I Threw a Temper Tantrum

[LampLighter]

this evening. The John Deere mower with Briggs & Stratton Vanguard twin cyl. 18hp engine kept messing up. It keeps racing high then low then high then low. I worked on it all evening . New plugs, some carb cleaner spray, and air filter off. It started behaving, then I put the filter back on and cut a little grass, and it started high/low ing again. And my new flourescent shop light el cheapo from Wal Mart kept going out in the shop. I beat it to a pulp with a sledge hammer and threw it in the garbage pile. Gone to town tomorrow morning to try to find a big air filter, and a better flourescent light. I really got pissed at that light.

[Fuzzball3]

" beat it to a pulp with a sledge hammer and threw it in the garbage pile. Gone to town tomorrow morning to try to find a big air filter, and a better flourescent light. I really got pissed at that light.

Perhaps you would do well to check the springs, levers and air path on the mower's governer. Or pound it into trash too. ??

Frustration I can understand, but that level of rage at inanimate objects? No.
No offense, but I don't want to hunt or live near you.

[LampLighter]

I showed it :D


No really, there are air paths to the governor ? The Vanguard has the mechanical governor, not the paddle that catches air off the flywheel.

I am going to change the air filter and the fuel filter. If that doesn't work, I am going to haul it up to the shop Monday.

[Bill Gunn]

Hold on there pard :D :D :D

I have a JD 420 (20hp) that did the exact same thing. I went friggin' nuts trying to find the problem, and I was SURE I knew what the answer was.
The racing is almost always caused by TO MUCH AIR. I checked for loose screws, bad gaskets,loose hoses, anything that would let in to much air.
I finally threw in the towel (My drop light was already broke :p ) and sent the tractor to the shop, and they almost quit on it too. On a last attempt, they removed the carb, and found a test port on the hidden side of the carb (that is not even shown on the shop drawing of the carb) had lost whatever they had plugging the hole ( Their guess was a plastic cap, plug, or silicone).
So look for an air leak... I bet that's your problem...

On mine, they put in a metal plug, and the Tractor ran perfect for years. After 28 total years the tranny blew a hole in it's side, and I bought another JD, a 720SE...

420..

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/1363903/374433109.jpg

720SE

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/1363903/374433114.jpg


OH, and if your gonna replace that TROUBLE light (now you know why they call them that... :( ), I got one like this at NAPA..

http://partimages.genpt.com/partimages/232579.jpg

It was expensive, and you may not need this feature there in Louisiana,
but even in below 0 temperatures, the cord stays as limp as.... Well, you know

BUT , even though I ain't fully tested it yet, I don't think it's totally Hammer proof

L O L,
You reminded me...
I use to have a Brother-In-Law named Willy (rest his soul) that use to beat the livin' S#!^ out of every inanimate object within site when something pissed him off. His reputation was so well known in town here that whenever someone Lost It , they would say "I pulled a Willy on my drop light (or fill in the blank... ) last night", and everyone knew exactly what the light looked like.
One day my B-I-L got pissed off at a beer can that the snap top broke.... He YELLED "You SOAF'nB, I'll show you F'n *OPEN*", He got it opened with about 12 wacks with an ax, beer was a flyin', and he was soaked and drippin', but he showed that beer can a thing or two. The guy that gave him the beer never seen him loose it before, and his jaw dropped.
He left in a hurry a little while later :p :p :p

There's about 30 classic stories about Willy that lived a lot longer than he did, he was a real character for sure....

[tommyt]

Gone to town tomorrow morning to try to find a big air filter, and a better flourescent light. I really got pissed at that light.
Then you mize-well buy a Bigger Hammer :D while your at it

[LampLighter]

I think I fixed it. I went to town and got an air filter and a fuel filter, and some more carberator cleaner. The air filter is the wrong one. So still don't have the right one. Anyway, I changed the fuel filter and I took the fuel pump off of the engine. In the crankcase pressure hose, which pulses the pump diaphram, there was a carbon blockage 90%. I cleaned all that. I sprayed through the pump in/out ports alot with carb cleaner. Put all that back together. Drained the carb. bowl. Filled the intake line with carb cleaner and let it flush through the bowl drain screw. Put all that back together. Started it up with the filter off. Whoom, Whoom, same fast.slow crap. BUT, I put a shop rag over the air intake and it leveled out. So I put the air filter on minus the outer oiled foam secondary. I tested it, cut a little grass, let it at slow idle, killed it, restarted it, it seems to level out at a smooth idle now. :)

I also picked up a much better flourescent light for the shop.

[Rock Chuck]

Some engines will run without the foam secondary filter an some won't. I've had them both ways. It blocks the air flow just enough so some won't run without it if they're set that way. My current tractor has just a paper filter that I blow out with a compressor every few mowings. I've tried to blow the dust through it but it blocks all the visible stuff so I guess it's going a pretty good job.

[ncboman]

I Threw a Temper Tantrum

can't say I've ever done that in my entire life. :confused:

My old man woulda burned my butt good for that kinda stuff.

No touching what I ain't gonna buy either, or beggin. That'd make for a fun drive home and quick trip out behind the barn. :D

[LampLighter]

This evening I threw that Stihl Brushcutter across the yard. After I cooled off, I went and got it, took it apart. I think it needs a throttle cable and fuel tank.

I farted around with cars and stuff when I was a teen. I no longer have time for junk. And I am NOT going to put up with junk that pisses me off. Sledge hammer it, throw it in the pile, and figure out how to budget to get a new one. But, I'll try the throttle cable. It happened before. Same thing.

[Hi Ball]

:eek:Lamplighter, YOU keep throwing things around and using sledge-hammers on things and someone is going to recommend ANGAR MANAGEMENT to you! :eek: :D :D :D