briggs & stratton lawnmower engine leaks fuel


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Old 07-15-19, 11:13 AM
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briggs & stratton lawnmower engine leaks fuel

MTD mower with B&S 123J02-0187-E1 engine.
Fuel was dripping down from the muffler area.
No fuel around carb or primer bulb.

I assume the carb needle/seat is leaking? And does it run over to the muffler area??

I did replace the needle/seat 6 years ago. This time I guess I will go ahead and do the gasket, as well, especially considering how old this machine is. At the time I also installed a fuel line stutoff valve, now I am really glad I did that. However, the valve is plastic and seems kind of flimsy, can I get a recommendation on a durable one?

Is there a reason to replace/clean the muffler if the fuel got in/around there?
 
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Old 07-15-19, 11:33 AM
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would probably pull the plug out and spin it over to remove excess gas from cylinder good chance you will probably need to change the oil as its probably has a lot of fuel in it also, I would not worry about cleaning the muffler.
search amazon for brigs and Stratton carb number 799868 probably find a cheap replacement might look at shipping time to find one that ships quickly.
 
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Old 07-15-19, 11:48 AM
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Yes, the carb needle and seat are leaking. You can get a chinese aftermarket carb for under $10.

The gas runs into the cylinder and out the exhaust, usually also seeping past the rings into the crancase and diluting the oil. No need to clean the muffler, just fix it and crank it up and let it burn out the gas and oil that are in it. It will probably smoke a minute or two.
 
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Old 07-15-19, 07:05 PM
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The dipstick does smell of fuel, thanks for pointing that out! It was due for an oil change anyway, not that I wanted to be doing this mid summer, of course.

The first carb lasted about 11 years (failed mid summer and mid-mow, as well) so I was hoping the last fix would have gotten more than 6. That was a B&S part, too - I went to a local mower shop and got the part. This time I'll just avail myself of one of those aftermarket kits, delivered
 
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Old 07-15-19, 09:27 PM
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"This time I'll just avail myself of one of those aftermarket kits, delivered"

The whole carb can be had for $8.99 including shipping. Not just the kit. I don't know how, but that's china for ya.
 
 

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