Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Troy-Bilt mower engine trouble, briggs stratton engine, briggs stratton

Question
My Troy-Bilt mower with Briggs & Stratton engine model no. 311777, type 0120-e1 runs fine until it gets hot and then it runs erratically and eventually dies. It'll start up and operate after it cools down but not for very long. The spark plug is new and has spark, the fuel line and filter are new, and the gas cap is good. Does this engine have a coil that might be breaking down? Any other ideas?

Answer
Yes the coil could very well be breaking down, they are more prone to when hot. The windings and coils tend to pull apart as the heat expands them. You say you have spark, but is it a good snapping blue spark? When the problem presents itself, have you checked for a good fuel supply going through the filter on the carburetor side? Another trick is when it begins to die bring your throttle up around the choke position, see if the extra help from the choke makes a difference pointing to the engine lacking enough fuel. Another thing to keep in mind as a engine gets older and wears it has the hardest time running when it's hot. Perhaps a compression check when hot will tell you the condition of the combustion chamber and components. I have found numerous engines that would run poorly when hot, or would fail to start when hot, only after a compression test was I able to find they were in need of a rebuild....Tom