Small engine experts?

fdeck · #1 11-01-2008, 04:04 PM

My lawnmower, a Sears with a Tecumseh engine. It runs, but when I tip it to the left, the engine stops and won't re-start until it sits for a while. When I tip it to the right, no problem. Going around a sharp turn has the same effect as tipping the mower.

steve66 · #2 11-01-2008, 04:12 PM

Check the engine kill switch if it has one. sounds like an electrical problem.

Ericman197 · #3 11-01-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve66

Check the engine kill switch if it has one. sounds like an electrical problem.

Yeah, you probably have a wire or something that's messed up. There's no mechanical reason I can think of for an engine to shut off when tipping to the left and not the right. It doesn't have any kind of power steering mechanism does it?

Mike N · #4 11-01-2008, 05:24 PM

Does your mower have a low oil shutoff?

Checked the oil level lately?

BruisedOoze · #5 11-01-2008, 05:41 PM

Maybe the fuel pump is having problems?

Does the fuel leave the tank on the left or ride side?

fdeck · #6 11-01-2008, 08:27 PM

I don't think it has a fuel pump. It's a pretty simple gas mower, not self propelled or anything like that. I will take a look at the kill switch. That would be an easy fix. It dies very quickly if I tip it, so I doubt it is a problem of which side the fuel feeds from, but in fact, it does feed from the side that is raised when I tip the mower to kill it, so I won't discount that hypothesis.

Oil is at the correct level.

I have a small lawn, and mostly use a manual push mower (non motorized), but there are a few jobs that the gas mower works better for, involving cleaning up in the fall. For now I am simply careful to make sure it never tips the wrong way, but among other things, it would be a problem if I decide to sell it.

Ericman197 · #7 11-01-2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike N

Does your mower have a low oil shutoff?

Checked the oil level lately?

The fact that shutoff also occurs while turning would disprove that, no?. I mean if it was a car, yeah... but I don't think we're going to need to go drysump at the turning speeds of a mower haha

jonathan_matos5 · #8 11-01-2008, 11:06 PM

some small engines will flood with fuel if you tip them to a specific side. check the fuel filter and the spark plugs and the air filter and clean out the carburetor.

if you tip it is a walk behind/push mower you shouldn't have to tip it either way to turn just slow down.

baalroo · #9 11-02-2008, 01:12 AM

Also, when it dies does it sputter and/or choke or does it just "cut" like someone flipped an "off switch?" When you restart it after it dies does any smoke spurt out?

Mike N · #10 11-02-2008, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ericman197

The fact that shutoff also occurs while turning would disprove that, no?. I mean if it was a car, yeah... but I don't think we're going to need to go drysump at the turning speeds of a mower haha

Tipping and turning are two different things. Tipping can stack all the oil to one side of the crankcase, while turning won't.

hbarcat · #11 11-02-2008, 02:18 PM

Sounds to me like a carburetor problem and fuel is sloshing to where it shouldn't and it might be time for an overhaul. Carb kits are about $20 and they come with instructions. If you're handy with tools, this will take a couple of hours at most and it's pretty straightforward.