You are experiencing the exact symptom that inadequate fuel tank venting causes, have you checked to make sure the fuel tank (and fuel cap) are venting properly?

Agree.

Walt Conner

Thanks, I will try that in the morning. Is the cap vented directly through the top or though the diaphram underneath the cap. Would this be the cause of my fuel filter emptying out below the filter level.

Cleaned and checked the cap. Nothing out of the ordinary. I ran the mower with the cap on the tank and with it off. Still same result. Coughed sputtered and died. Acts as if it is running out of fuel or vapor-locked. I pull the fuel line after the pump and usually nothing flows out till I crank it. The only thing I can see happening is the level of fuel within the filter moves quite a bit. More often than not it is below the element when the mower dies.

Any other advice would be appriciated.

Kyle

My guess is an incorrect fuel filter which is
maybe designed for a smaller engine and won't
allow enough fuel through to keep up with the
demands of this engine. I seem to remember
a similar problem, of this nature, here before.