I have an Ariens push mower with Kohler PH-XT800-550 engine. Its the one with troublesome automatic choke. Its a pull-start model. For over a year, actually most of the time I have had it, I have had to pull open the filter box and squirt starter fluid spray into the carb throat , otherwise it wouldn't start. But now, it will not run even with the starter fluid assist. I noticed that the auto choke mechanism was bad, and it was just leaving the butterfly wide open. But I rigged it to close, and it still did not run with a squirt of starter spray. It starts on the first pull, but it immediately revs up and dies in about 2 seconds....this tells me that the ignition is good, and it must not be getting any vaporized fuel into the combustion chamber at all. It only runs on the starter spray. (At least, it does not seem that the ignition would cut off after two seconds). But when I took out the bowl screw on the side, fuel poured out, so there is not a fuel blockage leading to the carb.
When I tried to take out the main jet to clean it, I found that I had stripped the slot out so badly that it was impossible to ever get it out again (having cleaned out the jet dozens of times previously). So I got a new automatic choke and a new carb. Installed both thinking that it would surely run like new again, and I wouldn't even have to prime the carb with starter fluid any more.
Well, it behaves exactly the same way. The carb bowl is still filling up with fuel. I am baffled how it can have the same no-run condition with a new carb and (now) a good auto choke that is initially holding the butterfly closed. And yes, the throttle linkages are connected right, and I transferred the vacuum dash pot over to the new carb. Its vacuum line is connected right.
I don't have the positive crankcase line connected to the engine, the filter box is not installed...I just tightened the two nuts down which secure the carb assy to engine without the filter box assy installed just for test purposes. But I think it should run fine without any filter box installed and the PCV line not connected, no problem, just for short test run.
Ideas?
When I tried to take out the main jet to clean it, I found that I had stripped the slot out so badly that it was impossible to ever get it out again (having cleaned out the jet dozens of times previously). So I got a new automatic choke and a new carb. Installed both thinking that it would surely run like new again, and I wouldn't even have to prime the carb with starter fluid any more.
Well, it behaves exactly the same way. The carb bowl is still filling up with fuel. I am baffled how it can have the same no-run condition with a new carb and (now) a good auto choke that is initially holding the butterfly closed. And yes, the throttle linkages are connected right, and I transferred the vacuum dash pot over to the new carb. Its vacuum line is connected right.
I don't have the positive crankcase line connected to the engine, the filter box is not installed...I just tightened the two nuts down which secure the carb assy to engine without the filter box assy installed just for test purposes. But I think it should run fine without any filter box installed and the PCV line not connected, no problem, just for short test run.
Ideas?