Was tasked with fixing an approximately 10 year old garden variety victa with a 500e OHV briggs motor
09P602-0053-H1, one of the first ones made in around 2013ish.
When it came in, it wouldn't hold fuel for more than 20 seconds - would run fine, but you basically had to pour the petrol in, prime quickly and pull the cord then run it until it was out of juice, otherwise it would flood out of the primer and carby throat.
Tried cleaning the carby, which had a slight gouge in the cheapo needle, to no avail. Replaced the carby with a GA spares one after replacing fuel line, flushing tank. Worked great, sent it on its way.
Comes back - its doing it again. Initially I couldn't replicate it. Then all of a sudden it started doing it. As its stored in a hot shed, I put it out in the sun and sure enough it started slowly dripping out the carby throat. Not like it did before the new carby but enough to drain the tank overnight. its coming up the main jet very slowly.
New fuel cap, still doing it. Left the fuel cap half off, still doing it.
It now will not prime properly - it shoots a jet of air/fuel mist out of the breather circled. Normally you can feel the pressure resisting you when you press the primer - there is no pressure.
I tried plugging the breather tube as many americans recommend - obviously they dont have hot enough temps to cause the pressure build up.
I am currently thinking I have a dud carby, any ideas?
By the way, the fuel he was using is brand new 91 and the jerry has no dirt in it. fuel is clean in the tank as well
It does sound like it's a dud carby , see if GA spares will replace it for free. Seeing that the carby failed soon after fitting they should replace it.
Hi Tyler, Sounds like a dud to me too. Personally i would have gone genuine, (they're not much dearer), but i also have half a dozen good used ones here. You shouldn't feel any resistance on the primer as its an air primer not a wet primer. Alternately try the needle/float from the new carby in the old one and see if it solves your problem. Cheers, Ted
The mower I've been using to mow a lawn at a block of units has this motor. It's got craploads of torque and just munches through the grass. It never bogs down. Even my old Powertorque bogs a bit in the same conditions.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Definitely sounds like a dud. Think I will try another one. Mainly went GA one as it was on hand as opposed to 2+ weeks through briggs. Its hard to explain the resistance of the primer - you can feel air escaping through the side vent. sort of like when you prime a quantum with a buggered air filter gasket - you dont feel the resistance from the pressurised air when its got a problem.
MF, they arent a terrible engine - they are designed to run well for 10 -12 years and then fall on their face. Through medium grass, they will go through pretty good probably owing to their fast acting mechanical governor. I have stalled 3.5hp motors that many times its not funny
