This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month. I check the oil dipstick, it's full. I'd check the gas, it's full. I
check the spark plug for sparks, it sparks. I'd remove the spark plug
and check for gas and I smell gas - plus a bit of moisture. The air filter
has been missing for months.

It doesn't have the extra "dead man" safety handle, or does it? I
do notice a dangling loose wire running from the coil into the brake
cable mechanism. I don't know where it actually goes or if it's
necessary. What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?

Thanks

On Mon, 7 Mar 2005 20:22:06 -0800, Tim Zimmerman wrote
(in message ):

This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month. I check the oil dipstick, it's full. I'd check the gas, it's full. I
check the spark plug for sparks, it sparks. I'd remove the spark plug
and check for gas and I smell gas - plus a bit of moisture. The air filter
has been missing for months.

Your gas is contaminated; dump it and put in fresh. If you have spark, then,
no, you don't have another deadman switch (that works). DO NOT continue to
operate without an air filter as you will suck enough dirt into the motor
ruin it in short order if you haven't already. If it is a Briggs & Stratton
engine check compression by spinning the engine backwards (by turning the
flywheel by hand, NOT THE BLADE). If the flywheel comes up on compression
going backwards and 'bounces' forward, then there is enough compression to
run. If you have a Tequmseh (sp?) or Honda engine take it to the dealer.
Hope this helps.

you can also see if it will start with a squirt of ether (starting fluid)
"Roger Hull" wrote in message
s.net...
On Mon, 7 Mar 2005 20:22:06 -0800, Tim Zimmerman wrote
(in message ):

This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month. I check the oil dipstick, it's full. I'd check the gas, it's
full. I
check the spark plug for sparks, it sparks. I'd remove the spark plug
and check for gas and I smell gas - plus a bit of moisture. The air
filter
has been missing for months.

Your gas is contaminated; dump it and put in fresh. If you have spark,
then,
no, you don't have another deadman switch (that works). DO NOT continue to
operate without an air filter as you will suck enough dirt into the motor
ruin it in short order if you haven't already. If it is a Briggs &
Stratton
engine check compression by spinning the engine backwards (by turning the
flywheel by hand, NOT THE BLADE). If the flywheel comes up on compression
going backwards and 'bounces' forward, then there is enough compression to
run. If you have a Tequmseh (sp?) or Honda engine take it to the dealer.
Hope this helps.

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
m...
This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month. I check the oil dipstick, it's full. I'd check the gas, it's full.
I
check the spark plug for sparks, it sparks. I'd remove the spark plug
and check for gas and I smell gas - plus a bit of moisture. The air filter
has been missing for months.

It doesn't have the extra "dead man" safety handle, or does it? I
do notice a dangling loose wire running from the coil into the brake
cable mechanism. I don't know where it actually goes or if it's
necessary. What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?


I'd check to make sure one of the valves hasn't gotten stuck open--very
common where you have left them outside with no air cleaner......you can
easily tell if this is the case if it "puffs" air back out of the carburetor
on the compression stroke......

Usually, you can spray some wd-40 into the intake port and then stick a
screwdriver into the plug hole and up against the stuck valve, gently
tapping it back down with a small hammer while slowly turning the engine
over by hand in order to free it back up.

--

SVL

Dump the gas, put some fresh one in.

Do usual maintanence: buy new air filter + spark plug+ oil

Get starting fluid $.99 and try staring it again...

Brian

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
m...
This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month. I check the oil dipstick, it's full. I'd check the gas, it's full.
I
check the spark plug for sparks, it sparks. I'd remove the spark plug
and check for gas and I smell gas - plus a bit of moisture. The air filter
has been missing for months.

It doesn't have the extra "dead man" safety handle, or does it? I
do notice a dangling loose wire running from the coil into the brake
cable mechanism. I don't know where it actually goes or if it's
necessary. What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?

Thanks









Just because you see a spark doesn't mean you are getting one "under
compression" .... I would replace the plug and dump the gas as a good place
to start....good luck, Ross

Another technique that works is to use a propane torch (unlit). Direct the
gas from the torch into the carb and pull the starter cord. The engine will
start on the propane and you can see if it will then run on the gas in the
tank by just removing the torch. I wouldn't try this on two-stroke engines
because there is no oil in the propane, but it works really well for
four-strokes.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"william_b_noble" wrote in message
news:1110264728.8479760e8d57d83c2b57e0aa3c65a5ed@t eranews...
you can also see if it will start with a squirt of ether (starting fluid)
"Roger Hull" wrote in message
s.net...
On Mon, 7 Mar 2005 20:22:06 -0800, Tim Zimmerman wrote
(in message ):

This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month. I check the oil dipstick, it's full. I'd check the gas, it's
full. I
check the spark plug for sparks, it sparks. I'd remove the spark plug
and check for gas and I smell gas - plus a bit of moisture. The air
filter
has been missing for months.

Your gas is contaminated; dump it and put in fresh. If you have spark,
then,
no, you don't have another deadman switch (that works). DO NOT continue
to
operate without an air filter as you will suck enough dirt into the
motor
ruin it in short order if you haven't already. If it is a Briggs &
Stratton
engine check compression by spinning the engine backwards (by turning
the
flywheel by hand, NOT THE BLADE). If the flywheel comes up on
compression
going backwards and 'bounces' forward, then there is enough compression
to
run. If you have a Tequmseh (sp?) or Honda engine take it to the dealer.
Hope this helps.

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 04:22:06 GMT, "Tim Zimmerman"
wrote:

This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month. I check the oil dipstick, it's full. I'd check the gas, it's full. I
check the spark plug for sparks, it sparks. I'd remove the spark plug
and check for gas and I smell gas - plus a bit of moisture. The air filter
has been missing for months.

It doesn't have the extra "dead man" safety handle, or does it? I
do notice a dangling loose wire running from the coil into the brake
cable mechanism. I don't know where it actually goes or if it's
necessary. What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?

Thanks








That moisture is a good way to prevent starting. It doesn't take much
in a cold engine tp prevent starting. Try fresh gas. And a new filter
would be a great idea. Unless the air around the mower is pristine.
ERS

Bob Chilcoat wrote:

Another technique that works is to use a propane torch (unlit). Direct the
gas from the torch into the carb and pull the starter cord. The engine will
start on the propane and you can see if it will then run on the gas in the
tank by just removing the torch. I wouldn't try this on two-stroke engines
because there is no oil in the propane, but it works really well for
four-strokes.

....

The time it's running on a little non-mixed fuel will be unlikely to
make much difference at all...keeping a can of starter fluid on hand for
such useage is always worthwhile..

"PrecisionMachinisT" wrote: I'd check to make sure one of the valves hasn't
gotten stuck open (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
As an aside, my small genset came with instructions that warned about that.
They suggested always pulling the rope up onto the compression stroke when
putting it away. That way you know the valves are closed, so they will be
lifted by the cams the next time you try to start it. Seems like a good
idea to me.

Tim Zimmerman wrote:
This Craftsman mower won't start ... The air filter
has been missing for months.
....

Did it ever run without the filter? Some engines require the
restriction from the filter to get the proper air flow and won't run
without it. I can't recall if I've seen this on Craftsman engines.
Bob

Bob Engelhardt wrote:
Tim Zimmerman wrote:
This Craftsman mower won't start ... The air filter
has been missing for months.
...

Did it ever run without the filter? Some engines require the
restriction from the filter to get the proper air flow and won't run
without it. I can't recall if I've seen this on Craftsman engines.
Bob

Thanks for the laugh Bob. That was a good one.

Al Bundy wrote:
Thanks for the laugh Bob. That was a good one.

No, seriously. I used to bring home mowers from the dump, get them
running, and sell them. I had mowers that wouldn't run without the
filter. By "proper air flow" I didn't mean sufficient air flow, but
correct air flow. I think that I read an explanation of this somewhere,
but can't remember the logic. My memory is full and new stuff pushes
out the old to make room. G

Bob

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Al Bundy wrote:
Thanks for the laugh Bob. That was a good one.

No, seriously. I used to bring home mowers from the dump, get them
running, and sell them. I had mowers that wouldn't run without the
filter. By "proper air flow" I didn't mean sufficient air flow, but
correct air flow. I think that I read an explanation of this somewhere,
but can't remember the logic. My memory is full and new stuff pushes out
the old to make room. G

Bob

Most of the "classic" Briggs and statton engine suction carburetors (mounted
on the tank) will flood badly if trying to start without the air cleaner
bolt installed. It might start but wont stay running.

I've also repaired enough small engines from dumps to assume that everything
needs to be checked before starting.

http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/lmfaq.htm

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"PrecisionMachinisT" wrote: I'd check to make sure one of the valves
hasn't
gotten stuck open (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
As an aside, my small genset came with instructions that warned about
that.
They suggested always pulling the rope up onto the compression stroke when
putting it away. That way you know the valves are closed, so they will be
lifted by the cams the next time you try to start it. Seems like a good
idea to me.


You tap on the valve when the cam lobe is away and it usually suddenly
closes under spring pressure--really no big deal once you know what the
problem is.

--

SVL

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 00:09:40 -0800, "PrecisionMachinisT"
wrote:


"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
om...
This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month. I check the oil dipstick, it's full. I'd check the gas, it's full.
I
check the spark plug for sparks, it sparks. I'd remove the spark plug
and check for gas and I smell gas - plus a bit of moisture. The air filter
has been missing for months.

It doesn't have the extra "dead man" safety handle, or does it? I
do notice a dangling loose wire running from the coil into the brake
cable mechanism. I don't know where it actually goes or if it's
necessary. What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?


I'd check to make sure one of the valves hasn't gotten stuck open--very
common where you have left them outside with no air cleaner......you can
easily tell if this is the case if it "puffs" air back out of the carburetor
on the compression stroke......

Usually, you can spray some wd-40 into the intake port and then stick a
screwdriver into the plug hole and up against the stuck valve, gently
tapping it back down with a small hammer while slowly turning the engine
over by hand in order to free it back up.

There's a nugget worth noting!

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote

This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month...What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?

Hi,
Got it started. Turns out ether worked, as suggested. Thanks all. But, new
problems came up. Let's see if someone can pick one to solve.

1) It won't run when pushed.
The end of the loose dangling wire mentioned earlier is giving out sparks,
this could be the problem. As long as I don't push it the mower will run
for 20 minutes then shut-down.

2) It won't start without ether.
This is the reason why the air filter was thrown out in the first place since it
ran fine without it, or doesn't it? I will look for a new filter box. I even dump
out the old debris collecting gas when overhauling the carb.

3) Flywheel bearing seizes after 30-secs.
I lube the one-way bearing with no luck. I will replace the bearing but
not sure how. In order to keep the mower running I would have to
remove the cover with the reel ( labeled Briggs & Stratton) or otherwise
it will screech to a halt.

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Al Bundy wrote:
Thanks for the laugh Bob. That was a good one.

No, seriously. I used to bring home mowers from the dump, get them
running, and sell them. I had mowers that wouldn't run without the
filter. By "proper air flow" I didn't mean sufficient air flow, but
correct air flow. I think that I read an explanation of this somewhere,
but can't remember the logic. My memory is full and new stuff pushes
out the old to make room. G

Bob

Some use the pressure drop to pull the fuel up from the tank!
Pat

Without the air filter, the mixture is too lean. You can sometimes get em
going with a squirt of ether, which riches up the mix.

A friend of mine's tractor was like that. Had an oil bath air filter.
Without it, it would run with the choke pulled partly closed, but would
stall out with choke opened.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Al Bundy wrote:
Thanks for the laugh Bob. That was a good one.

No, seriously. I used to bring home mowers from the dump, get them
running, and sell them. I had mowers that wouldn't run without the
filter. By "proper air flow" I didn't mean sufficient air flow, but
correct air flow. I think that I read an explanation of this somewhere,
but can't remember the logic. My memory is full and new stuff pushes
out the old to make room. G

Bob

I had a neighbor down the street. well, he's still down the street. Had a
Craftsman lawn mower, with the Tec engine. Air filter missing. I spent some
time getting it to run, and put on an air filter. Ran fine when I brought it
back to him. The next time he brought it up to me, the air filter was
missing. So, I put another one on, this time with a hose clamp. And told him
how important it is to keep the air filter on. He brought it back the next
time, with the air filter missing, and I refused to work on it.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Tim Zimmerman wrote:
This Craftsman mower won't start ... The air filter
has been missing for months.
....

Did it ever run without the filter? Some engines require the
restriction from the filter to get the proper air flow and won't run
without it. I can't recall if I've seen this on Craftsman engines.
Bob

This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month...What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?

Hi,
Got it started. Turns out ether worked, as suggested. Thanks all. But, new
problems came up. Let's see if someone can pick one to solve.

1) It won't run when pushed.
CY: Hmm. You mean not enough power to cut lawn?


The end of the loose dangling wire mentioned earlier is giving out sparks,
this could be the problem. As long as I don't push it the mower will run
for 20 minutes then shut-down.
CY: That gets me thinking. Wonder if that's the wire that is supposed to
shut down the motor when you turn it off?


2) It won't start without ether.
This is the reason why the air filter was thrown out in the first place
since it
ran fine without it, or doesn't it?
CY: If it needs ether to start, then it likely would be even less likely to
start with the filter off.

I will look for a new filter box. I even dump
out the old debris collecting gas when overhauling the carb.
CY: New air filter is a good idea. New gas is also a good idea.


3) Flywheel bearing seizes after 30-secs.
I lube the one-way bearing with no luck. I will replace the bearing but
not sure how. In order to keep the mower running I would have to
remove the cover with the reel ( labeled Briggs & Stratton) or otherwise
it will screech to a halt.
CY: I kow what you mean, those ball clutch things. If you remove the motor
cover, sometimes you can get the clutch apart, and then use some solvent and
a towel to clean the crankshaft, and solvent and cotton swabs to clean
inside the square tube that slips over. Use a magnet to get all the ball
berrings out, put the tube back on, and put the ball berrings in.

Some engines wouldn't run start well even with the filter if it was one
of the foam ones that needed oiling and the things had gone dry. Chap
near me had the problem of his tecumseh mower not starting well so I
suggested he oil the filter and the problem went away.

Bob Engelhardt wrote:

Al Bundy wrote:

Thanks for the laugh Bob. That was a good one.


No, seriously. I used to bring home mowers from the dump, get them
running, and sell them. I had mowers that wouldn't run without the
filter. By "proper air flow" I didn't mean sufficient air flow, but
correct air flow. I think that I read an explanation of this
somewhere, but can't remember the logic. My memory is full and new
stuff pushes out the old to make room. G

Bob

In article ,
"Tim Zimmerman" wrote:

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote

This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month...What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?

Hi,
Got it started. Turns out ether worked, as suggested. Thanks all. But, new
problems came up. Let's see if someone can pick one to solve.

1) It won't run when pushed.
The end of the loose dangling wire mentioned earlier is giving out sparks,
this could be the problem. As long as I don't push it the mower will run
for 20 minutes then shut-down.

That dangling wire is likely your kill switch. You can remove the
blower housing easily enough and get a look at the ignition coil. That
wire ought to plug into a little tab on the side of the coil. If you're
missing the deadman brake assembly & control entirely, you can remove
that kill wire to avoid accidental shutdowns, but then you'll have to
kill the engine by shorting out the sparkplug with a screwdriver. You
could bolt a little strip of sheetmetal on top of the engine's head so
when you want to stop it you can step on it to push it into contact with
the plug. Not pretty, but works. Don';t use your bare hands to do it
though! (:
If you want to repair it properly, look at your flywheel brake
mechanism. You should notice a small wedge on the side of the brake
lever that will contact a little piece of metal when the brake applies
and will move out of contact. The bit of metal that's being contacted
should be mounted in a little chunk of plastic. Thread the wire's end
into that bit of metal and make sure it isn't touching anything beyond
that plastic insulating block. It should actually have a little clip to
hold the wide for you. Everywhere else secure the wire so it won't get
tugged on by anything or pulled into the flywheel.

2) It won't start without ether.
This is the reason why the air filter was thrown out in the first place since
it
ran fine without it, or doesn't it? I will look for a new filter box. I even
dump
out the old debris collecting gas when overhauling the carb.

Does your carb have a choke or primer bulb? Should it? And are you
using it? Some engines will have the primer bulb integrated into the
air filter housing, so if that's gone, so is your primer. If that's the
case then your carb's flange where the filter should bolt will have a
little pinhole on the side. Either get your hands on a filter mount or
rig up a choke plate that can cover up about 3/4 of the intake's
cross-section.
The filter is required since even a little bit of grit in the engine
will work it's way into the oil and lap all of your bearings to death.
If you haven't already, it's a very good idea to change your oil.
Avoid using starting fluid to restart the engine when it's hot. The
stuff evaporates so fast it'll cool down whatever it lands on and stress
it. I've seen a valve cracked off from that. A little squirt of gas
should work fine to start up without the danger.

3) Flywheel bearing seizes after 30-secs.
I lube the one-way bearing with no luck. I will replace the bearing but
not sure how. In order to keep the mower running I would have to
remove the cover with the reel ( labeled Briggs & Stratton) or otherwise
it will screech to a halt.

I think you're talking about the little square shaft poking out the
top with the one-way clutch in it. Your flywheel bearing is actually
the bearing in the engine block towards the flywheel side. If that is
seizing up, scrap the mower. But if it's just the starter on top of the
flywheel, you can fix it.
The square shaft is held in place by a flat metal disc which you can
pry off easily once you get everything out of the way. Do this with the
shaft pointed up because if you do it sideways for whatever reason
you'll lose the balls when they fall out.
It should be cleaned out completely--not a trace of rust or old
grease anywhere. Use emery cloth on the inside of the square shaft and
the round shaft it rides on. Then oil it with light oil--not grease.
There is probably a small spongy pad up inside. If it is, put a few
drops of oil on it. Engine oil is OK, but you might have to pull it
apart again next year. The balls and all surfaces they contact should
be clean and dry with no oil.
Also check the reel and cover to see if it's been mashed down any.
If it has it can also cause the bearing to seize and squeal.
If you need to replace it, remove the spark plug and stuff a length
of rope into the cylinder. Leave the end hanging out so you can pull it
out later. Rotate the engine backward until it stops due to the rope.
Now take some big-assed vise grips, channel-lock pliers, or whatever and
twist the cup (not the shaft!) backwards and it should screw off. You
can also use a hammer and punch on one side to break it loose. Take out
the rope. The new one just screws on hand-tight. It'll get nice and
snug the first time you pull the cord.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net
http://web2.airmail.net/thegoat4/

Tim Zimmerman wrote:
"Tim Zimmerman" wrote


This Craftsman mower won't start after I left covered outside for a
month...What are some steps I could do in order to get this
mower starting again?


Hi,
Got it started. Turns out ether worked, as suggested. Thanks all. But, new
problems came up. Let's see if someone can pick one to solve.

1) It won't run when pushed.
The end of the loose dangling wire mentioned earlier is giving out sparks,
this could be the problem. As long as I don't push it the mower will run
for 20 minutes then shut-down.

Does the wire lead to a box that says "Series 4" or similar?
That's the kill for the deadman, When the deadman bar is released
it grounds out the coil as well as applys a brake to the flywheel.



2) It won't start without ether.
This is the reason why the air filter was thrown out in the first place since it
ran fine without it, or doesn't it? I will look for a new filter box. I even dump
out the old debris collecting gas when overhauling the carb.

Probably gummed carb. Pull the carb off the gas tank and check if the
intake tubes are plugged.
I may have an old filter box in my pile of junk that you can have for
the shipping charge if interested.


3) Flywheel bearing seizes after 30-secs.
I lube the one-way bearing with no luck. I will replace the bearing but
not sure how. In order to keep the mower running I would have to
remove the cover with the reel ( labeled Briggs & Stratton) or otherwise
it will screech to a halt.

Once that starts seizing up it has to be replaced. The ratchet balls
eventually wear grooves in the housing and bind up the works. It's
about $15 and you need a special tool P/N 19244.
All ya do is take off the cowling, remove and ground the spark plug wire,
block the blade then unscrew it using the special tool. Installation is
reverse but ya torque the clutch to 55 ft.lbs.



Nate

--

Many newer engines use the screw (s) that secures the air filter to
block off passages in the carb. Without the screws in those holes the
carb draws to much air at low speed to start.

--
Steve Williams

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I had a neighbor down the street. well, he's still down the street.
Had a
Craftsman lawn mower, with the Tec engine. Air filter missing. I spent
some
time getting it to run, and put on an air filter. Ran fine when I
brought it
back to him. The next time he brought it up to me, the air filter was
missing. So, I put another one on, this time with a hose clamp. And
told him
how important it is to keep the air filter on. He brought it back the
next
time, with the air filter missing, and I refused to work on it.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Tim Zimmerman wrote:
This Craftsman mower won't start ... The air filter
has been missing for months.
...

Did it ever run without the filter? Some engines require the
restriction from the filter to get the proper air flow and won't run
without it. I can't recall if I've seen this on Craftsman engines.
Bob






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"Stormin Mormon," writes
CY: Hmm. You mean not enough power to cut lawn?

"B.B.," writes
Does your carb have a choke or primer bulb? Should it?

"Nate Weber" writes
Does the wire lead to a box that says "Series 4" or similar?
snip

Hi,
Everyone's been helpful. The mower now works. From advices
I manage to find where the wire broke off from. I then plug it back
into into the spot where the wire broke off which is inside a box
that says"Series 4" or similar. I can now push the mower up and
down the driveway without stalling. The gas is dump for the third time.

The shaft with the one-way clutch opens as said. I find a little grease
but no structural damages. I wipe the grease and apply a bit of synthetic
ATF and it works great. Thanks for tips.

The mower doesn't have a primer bulb or need ether to start but it
won't start on its first attempt, which is great. I have managed to find a
used air box (without a primer button) that I will try to fit in, but if it
doesn't work out, which it will work out, I hope Nate will still come
thru with his offer.:-)

Thanks.