Sorry if these don't apply, but here are common small engine issues I have seen:

I know your engine is not a Briggs, but for the smaller engines the most common issues are a bad crank/flywheel key and a plugged up carb. If you hit something hard, the key between the crank and flywheel is made of soft metal to prevent a broken crank. This will cause hard starting or no start. Pull the Flywheel and put a new keyway in.

In the small Briggs carbs there is the float bowl. On the bottom of the bowl is a bolt that comes up from the bottom, with a 1/2 or 9/16 head. The bolt has a horizontal and then vertical hole in the bolt that "bubbles" air into the gas. This can get plugged and cause poor running.

I have also seen grass shorting out the plug to the block.

Good luck!

As you spray the carb cleaner, pay close attention to where the cleaner tries to come out. IOW, don't just randomly spray--spray into passages, and see where it comes out. Then, if possible spray from where the cleaner came out back into the carb. Wear eye protection.
Don't substitute brake cleaner for carb cleaner. ( I recently read a warning--brake cleaner, if heated, releases phosgene gas--VERY dangerous. A guy used brake cleaner as a final prep in pitted cast iron before welding--some of it remained in one of the pits and when he hit it with the flame, a small puff of smoke was formed--it was nearly fatal--weeks of hospital time, and long-term effects, too.)

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

yeh the carb is quite a bit different than the little ones on a briggs. after pulling off the carb yet again and disassembling I sprayed everything with carb cleaner and I backed out the one jet that was accessable. it was pretty clean. I cant see any place where the carb cleaner is not going through ok. I am draining the tank now. I am just trying to figure out where to put the gas in case it is good. I dont have another gas can.

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

changed gas from another station, same effect. just no power. Im am beginning to doubt the Harbor Freight leakdown tester. guess it will go to the mower shop tomorrow for diags. bummer

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

post a picture of the disassembled carb.

what was the compression numbers?

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

carb exploded view attached.

cant do a compression test, the motor lifts the exhaust valve during cranking and it doesnt drop down until 750 RPM to aid in starting.

shop wont toucnh my mower, they dont service Dixons. So looks like I will try again with the leakdown tester. I pulled the belt off the mower deck and everything turns freely. the hydrostatic drive motivates the mower fine and isnt dragging it down no matter how hard I turn or stop, I am figuring the leakdown test was not right

__________________

1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

looking at that diagram, stick the straw on the carb cleaner can and spray no. 4,10, remove the needle adjusters and spray cleaner through any passages. is this an ohv engine by chance?

__________________
have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

did all of that.it is an OHV engine with hydraulic lifters, the valves areok as far as I can tell from removing the valve cover

__________________

1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

Would the ethanol in the gas have any effect on your carb?

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

no idea... but its pretty much the same stuff I have been using all year. I have to cut every 4-5 days so it is pretty often. grass in the back is already well over a foot tall. I have a service coming to cut it this week, they arent going to like the height...

on the engine, no ideas. I left it this weekend to do a paying side job. tomorrow maybe I will start the teardown process. maybe one ore try with the leakdown tester. I really want to know whats wrong first, I would hate to rebuild it and end up in the same place.

__________________

1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

Can you beg, borrow or somehow get another carb first? Don't lose sight of the fact that all the problems started with running out of fuel, and some new gas.. I'd like to really insure its not a fuel problem before tearing into it.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I second this, at least do something to verify it is not a fuel or fuel delivery problem.
It started after adding gas, it still runs but with limited power. Sounds like too lean.

A reall issue with diagnostics (debugging for us old nerds) is getting an idea in our head and dismissing all others.
You have to keep an open mind.

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

Check to see if the governor is working properly.

I thought that too, I added a strig to pull the governor under load and it just bogged.

I am open minded, just resouce limited. thats why I did not tear into the rebuild right away. I bought a leakdown tester, cleaned the carb 3 times and replaced 5 gallons of gas as well as the fuel pump, all filters and the plugs.

My buddy might have a line on a carb, thats a good suggestion that I am persuing, just not that many 22HP Kohler carbs lying around unfortunately. A new one is $209 mail order

__________________

1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

Do a little more troubleshooting before you start throwing parts at it. First, try running it on one cylinder at a time. If it runs on one and not the other, then you don't necessarily have a carb problem. If you determine that both cylinders are running but still suspect a fuel problem, fill a pump oiler with gas and use this to enrich the mixture by spraying it into the air intake when the engine bogs. If that cures it, you have a fuel problem. Then, run the engine from a remote fuel supply to eliminate your tank or filter as a problem. If it only runs on one cylinder, pull off the valve cover of the dead one and look around. It could be as simple as a loose rocker stanchion, or at worst, a dropped valve seat. Also, determine that the cooling system is clean, a rats nest for example, can really raise hell in an air cooled engine. I had a number of these engine when I had my rental business, and while not the best V twin in my opinion, they were pretty reliable, and I never had to replace a carburetor.