Last week while mowing my yard I shut off the B&S Quantum powered MTD mower to go into the house. When I returned to continue mowing I could not restart the mower. This mower ALWAYS starts on one pull, so I was baffled. I removed the lead on the kill switch lead (more on this modification later) and it eventually coughed to life so I assumed it was the lead shorting on something and shielded it with some loom I had lying around.
Then while mowing the neighbor ladies yard the same day I shut the mower off to unwrap morning glory vines from her rhubarb plant and I heard something odd, like a bottle draining. I looked over and saw gas running from the air cleaner housing and new the needle was not closing.
I did not get pictures so I had to borrow pics from Skin on Garage Journal.
I removed the carb and tore it down, and found the float sitting at about a 45* angle while holding the carb upside down, no good, swollen viton seat. Yesterday I picked up a needle and seat from town for four dollars and change.
Luckily My carb was in perfect working order and I did not need to clean it, it was already as clean as this one. I removed the old swollen seat with a drywall screw.
I then pressed the new seat in with a 13/64" drill bit, making sure to press it in groove first, or away from the needle.
Then I loaded the needle onto the float, set the float and needle in place, inserted the hinge pin, and installed the bowl and jet/bolt.
I've read and heard many times that the primer bulb equipped Quantums absolutely need a new gasket behind the filter housing, but I guess I got lucky reusing mine. As it primes great.
I picked this mower up for free, it was partially disassembled in the neighbors yard, and the land lord gave it to me for free when the tenant moved out.
After fixing it with an air filter and spark plug I cannibalized from other free (JUNK) mowers I had it running in perfect order.
A while later the engine brake/kill switch cable seized, so I removed the mechanism and installed a kill switch from an old chainsaw. As I am the only one who runs this mower I am not so concerned about removing this safety feature.
Less than $5.00 and I should have a good running mower for a couple of years anyway. My wife was ready to buy another mower but I did not feel right bringing another piece of OPE into the world when there is a good one just needing a little bit of help.
Then while mowing the neighbor ladies yard the same day I shut the mower off to unwrap morning glory vines from her rhubarb plant and I heard something odd, like a bottle draining. I looked over and saw gas running from the air cleaner housing and new the needle was not closing.
I did not get pictures so I had to borrow pics from Skin on Garage Journal.
I removed the carb and tore it down, and found the float sitting at about a 45* angle while holding the carb upside down, no good, swollen viton seat. Yesterday I picked up a needle and seat from town for four dollars and change.
Luckily My carb was in perfect working order and I did not need to clean it, it was already as clean as this one. I removed the old swollen seat with a drywall screw.
I then pressed the new seat in with a 13/64" drill bit, making sure to press it in groove first, or away from the needle.
Then I loaded the needle onto the float, set the float and needle in place, inserted the hinge pin, and installed the bowl and jet/bolt.
I've read and heard many times that the primer bulb equipped Quantums absolutely need a new gasket behind the filter housing, but I guess I got lucky reusing mine. As it primes great.
I picked this mower up for free, it was partially disassembled in the neighbors yard, and the land lord gave it to me for free when the tenant moved out.
After fixing it with an air filter and spark plug I cannibalized from other free (JUNK) mowers I had it running in perfect order.
A while later the engine brake/kill switch cable seized, so I removed the mechanism and installed a kill switch from an old chainsaw. As I am the only one who runs this mower I am not so concerned about removing this safety feature.
Less than $5.00 and I should have a good running mower for a couple of years anyway. My wife was ready to buy another mower but I did not feel right bringing another piece of OPE into the world when there is a good one just needing a little bit of help.
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