Kohler Magnum 8 won't start

Good morning folks...
 
I am famous for long posts, but I'll try to keep this one short, allow people to ask for more information if they think they need something very specific.
 
I had a dear member of my family pass away and I am the recipient of a circa 1990 BCS 715 Tiller/two wheel tractor with a Kohler Magnum 8 engine (model M8-301586 BCS 8 HP). This unit was pretty well cared for, owned by an older gentleman who trusted only two people in the world to operate it, him and myself alone. He had been taking it to the same shop since purchase, but they are over 3 hours each way from me and I would like to try to find this specific problem myself before hooking the trailer up to the pickup and toting it down that way, once the "pandemic" is over and the shop is open again. Whenever that may be.
 
The tractor has been a little hard to start in the spring for the last 15 years or so but generally does start without issue. He always took it in every other year for regular maintenance and "refurbishment", whether it really needed much or not, he loved this tractor and did since it arrived brand new and shining.
 
I have been out several times in the last few weeks to try to get the tiller running and just can't get it to start and run properly. Key turns, starter runs, battery is charged, engine cranks, but no fire. I dribbled some gasoline directly into the carb and it will run for a second or two then die. So, it does have spark. It was running without issue and stored without fuel last fall before the winter weather moved in. Now, I cannot get it to start. Since they routinely take the carb apart and clean it up every couple of years, I didn't think it could be carb specific, but I might be wrong.

There is an operator safety handle on that tractor, but the engine does start and run for a second or two when fuel is poured in through the air horn and the engine is cranked via the key.
 
I am afraid this is going to be a carb issue of some kind, but perhaps I am missing something simple or you can provide some tips that helped you in the past.
 
Thanks for your help, have a great day now...
 
Rand
Oregon Coast
 
 

Hello AVB!
 
Thanks to your good suggestion, I removed the fuel line between the pump and the carb, cranked several times and got no fuel at all. So, removed the fuel line from the tank to the pump, still got no fuel at all. So, used some air on the line between the tank and the pump intake, blew back into the tank through that fuel line and cleared some kind of blockage (though I looked in the tank using a flashlight and saw no particulates of any kind), now getting fuel into the pump, flowing fine. GOOD NEWS THERE.
 
Hooked the line back up, was still not seeing any pumping going on while cranking. SO, I decided to remove the pump and did so without issue. Got is disassembled and peeked around inside. There was rust build up and flaking on the main "plunger" inside the pump. The diaphragms looked good, I could detect no tears or trouble. I decided to clean it all up and did so, then reassembled the pump. I then reinstalled it and she fired up (almost immediately!) and ran for a few minutes without too much trouble, though she wanted a lot of choke or she would stumble. Eventually, she died while at slow idle for a couple minutes. Now I cannot get her going again (regardless of choke position), so I am thinking it is the fuel pump again, I may need to replace it. I tore some of the carb area down again and got the fuel line off the input of the pump to make sure it was still flowing from the tank and it sure is, thankfully.
 
I have tried to find this fuel pump several places, including right here at Jack's, but to no avail. I can find plenty of options listed for Magnum 10+ engines but the M8 seems to be eluding me. Do you - perhaps - have any part source suggestions?

I got her out of the shed under her own power but now she is sitting there refusing to fire and it is looking like a bit of labor to get her back up the ramp and into the shed while troubleshooting this. At first there was a lot of excitement and praising but now I am thinking the fuel pump is worse off than I thought and needs a full replacement. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Rand
 
 

AVB
Can be a carb issue but also can be a fuel pump issue. Remove fuel line from and while cranking see if fuel is being pumped.