Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): toro starts and dies, tecumseh engine, spark plug

Question
Hello, I have a Toro lawnmotor which will start and dies within a minute. It has a tecumseh engine and the mode no. 20007.  I checked the spark plug and it has black coating.  I cleaned the filter and changed the oil and still the problem is the same.  Any help you could provide would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Answer
Tecumseh carbs either work great or not at all.  Most all Tecumseh problems we see are dirty carbs.  Removing, dis-assembling and cleaning the carb with compressed air and carb cleaner usually soloves the problem.  

With the black coating on the spark plug it indicates that the carb is running rich.  Check the air filter and I would recommend replacing the spark plug.

Let me know if cleaning the carb fixes the problem.
Eric