5hp Briggs peoblem

[bob_wood]

I have a 5 hp Briggs engine ( on my log splitter ) that starts hard and runs intermitantly. Can anyone help me ?

Bob

 

[mwb]

1. Pull the spark plug; what color is the business end? Is it wet?

2. Test ignition; using a new plug, spark tester or screw driver (get your wife to hold it near the engine head) and what color is the spark? Blue is good, yellow is bad.

3. Inline fuel filter?

4. If your engine has a float bowl, remove the nut from the bottom and remove the bowl, probably full of crap.

What model of engine? Older ones are very easy to troubleshoot and work on.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[bob_wood]

1. Pull the spark plug; what color is the business end? Is it wet?

2. Test ignition; using a new plug, spark tester or screw driver (get your wife to hold it near the engine head) and what color is the spark? Blue is good, yellow is bad.

3. Inline fuel filter?

4. If your engine has a float bowl, remove the nut from the bottom and remove the bowl, probably full of crap.

What model of engine? Older ones are very easy to troubleshoot and work on.

Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Mike

My splitter is 10+ yrs old. I put a new plug in it today . When I pull air filter and look in carb I see Alot of fuel... is that normal? I can start it after alot of pulls but is will run for a short time then die. Starts Hard.
My gas tank had a leak about a month ago so I removed tank ( had to pull everything apart to get the tank off but was told new tank was about $60 so i fixed leak with screw and rubber washer and reassembled everything ) I didnt replace gasket on tank ... wondering if the engine is sucking some air
One thing too ( before i took tank off ) the engine was running rough like an engine with a defective govenor

There is a tube that runs from the carb to the engine block , about 1/4 inch aluminum with rubber connectors. one of the rubber connectors is split and the aluminum tube has a small hole in it. What does this tube do ?

I will look at carb / floatbowl and check for dirt and get wife to check the spark for me

Bob

 

[mwb]

Sounds like your spark is ok. It sounds to me that your tank is attached directly to the bottom of your carb (my POS tiller is like that). If there is any leaks in the gasket between the tank and carb it will not run well (or at all). I recommend you get a new gasket for $10 and see if that fixes it.

While you have the tank off, check the filter screen at the bottom of the pick up tube attached to the carb.

Get the model number and type for the engine if you need more help.

 

[bob_wood]

Sounds like your spark is ok. It sounds to me that your tank is attached directly to the bottom of your carb (my POS tiller is like that). If there is any leaks in the gasket between the tank and carb it will not run well (or at all). I recommend you get a new gasket for $10 and see if that fixes it.

While you have the tank off, check the filter screen at the bottom of the pick up tube attached to the carb.

Get the model number and type for the engine if you need more help.

I disassembled it all and it looks like the filter was clogged up like you said it may be. I couldn't get the filter off but was able to put some air to it and I think its pretty clean now. Now my problem is getting the main tank gasket. The one that was on there is toast. I cant find a serial number on the motor anywheres so ordering a gasket will be a challenge. I could take the carb and tank in to a small engine place we have here. Think I have seen something called " liquid gasket " ... is that a good idea to use that stuff?

Thanks for all the help !

Bob

 

[bob_wood]

I disassembled it all and it looks like the filter was clogged up like you said it may be. I couldn't get the filter off but was able to put some air to it and I think its pretty clean now. Now my problem is getting the main tank gasket. The one that was on there is toast. I cant find a serial number on the motor anywheres so ordering a gasket will be a challenge. I could take the carb and tank in to a small engine place we have here. Think I have seen something called " liquid gasket " ... is that a good idea to use that stuff?

Thanks for all the help !

Bob[/QUOTE

I made a new gasket and cleaned the filter and she runs like a top !! Thanks so much Mike Its sure nice having all this expertise to draw from on TBN

Bob

 

[Willl]

get your wife to hold it near the engine head

If you still enjoy standing up to pee, don't do this.

 

[mwb]

[/QUOTE

I made a new gasket and cleaned the filter and she runs like a top !! Thanks so much Mike Its sure nice having all this expertise to draw from on TBN

Bob[/QUOTE]

Great! Glad you got it running. I hate the newer B&S engines . That particular design uses a little cup inside the gas tank as a 'float bowl' and it likes to accumulate crap. The only way to clean it is to disassemble it.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[bob_wood]

[/QUOTE

I made a new gasket and cleaned the filter and she runs like a top !! Thanks so much Mike Its sure nice having all this expertise to draw from on TBN

Bob

Great! Glad you got it running. I hate the newer B&S engines . That particular design uses a little cup inside the gas tank as a 'float bowl' and it likes to accumulate crap. The only way to clean it is to disassemble it.

Cheers,
Mike[/QUOTE]

The tank had a sponge like thing in it, which i removed so i could look inside better. Think it would be ok to Not put it back ?

Bob

 

[mwb]

the sponge thing is to reduce sloshing (sp?) in the tank; i think it is only important for rough applications like a tiller bouncing around. for a splitter it should be fine without it. I would put it back in, it will not cause you any trouble. I assume you can cram it back in through the fill cap - if you have to disassemble it again then i would leave it out.

Mike

 

[Harry c]

The brass pickup tube that goes to the bottom of the tank has a flat screen on the end. Inside this screen is a little check valve that works with a small diaphragm fuel pump in the carb to suck up fuel to the little float bowl at the top of the tank where the carb bolts on. This little check valve occasionally gets stuck and won't open to let the gas up the tube. When you cleaned the filter you probably "unstuck" the check valve. BTW, I haven't found any reasonable way to disassemble this thing and sometimes unsticking the valve is difficult.
Usually, if this is the problem, the engine will run if you completely fill the tank. It'll run until the fuel level drops below the float level. If the tank is nearly full it will sometimes run if gas has sloshed up into the float bowl.

 

[bob_wood]

The brass pickup tube that goes to the bottom of the tank has a flat screen on the end. Inside this screen is a little check valve that works with a small diaphragm fuel pump in the carb to suck up fuel to the little float bowl at the top of the tank where the carb bolts on. This little check valve occasionally gets stuck and won't open to let the gas up the tube. When you cleaned the filter you probably "unstuck" the check valve. BTW, I haven't found any reasonable way to disassemble this thing and sometimes unsticking the valve is difficult.
Usually, if this is the problem, the engine will run if you completely fill the tank. It'll run until the fuel level drops below the float level. If the tank is nearly full it will sometimes run if gas has sloshed up into the float bowl.

That makes perfect sense Harry. I had the tank completly full at one point ( and i mentioned earlier in this thread that I was seeing Alot of gas up in the carb ).. When i took the tank and carb off I could see the floatbowl inside the tank and you are right about it being tough to get the strainer off the bottom of the gas tube. I had the side off the carb and I put air to the strainer ... that seem to clear things out pretty good. Before I did all this it was a Mean running machine

Thanks for your input

Bob

 

[bob_wood]

the sponge thing is to reduce sloshing (sp?) in the tank; i think it is only important for rough applications like a tiller bouncing around. for a splitter it should be fine without it. I would put it back in, it will not cause you any trouble. I assume you can cram it back in through the fill cap - if you have to disassemble it again then i would leave it out.

Mike

I will cram it all back in the tank. I ran the splitter for a few hrs this morning and it ran real good. Better than it had been for the last few weeks .... that strainer has been gradually clogging up. Thanks again for all yer help

Bob

 

[dqdave1]

You may want to run a little carb cleaner next time you fill the tank.

 

[bob_wood]

You may want to run a little carb cleaner next time you fill the tank.

Thanks Dave. That sounds like a real good idea.

bob