It gets spark and even when I shoot a little starter fluid in to it, it still does nothing. It's got good compression. The valve needles were replaced by the former owner befor he gave it to me. He didn't get it running either. Is there a timing device on this? How do I set it if there is?
2007-08-13 08:03:04 · 4 answers · asked by ? 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Sounds like whoever did the work on the thing didn't know what they were doing.
Get rid of the starter fulid - it is bad news for small engines. Use just a couple drops of fresh gas instead.
Spark plugs can show spark when removed but not work under compression because compression drastically increases the resistance to the current jumping the gap on the plug. So the spark and plug may seem good when they are really not. Try a new plug with proper gap.
It is possible valves are not working. Remove the cylinder head and turn the engine over and see it they move. If they don't take it to a qualified shop and have it done right.
The timing on these engines is static and determined by the position of the flywheel on the crankshaft. If the guy who took the engine apart did not put the flywheel back on properly the timing could be out. Again, take it to a qualified shop since neither of you seem to know what you are doing.
2007-08-13 10:33:32 · answer #1 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What do you mean by valve needles? I am not familiar with that term. Does the engine have compression? You can do a rough check by removing the spark plug and putting your thumb over the hole and crank the engine. You shouldn't be able to hold your thumb on the hole. If you can hold it I would suspect valve issues. Put a little gas, not starting fluid in the carb, replace the airfilter and try it. It should at least fire a couple of times. Most likely thing would be the carburator needs cleaning and rebuilding. As someone else said, sparkplugs will fail under compression. Wouldn't hurt to try a different one.
2007-08-13 23:21:46 · answer #2 · answered by renpen 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check the fuel for water or foreign material. Has the lamination/coil/armeture magneto been checked. They break down over time and will not give off enough spark to start the engine or keep it running if you get it started. I am not sure what valve needles you are refering to, but maybe the valves need to be set if you have good fuel and spark.
You may want to clean and rebuild the carb. Some Tecumseh engine carbs just get replaced instead of rebuilt, depending on the engine model. They are not very expensive either way.
2007-08-15 15:06:16 · answer #3 · answered by Brit 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
are you sure it has spark? when you spray starting fluid in through the air intake is bypasss the carb. and if it had spark. it would at least fire once. unless the motor was totaly rebuilt, it should have no timing problems. it could be your intake valve. i would take the cylinder head off and make sure your intake valve is opening and closing. and remember when putting the mower back together to replace the head gasket. if you have any questions, feel free to email me. you can find my email by clicking on my icon! good luck
John
2007-08-13 17:14:04 · answer #4 · answered by John 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋