# Craftsman Rear Rider Mower



## witty (May 22, 2010)

Model number on Riding Mower is : 502.256220

engine model. 143.961.300

Sorry I have been away working outside trying to catch up on things outside, Here is a update on My Craftsman Rear Riding Mower.

Well I decided based on what all I had read online that most likely it could be the Ignition Coil since it was dieing on me and acting like it was going to die once the engine got hot after mowing for a while, it runs smooth till it gets hot..

Well that did not fix it at all and surely the new one i bought from sears is not bad.... I have cleaned out the Carburator twice with Carburator cleaner...

I have changed the gas line , I have changed the fuel filter... I have changed the Spark Plug.... 

and still has not helped at all.... Does anyone know what else would cause it to die after it got hot... I am lost on this for sure... Thanks


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## lsmurphy (Sep 12, 2008)

There is a strainer (filter) inside the fuel tank....after a while of bouncing around all the sediment will clog the strainer in the tank. Did you clean your tank?

Scott


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## witty (May 22, 2010)

no i didnt no that i will do that tomorrow and let you know thanks


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## witty (May 22, 2010)

*Update*

Cleaned tank out no strainer are anything in fuel tank... just a hole at the bottom and then hose connects to other end of tube.... Mower still cutting out on me when hot


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

Is this a battery or mag (self powered) type ign? When it dies, is there any spark? Is there fuel in the carb when it dies?

Problem has to lay in one of those 2 area's. fuel or ign. Determining which is the first thing to determine IMO.

If battery powered ign, the ign switch will supply power to the coil when switch is on. If self powered, the ign switch will ground the coil when the switch is in the off position.


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## stein1706 (Sep 3, 2010)

Are you running an ethanol blended fuel? This has been known to cause issues with lawn mowers (small 4-cycle engines in general).


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## witty (May 22, 2010)

Here is an update and 300.00 poorer..lol
I as i said in another Post I changed the ignition coil aka.. module..which I had thought was causing the problem.... I changed the plug..... and I cleaned out the carburator..

Ok as of today... i bought a new carburator , new plug... new solenoid . new gas filter... and also bought anything electric i could think of..... put all that on there and it will run but it has a bad miss in it... have not drove it enough where it got late today to determine if it runs are dies once it gets hot will let U know... it seems to be getting gas when it did die.. and it had a good spark which i had to check with plug wire off and turning on the ignition key and sparks came off the plug well..... sooooooo wow its getting costly... I also cleaned gas tank out nothing was it in clogged up...

thank you


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## witty (May 22, 2010)

Still does not run after it gets hot starts cutting out and then dies over and over.... Just do not understand it I have changed anything that one could think to change


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

Sorry you are having the problem but have one question. Why are you spending all this money before you know what the cause is? That seem like a very expensive learning experience.

IMO you need to start asking yourself some questions before you open your wallet. Why the solenoid? With the engine running and the solenoid out of the picture, how can it be the problem? Why the gas filter? How does heat affect it's function?

If this is a thermal problem what could cause the problem. One thing I'd be looking at is, are there any wires being pinched by something metal? Could the thermal expansion at this point be such that it is causing a short. Is the ign/starter switch in the heat path of the engine and after a while thermal expansion is causing some kind of failure? Is there any fuel line in the thermal path and could be causing vapor lock? These are the kinds of questions I'd be asking myself and getting answers to them before I'd start swapping parts.

Learning how to diagnose problem takes an inherent skill set, time and practice. It come easy for some and not so easy for others. Keep working on it.


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## stein1706 (Sep 3, 2010)

Have you adjusted the carb? It sounds as if the engine could be running slightly lean. A lean engine will run hot and eventually lose power and cut out once it reaches a certain temp. Does your engine seem to be unusually hot after running it for a while?


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## TeamCheap (Dec 22, 2009)

How long does it run or did it run before cutting out ?

This reminds me of my cheapo chinese junk bike that was acting very much the same as you describe and it turned out to be a damn plugged vent in the fuel cap.

Ohh it would let a little trickle thru but not enough to sustain it and it was getting but not as hot as me .

I doubt thats your problem because I have more of a problem keeping gas from leaking out of my tractors caps than stopping air going into the tank.


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