# tecumseh 13.5 stalls after an hour of use



## Mildbill611 (Jul 16, 2011)

Tried below suggestions from all experts.com, thought I would try this forum. Any advise????



Question: 

Hello Eric, I have a 38 inch ride on yard machine with a 13.5hp engine. The problem is that after an hour- one hour and thirty minutes of use and bogs down and eventually stalls. Let it rest over night and I get my hour thirty again. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have drained the fuel tank, replaced the fuel and still having this issue. It runs great for that hour. Thanks again, William Ingersoll



Answer: 

I have had a lot of spark plugs cause the problem you described. You can either try a new spark plug or wait until it dies and then install a new plug to see if it will restart.

Let me know if anything changes with a new plug.

Eric


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## usmcgrunt (Sep 16, 2007)

Hello and Welcome.Since the new spark plug didn't work,another no cost test would be to loosen the gas cap after it quits and see if it will run.Sometimes the vent gets dirty and will prevent gas flow.Have you checked if you still have spark at the spark plug when it quits?If you don't have spark,it could be an ignition coil failing when heated up.Please post back after these tests and someone here will guide you with the information to get it running.Good luck.Here are the links to the Tecumseh engine manuals.Hope this helps.

Overhead valve engine-
http://www.barrettsmallengine.com/manual/tecumsehoverheadvalvemanual.pdf

Flathead engine-
http://www.barrettsmallengine.com/manual/tecumsehlheadmanual.pdf


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## Mildbill611 (Jul 16, 2011)

*Thanks for the info*

I will attempt these tests, but not today, too frustrated, already cleaned up with a beer in hand. Will post back probably on monday. Thanks so much for the advise....Bill


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## chuck_thehammer (Oct 24, 2007)

I agree with the above tests...also check that the gas line is not collaping from heat or just the time for the fuel flow to soften the line. 
try this after the gas cap test. right after the engine quits remove the fuel line at the carb and let it pore into a can for about 30 seconds.. should flow well. this will tell you if there is a air blockage in the gas cap or the fuel line is stoping the flow.


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## Mildbill611 (Jul 16, 2011)

The gas cap thing did not work, do I need a special tool to test for spark at the plug after it heats up? Also whre is the ignition coil located? Thanks again, Bill


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## Mildbill611 (Jul 16, 2011)

Answered my owm question, bought a plug tester, now I have to get the mower hot again


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## Mildbill611 (Jul 16, 2011)

*Help*

Plenty of spark, ran the mower with the cover off, The engine first started to surge. I notices a lever on the carb going back and forth with the surge. It did not even last 10 minutes before the stall this time. Any other suggestions would be appreciated


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## MathMan (Aug 1, 2011)

I am new at all this. Couple of years ago I got a used Exmark mower with a Kohler 18 hp. It did the same after a short time. I took it to a shop to get it fixed. They said it had been using the wrong oil. They said they had to change the oil several times flush all the bad stuff out. I know nothing about nothing. Hope you the best. 
Mathman


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## justin3 (Apr 10, 2007)

That shop diagnosis sounds kind of suspicious to me, Kohlers are sensitive to oil due to there hydraulic lifters, but I don't see this happening on a Tecumseh. I would start with checking spark as soon as the motor dies. If spark is present you should have a look into the carburetor


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## small engine (Oct 14, 2010)

A good way to show you if your problem is in the carb or in your coil , when the mower dies, spray some starting fluid(Not a Lot) in the carb and try to start it if it fires up then that shows your arent getting fuel and that the float is probally sticking, you can try and take a screw driver and smack the carb bowel and see it will start.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Check the fuel cap, it may have come apart and the bell from the cap is floating over the fuel outlet and shutting off the fuel, refer to the pic below for reference. Have a good one. Geo


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## Threw a Rod (May 8, 2008)

Just sounds like a coil problem to me if there is a fuel - carb problem usually it's persistant instead of giving problems after a hour and a half. I think your coil is overheating and has a small break in the wire and shorting out inside of the coil. If you never seen the inside of a coil the wire they use for resistence for the charge to deliver the next spark to the spark plug this is a very very small wire and it doesn't take much to melt it so to speak. You would be surprised to see how little this wire is. In fact it's so little it looks like it would do Jack !!! but thats the way it is...

I'd say look there and do a ohm test on it. Most just fry the wire and plain don't work and your not going to start. but I've seen coils with a partially melted wire hang in there until hot and then stall out only to start up again when cooled off...


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## skottmorris (Sep 17, 2017)

I chased this problem on my leaf blower for a while. Cleaned the carb, cleaned the tank, checked the fuel line, checked the fuel cap. With nothing fixing it, I assumed it had to be the coil. Bought one on Amazon for $13 and put it in today. Motor ran like a champ for over an hour. 

The trick to getting it installed is how to take off the pull start cover and the fuel tank. Do not drill out the rivets if you have them. The whole assembly will come off as long as you find all the bolts. The tank is a bit trickier. It only has two visible bolts. Take them out and then slide the tank toward the bolts. There is a plastic piece with a keyway that runs in the sheet metal. Be careful not to break or damage the oil fill since it's plastic.

From there, it's only 2 screws to get the coil off. Clean the magnet with some Emory cloth and use a business card to set the gap on the coil. Easy.

Now put it all back together, fill it with some gas and let it rip. You can find the engine specific manual for the engine online, but the details on how to do this are weak at best. 

Hopefully someone finds this and benefits from it. These kind of fixes should be easy if they gave us better documentation.


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