How to Start My Riding Mower Again if It Was Started Without Gas

How to Start a Small-scale Engine

Updated: Feb. 03, 2022

Give your starter-cord arm a rest while you lot run these basic diagnostic tests

small engine start up tips Family unit Handyman

When a small engine won't get-go, the usual suspects are bad gasoline, a corroded or plugged carburetor, or a bad ignition coil.

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Introduction

You tin can prepare any of these bug yourself easily, cheaply and rapidly. You'll not simply relieve lots of money just also skip the hassle of hauling your lawn mower, snow blower, pressure washer or whatever to a service center and home again.

Typical professional repairs kickoff at about $100. But if you do the piece of work yourself and gild the replacement parts online, y'all can unremarkably save enough to justify replacing parts even if yous're non sure they're bad. (Psep.biz is one source of discount small-engine parts.) We'll comprehend a few basic tests, explain how to society parts and bear witness you how to replace a carburetor, an ignition coil and a recoil starter. You tin can supplant any lacking parts in merely a few hours with basic hand tools.

Bank check the nuts first

Photo 1: Give information technology a boom of fuel

Remove the air filter and shoot a one-second flare-up of an droplets petroleum-based lubricant (not starting fluid, silicone or Teflon spray) directly into the carburetor throat. Try starting. If the engine starts and then dies, that confirms you've got a fuel trouble.

Engine issues may have their root in something very simple. If your machine has a shutoff valve, check that showtime to make certain it'due south in the On position. Next, make sure the engine has fresh gas. If the gas is more than thirty days old, replace it with fresh, stabilized gas. Next, check the air filter to brand certain it'south not clogged.

If the tank has fresh gas and you've primed the carburetor and ready the choke but it however won't start, it's time to remove the spark plug. If the spark plug is wet with gas, information technology proves the engine is getting fuel. Dry off the plug with compressed air and examine information technology for signs of carbon buildup or oil deposits. Check the gap to make certain it's within specs.

If you take whatsoever doubts about the plug's condition, supervene upon it—they're cheap. If the plug is dry, information technology's a sign of a fuel trouble and most likely a messed-upward carburetor. Shoot a substitute fuel (WD-40 or PB Blaster Lawn Mower Tune-Up) into the carburetor throat and so endeavour starting the engine (Photo 1). If information technology won't get-go or fire with spray fuel, you probably accept an ignition system problem, virtually likely a bad ignition coil. Still, if it starts and dies, that proves the ignition is working and the problem is fuel starvation.

Check the fuel filter first by disconnecting the fuel line from the filter to the carb. Gas should run out. If it doesn't, supersede the filter. If gas flows freely through the filter, so the problem is within the carburetor.

Testing an ignition coil is a chip trickier. To practice information technology correct, y'all need a small-engine spark tester. Belongings the spark plug kick close to the engine to check for spark isn't a reliable test because a bad coil can produce a spark in open air but fail when the cylinder is nether pinch. If you lot ain several small engines, information technology may pay to buy a tester To acquire how to use information technology, read How to Test an Ignition Gyre. However, since the tester costs most as much as a new scroll, replacing the coil without testing may exist the way to become.

Find the correct parts

Photo 2: Shoot the model and series numbers

Shoot a digital photo of the engine model and serial numbers and appointment of manufacture, every bit well as any other engine information on the label. You'll demand that info to club parts.

Lawn and garden tool manufacturers often apply several dissimilar engine brands for a sure model, and so yous tin can't buy parts based on the model number of the mower or snow blower. Instead, you need the engine model and serial number and the date of manufacture to detect the parts. This Toro lawn mower, for example, was built with a Tecumseh engine, while a different Toro mower may be congenital with a Briggs & Stratton engine. Nosotros found the Tecumseh engine information on a label (Photo 2). But other brands may stamp the numbers into the engine block, valve cover or engine shield.

Once you have the engine data, locate a parts list and exploded diagram past entering the brand and model number into a search engine. Find the engine manufacturer'due south role number and enter that into a search engine to find the everyman cost or nearest seller.

Carb rebuild vs. new carb

Photograph 3: Replace the carb

Tighten a C-clamp on the gas line or turn the shutoff valve to Off. Then remove the fuel line and two carburetor hold-down bolts. Rotate the carburetor to disconnect the throttle linkage. Reverse the procedure to install the new carburetor.

These days nosotros don't recommend rebuilding a carburetor. First, a brand new carburetor from a discount online seller commonly costs less than a rebuild kit and a bucket of carburetor soaking solution. Plus, rebuilding a carburetor is time consuming and doesn't ever work, especially if the internal parts are corroded.

Once you have the new carburetor in manus, remove the old one and swap in the new unit of measurement (Photo iii). After y'all reinstall the fuel line and prime number the engine, information technology should start right up.

Replace an ignition coil

Photo 4: Remove the old whorl

Remove the ii coil retaining screws. The instant they're loose, the coil will snap confronting the magnet on the tiptop of the crankshaft. Grab the coil and yank it off the magnet.

Photo 5: Install the new gyre

Set the new coil in place and snug the retaining screws, just don't tighten them all the manner. Align the crankshaft magnet to the center of the coil. Set up the air gap using a business concern carte du jour as a gauge. Move the whorl in and out until you feel a slight drag on the menu. And then tighten the coil screws. Cheque the gap once more. If it's right, reinstall the engine shield and embrace.

If you've adamant that you have a weak spark or no spark, become ahead and buy and install a new ringlet. Start past removing the plastic engine embrace and setting it aside. And then lift off the gas tank and remove whatever engine shields to admission the ignition scroll. Remove the sometime coil (Photograph 4). Then install the new curlicue and set up the air gap (Photo 5).

Replace a recoil starter

Photo 6: Replace the recoil starter assembly

Remove the engine cover retaining screws and elevator the comprehend off the engine. Next, remove the recoil associates hex-caput screws. Then lift off the former unit and driblet in the new one. Contrary the procedure to reinstall.

If the starter rope is cleaved, you can purchase a recoil rebuild kit for about $15. The kit contains a new rope, dogs and dog springs. Setting the proper jump tension tin be catchy, and if you get it wrong, you'll break the spring and accept to supercede the entire unit of measurement. Bluntly, we recommend skipping the rebuild and simply replacing the entire recoil assembly (Photo 6). It's much faster, and the consummate assembly includes a new housing and spring (set to the proper tension).

Required Tools for this Project

Have the necessary tools for this DIY projection lined up before you starting time—you'll relieve time and frustration.

You'll too demand a blower attachment for the compressor (or canned air) and a newspaper clip.

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials fix ahead of fourth dimension. Here's a list.

Originally Published: November 27, 2018

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Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/two-cycle-small-engine-start-up-tips/