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Oh dear I squished a rubber

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SteveC Tue, 20/05/2014

Hi folks.

I'm in a pickle.

I bought a Suffolk Punch 14s last year at the end of the season, I did run it but never spun the blades.

Well this year I came to get it out and it started first time which was nice. But when I came to spin the blades it just died.
I tried several times and it ran for a little on full choke then died no matter what I tried.

I've read all over the internet that they have carb problems so I stripped the carb down and cleaned out all the green gunk in there, which I presume was grass dust that had been taken in when someone ran it without a filter.

Anyway I put everything back together and it was just the same.

I took the carb off the engine all together and when I took the bowl off the bottom the rubber stayed in the receptacle/threads.
I had to pick it out bit by bit with a pin.

With hindsight I think I was only supposed to finger tighten the brass nut that keeps on the bowl.

Anyway I have searched the internet trying to find a replacement rubber seal without any success, but I did find your forum and a bunch of people who I am sure are a fountain of knowledge when it comes to mower probs.

Would anyone have any advice as to where to find a replacement?

This is a picture of the bowl and the brass bolt

Thanks for any help...

Forums

hortimech Tue, 20/05/2014

You could struggle to find an original part as Tecumseh are no longer manufacturing engines, but all is not lost. The washer you are referring to, used to be made of a fibrous material and called a fibre washer, I would think that you will be find one of those fairly easily. Maplins sell them, but you will have to buy a box full, you could try your local car garage.

 

wristpin Tue, 20/05/2014

The gunge in your carb was most likely from fuel that had degraded and evaporated leaving a sticky residue; commonly referred  to as stale fuel. What you could see in the bowl and in the well of the retaining nut is bad enough but it is likely to also be in the main jet that is screwed** into the centre of the carb. Removing this from a corroded up carb can be a pain with every opportunity to create another set of problems. At the very least you will need a good fitting parallel sided screw driver . Cooking the carb in boiling water sometimes helps by expanding the alloy body a bit and easing the removal of the jet.

** To confirm that your carb does have this screw in main jet it will help if you can take an image from below the carb with the bowl and retaining nut removed - I may be frightening you unnecessarily!

The good news may be is that of all the carbs recently used by Suffolk the Tecumseh is, I believe, the only one with a current listing for the carb bowl "O" ring. I've been away from being hands on for a few years but I believe that what you need is part number 29630076 which can still be obtained. Also, a company that wholesales to the trade, Central Spares, lists a pattern version of it  as their part number 11057 so if you go to a mower repair shop that deals with them they may either have it or be able to get it for you when placing a stock order.

Edit - whoops I've just re-read your post and now not sure whether it is the fibre washer under the nut or the rubber O ring sealing the bowl to the carb body that you need. As Hortimech says the fibre washer should not be a problem  -  proper garage, mower shop, motor cycle repairers or good old fashioned hardware/ironmongers.