444 Carb question?

[Casstuba]

Here is the story -
I was running my 444 with the finish mower last week, it started fine, I had it idling to warm up while I greased the mower and tractor. Took it out, powered up, and ran the mower for about 1/2 hour. During that time, at high RPM, it wasn't running as smooth as I think it should (or as it had last time I mowed). Maybe not quite a miss, but something was not right.
I stopped to move the garden hose, and throttled down, when she stalled. Couldn't start right away, so i waited 15 minutess, and she started. I finnished what I was doing, then it stalled again when I powered down. 20 more minutes and she fired, I moved it within reach of my air compressor to clean the mower deck off and shut it off. Fired right up from there, moved it a short distance from there and it stalled. I have not been able to fire it up since then.
Six weeks ago, I put on a new coil, and that solved my problem of it choking and stalling when hot. New plugs and wires helped it fire up with no choke at the same time as the coil. since the new problem, I cleaned the sediment bowl, and installed a filter (since it was missing) and replaced the screen into the carb. no help. I seem to have good fuel flow to the carb (pulled the plug and let it run) Switched coil to the old (bad) one that cut out after it got hot, and no start. Pulled and cleaned the plugs... no start. Tapped on the Carb... no start. jumper cables, new wire to the + side of coil, etc. no start. I have a blue spark when plug is removed.
My brain hurts... I searched every possibility in the archives I could think of before posting a new topic, I just have not tried a new or rebuilding the carb or a compression test yet. Any thoughts? what can make it behave like this? Am I missing the obvious? Time is running out... back to my 14 hour days of work very soon, and last nights inch of rain is going to make the "back 40" grow like crazy. (if raising crops were as easy as raising weeds, I might be able to quit some of these extra teaching assignments LOL)

Thanks in advance,
Brian

 

[georgeky]

Check your fuel flow. You may have a blockage at the tank,line or carb.

 

[kyle in NY]

I have a 2444 and had a similar problem. It was the strainer in the carb. P.S. This was with my original Zenith Shebler carb which I have since ditched and havn't had a problem since.

 

[Casstuba]

I replaced the inlet fitting to the Carb, and the filter in the bowl. I have a Marvel Schebler TSX-896 Carb. If its being blocked at the tank, should I take the line off at the bowl, and blow compressed air from there into the tank to see if that is the problem? Like I said, I had gas running out from the drain plug in the bottom of the carb for several minutes in a pretty good stream I'd say 2 minutes maybe to fill half of an empty coffee can. It didn't stop until I put the plug back in. There is no shut off soleniod, just a small screw inserted where that should be. I've read posts about stuck floats, pluged vents, etc.

Maybe this is relavant - when I cleaned and installed a new filter in the sediment bowl, gas just dripped in slowly. I assumed that since everything was connected, then the air trapped held up the flow at that time. the bowl is filled now, and this happened before I tested the flow at the carb.

I have tried taking the gas cap off to see if the plugged vent was the issue as well.

The ironic part is she hasn't ran since I took the pics and posted them last week. That'll teach me to say nice things about my old girl.

Glad to hear that several of you are getting rain. and thanks Georgeky and Kyle for your replies. we'll get to the problem soon.

Brian