Wheelhorse riding mower

I picked up this Toro Wheelhorse riding lawnmower (model 71223, w/Briggs and Stratton model 28?(maybe 6)777 Type 0690-E1, code 000202ZE) to tinker with w/grandson. Couple of questions, on the bottom of the carb bowl is a gizmo with two wires, one of which is ground, don't know yet where the other goes, yet. Any ideas what it does? I don't see it identified on the wiring chart in the owners manual.

The thing starts and runs, but driving it around it will occasionally backfire and then continue on?

doesn't seem to be any reverse. and, in the forward positions it does go, but there is a significant delay between releasing the clutch/brake pedal and actually moving forward. I have no idea how/what the transmission is/works, except I doubt it is a hydrostatic. Looks like a straight forward gearbox (5 forward 1 rev), driven by a belt from motor, to me. But I don't understand the delay in moving. way more time delay than can be explained by worn gears. maybe drive belt slipping, but it doesn't make noise or smell. and once its moving it seems to haul my lard bottom around no problem, even up hills.
Any thoughts



I showed it to grandson and told him he will be working for me this summer and that this tractor will be assigned to him. He will be responsible for it's care and maintenance....I will show to do the maintenance, check oil, clean air filter, grease it, clean it, etc. I bought him a cart for it. I bought it with a crappy mower deck, which I removed. I have four acre lot that I had the building dozed over and buried. But that left a lot of rocks and debris, plastic, wood, car parts, etc scattered all over. His job this summer will be driving around picking up all this loose crap so I can seed grass.
His mom says he is so excited he is vibrating!

Edited by LouSWPA - 08 Jun 2019 at 2:55pm

Thanks Dave, that does help. and, as for the click, not hearing it, I doubt I would. That has been a problem at work for me. we have some equipment that uses different buzzers, sonalerts, etc for alarms, alerts etc. well, guess what, I cannot hear them at all. I'll be working away on a piece of equipment, and a customer will come over, rather distraught and ask if I can turn the alarm off. Seems they been listening to it for the last 20-30 mins and I am totally oblivious to it!

anyways, thanks for the input. I put the boy to work today, wife says he a totally different boy now! I gave him a machine, a task, some instruction, and turned him loose to accomplish it on his own. exactly what most farm boys grew up with

thanks Trucker

https://www.wheelhorseforum.com/    Yep its there.