Engine bogs down and stalls on incline

[Limbsmith]

Took my max IV with 16 hp b&s down a fairly steep hill and as I turned and start d back up the, the engine had no power. It finally just died. I tried restarting a couple of times and it would start but would have no power or torque. Finally it start d and I took off up the hill. Probably 3 minutes lapsed time. Culprit?

[ARGOJIM]

Check your oil level.

[Limbsmith]

Sorry for the delay. Busy week. The oil level is good. The engine seems to bog down and quit when i run the snot out of it like it gets too hot or something. A good incline or a nice jolt to the machine as i go over an obstacle at speed it dies. I let it sit and it will start in a few minutes, but it bogs down and will choke down and die when you give it throttle. I fool with the choke, unscrew the gas cap, curse, hold my mouth just right and it wil finally straighten out and it will run like a banshee for a few more minutes. Then, the cycle repeats itself. Any thoughts?

[ARGOJIM]

Check the tank for a floater, check the fuel line, possibly check the cap, open the carb and check for debris in the bowl which is probable cause along with something in the tank causing the jarring-incline induced coughing.

[Limbsmith]

Thank you sir. I will check all of the above. Sure is fun when it is running! Will be a couple of days but i will report back. Thanks again.

[Noel Woods]

Try a compression check if those items don't pan out. It may be the engine is worn or at least getting worn out. Life as an air cooled motor is hard.

[luffydog]

try new fuel filter and also check for water in the tank.

[Limbsmith]

Im thinking maybe drain fuel, inspect tank, and start over with fresh gas. I have new fuel line and filter.

[ARGOJIM]

If you have all that and don't care to know why it was doing it, rebuild the carb and you should be good to go.
A compression test is always good to know.

[luffydog]

plus the leadown test will tell you right where prob is for the most part it whispers it in yours ears. might be a slight blow head gasket as well

[JohnF]

Rebuild the carb. Pay attention to the float adjustment.

[curtisbyrne]

Make sure the float is level not slanted

[Joe H]

Make sure the float is not saturated with gas creating a low float level and check that the needle seat is not partially blocked.

[hipowerone]

I have a 1996 MAX II with Vanguard Twin 14HP. I had a similar problem with my engine.

At certain times, usually after either on a steep incline or going over a rough piece of land, my engine would suddenly 'starve' for gas, and stop. The engine had to cool before it would restart, and then it was still hard. After this happened a couple of times, I searched for an answer. What I found was a weird but honest weblink, and when I tried the suggested fix, it worked to get the engine at least re-started in the field, so that I could return to my point of origin. Here is link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSHk4RzC2B8

However, since then, I have totally drained and flushed the gas tank. Replaced all gas line with new, added a fuel cut off valve, and installed a new fuel pump and filter. While the problem still occurred occasionally, it was better. I then used another link and did a home 'carb cleaning'. Link to page: Route6x6.com - 6 and 8 wheel ATV how to's - Vanguard Carburetor Cleaning

Since that cleaning, the engine seems to run better, and I have yet to have the 'stalling' occur, not to say it will not happen again.

However, I have found that going up a steep incline (30 degree or more) really taxes the engine and transmission, to the point that I must stop and turn around, or traverse the hill on an angle ( not a good idea).

Has anyone had a like or similar problem? My problem sounds much like the starter of this thread.