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D160 Won't Start

6K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  JimR 
#1 ·
So I wheeled my D160 out of the shed to check things over, do an oil change, grease it, etc... before the mowing season starts.

It won't run. The engine turns over fine and it will fire up for a few seconds if I shoot starting fluid down the carb throat. But it won't fire up on it's own with a (near) full tank of fresh gas. It did once for about 5 seconds and then shut itself down again.

With every other small engine I've had issues with in recent years, if it starts with starting fluid that means the carb is having issues. Gunked up, gummed up or just flat out gone bad.

Before I go shell out $175 for a new carb and start tearing into things, does anyone else have any ideas for me to play with?
 
#5 ·
Is gas being pumped into the carb? I would check your fuel filter for any clogs.
I disconnected the fuel line after the filter/before the carb and cranked it for a few seconds. Fuel shoots out of the line so it is def getting through the filter(s) and to the carb.
 
#3 ·
I'd pull the float bowl. Sounds like you aren't getting fuel. The little solenoid in the bottom that usually retains the float bowl is a major culprit for many failures. They stick, bind, and completely fail altogether. Plus you can shoot some carb cleaner up the bottom of the carb while the bowl is off.
 
#7 ·
I'll have to try doing this tomorrow. It's supposed to rain all day so it'll be a good day to drag it into the garage and disassemble things and see if I can get it to run. I'll have to run to the auto parts store and grab some carb cleaner. If I'm going to yank things apart I might as well clean everything up before putting it back together.
 
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#4 ·
I think the alcohol in gas really promotes stuff growing in the lines and filters. I try to always get non alcohol gas, in some areas I have lived that is easy in some it is difficult to find. I had crap growing in both my snowblower and pressure washer a couple of years ago when I messed up and got a can of gas with alcohol.
 
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#8 ·
Those little solenoids have created more havoc than Gizmo in the GM thread I tell ya. :lol:
 
#9 ·
I've never played with one of those solenoids before so hopefully it won't be a stubborn as he is! :laugh:
 
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#10 ·
I diddled around with the carb this morning and it didn't seem to do me any good. The solenoid is getting power when the key is turned to the "On" position but I can't tell if it's working or not.

Deere wants $175 for the complete carb and $127 for just the solenoid. That's nuts.

After some digging I found that the engine in the D160 is a Briggs & Stratton Model 44M777-0288-G5. The B&S part number for the whole carb is 796997. I was able to order a 3rd party replacement for $45 and it will be here Monday and I'll swap the whole thing out.
 
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#11 ·
OK, so I spent 30 minutes ordering the carb and posting my prior comment here and then went back out to the garage and button things up until Monday. I jumped on the mower and turned the key and she fired right up and runs like a top.

Apparently it got intimidated by the thought of me replacing it's carb! :laugh: (I'm gonna replace it anyway!)
 
#12 ·
My bet is you unstuck the plunger in the solenoid.
 
#13 ·
That's a possibility! My hearing is shot so I couldn't hear it clicking when I was playing with it and I couldn't feel it doing anything. I tapped on it a few times with the edge of a wrench. It's just kinda weird that the engine wouldn't start and then all of a sudden it starts right up after I left it alone for 30 minutes.
 
#14 ·
So after some stumbling, she's up and running again!

I ordered a carb and a maintenance kit the other day. I replaced the carb and adjusted the valves on her this morning/afternoon. I originally put the choke control rod on backwards but once I got that straight she fired right up and runs better than she has in years.

I also replaced the rear tires on her. I've got a small hill in my side yard that's covered with moss and it always slipped and spun the tires trying to go up that hill. So I put some more aggressive tires on the back end to take care of that. (Pics to come!)

My maintenance kit should be here tomorrow so I can change the oil/filters. Then the only thing left to do will be to pull the mower deck and replace the blades with the set I sharpened up over the winter and she should be ready to go. But, she sounds so nice right now I might just give her a bath and a waxing to shine her up too! :laugh:

As a side note: I decided the valves were probably due for an adjustment (they were!) but couldn't find my feeler gauge. I went to Sears and asked for one. The kid looked at me dumbfounded. He had to go ask someone else where they were. Turns out, they don't carry them any more. The "knowledgeable guy" told me they don't carry them because you don't need them any more since spark plugs all come pre-gapped now. I asked him if he was aware that they had other uses than just gapping spark plugs. Apparently he wasn't. :lol:

I ended up having to go to the local NAPA store to find one and someone that knew what they were.
 
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