latest dumpster donation is a real puzzle

[38racing]

someone left us a weedeater (husqvarna) push mower model 96138002901. I figure it's a 2012. Has clone looking OHV engine. My first check since it had oil and gas was to prime it and try starting. Fired right up but had a sort of mild clunking. Did that a couple times. Tipped it back and found I could move the blade back and forth a tiny bit. Took it home and checked blade and adapter. Everything seemed fine so I tightened it up real good. I try starting it. No fire. Tried the carb cleaner injection and it would fire but then stop. Started the usual things and finally found jelly in fuel bowl and no fuel flow into carb due to plugged fuel inlet pipe. Blew all that out and now it starts but it surges like heck. If I pull the throttle open and hold it then it runs great. If I push into grass for a load on it then it ran fine and cut. (I did a static governor adjustment just to be sure and it made no difference). Off with the carb again and now some detail on that. It had a plastic spacer against block. Then a gasket, then a heat shield, then a gasket (I think), then another plastic spacer,then a gasket,then the carb. And all of this stuff had rtv or some other sealer all over (even into intake port) , leading me to think someone tried to fix an air leak? I sprayed as usual. I did not remove main jet/emulsion tube. I did remove the idle jet. It's the black plastic one pushed into carb below plastic idle speed screw. It has the holes in side for air flow and tiny hole in bottom for fuel. Well the tiny hole was plugged solid. After 2 runs in the ultrasonic it was opened. I put it back together and it started and ran great. For a short period and went back to surging again. I've gone further along but will add that tomorrow. I'm too tired right now. Bed time.
edit-corrected model number

[38racing]

So a bit more. It's140cc so probably a gcv140 clone. But this one has a primer bulb in front part of air cleaner housing. Appears to be tiny hole in centre of primer. From it is a hose attached to a vertical nipple on top of carb. Primer will hold if i hold finger over end of detached hose. If I spray carb cleaner into nipple it comes out main nozzle into carb passage. So when surging continued I ran carb and idle jwt in ultrasonic cleaner for lots of time. It started up and again it shortly went surging. Just by chance since I assumed it was lean I pressed primer to add fuel but that caused it to falter. Then came my discovery. If I gently pressed the centre of the primer the surging stopped. Let go and immediately it surged. Press gently smooth running. I taped it depressed a bit with duct tape and it would run ok for extended period. Then I decided to spray around primer with carb cleaner. Around outer edge no change but if I spray the small centre hole it smooths right out for a short period. Any idea what's going on?

[38racing]

My next test is to remove hose from primer and plug it with a golf tee.
Also cannot find any manual except part number for IPL. Backordered on ordertree canada like every part i ever lok up there.

[38racing]

called weedeater and she emailed an IPL and engine manual to me.

[38racing]

So based on what she sent I know gasket between block and first spacer is missing. Meanwhile while doing a video it actually flooded. Funny thing was I closed fuel shutoff expecting it to run until bowl emptied but it would falter immediately unless I reopened valve. Was able to duplicate it a couple timws. So I shut it down and off came the carb again so I could use some valve compound on the seat. Maybe a combination of flooding and ultrasound the sealer they put on thick gasket between carb and air cleaner had become gooey.( I hadn't cleaned it as air leak there wouldn't cause lean.) I should have wondered why there was a regular gasket too. When I removed it from carb I found that the handy work was blocking two carb air bleeds. Back together and now it didn't seem to be priming so I used carb cleaner to start and it ran fine just sitting for about 5 minutes until I was called to supper. Will test again tomorrow.

[Skywatcher]

Hi 38

If the engine starts faltering as soon as you shut the fuel valve off, I'd say you probably have a plugged float bowl vent so the float bowl is not filling properly. By your description of the primer, the float bowl probably vents through the primer. When you push the primer bulb, your finger covers the vent hole and the air from the primer bulb pressures up the float bowl forcing a squirt of fuel through the main nozzle into the carburetor venturi. A cracked float bowl gasket can leak air so primer doesn't work. Best of luck with your adventure,

Sky

[38racing]

I've been reusing original bowl gasket which seems to be expanding a bit in diameter. Hope I have a honda that will fit. I don't see any serviceable inside carb parts on ipl.

[38racing]

I used a tecumseh float bowl gasket that fit perfect. Primes and runs great.