Normally to repair these valves you buy the kit which contains a new lever, seal, washer and spring clip. Almost all styles can be found on e-bay. Years ago the seals were available separately, but I rarely see them today.

chrisb, you are to be commended for locating the faulty connection. Regarding your stated intent to get a new connector: You should consider if there is really a "need" for replacing the existing connector with another new connector. The point here is that the faulty connection you found has already served, and outlived its original purpose. The connector was to facilitate an easy, OEM assembly line build procedure, and nothing more. Or think of it this way: How many times since you acquired the tractor, have you disconnected and reconnected that plug (not counting the last couple of days)? Go to an auto parts store and get a small package of crimp type wire butt splice connectors. Get the kind that have a heat shrinkable covering already in place. For the size wire you are dealing with you want to get BLUE color splices (for wires 14 AWG). Cut the wires as close to the OEM connector halves as you can get. Then, strip away about 3/16" to 1/4" of insulation from the end of each wire. Connect the wire ends together with a butt splice connector using wire crimping pliers and then use a butane lighter or electric heat gun to shrink the thermoplastic covering of the butt splice down to seal the splice. Your intentions (to replace the OEM connector with a new one) are good, but logistically speaking, replacement OEM connectors are difficult, if not impossible, to buy. Unless the connectors are essential for frequent, routine removal of an electrical component, just eliminate any faulty, corroded ones you find by using a heat shrinkable butt splice. If you find a defective or corroded connector plug in a situation where the wiring must be separated and reconnected often, of course you need to retain that configuration. But, if the connector is one that served only the OEM build procedure.....trash can it.

"George B shafted us with his WOMD Campaign." I regret that you feel you were shafted by President Bush. I've done two tours in Iraq, had to leave my wife alone in a strange place, pregnant; worked for 225 days straight in a combat zone (the first time), lost several friends and saw first hand the horrors of war flying medevac and "hard-hit" raids, yet I don't feel shafted. I respect GWB for having the guts to stick with the war as it became unpopular. We didn't go into Iraq because of WMDs, that would have been a nice carrot to dangle in front of the "what will this war do for me" skeptics, but we went into Iraq because Saddam was strong-arming the UN inspectors, a blatant violation of the UN cease-fire agreement drawn up in 1991. It was all pretty simple; I don't know why the democrats needed more fluff to rally their voters. If you want to blame someone, blame US Ambassador to Iraq Paul Bremer, who took a conquered nation and allowed it to fester into an insurgent free-for-all in just one year. The Iraqi military was eager to secure their nation after the fall of Baghdad with their honor intact. He told them to take a hike with no alternate plan to accomplish that goal. How would you feel if you were a respected Iraqi batallion commander on Monday and a part-time ditch digger by Wednesday? There were nearly half a million of them put out of work with the disbanding of the Iraqi military. I think I'd assemble and raise hell too. Bush appointed Bremer, so I guess he shares in some of the blame as well, but not in the way you mean. All Obama is doing is steering the nation's defense in the same direction it was already heading. I'm not concerned about his plans for the military; I am, however concerned about his financial vision. Yes, I would call it socialism. **** I must admit I sometimes neglect to check the oil in my tractor. I don't know how accurate that idiot light is, but I've never had it go off. And since I've gone synthetic, I never burn any oil between changes. On the topic of fuel, I use sta-bil and haven't had any gummy carb problems. Although I do cut the fuel in my generator and run the bowl dry prior to winter storage.

Great story, but not very accurate. Never let facts get in the way of good storytelling. The anti-backfire solenoid only shuts of flow the the main nozzle. Has nothing to do flow to the carburetor float bowl. On the other hand, and in-line petcock won't stop backfiring. The float bowl holds an ounce or so of gasoline, and the run-on after the ignition is shut off is more than enough to pull sufficient gas into the engine for a large backfire. Think about it. A typical engine will run at least a minute or more when you close the fuel line petcock. When ignition is shut off, engine continues to spin several more revolution, pulling raw gas into the cylinder every other stroke, and then pushing it into the hot muffler where backfire occurs.