Clogged fuel tank screen or faulty fuel pump?

[WH Doug 0]

I have a C-121 8 Speed (12 HP Kohler). Tractor has been a little hard to start lately, and I sometimes have to use ether to get it to start.
this Tuesday I mowed for about 3 hours, and then the tractor quit like it ran out of gas. Could not get it to start. I let it cool off & the next day I removed
the fuel line from the carb. I then tried to start it to see if the fuel pump was working. it seemed to be working as there was fuel flowing out the line.
 I re-installed it to the carb and tightened all fuel line clamps. I started it and mowed for about 3 hours when it quit running again and would not start. I looked
at the Kohler fuel filter and there was no fuel in the filter. So I'm thinking clogged fuel pickup screen (In the tank), or maybe the fuel pump is getting to croak.
The engine is 12 horse Kohler, model K301AS, Spec. # 47648d. Thanks for your help. WH Doug   

[buckrancher 2,678]

check fuel flow from tank first remove incoming line from fuel pump and hold it down below the frame gas should pour out if not clean tank filter and replace inline filter and try again be sure gas tank is half full

brian

[wrightorchid 261]

If your gas lines are old, or you have been using ethanol gas, you might have some gumming in the tank, or the elsewhere.  I have a 312, and replaced the lines, only to have it re-clog.  I drained the tank, and there was this orange goo, maybe some sort of algae that fed on the water in it-- weird stuff  Once cleaned out and  I replaced the shutoff at the tank, I was good.  I also added an inline filter before the carb.  Good luck.
 

[stevasaurus 22,273]

I found a white spider stuck in the bottom of the tank blocking the gas flow...have no idea how that got in there...but it did. 

[953 nut 52,175]

     The fuel cap has a vent that allows air in as the fuel is used up, if the vent is plugged it will cause the a vacuum in the tank and prevent the fuel pump from working.

[rmaynard 14,949]

 Any time that an engine quits, and then starts again after sitting for a little while, I always suspect a clogged gas cap vent first. 

[roadapples 6,981]

White spiders Steve?  This wasn`t after refreshments was it? lol.

[stevasaurus 22,273]

White spiders Steve?  This wasn`t after refreshments was it? lol.

No...LOL  A friend of mine had just bought a used  C-121.  She had mowed her large yard a few times and then all of a sudden she had to choke it somewhat to keep it running.  I went over there and started going through the process...fuel pump, filter, gas line, etc.  Finally I pulled of the gas line from the pet cock on the gas tank.  Hardly any gas flow, so we siphoned the tank and took it off the horse...pulled off the pet cock and there it was...about an 1" long white spider blocking the hole.  Weird, but we found the problem. 

[rmaynard 14,949]

...and Alice in Wonderland saw big white rabbits...weird...