Toro Z420

[lefty]

Toro: 74325
Serial:250002187
Briggs 286H77 0165E1 Code:0412222ZE
(Those last two on the code look like ZE but having a little trouble being certain)

This is my personal machine. I've had it for many years now, I think like 15. I've done regular maintenance and am very pleased with it. I've never done anything to the carb and sure enough, when I went to take it out of the shed for the season yesterday, I had a carb leak. Ended up hydro-locking on me. Long story short, I got her into the garage and now I'm digging into it.

So this engine seems very similar to a briggs I recently posted about on a Craftsman with a Nikki Carb. It's my first time cracking into one of these as I went with a new aftermarket on the previous post.

I'm not worried about cost on this because I plan on getting another 15 years out of her. I could go with the aftermarket carb, as I did on the other one, an OEM, or a kit. I think the reason this one was leaking was that it seems to have a plastic needle with a little spring-loaded mechanism in it. The spring is very week and I was thinking that maybe the culprit. But that's a very inexperienced opinion. (the kit I saw appears to have a different type of needle. Is that normal?)

Pride makes me want to go with a kit and keep this OEM but I see there's a replacement OEM for about $95 on amazon, as well as aftermarkets for less than $20. What would you guys do if it was your own machine?

One side note, I found a little something stuck to the side of the inside of the bowl. I can't figure out if it's just some yuck or an actual part. It looks like a glob of hot glue. I can't for the life of me figure out how it got in there, which makes me think it's a part. It's kind of gooey but kind of solid, both at the same time. I'll put a link to a pic.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qFDHvKAamDMYJXUU8

Lastly, (sorry for so many questions in the same post) One thing I've noticed in my short time working on machines is that after cleaning a carb, if I let fuel fill the bowl too quickly, the needle may not seat properly. At least that's my observation. In other words, if I feather fuel in slowly, I never have a carb leak after cleaning. But if I just hook up the tank and let fuel rush in, it will sometimes leak. I'll often fill the carb slowly with my auxiliary fuel tank before hooking up to the gas tank, especially on machines without a fuel shut off valve. Is this even a thing or my imagination?

Thanks.

[KE4AVB]

On the leaking as the IPL does indicates a Nikki used on the E1. It is likely the separate o-ring around the fuel inlet in the float assembly. It is part of the bowl gasket PN 698781.

As for goo or what whatever it is, it is not a normal part of the carburetor but the things to see something had melted anyways.

[lefty]

Thanks for that. Here's a question I've always wanted to ask. I bought this at reputable dealer new near my house. It came with the white fuel filter on it and I replace it every season. But I was reading up on it and everything I find says that the white filter is for machines with fuel pumps while the red filter should be used on machines without. I believe the red is 150 micron and the white is 75. I always try to replace parts that the machine came with but this contradicts that. What would you recommend?

[bgsengine]

Thanks for that. Here's a question I've always wanted to ask. I bought this at reputable dealer new near my house. It came with the white fuel filter on it and I replace it every season. But I was reading up on it and everything I find says that the white filter is for machines with fuel pumps while the red filter should be used on machines without. I believe the red is 150 micron and the white is 75. I always try to replace parts that the machine came with but this contradicts that. What would you recommend?

Can't tell which micron filter is on it unless you can prove it is genuine OE< Briggs - Only briggs uses the correct color coding - aftermarket parts may be either white or red (or any other color including opaque) and might be 150 micron or might be 75 micron or even some other micron.. so I would never suggest going by color alone.. unless you pull it out of a sealed Briggs & Stratton bag... 150 miccron would be part number 298090S (which should be red and have Briggs logo molded into it) and the 765 75 micron is 394358S.

[KE4AVB]

and the 765 micron is 394358S.

That almost like not even having a filter on it.

Oh well I have been using 25 micron paper filter on my mower for years and it was gravity fed until recently when I changed over to a 21 hp which came with a fuel pump.

[bgsengine]

and the 765 micron is 394358S.

That almost like not even having a filter on it.

.

LOL! Fat fingers.. edited and corrected.. But yeah I would probably have added that even a 25 micron filter, if you are changing filters every year and use due diligence when re-fueling to keep dirt and debris out, you'd do fine with 25 or even 10 micron filters.. only time the smaller microns come into play would be when your fuel tank is not high enough above the carburetor for fuel to flow fast enough when tank is low and running full throttle under load, you could get some fuel starvation.... but most cases, it isn't too much of a problem..

[KE4AVB]

Just ribbing yo a little...besides you should be losing those fat fingers if you are on the Corona Diet.

[38racing]

Corona diet? I read where everyone is putting on weight stuck at home eating.

[KE4AVB]

Then maybe I the only one that refuses to be a lab rat in the grocery stores; I don't like mazes.

Oh well I needed to lose 30 lbs and I am down 10lbs.

I haven't been grocery shopping in three weeks.

[lefty]

Can anyone confirm something for me? Should there be any type of metal seat where the needle seats in the plastic fuel assembly or should that just be a hole in the plastic?