I have a Brigg and Stratton 5 horse horizontal shaft engine with a pulse jet carburetor. It is model 130202 0140 sitting on a Magna TillSmith Tiller. I have replace the diaphram, cleaned the tank and carburetor thoroughly. The problem is still the same, the governor is causing the engine to surge. If I hold the throttle in place, it purrs like a kitten so I don't think there is a problem with the diaphram or the jet screw but I can feel the governor linkage trying to pull on it. If I loosen the bolt on the governor, and turn the screw counter clockwise just a hair, it runs without surging but it runs WAY too fast. What am I looking at. I have replace the spring connecting the governor lever to the throttle cable. It may be stretched out now because of constantly removing the tank and carburetor assemly. If I get another spring I may be able to replace it without pulling the tank and carburetor assembly but remove the pully and fly wheel cover and working with a pin nose plyer. I have not replaced the governor linkage and the spring on it is missing. When I do get it to run smoothly, it dies after I use it for a while. I'm not sure about the placement of the governor linkage to the throttle in relation to the choke linkage which is also connected to the throttle cable. The only thing I have is the parts diagram from Brigg and Stratton. I have nothing showing exactly the correct lickage positioning. I just hope it's not an internal governor problem.

Your engine is not "refusing to take the gas"! It is not able to get the gas out of the carburetor bowl through the main jet. Reason is probably due to fine sediment and flaky debris build up in the "jet well" of the carburetor body (which is the float bowl on this series carb). Cleaning out the jet well with spray carb cleaner, followed by removing the main jet and cleaning it with spray carb cleaner will usually take care of this condition without a complete carb teardown. The task can be done with the carb mounted to the engine, provided you can see everything you need to. You will find a hex shaped plug (5/8" tool hex) on the lower portion of the carb body. Remove that plug (some gas will drain out). Once the plug is removed, insert the straw tip of the carb cleaner into the plug hole an spray a generous burst of cleaner into the hole. Try to hold a paper towel or clean shop cloth to catch what washes back out the hole. Do this about 3 times, allowing a couple of minutes wait between sprays. Next, remove the main jet through the plug hole. The main jet has a 3/16" Allen socket (internal hex) tool provision and is threaded in standard configuration (righty tighty, lefty loosey). When you get the main jet out, look at the orifice to see if it has a visible clog. Use a fine stiff wire or similar probe to poke through the orifice. Follow that by placing the carb cleaner straw tip directly against the orifice and spraying through the jet (eye safety protection strongly suggested). Reassemble and try it out.

Well I expect it has a Walbro Carb. I just had one that did that, close the choke half way and it ran fine. A friend ran it thru his ultrasonic cleaner, looked pretty outside but didn't help. I let it set a day in some powerful cleaner, still no good. I finally put a different carb on it. You might try spraying some WD40 around the gasket areas to make sure you don't have a gasket leaking, engine will speed up if leaking. Walt Conner

I just read this and it sounds to me like it may well be the woodruff key in the fly wheel that sits on the crankshaft has moved a little or even snapped......Some times as you mow and it say hits a bit of wood or comes under heavy load that key can move a little or as i say snap. Then when you try to start it you may get a kick from the starter pulley like a horse kicking you in the arm...I would take the top pulley off and the NUT then look down and see if the KEY is in line with the pulley SLOT. If its slightly off line even 3 or 4 mill of line i would take the flywheel off and renew the key or check it and reseat it....It may be some thing else but if you have tried every thing and it still kicks check that..Its quite common...It just put the timing out a little........................................I have a 6 year old Sears Craftsman lawn tractor with a 24 HP OHV Briggs & Stratton engine. When I was moving the lawn the other day I heard a "pop", then the engine died. Now when I try to start it the engine kicks and backfires, but never comes close to starting. We checked the fuel and the spark and both are present. I can't help but think if it died suddenly, and now is backfiring when I try to start it that it must be something related to the timing. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about how the timing works on that engine. Is it possible the timing chain/belt (if it has either) could have jumped a tooth? Any other suggestions for what this could be, and how we would go about diagnosing?