OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Briggs & Stratton Engines Starting problems with Rover Cylinder mower

Hi

Woundered if someone could help with ideas as to what i could look at in regard to starting my Rover cylinder lawn mower. 3.5 HP Briggs and Stratton, Rover Model No 45058

The mower is 13 or so years old hasn't done a lot of work in those years and has been looked after. It has just been to the service man as a main reason that it is hard to start, after $210 service fee the mower was returned to him 3 weeks later as it still hade starting problems. Started at his shop ok and a few times once I brought it home , but a month later no go.
As was the case this afternoon after a week in the shed now after its last run it won't start again.
Could anyone guide me to things I could look at that may help.

I have changed the plug and checked that there is spark. Have replentished the fuel tank with new fuel , have removed the small plate off the carbie and check the rubber diaphiam and replaced it. Did find the carbi dry, could this be the issue , fuel is not being brought up into carbie. What else is there I could look at. I have attempted to remove the fuel tank to check fuel filters inside the tank but found removel of the tank impossible, not like the old Scott bonnars 45s.

Any guidences would be appreceiated. Thanks

greenkeeperjohn.

Hi John. To get the diagnostics started, can you give us the full series of numbers stamped on the engine's cooling air cowl please, and post pictures of the mower and engine. Meanwhile you might try taking out the spark plug, putting a small spoonful of petrol into the plug hole, reinstalling the plug, and seeing if it then fires and runs briefly. If it does the problem is in the fuel supply, which narrows the range of diagnostic tests we need to do.

Hi grumpy

Well, thanks very much Grumpy for helping me with the starting problem. The spoon full of petrol into the plug hole worked a treat. At first I again tried to start the mower. No success. I then went about putting the fuel into the spark plug hole , ONE PULL all started and kept running. The mower didn't stop. put it down to low revs and ran OK.

Stopped the mower after a minuite of running and then tried to start it again which it did no troubles..

I won't be using the mower for a week or so , so it will be interesting to see if she starts after a week or more stored in the shed. But Will try this procedure again.

As for the numbers on the cowling they are as follows and you could enlighten me as to their meaning. Thanks, If there are further problems I can then load you a photo of the mower if needed. This mower is at least 13 years old .

Model 91202
Type 1327 E
Code 981123 YB


Thanks again for your assistance grumpy and have a good Christmas.

Greenkeeperjohn

Your engine is 9 cubic inch displacement (148 cc), second design generation, horizontal crankshaft, with a Pulsa-Jet carburetor. It has plain main bearings and a rewind starter. It was made on the 23rd of November, 1998. Here is the operator's manual:
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/msvtJR-K_ny7tH217FzoPu.pdf
Here is the illustrated parts list:
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/msvtJR-K_ny7tH217FzoPu.pdf

Please do not continue to start your engine by putting petrol in through the spark plug hole - this was a diagnostic test, not a solution. Putting liquid petrol in the cylinder washes the oil off the cylinder wall and is likely to damage the engine if repeated.

Since your engine seems to continue to run once started, and will restart when warm without priming, there are two likely causes of your problem, both carburetor-related. One possibility relates to your carburetor which is a Pulsa-Jet type. The Pulsa-Jet has a diaphragm-type fuel pump which pumps fuel continuously into a small chamber in the top of the fuel tank. It has two fuel pick-up tubes dropping vertically from the carburetor into the tank. The long one picks up fuel for the pump, and the pump drops it into the secondary tank. The short tube picks up fuel from the secondary tank, under suction from the carburetor venturi. It is common for the intake filter/screen at the bottom of the long tube to become blocked by debris. Please check that it is clean. Visually check the bottom of the short tube as well, though this is less likely to be contaminated. It is also common for things to go wrong with the fuel pump diaphragm, which is also the gasket between the carburetor and fuel tank. It has a couple of flap valves which are the valves for the fuel pump. You said you replaced the diaphragm. The most likely single cause of the problem you are having, is that you did not get the diaphragm into place correctly, resulting in the fuel pump failing to prime after the mower has been standing. Please read this page and the following ones, of the overhaul manual:
http://recoveryvehicles.tpub.com/TM-5-4240-501-14P/css/TM-5-4240-501-14P_100.htm
(Ignore the references to automatic choke, which apply only to 92000 series engines, yours is a 91000 series with a manual choke). This should help you to ensure that you have the diaphragm properly installed.

If your problem is not due to a fuel pump fault, the other likely cause is that your manual choke is not working properly. The choke is the horizontal-sliding lever immediately below the speed control lever, to the left of the recoil starter handle. Obviously, it must be fully closed for cold-starting, then left fully open at all other times. You can verify that it is working by removing the air cleaner and looking vertically down into the carburetor air intake. It is a butterfly-type choke, visible near the top of the air intake. Move the choke lever from fully left (wide open) to fully right (completely closed) to verify that it is working properly.

Please post some pics of your mower and engine, as well as a report on what you find when you make these checks.

Hi Grumpy

Finially back to your post of before Christmas. Have ran the mower a few times over the last 3 weeks. Last night the mower started with only a few pulls even though it had been standing for a week. Surprise suprise. The other times the mower needed some fuel into the top of the spark plug to get her going.

the mower has run well once it is started .. I hope that the Photos you requested have made it along with this post.
many thanks


Ps photo loading just didn't work ?????????????????????
greenkeeperjohn.

Hi John,

Were the photos either JPG or PNG format? No other type will load. How large were the picture files?

Hi Grumpy


The files are JPG I have reduced them to 35% in the photo shop thingo as I do for shots for other forums. When I pick the browse button the file of my photos doesn't show up on the screen as I am use to for me to pick out the individural shots.
The file section on the forum just gets loaded with picture project not the shots I want..?????

With this info I scared I will load all of the 2587 photos on the picture project into the forum ,, HEVEN FORBID

Just another infuriating computer stuff up which we old fellers have to endure these days time and time again. Day after Day. Drive you up the wall.

If you could post a few hints to help the loading of the shots that would be good and will try again Thanks

JOHN.

Hi John. Just push the fifth button from the left, right above the "Quick Reply" window, and the "Upload Inline Image(s) window will open. Press the "Browse" button, beside the words "Add File From Your PC". That will open the "upload files" window in whatever browser your PC happens to use. Navigate in that browser window to the specific file you want to upload first, and click on it. It will become highlighted. Then click on "Open" or whatever word your browser uses, at the bottom of the window. The browser window will disappear, and the "Upload Inline Image(s) window will return, but this time with the location of the file shown to the left of the "Browse" button. Click on "Add File From Your PC". A little indicator will appear to the right of the Add File sign, with red and white diagonal lines running across it while the file uploads. When it finishes uploading, a tiny image of the file will appear in the upper left of the Upload Inline Image window. Either click on "All Done" if you've finished, or if you want to upload more images, click on "Browse" again and repeat the process. You can only upload ten images per post.

Think the shots have loaded how about that..