Beth tells me a few days ago her dad's lawnmower needs looking at. (Dad's 83, can't get around very easily anymore, and is growing less capable upstairs.)
It's a John Deere D160. Eric (son) starts it up for me...and it dies. Pretty much the same thing every time he manages to get it running.
Well...not the carburetor, because when it catches it runs great until it doesn't.
I'm guessing fuel filter, fuel pump, clogged fuel line.
Start looking it over...a cracked air hose from the case to the fuel pump. Hmmm...
Off to Lowes for fuel filter, air hose, and might as well go all the way and replace the fuel pump.
Except they don't have the fuel pump or air hose. And, after lots of research, NOBODY who supplies small engine parts is open on the weekend.
Go figure. And it's a holiday weekend, too, so nobody open until Tuesday.
Replaced the fuel filter, taped the cracks in the air hose, but no change.
Today I pick up a fuel pump, no air hose (it has a grommet on one end to fit the case), spark plugs (just because), and to work I go. 15 minutes later and I'm done.
Mower starts up, runs several minutes, then cuts off. Intermittently starts, runs, stops. Better than before, but obviously not the fix.
Hmmm...debris in the tank? Pretty much all that's left. Debris getting sucked up the tube, clogging fuel line, killing the engine. Debris settles down a little when the engine's off, allowing flow again, and the cycle starts over.
Take a YouTube break to figure out how to get the tank out. Holy cow, there are a bunch of morons posting videos on how to bend the bejeebers out of the chassis to get the tank out! ONE GUY showed how to do it right (after opening his video explaining how there are a bunch of morons out there doing it wrong).
Not difficult, I just wasn't looking forward to doing this in 90 degree heat.
Get the tank out, turn it around to get light down inside...IS THAT A STICK?
Clean the dirt of the outside so I don't make things worse, I pull the suction tube out and look down it. Seems clogged at the plastic elbow. I do that thing you're not supposed to do and blow it out without an air hose. Something "pops" free and blows out.
Pulled the sticks out, flushed the debris floating around in the tank out with several renditions of gas-slosh around-turn upside down and drain. Eventually no more debris.
Blow out the fuel line (again, the way you're not supposed to). Put everything back together. Eric spends several seconds trying to start it (gotta suck gas all the way from the tank to the carburetor), and she starts up and runs like a champ!
Turns out a few years back, when Grandmama (mother-in-law) hit Alzheimer's hot and heavy, but was still mobile, she stuck a stick in the open gas tank "to see how much gas was in there". And here we are today.
The long one is about 8 inches in length.
It's a John Deere D160. Eric (son) starts it up for me...and it dies. Pretty much the same thing every time he manages to get it running.
Well...not the carburetor, because when it catches it runs great until it doesn't.
I'm guessing fuel filter, fuel pump, clogged fuel line.
Start looking it over...a cracked air hose from the case to the fuel pump. Hmmm...
Off to Lowes for fuel filter, air hose, and might as well go all the way and replace the fuel pump.
Except they don't have the fuel pump or air hose. And, after lots of research, NOBODY who supplies small engine parts is open on the weekend.
Go figure. And it's a holiday weekend, too, so nobody open until Tuesday.
Replaced the fuel filter, taped the cracks in the air hose, but no change.
Today I pick up a fuel pump, no air hose (it has a grommet on one end to fit the case), spark plugs (just because), and to work I go. 15 minutes later and I'm done.
Mower starts up, runs several minutes, then cuts off. Intermittently starts, runs, stops. Better than before, but obviously not the fix.
Hmmm...debris in the tank? Pretty much all that's left. Debris getting sucked up the tube, clogging fuel line, killing the engine. Debris settles down a little when the engine's off, allowing flow again, and the cycle starts over.
Take a YouTube break to figure out how to get the tank out. Holy cow, there are a bunch of morons posting videos on how to bend the bejeebers out of the chassis to get the tank out! ONE GUY showed how to do it right (after opening his video explaining how there are a bunch of morons out there doing it wrong).
Not difficult, I just wasn't looking forward to doing this in 90 degree heat.
Get the tank out, turn it around to get light down inside...IS THAT A STICK?
Clean the dirt of the outside so I don't make things worse, I pull the suction tube out and look down it. Seems clogged at the plastic elbow. I do that thing you're not supposed to do and blow it out without an air hose. Something "pops" free and blows out.
Pulled the sticks out, flushed the debris floating around in the tank out with several renditions of gas-slosh around-turn upside down and drain. Eventually no more debris.
Blow out the fuel line (again, the way you're not supposed to). Put everything back together. Eric spends several seconds trying to start it (gotta suck gas all the way from the tank to the carburetor), and she starts up and runs like a champ!
Turns out a few years back, when Grandmama (mother-in-law) hit Alzheimer's hot and heavy, but was still mobile, she stuck a stick in the open gas tank "to see how much gas was in there". And here we are today.
The long one is about 8 inches in length.
