PaulD wrote:

Ok, here is the update. I measured the voltage at the starter engine
terminal.

By the way, it's a starter motor, not a starter engine.

I did it a bunch of times. I measured sometimes slightly
below 9 volts, sometimes slightly above. There was definitely a
voltage drop. Was the drop large enough to be significant?

You ran this test with the plugs installed, is that right? It's
important. If you got 9 volts at the starter with the plugs removed,
and you got 10 volts at the battery with the plugs installed, then it
seems likely that you have a problem of some sort with the cabling
between the battery and starter motor.

If the 9 volt reading was with the plugs installed, it's less
definitive but still suggests a cable problem. I would have expected
the reading to be closer to the same reading you said you got at the
battery terminals: slightly over 10 volts. But perhaps you've worn
the battery down a bit with all this cranking, and the voltage at the
battery is now only 9 volts. It would be good to check it quickly
again to make sure it's still 10 volts there. It's the difference
between the two readings that's significant.

Assuming the two readings are indeed different, you can try to locate
the cable problem. First test the ground half of the
battery-to-starter cabling: connect one voltmeter lead to the negative
battery post, and the other lead to engine ground (cooling fins).
Make sure the plugs are installed. Make sure the voltmeter leads have
a clean contact. Crank the engine and note the voltmeter reading. It
should be zero or nearly so. If you get a non-zero reading, it
indicates abnormal resistance in the ground side of the connection.
Make sure your voltmeter leads have good contact. You may get an
erroneous "zero" reading if your leads are not firmly in contact with
good clean metal.

Second, test the positive half of the battery-to-starter cabling:
connect one voltmeter lead to the positive battery post, and the other
lead to the starter motor positive terminal. Make sure the plugs are
installed. Make sure the voltmeter leads have a clean contact. Crank
the engine and note the voltmeter reading. It should be zero or nearly
so. If you get a non-zero reading, it indicates abnormal resistance in
the positive side of the connection. Make sure your voltmeter leads
have good contact. You may get an erroneous "zero" reading if your
leads are not firmly in contact with good clean metal.



I also noticed that every once in a while I got a voltage spike at
about 14 volts for a very brief instance. I am not sure whether the
spike was just a multi-meter error or whether it has some significance.
I also tested the voltage drop where the starter cable is attached to
the solenoid (?). I got similar readings there.

I have the service manual right here for the model 422707 Briggs
engine. The starter motor only has one terminal. I'm not sure what
you're referring to.

I did your suggestion regarding compression. I got alternating puffs
and suction from both cylinders. Its hard to tell whether they were
both similar. Seemed like they were.

This is one of those tests where if you did NOT feel alternating
compression and suction it would definitely indicate a problem; but if
you DO get alternating compression and suction the test is not
definitive (there could still be a problem - only by using a
compression gauge could you be sure). Let's assume for the time being
that the valves are OK, although that's not a sure bet.


My son said that the engine slowly faded before stalling out.

That's not what I was asking. I was asking about the starter motor
cranking. Were you noticing increasingly "weak" starter motor cranking
in the days (or weeks) leading up to the stalling incident, or did the
weak cranking manifest itself suddenly right after the stalling
incident?


Finally, two other things I observed. First, I did try to get multiple
readings. As I did so, I noticed that the starter engine casing did
get hot to touch. I did not have my helper crank for more than a few
seconds at a time. Is this something one would expect when cranking
the starter a number of times or is it an indication of a problem.

It's probably normal but I wouldn't swear by it. Depends on how many
times "a number of times" is, and how long each time lasted. Sounds
like the battery was getting quite a workout. In view of this, it
might be good to re-check the voltage across the battery to see if it
is still 10 volts (engine cranking with plugs installed). Since the
whole purpose of measuring the voltage at the starter was to compare it
to the voltage reading at the battery, this is important.

Second, at one point the starter gear stopped popping up to engage the
flywheel.

Did the starter gear ("pinion gear") spin rapidly during those times
when it didn't "pop up"? On an automotive starter motor, this can be
indicative of a low battery. I'm not sure about the starter motor
design on this Briggs engine in this regard.