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Poulan Pro Push Mower with 500e B&S Not Getting Fuel

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Josh Smith
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2018/07/02 22:35:17 (permalink)
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Poulan Pro Push Mower with 500e B&S Not Getting Fuel

Hello,

I'm a former automotive technician, but I never bothered to learn small motors.

Now I'm regretting this.

We bought a house recently. It came with a Poulan 500e mower, which has worked just fine for four or five mowings this year.

Tonight I went to mow, and it died during the first pass -- it acted like it was starving.

Spark was confirmed, but I replaced the well-worn plug anyway.

The plug was dry. The mower starts on starting fluid. Were this a car, I'd say the fuel pump is out. However, it looks like gravity feed to the carburetor, and I don't see a fuel filter right offhand.

Does this thing have a fuel pump and/or a fuel filter?

What else should I be looking at? I'm not at all sure how this automatic throttle works; I'm working on finding online resources right now.

Any help at all is appreciated.

Thank you.

Regards,

Josh
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    Roy
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    Re: Poulan Pro Push Mower with 500e B&S Not Getting Fuel 2018/07/02 23:29:27 (permalink)
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    Welcome to the forum. It is obviously starving for gas. Can you give us the engine numbers so we know what fuel system you are looking at? BTW, leave the starting fluid on the shelf, it is very hard on aluminum pistons and cylinder walls. A spritz of gas works much better. So does WD-40.
    post edited by Roy - 2018/07/02 23:31:44
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    Wilber
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    Re: Poulan Pro Push Mower with 500e B&S Not Getting Fuel 2018/07/03 05:31:33 (permalink)
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    Some engines have a filter inline the fuel hose, like the honda gxv160 for example.
    You can pull the fuel line off and check it out, and flush the tank while you are at it.
    For a couple of bucks you can replace with new hose and visible filter.
    Also, look for vacuum lock if bugs or whatnot have clogged the air vent, if there is one.
    Run the mower, then when it dies listen for pressure/vacuum release when you crack open the fuel cap.
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