My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

I know this can really be a PITA with lawn mowers.

Perhaps a new plug might help you. The plug that is in there might be
really fouled up, and in bad shape. Fresh gasoline wouldn't hurt either.

Do you notice a smell of gasoline when trying to start it after so many
pulls? If so, you're more than likely flooding the engine. If not, then
perhaps you're not getting enough fuel delivery for start up. Many lawn
mowers nowadays have rubber priming bulbs near the carburetor, and these
need to be pushed 3-6 times before trying to start to prime the
carburetor.

If the problem still persists after fresh gas, and a new plug, then the
last option is buy yourself a spray can of Starting Fluid (Ether).
While this isn't the best thing to use on gas engines, a short squirt
into the Carb after removing, and re-installing the carb filter will
most likely get it up, and running lickety split with a pull, or two.
Mark

remove plug, pour a little gasoline in hole replace plug try starting.

it may start fine after a few pulls and might even run great.

chances are its a carbuerator problem

wrote:
remove plug, pour a little gasoline in hole replace plug try starting.

it may start fine after a few pulls and might even run great.

chances are its a carbuerator problem

Your lawnmower is fine but you need a shoulder replacement every spring.

"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in
oups.com:

My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?


If it's just a basic no feature mower, having someone else service it
could cost more than it's worth.

You need to determing first if it is getting spark and gas.

Prime or choke as usual, gas on full as usual then give it a bunch of
pulls. Take the plug out and see if it is wet.

If not wet: it's not getting gas. Take a straw and dip it in gas enough
to fill at least half way. Put finger over the end so it will hold the
gas when you remove the straw. Dump that gas right in the cylinder hole
where the plug goes. Put the plug back in and try to start it. Does it
kick or start for just a short period and stop?

If it is wet: then (for now) clean the plug with fine sandpaper. The gap
is what needs to be really clean. Was it ugly to start with? Connect the
wire to the top of the plug while it is out of the machine. Hold the
metal exterior base where you put the socket on to remove it against an
unpainted area of the engine. Use insulated handle pliers or you will get
zapped. Have a bud pull the starter one or two times. It will pull very
easlily with the plug out of the machine. You should see a small blue
spark in the plug gap. If you don't see spark then need to check if the
plug, coil wire or coil is NG.

If the plug was wet and you are getting spark, take the air filter off.
It's either made of paper or foam on the inside. Is it loaded up with
crud? Try and start it without the filter. If it starts and runs then
fine but don't use the machine without it on. You'll really clog up the
carb.

If you got the machine to run with the above, go get a new plug and air
filter. Take both with you. The new plug needs to be gapped before it is
installed. If the new air filter is foam, they usually recommend you
cover it in motor oil then squeeze out as much as possible. Also change
the oil.

There are other possibilities like water got into gas, gas cap vent
blocked, etc but the above will at least get you started with some
direction.

"Al Bundy" wrote in message
There are other possibilities like water got into gas, gas cap vent
blocked, etc but the above will at least get you started with some
direction.

Still another possibility is that the motor is plain worn out after 5 years.
Lack of compression can cause similar problems. I got rid of a mower for
that reason. The guy that took it still has the same problem, but is more
willing to pull the rope 30 or more times while my John Deere starts on the
first pull. (Kawasaki engine)

It's a Scott Self Propelled Easy Start 6.25 HP somewhat
fancy for me.

I do smell gas when pulling, and it says to prime 3 times
and I prime 10, so I must be flooding. You know, if
three's good, isn't ten better? NO!

If reducing priming doesn't work, I will clean the spark
plug and be sure gas is getting through the line. I admit
I am very close to buying the starter spray.

I bet it's operator error!


Al Bundy wrote:
"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in
oups.com:

My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?


If it's just a basic no feature mower, having someone else service it
could cost more than it's worth.

You need to determing first if it is getting spark and gas.

Prime or choke as usual, gas on full as usual then give it a bunch of
pulls. Take the plug out and see if it is wet.

If not wet: it's not getting gas. Take a straw and dip it in gas enough
to fill at least half way. Put finger over the end so it will hold the
gas when you remove the straw. Dump that gas right in the cylinder hole
where the plug goes. Put the plug back in and try to start it. Does it
kick or start for just a short period and stop?

If it is wet: then (for now) clean the plug with fine sandpaper. The gap
is what needs to be really clean. Was it ugly to start with? Connect the
wire to the top of the plug while it is out of the machine. Hold the
metal exterior base where you put the socket on to remove it against an
unpainted area of the engine. Use insulated handle pliers or you will get
zapped. Have a bud pull the starter one or two times. It will pull very
easlily with the plug out of the machine. You should see a small blue
spark in the plug gap. If you don't see spark then need to check if the
plug, coil wire or coil is NG.

If the plug was wet and you are getting spark, take the air filter off.
It's either made of paper or foam on the inside. Is it loaded up with
crud? Try and start it without the filter. If it starts and runs then
fine but don't use the machine without it on. You'll really clog up the
carb.

If you got the machine to run with the above, go get a new plug and air
filter. Take both with you. The new plug needs to be gapped before it is
installed. If the new air filter is foam, they usually recommend you
cover it in motor oil then squeeze out as much as possible. Also change
the oil.

There are other possibilities like water got into gas, gas cap vent
blocked, etc but the above will at least get you started with some
direction.

tmurf.1 wrote:

wrote:
remove plug, pour a little gasoline in hole replace plug try starting.
it may start fine after a few pulls and might even run great.
chances are its a carbuerator problem

Your lawnmower is fine but you need a shoulder replacement every spring.

LOL

Try using a push reel mower instead.

I bet it's operator error!

not if you were using it without trouble for the last 5 years

MRS. CLEAN wrote:

My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

If it's a Briggs & Stratton the carburetor is probably fouled
with "varnish" from the gasoline.

A quick fix to get it started is to spray some cleaner in the
throat of the carburetor. B & S sells their own brand, but others
will work, too.

For a longer term fix, pour about half a can of automotive carburetor
cleaner in the tank and run it out.

JMHO. HTH.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

Good advice in AL Bundy's post, I would just add, if the mower is 5
years old and you have never serviced it in any way, go ahead and
replace the plug, air filter, and change the oil; At 5 years this
should be done whether you test them or not.

--
No dumb questions, just dumb answers.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore, Maryland -

"MRS. CLEAN" wrote:

My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

Check out the choke mechanism to see that it is free to move. Sometimes they get stuck, and when
they get stuck open, the symptoms that you have described occur.

wrote:
Try using a push reel mower instead.

Right. You'll get a better balance workout that way.

R

On 22 Oct 2006 08:26:41 -0700, "MRS. CLEAN"
wrote:

It's a Scott Self Propelled Easy Start 6.25 HP somewhat
fancy for me.

I do smell gas when pulling, and it says to prime 3 times
and I prime 10, so I must be flooding. You know, if
three's good, isn't ten better? NO!

If reducing priming doesn't work, I will clean the spark
plug and be sure gas is getting through the line. I admit
I am very close to buying the starter spray.

I bet it's operator error!

I have two mowers. Depending on the weather one or both won't start
without a starter spray. After that, they run fine and don't need
starter spray to restart unless they've been sitting for a few hours.

It's only 1.19 a can or so at authoparts stores. If you have a
choice, get the one with "upper cylinder lubricant", but I don't think
it makes much difference.

Starter spray doesn't go bad and the nozzle doesn't get clogged. One
can lasts me for 5 or 10 years. I guess it's conceibable that the can
could leak so store it outside, I guess.

Al Bundy wrote:
"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in
oups.com:

My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?


If it's just a basic no feature mower, having someone else service it
could cost more than it's worth.

You need to determing first if it is getting spark and gas.

Prime or choke as usual, gas on full as usual then give it a bunch of
pulls. Take the plug out and see if it is wet.

If not wet: it's not getting gas. Take a straw and dip it in gas enough
to fill at least half way. Put finger over the end so it will hold the
gas when you remove the straw. Dump that gas right in the cylinder hole
where the plug goes. Put the plug back in and try to start it. Does it
kick or start for just a short period and stop?

If it is wet: then (for now) clean the plug with fine sandpaper. The gap
is what needs to be really clean. Was it ugly to start with? Connect the
wire to the top of the plug while it is out of the machine. Hold the
metal exterior base where you put the socket on to remove it against an
unpainted area of the engine. Use insulated handle pliers or you will get
zapped. Have a bud pull the starter one or two times. It will pull very
easlily with the plug out of the machine. You should see a small blue
spark in the plug gap. If you don't see spark then need to check if the
plug, coil wire or coil is NG.

If the plug was wet and you are getting spark, take the air filter off.
It's either made of paper or foam on the inside. Is it loaded up with
crud? Try and start it without the filter. If it starts and runs then
fine but don't use the machine without it on. You'll really clog up the
carb.

If you got the machine to run with the above, go get a new plug and air
filter. Take both with you. The new plug needs to be gapped before it is
installed. If the new air filter is foam, they usually recommend you
cover it in motor oil then squeeze out as much as possible. Also change
the oil.

There are other possibilities like water got into gas, gas cap vent
blocked, etc but the above will at least get you started with some
direction.

If you do change the, either have some one with
experience do it or use a torque wrench. The
cylinder head is aluminum and the treads are easily
stripped.


MRS. CLEAN wrote:
It's a Scott Self Propelled Easy Start 6.25 HP somewhat
fancy for me.

I do smell gas when pulling, and it says to prime 3 times
and I prime 10, so I must be flooding. You know, if
three's good, isn't ten better? NO!

If reducing priming doesn't work, I will clean the spark
plug and be sure gas is getting through the line. I admit
I am very close to buying the starter spray.

I bet it's operator error!


Al Bundy wrote:
"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in
oups.com:

My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?


If it's just a basic no feature mower, having someone else service it
could cost more than it's worth.

You need to determing first if it is getting spark and gas.

Prime or choke as usual, gas on full as usual then give it a bunch of
pulls. Take the plug out and see if it is wet.

If not wet: it's not getting gas. Take a straw and dip it in gas enough
to fill at least half way. Put finger over the end so it will hold the
gas when you remove the straw. Dump that gas right in the cylinder hole
where the plug goes. Put the plug back in and try to start it. Does it
kick or start for just a short period and stop?

If it is wet: then (for now) clean the plug with fine sandpaper. The gap
is what needs to be really clean. Was it ugly to start with? Connect the
wire to the top of the plug while it is out of the machine. Hold the
metal exterior base where you put the socket on to remove it against an
unpainted area of the engine. Use insulated handle pliers or you will get
zapped. Have a bud pull the starter one or two times. It will pull very
easlily with the plug out of the machine. You should see a small blue
spark in the plug gap. If you don't see spark then need to check if the
plug, coil wire or coil is NG.

If the plug was wet and you are getting spark, take the air filter off.
It's either made of paper or foam on the inside. Is it loaded up with
crud? Try and start it without the filter. If it starts and runs then
fine but don't use the machine without it on. You'll really clog up the
carb.

If you got the machine to run with the above, go get a new plug and air
filter. Take both with you. The new plug needs to be gapped before it is
installed. If the new air filter is foam, they usually recommend you
cover it in motor oil then squeeze out as much as possible. Also change
the oil.

There are other possibilities like water got into gas, gas cap vent
blocked, etc but the above will at least get you started with some
direction.

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

after 5 years clean or replace the air filter and spark plug.

follow the owners manual about starting , more is not better in some
cases.

check service costs, in my area they often run a tuneup special , in
spring for lawn mowers and in fall for snowthrowers. Usually around $30.

Why oh why do people not regularly service small power equipment??????
Do you drive your car for 5 years with no service? A gas engine is a
gas engine, regardless of size. On the bright side, it's a great way to
make money. Take a "broken" lawn mower/weedeater/whatever out of the
garbage, buy 20$ worth of parts, resell for two to three times as much.

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
It's a Scott Self Propelled Easy Start 6.25 HP somewhat
fancy for me.

I do smell gas when pulling, and it says to prime 3 times
and I prime 10, so I must be flooding. You know, if
three's good, isn't ten better? NO!

If reducing priming doesn't work, I will clean the spark
plug and be sure gas is getting through the line. I admit
I am very close to buying the starter spray.

I bet it's operator error!


Al Bundy wrote:
"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in
oups.com:

My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?


If it's just a basic no feature mower, having someone else service it
could cost more than it's worth.

You need to determing first if it is getting spark and gas.

Prime or choke as usual, gas on full as usual then give it a bunch of
pulls. Take the plug out and see if it is wet.

If not wet: it's not getting gas. Take a straw and dip it in gas enough
to fill at least half way. Put finger over the end so it will hold the
gas when you remove the straw. Dump that gas right in the cylinder hole
where the plug goes. Put the plug back in and try to start it. Does it
kick or start for just a short period and stop?

If it is wet: then (for now) clean the plug with fine sandpaper. The gap
is what needs to be really clean. Was it ugly to start with? Connect the
wire to the top of the plug while it is out of the machine. Hold the
metal exterior base where you put the socket on to remove it against an
unpainted area of the engine. Use insulated handle pliers or you will get
zapped. Have a bud pull the starter one or two times. It will pull very
easlily with the plug out of the machine. You should see a small blue
spark in the plug gap. If you don't see spark then need to check if the
plug, coil wire or coil is NG.

If the plug was wet and you are getting spark, take the air filter off.
It's either made of paper or foam on the inside. Is it loaded up with
crud? Try and start it without the filter. If it starts and runs then
fine but don't use the machine without it on. You'll really clog up the
carb.

If you got the machine to run with the above, go get a new plug and air
filter. Take both with you. The new plug needs to be gapped before it is
installed. If the new air filter is foam, they usually recommend you
cover it in motor oil then squeeze out as much as possible. Also change
the oil.

There are other possibilities like water got into gas, gas cap vent
blocked, etc but the above will at least get you started with some
direction.

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

Actually I suspect it is turning over with each pull, it just does not
fire or start. :-)

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On 22 Oct 2006 16:59:22 -0700, "Rain" wrote:

Why oh why do people not regularly service small power equipment??????
Do you drive your car for 5 years with no service? A gas engine is a
gas engine, regardless of size. On the bright side, it's a great way to
make money. Take a "broken" lawn mower/weedeater/whatever out of the
garbage, buy 20$ worth of parts, resell for two to three times as much.


I remember someone doing that with TVs. Buying used sets that really
just needed a new fuse, and reselling them.

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
It's a Scott Self Propelled Easy Start 6.25 HP somewhat
fancy for me.

I do smell gas when pulling, and it says to prime 3 times
and I prime 10, so I must be flooding. You know, if
three's good, isn't ten better? NO!

If reducing priming doesn't work, I will clean the spark
plug and be sure gas is getting through the line. I admit
I am very close to buying the starter spray.

I bet it's operator error!


Al Bundy wrote:
"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in
oups.com:

My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?


If it's just a basic no feature mower, having someone else service it
could cost more than it's worth.

You need to determing first if it is getting spark and gas.

Prime or choke as usual, gas on full as usual then give it a bunch of
pulls. Take the plug out and see if it is wet.

If not wet: it's not getting gas. Take a straw and dip it in gas enough
to fill at least half way. Put finger over the end so it will hold the
gas when you remove the straw. Dump that gas right in the cylinder hole
where the plug goes. Put the plug back in and try to start it. Does it
kick or start for just a short period and stop?

If it is wet: then (for now) clean the plug with fine sandpaper. The gap
is what needs to be really clean. Was it ugly to start with? Connect the
wire to the top of the plug while it is out of the machine. Hold the
metal exterior base where you put the socket on to remove it against an
unpainted area of the engine. Use insulated handle pliers or you will get
zapped. Have a bud pull the starter one or two times. It will pull very
easlily with the plug out of the machine. You should see a small blue
spark in the plug gap. If you don't see spark then need to check if the
plug, coil wire or coil is NG.

If the plug was wet and you are getting spark, take the air filter off.
It's either made of paper or foam on the inside. Is it loaded up with
crud? Try and start it without the filter. If it starts and runs then
fine but don't use the machine without it on. You'll really clog up the
carb.

If you got the machine to run with the above, go get a new plug and air
filter. Take both with you. The new plug needs to be gapped before it is
installed. If the new air filter is foam, they usually recommend you
cover it in motor oil then squeeze out as much as possible. Also change
the oil.

There are other possibilities like water got into gas, gas cap vent
blocked, etc but the above will at least get you started with some
direction.

Out of all these ideas IMHO, only one person gave you the right answer.

You alluded to the correct answer yourself when you mentioned that you
never drained the gas from the prior year.

When gas is left in the carburetor (regardless of the brand of small or
large engine) for a long time, it begins to evaporate, leaving
"varnish" behind which plugs up all those little holes in the
carburetor that need to be open for the correct air/fuel mixture to get
to the engine for both starting and running. It is VERY likely that
your carburetor is nicely plugged up. You may get it working with carb
cleaner however it's more likely that you will need to remove the carb
and clean it thoroughly.

Changing the spark plug after five years wouldn't hurt anything, but
unless it appears worn it's probably not needed. These little engines
are pretty tough, but do yourself a favor and change the oil
frequently, change the plug every few years and ALWAYS drain the gas if
you're not going to use it fr the next few months. If you don't want to
drain the gas, you can use a product called "StaBil" that is designed
to stabilize the fuel. It's also not a bad idea to spray an oil fog
into the cylinder prior to putting it up for the winter. Of course, do
that only if you really want the engine to last for a very long time.

-Jeff

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

On 22 Oct 2006 06:33:09 -0700, "
wrote:

remove plug, pour a little gasoline in hole replace plug try starting.

it may start fine after a few pulls and might even run great.

chances are its a carbuerator problem


I had a similar problem with my weed whacker. The final solution was
I had too low a mixture ratio two stroke engine oil.

It is likely that you've got water in the bottom of the gas tank. The
same dew that you find on the lawn in the morning gets into the gas tank
and settles to the bottom of the tank (as it's heavier than gas).
As others have suggested, drain the tank thoroughly, and then put it out
in the sun to evaporate any water that remains.

Refill it to the top after each use, thus allowing less room for dew
to get into the tank.

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.
How about take it to a mower repair shop?

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in message
oups.com...
My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

Should turn over, unless there is large ammounts of water in the
cylinder itself. Might not start and run, but it should turn over.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Bennett Price" wrote in message
. com...
It is likely that you've got water in the bottom of the gas tank. The
same dew that you find on the lawn in the morning gets into the gas
tank
and settles to the bottom of the tank (as it's heavier than gas).
As others have suggested, drain the tank thoroughly, and then put it
out
in the sun to evaporate any water that remains.

Refill it to the top after each use, thus allowing less room for dew
to get into the tank.

MRS. CLEAN wrote:
My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

If I can't DIM, I'll replace it with an electric.

There's not much lawn to mow.


Stormin Mormon wrote:
In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.
How about take it to a mower repair shop?

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
.

"MRS. CLEAN" wrote in message
oups.com...
My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

Thanks, everyone.

I primed it only three times and it started on the third pull.

I was flooding the engine.


MRS. CLEAN wrote:
My gas mower doesn't turn over without 100 pulls.

It's 5 years old never tuned or anything. Plus, I never drained out
the gas because I use it over the winter.

Do you think it's the spark plugs?

What can I do to remedy this pain in the butt and arm?

Can I service it myself?

In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:
In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.
^^^^^^
How about take it to a mower repair shop?


"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

Thanks

David

David Combs wrote:
In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:

In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.

^^^^^^

How about take it to a mower repair shop?



"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

Thanks

David


yes, it is trying to "run" backwards, and the recoil/overrun
clutch/whatever you want to call it only works in the forward direction.
Probably due to ignition timing being a little advanced. Not sure how
that could have happened however as on most lawnmower engines timing is
fixed by the position of the magnets on the flywheel, and if the little
key shears (as it does when you hit a big freakin' rock) it will retard
the timing, not advance it.

nate


--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

In article ,
(David Combs) wrote:

In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:
In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.
^^^^^^
How about take it to a mower repair shop?


"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that
ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

The engine firing before top dead center

--
Free men own guns - www.geocities/CapitolHill/5357/

On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 00:59:41 +0000 (UTC), (David
Combs) wrote:

In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:
In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.

It's remarkable how many people don't know that anymore. I read a
Yahooo auto list some times, and people misuse "turn over" and "crank"
to mean start.

So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.
^^^^^^
How about take it to a mower repair shop?


"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is it yanking back or just stopping you from pulling out the roope
further. If you're pulling hard, I think that could feel like it is
yanking back.

Do you hear any ignition? If not, you're engine is not running
forwards or backwards. I really doubt that your engine is running
backwards.

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

On a recoil starter, like any small aengine with a rope has, ';recoil
" refers to the rope being recoiled, to the rope being pulled back in
after one has pulled it out all the way. Recoil is normal.

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

Thanks

David

Nate Nagel wrote:
David Combs wrote:
In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:

In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.

^^^^^^

How about take it to a mower repair shop?



"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

Thanks

David


yes, it is trying to "run" backwards, and the recoil/overrun
clutch/whatever you want to call it only works in the forward direction.
Probably due to ignition timing being a little advanced. Not sure how
that could have happened however as on most lawnmower engines timing is
fixed by the position of the magnets on the flywheel, and if the little
key shears (as it does when you hit a big freakin' rock) it will retard
the timing, not advance it.

nate


--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Flywheel key shear from stopping the engine suddenly advances the
timing.

Dave

wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote:
David Combs wrote:
In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:

In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.

^^^^^^

How about take it to a mower repair shop?



"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

Thanks

David


yes, it is trying to "run" backwards, and the recoil/overrun
clutch/whatever you want to call it only works in the forward direction.
Probably due to ignition timing being a little advanced. Not sure how
that could have happened however as on most lawnmower engines timing is
fixed by the position of the magnets on the flywheel, and if the little
key shears (as it does when you hit a big freakin' rock) it will retard
the timing, not advance it.

nate


--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Flywheel key shear from stopping the engine suddenly advances the
timing.

Y'know, you're right, I wasn't thinking clearly when I posted the
above.

Does anyone sell offset shear keys so I can hop-up my Tecumseh? G

nate

(filling up lawnmower at the airport)

Sounds like a sheared flywheel key.
"David Combs" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:
In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.
^^^^^^
How about take it to a mower repair shop?


"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that
ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

Thanks

David

"John Lawrence" wrote in message
...
Sounds like a sheared flywheel key.
"David Combs" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:
In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of mechanism.
^^^^^^
How about take it to a mower repair shop?


"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that
ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

Thanks

David


Some Briggs and Stratton engines have a slight ramp on the camshaft to hold
one of the valves slightly open and partially relieve the compression during
starting. Some have automatic flyweights on the camshaft for this purpose.
If the release malfunctions or the valve clearance is to great it will cause
this problem. I have a 8Hp that was nearly impossible to start because
someone decided to increase the valve clearance. These engines often show
little compression when pulling the starter cord if everything is right.

Don Young

"N8N" wrote in message
oups.com...

wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote:
David Combs wrote:
In article ,
Stormin Mormon wrote:

In the automotive world to "turn over" is to rotate the crankshaft.
So, if it doesn't turn over in 100 pulls, you have a problem with the
recoil mechanism. Different brands have different styles of
mechanism.

^^^^^^

How about take it to a mower repair shop?



"Recoil":

Mine starts ok (well, once I had to prime with that
ether-or-whatever-its-called
spray-can stuff), but sometimes I'm halfway through a "rope pull" and
the machine suddenly tries to yank the rope back into the machine.

It yanks back HARD!

Is this the kind of "recoil" you mentioned?

Any idea what might be causing this PITA action?

Thanks

David


yes, it is trying to "run" backwards, and the recoil/overrun
clutch/whatever you want to call it only works in the forward
direction.
Probably due to ignition timing being a little advanced. Not sure
how
that could have happened however as on most lawnmower engines timing is
fixed by the position of the magnets on the flywheel, and if the little
key shears (as it does when you hit a big freakin' rock) it will retard
the timing, not advance it.

nate


--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Flywheel key shear from stopping the engine suddenly advances the
timing.

Y'know, you're right, I wasn't thinking clearly when I posted the
above.

Does anyone sell offset shear keys so I can hop-up my Tecumseh? G

nate

(filling up lawnmower at the airport)

Actually they do. I don't recall just which ones, but some engines normally
use offset keys. Check at a motor shop. Or buy a thicker one and file it
offset.

Don Young