Briggs and Stratton 4.75hp

[Tillathemook]

I borrowed my boss's lawnmower and my girlfriend hit it with our truck. It was more of a push-sideways-with-the-truck type thing. The rear wheels broke. After replacing them, I fired up the motor and it ran just fine for the few seconds I had it going.
This is a push-mower, by the way.
I took it down to mow the lawn and it wont start. I thought I had flooded the carb and let it sit. About ten minutes later, I went to pull start it and the top of the motor rocked side to side and it ran really rough, so I killed it. Now, the pull-cord won't reel in and I can't start it.
Any ideas? I really don't want to owe my boss a lawnmower.
Also, when I sharpened the blade, I moved it a bit. Problem? This is one of the motors where you have to hold the lever down and yank the cord. Releasing the lever stops the motor.

 

[KennyV]

Since it is a small push mower... the truck likely made contact with the engine... You may have:
Bent the sheet metal that holds the rewind mechanism, if it is not square to the engine it will bind up...
If the blade made contact with anything as the rear wheels broke, the blade may be bent... throwing it out of balance, causing it to run rough.
You may also have cracked the carburetor where it mounts to the engine, that will cause an intake air leak, causing it to run rough...
Check it carefully for bent or cracked parts... Good luck, sometimes things just get hit by trucks... :smile:KennyV

BTW... I'd like to Welcome both You and your girlfriend to LMF... things will get better 'mower wise'....

 

[Tillathemook]

After it was hit, I started it up just fine. Ran smooth and everything. I shut it off and moved it down to where I was going to mow and all this crap went wrong. Fortunately, the carburetor is on the side not hit by the truck. I tried moving the blade by hand to see if everything is locked up. The cord rewinds when I move the blade, but I cannot pull the cord. So, it sounds like the recoil assembly needs to be taken apart. I hate cheaply made equipment.

 

[Tillathemook]

The recoil part was all jammed with grass clippings. After clearing it out, the recoil works very well.
It still wouldn't start. So, I figured that living on the Oregon coast, theres a good chance water got into the fuel. I emptied the tank into a metal tray. Within a few minutes, water separated into its little bubbles. I put fresh gasoline in and it started after three or four pulls. My lawn is now cut.
I'm returning this crappy mower to my boss. My dad offered to give me his old Honda mower, so I'll be getting that working here shortly.

 

[KennyV]

I hate cheaply made equipment.

I don't think even the most expensively built mower will like being hit by a truck...:biggrin:
But alls well that ends well...
and you should get a lot of collision free miles with the Honda... :smile:KennyV

 

[wjjones]

The recoil part was all jammed with grass clippings. After clearing it out, the recoil works very well.
It still wouldn't start. So, I figured that living on the Oregon coast, theres a good chance water got into the fuel. I emptied the tank into a metal tray. Within a few minutes, water separated into its little bubbles. I put fresh gasoline in and it started after three or four pulls. My lawn is now cut.
I'm returning this crappy mower to my boss. My dad offered to give me his old Honda mower, so I'll be getting that working here shortly.

Glad you got it sorted out...:smile: