Recent content by Auto Doc's

The pictures shows there is no problem with the flywheel gear teeth. The Bendix gear is fully extended but not even close to contacting the flywheel gear. The gear on the starter gear moves up and down, not side to side. Are you sure the starter is the correct one and bolted on tight? This does...

Along with that, the blade will need to be replaced, but remove the spark plug and turn the blade by hand to check the crankshaft for being bent and not turning in a true centerline. Along with that, the flywheel has likely sheared the keyway area that keeps it in proper ignition timing. As...

If the cap has a hose coming out of the top of it, it is likely not original, but a borrowed cap. Many 4-wheeler fuel caps have a vent hose on the top center of them. I have not seen any Briggs and Stratton generators with a vent tube on the top of the cap.

Don't pull the carburetor just to see if it will try to run on carb spray. Just spray it directly into the carburetor opening lightly while the choke is open. See if will try to fire up and run for a few seconds. Having an air cleaner in place is not important to see if it will try to fire up...

I think the confusion is in the mixed information online. Kohler engine division is now "Rehlko". Kohler product made a simple spelling change to the name. Kohler products international wanted to split off their brand lines from their home and plumbing hardware division. The Rehlko engines...

Hello E., Around my area I keep getting repeat issues with people using store bought canned pre-mix fuel in their two strokes. I have had to dump this stuff out several times and then purge the carburetor and add my own fresh mix that I keep on hand. Most of the 2-stroke carburetors I end up...

It would help greatly if you could give us the engine product label information but is likely gone or very worn down at this age. Don't mix new aftermarket carburetor parts with the original. Fix the original carburetor if at all possible. There are several You Tube videos that go over these...

Hello Bob, Unfortunately, the compression release mechanisms are not that robust on purpose. The light design makes sure there is not excessive rotational force when the camshaft is turning at high RPM. A camshaft rotates at half the speed of the crankshaft. The purpose of the compression...

Hello M., That a cool idea if you can keep the Ziplock bag close enough when the filter seal is broken loose. I also like the old "cut to fit" oil bottle trick, it works great for conventional riders with easy filter access. My Cub Cadet Z-Force 48 rider has barely enough space to access the...

As much as I hate to say this, it may be time for a full overhaul with a rebore, new piston, rings, gaskets and governor/ oil slinger. The trouble is that at this age the parts will be practically non-existent. Along with that, practically no machine shop would even consider the rebore without...

Hello D., The oil sump on this thing has also likely collected large amounts of micro-particles of sludge buildup in the sump at this age. There are several cavities in the sump where this stuff will just lay in there from the day the engine began running.

It is a matter of the ring gear tooth design that will allow with number of starter gear teeth to function. Yes, it is about starter torque and the size of the engine. Many engines use the same basic starter. If you took a 16 tooth oof that is what you replace it with. Engineers and...

The engine code shows it is a '78-year model engine so it has seen better days. I started in a small engine shop part- time while in high school back in 1979. Things have changed a lot since then.

Hello G., Glad to have you. If you need help with any equipment, make sure you provide both the chassis label information (not the hood stickers) along with the engine label information or number stamped into one of the valve covers. We have a lot of experience folks here, but we don't have...

Hello N., Whenever you post, be sure to add the product label information on the chassis and the product label information on the engine. JD does not build the engines for their lawn equipment. The more information you provide the better we can help you without taking wild guesses.