My craftsman 625 series push mower starts, but then shuts off. I have replaced the spark plug, the air filter is pretty new, and have cleaned the fuel line. I have been told by others that it may be the carborator. Where is the carborator, what exactly does it look like, and is there a proper way to clean it? Thanks for your help, as always.

Hate to tell you this... but if you don't know what the carb looks like. You really don't want to be tearing that apart if you don't know how to put it back together and more importantly adjust it correctly. My guess is you park it with fuel in it over the winter... and that causes a varnish buildup in the jets that gets worse over time until its causes a fuel mixture so lean the engine won't run.

THere are spray type as well as dump it in the fuel type cleaners that will clean those deposits. But its really going to require a disassembly at this point since it won't run under its own power.

Realistically its not really all that hard... but it does take some basic level of knowledge and ability. But if you don't know what the Carb looks like... you don't have it.

Watch this video:
YouTube - craftsman lawn mower redneck repair (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTOCGrKjS2E)

Hi.
Shall we try this:
Disassembly of Briggs and Stratton / Walbro LMS Carb on Briggs Engine 125K02 0137 (http://outdoorpowerinfo.com/repairs/briggs_walbro_lms_carb.asp)
Peace,
Clarke

For future prevention. When you mow the grass the last time of the season... run the fuel tank completely dry until the mower will not restart. This will significantly reduce varnish and gum buildup. And once a season it doesn't hurt to mix some fuel system cleaner into the gas can full of gas you use to help keep things clean.

And its best to NOT store fuel over the winter. It does go bad amazingly fast these days with the reformulated blends they use.

If everyone did that I wouldn't get all the free lawn equipment I get now every spring.