I have a basic 20" B&S push mower. It is about 7 years old. It seems that the engine power slowly has decrease to were it stopped last night. i think that it is either a dirty gas filter or air filter. How do I clean these 2 things?

Jack Lewis, October 2007

{{Do not try this with pleated filters}} For me personally I rinsed out my foam style air filter with Mineral Spirits (Paint Thinner), squeezed it out then squeezed it in a paper towel to remove any excess Mineral Spirits. In order to re-oil the filter I used Marvel Mystery Oil and I put some on the filter then squeezed as much as I could out with my hand {{Do NOT! saturate filter}}. The oil is a must to keep dust from the carburetor. I also recommend cleaning the filter body when you clean the filter. Good Luck, You can do it!

Vinnie S, up-state NY, June 2013

Your air filter (the foam type) sits on top of your carby in it's metal casing - I have B&S model 98902 - and I usually clean mine very throughly in hot soapy water and leave it dry out overnight. Before replacing, it need to be oiled extremely lightly so as to keep out the dust. Use a special foam filter oil and work it in well. Your hand should be greasy rather than oily. This type of oil is also used in air filters on motorbikes. DON"T do as I did first time up and saturate the filter as your mower will choke for air and you'll spend a long time cleaning out the carby.
When you put it back in the metal casing make sure that the foam filter acts as a gasket between the two metal parts of the casing. Like all things, filters do not last forever and it is wise to replace them every couple of years.

Boogie of Holland Park Qld, December 2007

The air filter is either on the side under a cover retained with a single screw, or on top of the carb, also retained with a single (long) screw. There is no gas filter on most models, but if there is it's a plastic device in the fuel line between tank and carb. If that was blocked it would cut out after 20 seconds or so.

Phil Saunders, November 2007