Posted: 6/28/2026 6:59:05 PM EDT
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My 30 year reel mower has a B&S that has worked well so far. However the last time I started it, as soon as I started to throttle down it would die on me. It would run at high speed but dies once I pull back on the throttle. I've been away from home and was thinking of using carburetor cleaner to clean it up when I return. Is there something else I can check if a good cleaning doesn't fix the problem? |
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Clogged low speed jet. You can test it by removing the filter and then squirting some WD40 or even flow propane into the intake as you throttle down. It won’t take much so if you feed too much in, you’ll flood it! If it stays running while you feed fuel into it, it’s definitely a low speed jet clog issue. I’d pull the carb and clean the whole thing. Depending on your engine model, there might be a diaphragm that needs to be replaced as well. Very common issue and easily resolved. |
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Theodore Roosevelt
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She has a number of videos concerning Briggs and Stratton engines. This may help. How to fix your lawnmower that won't start in 10 MINUTES with a $13 part!! |
America is at that awkward stage, it’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards....Claire Wolfe
| Wow, that’s one of her really early videos. I watch her stuff all the time. She has some great tips on storing gas long term and why water always gets in equipment at the beginning of the season. She’s a big opponent of the premixed canned gas at the big box stores and has videos showing why. |
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Originally Posted By ScottsGT: Wow, that’s one of her really early videos. I watch her stuff all the time. She has some great tips on storing gas long term and why water always gets in equipment at the beginning of the season. She’s a big opponent of the premixed canned gas at the big box stores and has videos showing why. She is the reason I'm gonna try to fix some of my old equipment myself. I've always wanted to learn but until youtube, learning small engine repair from scratch was like stumbling around in the dark trying to find something small on the floor. |
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Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe
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Here is a bit of advice if you have to replace the carburetor. Make sure to spend the money on an actual Briggs and Stratton carburetor! Avoid the cheap chines replacement carbs on Amazon. I had a riding mower sit for years with old gas where the ethanol ate the gaskets. I tried to be cheap and get a carb from amazon and the engine never ran with it. I then bought an actual B & S carb and the engine fired right up first try and ran good. |
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