Craftsman/Honda lawnmower: stuttering

[DaveO]

I have a Craftsman mower with a honda engine. I've kept up the routine maintenance (air filter, oil, plug) and it has run very well, but recently the engine stutters when the throttle lever is in any but one certain position.

I suspect this is a throttle adjustment problem because I can find a sweet spot on the throttle lever that the engine runs just fine without stuttering. Also, the moving the throttle lever has almost no affect on engine speed. Seems like the thing runs at "high", "really high" and "off".

If I have diagnosed the throttle adjust problem properly, what is the fix?

Thanks!
Dave O

[Bumblerazz]

I'm not too knowledgeable about Honda engines specifically, but it sounds like you need to adjust the "richness" of the fuel / air mixture. There is usually a screw that is hidden in close to the throttle or on the air intake, much like the way old carburators on cars used to work. Too lean and the engine bogs down as it's starved for air, and too rich and the engine sputters as not enough fuel to combust efficiently.

You may also check to see if there is a choke (automatic or otherwise) that is getting stuck.

Of course check to make sure that the air intake is not blocked (I assume you've checked this since you state that you do regular PM work on it).