creia wrote: Sooooo, my questions are these:
1. Is the carb surging (assume fuel delivery problem?) causing the governor arm to move back and forth or is the governor arm moving causing the carb throttle plate to open and close (carb surging)?
Not necessarily the carb, but that is the *usual* culprit - Your surging is either an air leak, or insufficient fuel. (is this mechanical governor engine? I don't remember - I'd be asking if it smooths out of you hold throttle lever on carb in place, but unlikely to do so.) I'd also be carefully checking the o-ring seal and intake tube , gaskets/manifold, etc besides just the carburetor. Like any other engine it just needs correct fuel air mix to run smoothly at the governed RPM, so once you find out which (Air or Fuel) and where, then you'd found the problem.
2. Could both of these be "dud" carbs and time to get a genuine Briggs replacement carb?
It is entirely possible. All depends on your willingness to spend the money on Genuine.
3. Do I buy a Briggs "carb rebuild kit" for my original Briggs carb? (It never had and surge or starting problems- only flooding; presumably from a bad needle/seat/float?)
There ain't really any rebuild kits from Briggs for these (Just the float/ nozzle assembly, bowl, and o-rings are replaceable parts AFAIK - otherwise it is new carb time)
4. How to explain the "no-start" condition and having to use starting fluid every time even when engine is hot. (I do know it is not good for the engine to keep using starting fluid like this- learned that years ago on this forum- LOL!)
I am kind of stuck here guys-
Any help or suggestions would be most welcome.
Michael
No Start even when choked is generally indicative again of not enough fuel getting through carb, or too much air after the throttle plate (air leak) so the fact that a shot of start fluid (I'd recommend carb cleaner instead which is far gentler on engine - Starting fluid is also World's best degreaser, while carb cleaner does have lubricants to it - very little but some.) If you can definitively eliminate Air Leak (Spray some carb cleaner around intake tube/manifold/gasket when it is surging and see if it settles out or changes RPM - if it does, chances are it is an air leak - cracked manifold? Leaky O-Ring?) otherwise you can try adding fuel (rig a piece of tag wire or something to the choke lever and use it to close choke when it surges and see if that helps anything? rig a squirt can loaded with gas and a piece of tubing for a nozzle into the carb throat in some way and give it a shot of extra gas?) Don't forget to check the o-rings where air cleaner body connects with carb - (and also locate and verify air bleed holes are not being blocked)
In short, troubleshooting these engines is no different really than trouble shooting a 1960's float carb engine - only difference between the two is in design - if you understand how your 1960 carbureted engines work, same principle applies to these. Just a matter of understanding the design (where does air normally flow? where does fuel normally flow? what typically controls fuel delivery? etc, etc.) to figure out where to look. It ain't rocket science
(Though I've had some argue otherwise!)
Also, the fact that it *sometimes* seems to run perfectly again would have me thinking "WHY?" - if it was a restricted jet, it isn't likely to do that, right? So I'd be looking at stuff that can get loose or move around (or cracks that can close up and re-open, o-rings that seal when vibration from engine happens to shift them to the right spot, etc, etc.)
How poor are they who have not patience. What wound did ever heal, but by degrees? - Iago (Othello Act II, Scene 3)
