QuestionHi. I have a Poulan Pro riding lawnmower with a
17 hp Kohler engine. Recently, after mowing for
perhaps 30 minutes, the engine would sputter and
stop. At that point, I would be unable to restart
the engine. If I let it sit for a hour or so, it
would usually start again and run fine for another
30 minutes or so, before sputtering and dying.
I replaced the oil, oil filter, cleaned the air
filter, and installed a new fuel filter. The fuel
line seems clear and has good flow when not attached to the carb. However, since the new fuel
filter is clear (the old one wasn't) I can now see
that as the engine runs, the level of fuel passing
through the filter slowly diminishes and eventually disappears, thus starving the engine.
If I wait, the filter slowly fills and then the
engine works fine for a short time, until it starves for fuel again. Any suggestions? I checked
the vent in the gas cap, and that seems clear as well. Thanks.
AnswerHi Steve,
If the fuel cap is venting, then I would suspect a clogged carb. Check this by trying to keep it running by squirting fuel into the carb's intake. I suspect that the carb most likely has dirt, debris or gummed fuel inside.
You will need to remove the carb, disassemble it, clean all the small internal openings and blow it out with compressed air. Probe each and every hole with a small wire. Adding a carb rebuild kit wouldn't hurt either.
Let me know how you make out.
Michael
