad shape, but usable for now...
Regardless, with the stripped head stud, this thing is OOC until I find a replacement. Any ideas on where to find new studs? The manual for this model number (12A-18MC056) only shows the whole cylinder head (including the carb studs) as one unit, with no individual part numbers. Looking at newer models of the CC550, the stud is available, part #: 710-04981 (STUD-M6X113)
That's unfortunate but not uncommon. One of the biggest problems with Chinese built engines is their poor quality fasteners.
If you can't find a replacement stud, you could try to find a suitable size die and try to re-thread it. Failing that, you night be able to go a size down and get a smaller diameter nut to fit. Not work for a beginner but potential solutions. A machine shop could easily repair the stud but it will cost a few bucks.
If you can't find a replacement stud, you could try to find a suitable size die and try to re-thread it. Failing that, you night be able to go a size down and get a smaller diameter nut to fit. Not work for a beginner but potential solutions. A machine shop could easily repair the stud but it will cost a few bucks.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: boraticus
That's unfortunate but not uncommon. One of the biggest problems with Chinese built engines is their poor quality fasteners.
If you can't find a replacement stud, you could try to find a suitable size die and try to re-thread it. Failing that, you night be able to go a size down and get a smaller diameter nut to fit. Not work for a beginner but potential solutions. A machine shop could easily repair the stud but it will cost a few bucks.
I'm on the phone with MTD (Cub Cadet) tech support. He's checking to see if I can purchase just the stud, WITHOUT having to purchase the whole cylinder head for a buck and change - fingers crossed.
It's been a while, but I've fixed fasteners like this before, out at sea. If we didn't have what we needed, we couldn't go to the parts store and waiting for a new part to be requisitioned didn't always make sense. We also kept some heat exchangers from leaking with Redhand, but that's a different story for a different time.
I don't currently have a tap/die set, but thank you for the recommendation.
That's unfortunate but not uncommon. One of the biggest problems with Chinese built engines is their poor quality fasteners.
If you can't find a replacement stud, you could try to find a suitable size die and try to re-thread it. Failing that, you night be able to go a size down and get a smaller diameter nut to fit. Not work for a beginner but potential solutions. A machine shop could easily repair the stud but it will cost a few bucks.
I'm on the phone with MTD (Cub Cadet) tech support. He's checking to see if I can purchase just the stud, WITHOUT having to purchase the whole cylinder head for a buck and change - fingers crossed.
It's been a while, but I've fixed fasteners like this before, out at sea. If we didn't have what we needed, we couldn't go to the parts store and waiting for a new part to be requisitioned didn't always make sense. We also kept some heat exchangers from leaking with Redhand, but that's a different story for a different time.
I don't currently have a tap/die set, but thank you for the recommendation.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
The MTD guy said I'm SOL, that the cylinder head for my model is only sold as a whole, and that there is no part number for just the stud.
I asked if the newer versions of my same mower, which do show the stud as its own part number, could work, if they're the same dimension, and he said he couldn't tell me that. I asked if he thought that MIGHT work, off-the-record and he said sure...
Partstree guy just emailed back saying that the muffler stud is identical to the carb stud and can be ordered for around five bucks for two. I'm glad I checked the existing stud, because I think he's wrong...
The current carb stud is 4-7/16" long, which converts to ~113mm (sorry, I don't have a metric ruler).
The muffler stud is M6X90 - with only a few flats of the fastener exposed when fully tight, that additional 23mm is 100% needed.
I asked if the newer versions of my same mower, which do show the stud as its own part number, could work, if they're the same dimension, and he said he couldn't tell me that. I asked if he thought that MIGHT work, off-the-record and he said sure...
Partstree guy just emailed back saying that the muffler stud is identical to the carb stud and can be ordered for around five bucks for two. I'm glad I checked the existing stud, because I think he's wrong...
The current carb stud is 4-7/16" long, which converts to ~113mm (sorry, I don't have a metric ruler).
The muffler stud is M6X90 - with only a few flats of the fastener exposed when fully tight, that additional 23mm is 100% needed.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
You could just use a bolt.
I was actually thinking that, too, but I'd rather thread on and off the stud instead of risking stripping the head each time I remove a part of the carb assembly. THAT would suck big time!
You could just use a bolt.
I was actually thinking that, too, but I'd rather thread on and off the stud instead of risking stripping the head each time I remove a part of the carb assembly. THAT would suck big time!
I'm going on vacation for 6 days beginning tomorrow. If you don't find a solution, reply (next Thursday) with a private email with your address and I'll mail you one.
When you take that plug out, it often looks 'clean' in the hole it came from. The issue with those is the very small hole in the tip (in the brass) of the plug. Carb cleaner will NOT do it. Sometimes the 'o' ring blows off when I'm hitting it with compressed air. The machine will run fine without it. I guess I could send you one of those too.
Make sure you use a metric bolt, if you decide to go that way.
When you take that plug out, it often looks 'clean' in the hole it came from. The issue with those is the very small hole in the tip (in the brass) of the plug. Carb cleaner will NOT do it. Sometimes the 'o' ring blows off when I'm hitting it with compressed air. The machine will run fine without it. I guess I could send you one of those too.
Make sure you use a metric bolt, if you decide to go that way.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Thank you very much for the offer yeehaw - very nice of you! Enjoy your vacation!
The studs were only $2.15 each and the nuts were $5 for the pair (I'm sure I could have purchased these locally for MUCH cheaper, but I'd rather not mess around). I ordered that and the correct carb, after discussing it with the parts guy. I'll be returning the wrong carb.
The studs were only $2.15 each and the nuts were $5 for the pair (I'm sure I could have purchased these locally for MUCH cheaper, but I'd rather not mess around). I ordered that and the correct carb, after discussing it with the parts guy. I'll be returning the wrong carb.
If you are leaking fuel at a low rate, the carb wasn't loose, the fuel inlet needle & seat is not sealing completely, the float bowl is overflowing and fuel is coming out of the carb throat. If you were leaking fuel from the carb at a high rate, this would indicate a bad float. You might get lucky and have a sliver of debris caught in the the fuel inlet needle & seat area or a deteriorated viton tip on the needle valve, but this is the classic problem that I see on carbs that have corrosion in the inlet seat. Hondas are famous for this, and your engine has the same type of carb that Honda uses. You have to let it sit overnight to see this problem because the fuel leak is so small. You could try thoroughly cleaning the fuel inlet seat and replacing the inlet needle valve. If this doesn't stop the leak, the only alternative that you have is to replace the carb.
Over the years I have had limited success with lapping the inlet seat using a tool I made and lapping compound, but it only works about 20% of the time.
Over the years I have had limited success with lapping the inlet seat using a tool I made and lapping compound, but it only works about 20% of the time.
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If you cant get the stud.. you should be able to use allthread
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