why does my mower bog down so easily?

Question

back again. i posted a vid this time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-XLPNazDF4

you cant really hear on the camera, but when i go up hills with the blades engaged, the rpms drop substantially. when i go down a hill, the engine sounds beautiful and high. when the blades are off, the engine runs pretty good unless heading up a steep hill.

and whats the deal with the revving? its terrible, and whats that bit of black smoke coming from the exhaust? fuel setting too rich? which way do i turn the adjustment screw to change the air/fuel ratio on the carb (counter-clockwise)?

it may sound decent to you, but i want this engine to be like my old one, which was essentially the same exact engine, just a 17hp model made by Intek.

air filter, fuel filter, and fuel lines have all been replaced recently.

what should i be greasing?

Answer 1

spark plugs need adjusting
or replacing and the air filter
and the fuel filter need attention
also check that the throttle cable isnt too lax
or too tight
and you shouldnt go near any lawnmower
in bare feet,oooh look ive got no toes

Answer 2

I think that I have told you this before, it is a fuel problem. The carb is dirty or jetted wrong for the engine. The hesitation when you push the throttle up indicates to me that its getting a wrong fuel mixture. That would also account for the loss of power. You can go to outdoordistributors, type in the model of the engine and get a parts breakdown. It should tell you what jets belong in the carb. Otherwise I would take the carb off, tear it down and soak it in carb cleaner and put a rebuild kit in it. You have had this problem way too long. I am going to guess that the noise when you let out the clutch is the idler pully. Either out of alignment or the bushings are worn.

Answer 3

ok you need to change the sparkplug probley and sharping the blades help alot too, your fuel could be too rich and the exaust might need burned out or replaced because they tend to build up carbon and you`ll lose power and whens the last time you greased it with a greasegun? all of these can affect your power also you might want to look at the belts on your mower deck and see if their getting worn. i watched your video and it sounds like the problem is not so much the engine but the deck, try replacing the spring that keeps the deck belt tight, these do get weak and you`ll lose power, also if one of the blade shafts is low on grease it will cause a drag that will bog your mower down

Answer 4

Could also be a timing problem. Definately engine woes. Consider a Kohler next time.