# snapper 9hp carb problems help please



## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

I have a 4 yr old Snapper 9 hp that will not start for me . I thought i had a fuel problem so I drained the old gas , fuel filter new, cleaned the bowl , carb cleaner in the carb. It is a briggs motor.

I can start it with starting fluid , 4 a few secs. then it wants to die , if i spray carb cleaner in the carb I can keep it running but once I stop so does the engine. 

What is my next step as I am sorta afraid to take the carb apart due to the linkage and sorts....

I would be gratefull for any advise as my grass is growing quickly!!!!!!!
Thanks ,
curley4270


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## scrench (Dec 8, 2004)

is it getting fuel to the carburator , does it start and run @ all ? also you can just pull off the bowl with out taking off the carburator but it is verry simple to take off the carburator the only linkage you have to deal with is the choke and the throttle , the only one that might be kinda tricky is wich hole the linkage goes in in the choke lever


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## bdunegan (Mar 31, 2005)

*carb problems*

most of those especially the 10hp on up have a needle valve to screw in or out on the carb bowl. this regulates the gas that the carb gets. i would tighten it just finger tight then back off 2 turns to start with. this will give you an idea if it is getting gas. also you said you had the bowl off, and sprayed with carb cleaner. you may have washed some trash around needle valve and stuck it. you also should be able to crank it over a few times and then take out needle valve on bowl to verify it is getting fuel. bowl should be full of fuel after a few cranks.


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

fuel to the bowl 4 sure , dont know if its getting in the carb at all


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

it will start with starting fluid, then continue to run if i use carb cleaner in spurts to keep it going, seems like it isnt getting fuel into the carb


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

no needle valve on the bowl. only a small bolt on the bottom. the bowl fills up in a few cranks but the float seems 2 stick a lil bit . I sprayed it and it seemed a lil better but not sure what 2 take off next. thanks alot


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

hmm, all i can say is if you don't feel comfortable with taking the carb off, take the bowl back off, take the can of spray with the little tube that comes with em, spray up into all the holes good, let it set and spray again, maybe 3 times at the most, spray the float and all down and move the float up and down lightly by hand a few times, then take out the jets and clean those good with cleaner. and put it back together and then try.


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

may sound stupid but what are the jets and where would I find them. I really do want to thanks you for your time Curley4270


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

should have a slot in it, like a screw that takes a flat head screwdriver. spray that good, that part would be right there up in where the float is, now up on top there should be a place where again a flathead can fit in, take that out, it'll be long and clean that out as well, all other holes blow em out as well.


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

as i understand the jets are under side of carb like under the bowl???


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

i'm telling you what you should blow out with cleaner, the main jet is right there around the float. right in the middle under where the bolt off the bowl should go into. now the nozzles up at top should be blown out as well. that should be all one stem like peice with little holes in it that should be blown out good, theres one at the bottom of it to.


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

thank you very much as I will try to do it tomarrow.... hope it works out


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

GOT IT RUNNING TONIGHT. TOOK THE CARB OFF AND THE CENTER HOLE COMING UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL WAS CLOGGED BADLY. IT HAD A ROUGH IDEL AND WOULDNT GET MUCH IN THE WAY OF RPM's . THEN I PLAYED WITH THE LINKAGE A LITTLE AND AWAY WE WENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ADVISE. ANY IDEA IF THE LINKAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE OR MAYBE THE CARB CLEANER IN THE CARB ??? THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN!!!!!! CURLEY4270


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

well maybe both were to blame for the roughness at first, carb cleaner really doesn't burn well and will make the engine bog down of sorts, and of course you could have had sticky linkage. so it runs good now right?


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

For the limited time I had tonight I would have to say it's running well . but the better test is tomarrow when I go to start it... Hopefully it will be back to its old self. I used my wifes nail polish to mark the linkage . 1 color for each of the 2 connections so I would put them back exactly where they came from since there is a few holes in each . I know it is kinda korny but it keep me straight on where things went back . I always loved ripping things apart but lacked skill putting them back together all the time. Thank you for your time again and your advise was sooooo GREAT !!!!!! 
CURLEY4270


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

no problem, oh and no its not korny to mark em, best way not to mess it up.


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

ok , possable one more pain in the butt problem. How do you adjust a carb on these engines ? It has 2 screwes that I can see. One is a phillips head and the other looks like a flat head with a sorta thumb adjust plastic knob on it. It was running without much power and I turned the phillips head screw in a few turns and it seamed to run stronger , then I was driving back to the garage ,stopped and went to start again and it stalled. Now it will not start for me again. The muffler has some black sut on it but that might have been from the carb cleaner too. I think I have it set too rich but im not sure.... Thanks in advance one more time!!! curley4270


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

yeah its too rich, back it back in while its running till it runs its best. now the plastic knob is a limiter of sorts i beleive on newer ones, if its a screw thats not recessed its a mixture screw most likely


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

isn't there usually 2 adjustment screws . one for fuel and one for air ???? Can I adjust the screw in or out while its not running because right now I cant start it or maybe it's just flooded. Will try in the AM again when I have light .


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

well the one you messed with might have been the high speed screw, then again i'm not sure on the carb it has, when running wide open the high speed screw regulates the fuel given, too much and it'll run rich and burn black smoke or use alot of fuel and cause the muffler to blacken up even though its not rich enough to blow out alot of black smoke, the other is the low speed screw, messing with either and making it too rich will choke out the engine and both if out of adjustment cause the plug to become fuel fouled. now the screws you messed with, screw em back in while running to get the best performance out of it, get it started and while its running full throttle, turn the high speed screw till it starts running rough and go back in till it smooths out, the low speed while on idle should be around 1.5 turns out after turning it all the way in, BY HAND down wrench it down, just till its snug and adjsut till it runs right, no sputtering etc, then it should run good on low speed, and when on full speed run right, and when the throttle is raised up fast, pretty much go along with it and not run rough till you go full throttle, now since you have no screw on the bowl, the screw you most likely messed with was the idle speed screw, that would just set the speed it idles at, the one up top you should go back in on.


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

so the top screw is probibly the idel screw. will look at in the AM ( dark here ) And the other screw I will try to work on in the morning . Can I take the air cleaner and air cleaner holder off to do this as it is quite hard to get at under there and possable run the engine a little bit with it off? I heard that it isnt good for the engine to do that. Thanks much


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

well the idle speed screw is right there with the high speed screw, the idle speed is what sets the idle speed, the high speed adjusts the high spees fuel mix. the high speed will be the very top one. yeah it is very bad to run a engine without the filter, if you were cutting grass or going long period without it on or in dusty conditions or wet conditions, stuff like that. now you can run it without it but while messing with the screws, when going to use it for extended periods put it back on.


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

ok, now i am stuck. found the idel screw. not really worried about that. they other screw with a plastic cap i cant make a complet turn in or out so i didnt move that much to begin with. 
At this point I can't get the think to fire at all !!!!! I put a new plug in thinking I fouled the other. Still nothing. What else could be holding it back right now ???? 
I thought I was ready to go now Another problem... Thanks again in advance


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

no need for a reply on this. Got it going nicely now. Guess it had to sit and drain a little . Went back and 1 pull it fired right up. Then went to adjust the air/fuel mixure screw. It only has about 3/4 turn total either way. Went middle of the road and was still a bit overloaded so went down somw more and she purrs like a kitten. ( at idel speed and under a load while I was cutting some taller grass). Thanks again so much for your time !!!!!!


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

good, that little plastic cap is a adjustment limiter cap, most of the time you can just pop em off to adjust em more. other times you don't need to take em off since you can get em going well with what it lets you turn em. older engines would let you fully adjust anyway you want to.


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## curley4270 (Apr 13, 2005)

One last time I would like to thank you for your time and patience with me during this process. I have learned some things and you were very good at explaining yourself and making it easy for me to follow along!!!!!!!! Again thanks and I know where I can turn for relieable info on this and many other subjects when needed. This is a great sight and have already refered 2 friends of it !!!! Keep up the good work!!!!
CURLEY4270


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## bugman (Aug 12, 2004)

sure thing, and your welcome, i help when i can.


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