May be off subject if so let me know where else to post I have an Ariens ZTR 1742 mower with a 17 HP B&S engine that has been afterfiring ( After ingnition is turned off raw gas collects in the muffler and explodes) since I got it .This destroys the muffler and I need replace another $90 one so I thought I'd look into why its happening. When I checked into it there is an afterfire solenoid on the carb that is supposed to shut off the fuel supply when the ignition is turned off. Ariens didn't do this and as a result the solenoid which is powered from the alternator does not disengage until the alternator ( and engine ) has almost stopped so I get feul in the muffler.
When I called Ariens they admited to the problem and sent me a new ignition switch that is supposed to fix the problem. When I got it it was clear that this would not switch teh solenoid power and when I called again I was told that the fix was internal to the switch and did not need any cabling.
When I pressed for how it was done teh engineer told me that rather than switch off the solenoid they simply shorted it to ground when teh ignition was turned off. While I agree this will fix the afterfire it does so by applying a short across the alternator while its still at speed.
So my question is am I trading a annual muffler replacement for a much more expensive Alternator problem down the road Thanks in Advance Bob