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Tractors
bladerunner54

Briggs & Stratton model 405777 problem

16 years ago

I have a 1995? White lawn tractor with a model 405777 type 019-e1 twin cylinder engine. This tractor got light use yearly and didn't miss a beat until this spring. It has been kept clean, serviced and kept in a garage since I;ve owned it. This winter, while sitting idle, one of the gas lines broke a emptied all the gas on the floor of the garage. I replaced all the fuel lines. the vacuum hose to the fuel pump and the fuel pump.

Now the engine cranks on first turn with full choke but I have to keep the choke on full for the engine to run. To keep the engine running even after warmed, you have to have a load on the engine by engaging the blades and mowing. There is no smoke from the engine , no back firing or no backfire after killing the engine. The fuel tank lid is good, all hoses are tight and valves are well within tolerance. Wierd problem. If I want to stop and idle. I can disengage the blade and push the choke full open and it will sit and idle all day at any throttle point.

But like I said and to make it clear, in order to mow I have to engage the blades immediately after pulling full choke. I can mow as long as I want. If I slowly open the choke while mowing the engine begins to loose RPM's slowly until it dies. It acts like it's pulling air but I can find no leaks. I can also mow at any throttle position. I'm trying not to repeat myself, but trying to describe one of the strangest engine problems I've ever seen and I've seen and worked on many engines in the past 40 years. Anyone seen this issue or have any other ideas. Oh, compression is OK too!

Thanks in advance,

Comments (4)

  • 16 years ago

    As a matter of fact, I have seen something almost exactly like you are describing. It was on my own B&S powered (422707) Huskee Garden Tractor just last week. Started it up this spring and it did not want to stay running unless you had the choke pulled nearly to the full closed position.
    I pulled the top of the carb off and way down in the main jet well I saw some black junk sort of sloshing around. I went ahead and removed the carb from the intake and carried it to my workbench. I poured the gas out of the bowl straining it through a paper towel lined filter funnel to catch the material for a look-see what it could be. I was unable to say for certain but I saw a worn area on the bowl cover gasket that appeared to have a notch worn in it (by the float pivot tab) and the bits of material may have been "shavings" from the gasket. Anyhow, the main jet had a little of this stuff in it and that was why the choke had to be fully applied for the engine to stay running. The clogged main jet could not deliver enough fuel for the engine to run on with the choke open, the air/fuel ration was simply too lean. By closing the choke, the amount of air allowed into the carb was drastically reduced and that amount of air was nearly the correct volume to match the paltry amount of gas coming through the partly clogged main jet. I gave the carb a total cleaning soak in a bucket type carb cleaner and now the engine runs strong again. Something could be lurking in the bottom of your bowl too. If your carb has an after-fire fuel solenoid, a sticky or corroded plunger valve on the solenoid might be causing the extreme lean mix you obviously have now. Carb cleaning time.

  • 16 years ago

    Thanks for the reply. I have a feeling I probably have a similar problem. When the fuel hose disintegrated, some of it probably got into the carb. When I pulled the old hose off it was rotted and crumbling from one end to the other. I would be surprised if some of the old hose didn't get into the carb. The difficult part will be getting the carb off. I've never seen such a complicated mess of assembly. Well, to the job. Going to remove the carb and clean it. I will post the results.

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  • 16 years ago

    take pictures before pulling carb off - will help you getting all back together right...

  • 16 years ago

    Thanks for the help. Just wanted to advise that when I took the carb off it was full of partially coagulated varnish in the bowl and no telling where else. I cleaned it well and not the engine cranks and purrs like a kitten.

    Thanks Again
    BR54

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