What model? Engine type? Riding mower or walk behind? If it is a riding mower sounds like a carb problem. Try removing the carb bowl then remove the float and float needle. Clean the needle seat and needle with a carb cleaning solvent. Replace the needle, float and bowl. After that spray some carb cleaner in the carb and start it, let it run for 5 minutes at idle so the engine can warm up. Stop the engine and spray some more carb cleaner in the carb and start it again. Remember to use new fuel. You can also try using some SeaFoam in the fuel.

it's a push 2 cycle model 10247

"then pow, the hingeside of airfilter cover cane off with bluesmoke and gas sprewed from vent hole of cap."

That sounds to me like bad reed valves or something stuck in a reed valve.

Walt Conner

'That sounds to me like bad reed valves or something stuck in a reed valve.'

Exactly so. You need to first look in the carburetor air intake with a flashlight or turn it to the sun to see if both tongues of the reed valve are covering the intake slots. One or both of them are not slamming shut when crankcase pressure hits. If the crankcase has to be split to check/replace the reed valve, figure on putting in new crank seals at that time. You also need to check your crank seals now to make sure one of them hasn't popped out. Some engine disassembly req'd.

Can a compression check tell you if the reeds are bad?

'Can a compression check tell you if the reeds are bad?'

No, not at the spark plug hole. What you have to do is check compression in the crankcase, which is necessary for the 2-cycle to run. You can remove the spark plug to make it easier to pull through, then remove the air filter to see if it's blowing air out of the crankcase. Since we already know this one is, now he has to find out what's wrong with the reed valve. Also, they all blow some air out as there is some leakage before pressure builds up enough to close the spring steel reeds, but you should be able to tell if they're leaking bad. The faster you pull it through, the less leakage you will see with good reeds.

Thanks for all of the advice, I'm not a mechanic so I would have to take the mower to a repair shop, not knowing what might be the problem or how much it would cost, I purchased a new 10694, again thanks to all for your suggestions