# 8 hp Briggs Runs 2 minutes & Dies, Horse Tiller



## brummbar7 (Apr 18, 2006)

I have this 8hp Troy Bilt Horse Tiller, which I bought last summer at an auction. According to the paperwork it's from around 1980. At the time I bought it I took off the carb, cleaned it, applied a carb kit (including the float pin seat), new spark plug, new oil, new fuel line and filter. Ran great.

This year, I get it out and it starts just fine, runs for about 2 minutes, and dies. It runs a bit unevenly for a few seconds before it dies. Now, I browsed the forums and saw some similar problems, but mine seems to differ in that I don't have to wait at all to restart it. I can just go over to the side, and start it straight away. It dies a little quicker after the first start, but subsequent deaths don't come much quicker.

The gas cap is venting, it has a spark. Though perhaps not the strongest spark, since I can hardly see it. I did disassemble the carb again and give it a once over. The float needle seems to stick ever so slightly; when I lower the float I can hear a *plink* as it hits the float, but I don't think it's enough of a stick to cause the problem, and I just replaced the seal last year, so it shouldn't be bad already. This carb seems to be built so that there are virtually no small passageways to plug. 

So basically it appears to be down to the points/condenser or magneto. I wanted to see if there were any other thoughts, as the last time I replaced a magneto (a mower) it didn't help, and taking off the flywheel to get at the points sounds like it'll be a chore.


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## mitchell (Jan 15, 2006)

*8hp briggs*

Sounds like fuel problem,check inlet going into carb, also if it is a brass float,its adjustable by bending the small metal tang the needle fits on,by bending it up that decreases the amount of gas in bowl as float closes, bending down,increases amount of fuel in bowl.Check your spark plug after it shuts down,it its black sooty its getting too much fuel,if burning brown then its starving for fuel,or maybe a weak condenser.If you think its ignition, you can buy a magnetron or electronic coil,take old coil off,clip wires going to points and bolt it right on without pulling flywheel.





http://news.smallenginetrblshtng.com


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

If it doesn't have a strong spark, it wouldn't run well, I'd put a conversion kit on it to get rid of the point and condensor.... after that I'd just go ahead and do a carb rebuild... (soak in a bath type carb cleaner, blown out with compressed air and carb cleaner and a rebuild kit installed (new needle and seat and gaskets and all) )


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