About Marc Mielhausen Expertise I work on equipment in my spare time for myself, family and friends. I have experience in troubleshooting and fixing lawnmowers, string trimmers, chain saws, tillers, snowmobiles, inboard and outboard motors. As I am not currently employed in this industry, I can be of assistance more in non-brand-specific diagnostic questions. Try me.
Experience 15 years experience (6 professionally & 9 personally) Also have related experience in automotive manufacturing, machining, precision measurement, gauge and fixture design. As long as I can remember I have been troubleshooting and repairing mechanical devices of all types.
Education/Credentials Ontario Certificate of Qualification for Marine and Small Powered Equipment Technician (1993)
Mechanical Engineering Technician - Materials & Quality (1997)
Question about 10 year old craftsman riding mower (1030). I bought this used and I'm not sure how old it is. The first time I used it it worked fine for about 15 minutes. Then it began sputtering and backfiring and finally stalled. I couldn't get it to run consistently after that. I tried again the next day and it ran ok for another 20 minutes or so so I was able to finish the lawn. A few weeks later (today) the same scenario played out although I haven't tried again. I triedd adjusting the the carb settings(Power adjusting screw and idle valve screw) as described by the manual, but no luck. Now I can't get it to start. Any suggestions?
Answer If you get no response by adjusting the mixture screw, there is a blockage inside the carb. It is likely that debris has contaminated the fuel system (and perhaps your gas can too). Thoroughly clean the carb, including pushing a piece of tag wire through all of the internal passages, replace the fuel filter and inspect the tank for debris or sediment. Hope this helps.
