[Alice]

My lawn mower has been running slowly and it stops when I try to cut the grass. It was fine at the beginning of the season. I changed the oil, spark plug and air filter and also put fresh gas in (dumped the old). Its a Craftsman 6.5 hp walk behind. The book says you can't make any adjustments. Am I stuck having to take it back to Sears for repair or do you have any suggestions. I don't know much about small engines, but would be willing to try to fix it.
Thanks.

 

[bugman]

your saying you dumped the old gas. if it was gas you left in the lawnmower without stabilizer for more than 30 days or so the carb is probablly gummed up. try taking off the filter, starting it and spraying carb cleaner into it while its running for a couple minutes letting the engine recover its speed after each spray. and don't use a champion spark plug. go to a auto parts store and buy a small engine autolite plug. now that lawnmower should have a fuel bowl on the carb. if it has a needle on it, it is adjustable. now i've got a 6.0 horse craftsman that only states the carbs unadjustable. that goes for the governor not the fuel mixture screws. the governor is the little spring connected to the carb. oh! make sure that spring ain't to tight or loose.

 

[Alice]

your saying you dumped the old gas. if it was gas you left in the lawnmower without stabilizer for more than 30 days or so the carb is probablly gummed up. try taking off the filter, starting it and spraying carb cleaner into it while its running for a couple minutes letting the engine recover its speed after each spray. and don't use a champion spark plug. go to a auto parts store and buy a small engine autolite plug. now that lawnmower should have a fuel bowl on the carb. if it has a needle on it, it is adjustable. now i've got a 6.0 horse craftsman that only states the carbs unadjustable. that goes for the governor not the fuel mixture screws. the governor is the little spring connected to the carb. oh! make sure that spring ain't to tight or loose.

Thanks - I appreciate the help. I'll try that.