On Sun, 21 Aug 2005 06:22:13 -0700, mingv wrote:

I've got a 1958 Briggs & Stratton 6B-S engine I'm trying to get running.
I seem to have good compression (thumb in sparkplug hole test). I've got
fuel dripping in the carb. I've got a new Champion J8 sparkplug gapped
to .020". Still won't start.

Won't start and "won't fire" is different to me. Does the engine fire
(act like it's about to run) at all? By "fuel dripping", do you mean
"flooded" - with fuel coming out or do you mean you see or know fuel
is getting through normally.

Have you cleaned the carburetor, by that I mean checking to see if the
carb float is stuck or sticking. Besides the cleaning the jets and
float, etc, there are "two very small holes" inside the "tubby
thingy" that may be clogged and preventing adequate fuel from getting
through. The way to clean them is by using a steel bristle (tiny wire)
from a steel brush to clean them out. They do get clogged

(1) the plug doesn't look wet with gas when I remove it after several
pulls on the rope starter. But I've got fuel in the bottom of the carb,
to the point where it's dripping out the hole for the air cleaner screw.
So I _think_ it's getting gas, but I'm not sure. (I've also tried
spraying the intake with "starting fluid" to no avail.)

You can poor a small amount of fuel in the plug hole, replace the plug
and see if it fires. If so, you may not be getting enough fuel, so
check the holes mentioned above, also if the carb (not sure) a
diaframe (sp) , it may be week or bad.

(2) I've got a spark when I lean the plug against the head, but it seems
very weak. I think this is my problem rather than gas. I removed the

You prefer a strong solid "blue" spark verses a week yellow or orange
one.

sheet metal that covers the flywheel. DOES THIS THING HAVE POINTS??? If
so, I can't find them. The spark plug wire comes out of a black thingie
that I can't seem to get into. Is this a magneto? (I don't understand
magnetoes.)

No point's. With sand paper, clean (lightly sand) the magnets of the
side of the flywheel to remove any rust or film build-up. See if this
improves the spark test. Make sure the wire is snug on the plug when
attached. Also sand the metal portion (adjacent the fly wheel) of that
black thingy so when the fly wheel rotates there is good contact.

If the card checks out and is cleaned as mentioned it could be the
black thingy needs replaced....but my first guess is the carb jets,
etc.

The thing that really worries me is that coming out of this black
thingie (magneto?) is a blue wire that hangs down on the outside of the
motor and doesn't connect to anything, and there's a red wire that comes
up from inside the motor case, comes up close to the black thingie
(magneto?) and DOESN'T CONNECT TO ANYTHING. Should either or both of
these wires be connected to something???

Can you determine if something is missing. I don't recall older
engines having and off and on switch.

Oren