Tecumseh 6.5 fuel "issues"

[x-bird]

New to playing around with small engines--never been good with the little 2 or 4 stroke stuff --- give me a P455 anyday lol. Anyway, not sure if there's an easy fix, but I'm having sputtering/stalling issues when riding over rough terrain. I figure the float is just bouncing around t0o much with a lot of fuel slosh, and as the tank runs down i'm probably throwing it all around in there and occasionally getting air sucked down the line. I still have the stock carb with the primer bulb (always worked/started fine). Are there any easy shadetree fixes for this?
Thank

[metalstudman1]

Check to make sure the pulse hose/line doesn't have any cracks or a loose connection into the valve cover or airbox.

[x-bird]

The fuel lines are in good condition, as are the connection points. One of the air cleaner box screws was backed off a couple turns--think it was that way to begin with. Can't see that as a problem, as all it would allow would be dust to enter the carb. Things around here have been wet, so dodged a bullet there so to speak. The rear push/slide in mount of the fuel tank is all chewed up and the corresponding area in the engine's sheetmetal cover is bent in, so at some point this engine was "worked on" (airbox phillips screw heads are half-stripped too). The tank is only "mounted" at the front and is definitely bouncing around in the rough stuff. The chewed up area won't go back into its mount. I think it's just slosh in the tank once it's about 1/2 way empty. it's not a consistent problem, just happens a couple seconds after I slam over the rough stuff. misses/near stalls or stalls then starts right back up. I have an 5-gallon igloo water tank (Blue RV type thing--same plastic/thickness as any other fuel can) with a top corner fill/pour spout. I'm going to use that as a tank mounted on it's side vertically with a fuel grommet in the bottom corner (my commercial acre-ease mowers use these) and a new line with a cut-off valve and some type release coupler on the fuel line. That way I can just pop the whole thing off and take it for a refill.

[speedshopmike]

config a very light spring to help hold the float steady.
tec carbs misbehave when upset.
Ponchos forever!

[x-bird]

would that be setting a fine spring on the base of the cup around the bolt boss to help keep the float from going down, or vice versa? I think I ruled out tank slosh, filled it the other day and still had the same problem 5 minutes into thrashing around with it.

[Shopguy]

I dunno bout that spring under the float deal. you must really be beating on that thing to get it to act up like that. It sounds like fuel is actually being forced thru the high speed jet to go rich enough to stall. how could that be? Or... the maybe it's not going rich and lean instead. How bout a low float level and fuel sloshing away from the high speed. Might be worth a look at raising the float level unless it a plastic float then never mind. ...

[speedshopmike]

if float bounce is indeed the issue you'd want to spring it to stay closed.
you'll easily be able to tell if it's dying due to being rich or lean - if it's fat it'll put out black smoke just before stalling.

[x-bird]

It'll run on the flat around the yard all day long without a hitch, including going up on a 30-45 degree banked turn. when i head off into the woods and start slamming it over the rocks and roots is when it's cutting out. got some off camber turn on 10-20 degree hills, lot of 4-6 inch rocky outcrops etc. It's a real boneshaker of a little loop. It has only fully stalled out once, mostly it just drops in revs and takes 2-3 seconds to run back up again. I posted a vid in my yerf upgrade thread (shot hand held--1 hand steering at about 1/2 the speed i run around it, really piss poor quality, but it'll give you an idea of how rough it is.

[Shopguy]

I'm with him on that..have someone look for black smoke unless you know what it sounds like without looking. If it's rich it'll sound like the choke is on. Usually a lean out condition will just stall and then come right back. Could check the plug right after it does it and see if it's black.

[x-bird]

After losing the tank the other day, I bungied it in place and ran it harder than it has been yet (by me anyway) no more power loss. I think with no rear attachment point, it was flipping forward pretty badly on the bumps and sucking air.