New to the forum, and want to say thanks in advance for your knowledge and expertise! I don't normally work on this kind of thing. I'm a homebuilder and maintenance technician for a real estate company. My mechanical and troubleshooting skills are far above average for things like furnaces, hot water tanks, appliances, etc... however, I have an issue with a lawn tractor that intimidates me.
I have a "sentimental value" lawn tractor that has my 8 year old buttocks engraved on the seat from around 1979 or 1980. I inherited it when my Dad passed a few years ago. It has never seen Ethanol. It ran fine until a couple years ago when it started back firing during shutdown. Then it started to run hot, and sometimes smoking after shut off. Then it just quit. Oil was always checked and changed as needed. Air filter always cleaned. Stored inside and cleaned after use.
It's a B&S 16HP opposed twin.
What are the first thoughts? I put new plugs in it, and positioned the coil. Any friendly guidance is appreciated. I have a smaller lawn and can keep it up well in other ways, but the sentiment of this tractor is important to me, and it still cuts great when it runs. It also pulls a roller or a wagon for projects. I'd love to bring it back to glory. Let me know where to start!
