How to Adjust the Throttle on A Briggs and Stratton Lawn Mower

The throttle is used to regulate the engine speed of the mower. If the throttle cable is loose, you won’t be able to regulate the engine the way you would want to when mowing due to inadequate throttle control adjustment. Fortunately, the following guide provides you with detailed information on the way to adjust the throttle on a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower.

To mix air and gasoline that enters the cylinder for propulsion, the Briggs & Stratton lawn mower engine uses a carburetor. These carburetors usually have two set screws, one for fine-tuning the performance of the engine at full throttle and the other for idle adjustment. The throttle adjustment procedure is not a tedious task. However, you will need the following tools.

  • Rubber and gloves
  • Goggles
  • A flatbed and Phillips head screwdriver

Before starting the throttle adjustment procedure, remember to:

  • Disconnect the mower’s spark plug.
  • Wear suitable protective clothing and handle the screwdriver with care.

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to adjust the throttle.

Contents

Remove the Air Filter

Using a Phillips head screwdriver, remove the screws connected to the air cleaner. Remove the air filter from the air cleaner compartment. For reinstallation purposes, keep the air filter and screws in a protected location.

Locate the Choke Lever

Find the choke lever in the lawn mower’s engine compartment. In most cases, it is small and made of plastic. It regulates the throttle adjustment lever. This means that it controls the closing and opening of the throttle.

Press the Throttle Lever to Fast Position

Move the throttle to a fast position. Then, crank the clamp screws using a flatbed screwdriver. However, do not completely remove the screws. Simply loosen the screws a little so that the throttle cable can move freely.

Adjust Throttle Cable

Adjust the throttle cable from the endpoint and tighten the clamp screws.

Test the Throttle Cable

Move the throttle to the slow position. Check the engine controls by pushing them to the fast position. If it turns on and off according to your command, the setting is correct.

Reinstall the Air Filter

Check the air filter condition before you reinstall it. If it’s in good condition, reinstall the air filter to its previous position. Otherwise, you will need to replace it with a new one.

Important Tip

To make sure that all the throttle functions will start working properly, you can precisely set the idle with a tachometer. To find out the engine idle speed, connect the tachometer lead to the mower’s spark plug cable. The engine must idle at 1750 RPM for aluminum block engines, and 1200 RPM for cast iron engines. Set the engine to this optimum idle speed and slightly adjust the idle adjustment screw.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that no additional skill is required to adjust the lawn mower throttle. It’s a pretty simple procedure and takes about 10-15 minutes. Keeping in mind that the mower has sharp blades and moving parts, take safety precautions before starting the repair. This can save you from unexpected accidents. We hope the above procedure will help you adjust the throttle on a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower.