A couple years ago my Dad died from brain cancer, no telling what he did to his Sears mower ( that was left for me) when he was ill. The unit is in great shape except for the motor. He was the kind of guy that needed to get all the attachments, sickle bar, snow blower , plow,and a bunch of other crap that I'm not sure what it does.
For the last few years I paid others to cut the grass and it was always a hassle to 1 get them there when they said they could be there, and not a week later, and 2 doing a halfways decent job with out blowing the grass into the flower gardens (makes wife very unhappy).
So I decided that I was feeling distant and needed to feel like I could remember the good times with my Dad everytime that I cut grass by using his mower. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
The mower has an 18 hp Onan engine , it was always an overpowered tractor, and that's what I liked about it. It's been sitting for a year or two,and I decided to fire it up.
Cleaned the fuel line, the tank , and did a stellar job cleaning the carb, new fuel filter but the vacuum fuel pump looked a little beat . Installed new battery changed the oil and fired it up. Ran it around the yard a few times and naturally it quits at the farthest point from the barn. Boy is that thing heavy . Pushed it in the shop where it starts right up again... take it out to the yard and it quits ...checked my work and changed the air fuel mix till it sounded better tried it again...did this a few times ( not too bright , but determined). Took it to a lawnmower shop. Sorry bud ,can't get parts for this anymore but I adjusted the points and cleaned the fuel system out... I put in last season's gas .
So he thinks the pump could be worn, so I can't find a carb overhaul kit anywhere. No shop manuals ...SOL. Can't give this up just yet.
Bought a Mr Gasket 2-3 lbs fuel pump, installed it in line, thought it would help that tired old pump draw from a low mounted tank. Naaaaaaa didn't work at first, then it drowned the manifold in fuel, works too good.
Does anyone out there know these motors? Can anyone suggest a decent single venturi carb that I can purchase , even if I have to machine a new intake manifold adapter that would be fine. It only has to feed 2 cylinders. It's a top mount carb not sideways like other mowers. I was toying with the idea of a 8n carb . or something off a little simple 4banger without today's electronics. any suggestions anyone?
