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Old Craftsman mower problem

13 years ago

I just acquired an old Craftsman mower from a neighbor who was tired of messing with it. It starts cold on the first pull after priming. However there are a couple of problems I'm having. One, the primer bulb doesnt seem to pump gas as it should. Seems like its pushing more air than gas. The other problem is if I shut it off, I can't get it to restart for anything. I'm not sure if it's flooding or what? I have to let it sit for a while before it will restart again.

The model is 917.383320 it doesn't smoke or anything so I'd like to get it going good again.

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Comment (1)

farmerdilla
13 years ago
If it is a Tecumseh engine ( older Craftsman engine) Chances are a good cleaning of the carburetor will solve the problem. Those carburetors gave more than their share of problems. The primer bulbs on Tecumseh engines are another problem. Easy to replace but difficult to find the right one. They changed them around a lot. Some of the much older ones had adjustable jets. If so try leaning out the mixture a bit. Also make sure the air filter is clean. That could make the machine run rich and hard to start when hot.
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If you want to rule out the valve issue, then just roll this tractor to where your car is. Put a set of booster cables on the car battery. Put the positive cable onto the terminal on the starter that has the heavy cable attached to it. Take the negative booster cable and press it firmly against the engine block or tractor chassis with the ignition key in the "ON" position. If the engine spins over easily and starts, remove the negative cable from the engine block or tractor frame. Try this a few times. If you get the same results, then you just proved two things. 1. The valves are likely adjusted correctly 2. Your tractor has a seperate starting solenoid somewhere. So let's pretend that the above scenario has occurred. Next step. Take the booster cable off of the starting mower. Trace the heavy wire that is on the starter motor back to the starter solenoid. Put the positive booster cable onto the OTHER big terminal on this solenoid. Clamp the negative booster cable lead to a clean spot on the engine block or the tractor frame so that it makes good electrical contact. Now try starting the tractor with the keyswitch. If the clicking noise is still there, the a new solenoid should solve the problem. The clicking sound is the solenoid pulling in. However, the round disc inside the solenoid is not making proper electrical contact and needs to be replaced.
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You probably need a test light to see what is going on. I agree with the previous suggestions that wrong parts may have been installed or connected improperly. Check ground wires for continuity. Also look at the safety switches to see if they are adjusted or packed with grass. Problems like this require in depth knowledge of the electrical system. This was a very nice older mower that is well worth maintaining. The horizontal shaft engine has been out of production for about 10 years. The blower housing and baffles on the engine should be removed to clean the cooling fins.
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