Briggs& Stratton engine will not turn over

[STEVES]

Stop spraying carb cleaner into it. It doesn't burn well. Try spraying starting fluid. I doubt that it has a kill switch. There is probably an ignition switch somewhere on it. It probably is the switch you're turning to crank it over. To test the compression, remove the sparkplug, stick a finger or thumb over the sparkplug hole and crank the engine over. If it has compression, it will push your finger/thumb away from the hole.

Starting fluid too explosive & can blow head gasket, use a non chlorinated Brake Clean. (Brakleen)

 

[JimP2014]

I started to take a look at what you wrote and I absolutely will remove the kill wire because right now it starts right up it hunts and surges and the temperature gets up to about 800° f ine. I didn't know at the time what the purpose of removing the kill wire was, but now I know and I can actually shut it down manually or an easier way is just to move the throttle to the lowest position and it will stall out

I removed the kill wire. It was still hunting and surging and as I recall years ago I got rid of the electronic solenoid and install the shut-off switch for the fuel line. But in any case, although you don't see it, this is a video where it's running for a few minutes. It's hunting and surging and then because of the fact that the spark plug ended up cross threaded, the spark plug blew right out of the cylinder head.

Jim

 

[JimP2014]

I removed the kill wire. It was still hunting and surging and as I recall years ago I got rid of the electronic solenoid and install the shut-off switch for the fuel line. But in any case, although you don't see it, this is a video where it's running for a few minutes. It's hunting and surging and then because of the fact that the spark plug ended up cross threaded, the spark plug blew right out of the cylinder head.

Jim

The one test that I wanted to do with a brand new fuel solenoid was where you basically snip off the plunger inside of it to see if the hunting and surging is due to some electrical malfunction inside of the wires or something like that. I do know that with the electronic fuel solenoid connected switching the key back and forth to start the engine causes a clicking inside of fuel solenoid, which is exactly what should happen from what I am reading. But I don't know what happens while the engine is running with the electronic fuel solenoid. So I figure snipping the plunger on an extra fuel solenoid can't hurt.

Jim

 

[STEVES]

Thanks for this. You did not waste words I will be checking this out.
Jim

If your carb has the idle jet with limiter, the procedure is to bring idle screw down to 1,300 rpm (holding against set screw) adjust turn clockwise till slows, then turn counter clockwise till slows then set back to midpoint. Place limiter cap with half moon segment down. It is a base fuel idle adjustment, not running adjustment with governor in play.

 

[JimP2014]

If your carb has the idle jet with limiter, the procedure is to bring idle screw down to 1,300 rpm (holding against set screw) adjust turn clockwise till slows, then turn counter clockwise till slows then set back to midpoint. Place limiter cap with half moon segment down. It is a base fuel idle adjustment, not running adjustment with governor in play.

Steve, what happened was I went outside. I removed the kill wire it ran for maybe a minute. Still hunting and surging and because I crossed threaded at the spark plug a couple days ago, it blew the spark plug right out of the spark plug hole in the cylinder head. So right now I'm not sure what I want to do next. But at some point I'd like to remove the plunger from an electronic solenoid and just the fuel shut off valve to stop the fuel into the carburetor when I need to stop it. Since I still don't know exactly what's going on, I'm wondering whether I should spend more money on a brand new cylinder head? But I still see all the additional texts you provided and I can refer back to this.

Jim

 

[JimP2014]

Steve, what happened was I went outside. I removed the kill wire it ran for maybe a minute. Still hunting and surging and because I crossed threaded at the spark plug a couple days ago, it blew the spark plug right out of the spark plug hole in the cylinder head. So right now I'm not sure what I want to do next. But at some point I'd like to remove the plunger from an electronic solenoid and just the fuel shut off valve to stop the fuel into the carburetor when I need to stop it. Since I still don't know exactly what's going on, I'm wondering whether I should spend more money on a brand new cylinder head? But I still see all the additional texts you provided and I can refer back to this.

Jim

I decided that I'm going to use J-B weld on the spark plug. The reason being is the cylinder head is garbage at this point and I only want to see if having a spark plug even for a few hours to remain in the cylinder head if I can stop the hunting and surging and at this point since I removed the kill wire the only other thing that has not been done is to remove the electronic fuel solenoid by snipping that plunger and using the fuel shut off valve which is already there. I don't think I would ever use J-B weld on a spark plug as a permanent solution, but it doesn't cost anything. It might hold for a few hours and then I could see if the hunting and surging can be stopped. I don't see fixing anything internal. I have no skill in that and I don't want anybody else to even do it.

Maybe somebody who sees these things quite often can comment on what I plan on doing to figure out the hunting and surging problem.


Thanks,
Jim

 

[billroy1]

In the last two weeks I've done many things, but in the meantime the current problem is this definitely getting spark to the spark plug after spraying carburetor cleaner into the intake while turning the key. The only thing that happens is backfire through the carburetor or popping the engine refuses to start. The only thing I can think of is the spark plug is definitely working, so I'm wondering if there's some kill switch that allows for the flywheel to rotate where it seems everything will start and engage flywheel and the engine. But at the very last second a kill switch shuts off everything and prevents it from starting. So in other words, I'm looking at carburetor problem but maybe I should be looking for some kill switch that's shorting out everything. It's as if all systems are go but at the last second this kill switch is preventing the engine from starting I wonder if anyone is familiar with this situation before. Also, the fuel solenoid definitely clicks when you turn the key but the carburetor cleaner going into the intake. Even if there's a kill switch situation on going, I would think the engine would start up for a couple seconds. I don't think a kill switch, even if active could prevent the engine from starting for at least a second or two, but that's what it seems like is happening.


Jim

Jim,
You seem to be thinking out loud (which is fine) but We really need to get this thing running first. I would like to learn more about this awful Banging mentioned in the beginning, can you describe in a little more detail what you herd could it have been a back fire?. I say this because when I spray Carb cleaner into my engine when it is running It acts just like a kill switch, it tries to stall out when it is running and I try to use short burst of spray. I even herd a Backfire one time I sprayed my Carb!

 

[JimP2014]

Jim,
You seem to be thinking out loud (which is fine) but We really need to get this thing running first. I would like to learn more about this awful Banging mentioned in the beginning, can you describe in a little more detail what you herd could it have been a back fire?. I say this because when I spray Carb cleaner into my engine when it is running It acts just like a kill switch, it tries to stall out when it is running and I try to use short burst of spray. I even herd a Backfire one time I sprayed my Carb!

There absolutely was this banging noise and I have been trying to get this thing going for several weeks. There have been many different things going on at different times. What I can say right now is there is no banging. From what I can tell, there is hunting and surging. This morning the spark plug blew out because it was cross threaded most likely due to being removed and put back in dozens of times. I just cut the tip off the electronic solenoid fuel device. I went to start it after using J-B weld on the spark plug hole just to see what's going on and the spark plug blew out again. But I do have a 14.5 horsepower OHV engine that I no longer use that might have a compatible cylinder head which has no problems with the spark plug hole threads. I was hoping today to address the issue with the hunting and surging. The kill switch wire removal did nothing to help the problem and I was trying to focus on a problem with the electronic fuel solenoid but since the spark plug blew out I need to either swap the cylinder head off the 14.5 OHV Briggs engine or get a used one or get a new one and that's where I'm at right now.


But as far as the banging noise, it wasn't several weeks straight. It might have been a period of 4 days. I don't know but it doesn't seem like it's the problem now.


But thanks for replying and inquiring,

Jim

 

[dwzkd]

Hi Jim,
Do you have a tap and die set? You could try to tap the spark plug hole to the next larger size to see if you can get it to seal and hold a plug. It would require a different plug, but I can help you find a p/n for the new plug if you like.
This could give you a permanent replacement without buying a new head. NOTE: there are a number of used parts on eBay right now for this. A head is available for it but it is still $99 (new is just over $200)...

What is the engine spec number on the other OHV engine?

 

[JimP2014]

Hi Jim,
Do you have a tap and die set? You could try to tap the spark plug hole to the next larger size to see if you can get it to seal and hold a plug. It would require a different plug, but I can help you find a p/n for the new plug if you like.
This could give you a permanent replacement without buying a new head. NOTE: there are a number of used parts on eBay right now for this. A head is available for it but it is still $99 (new is just over $200)...

What is the engine spec number on the other OHV engine?

Okay, I know it's a Briggs& Stratton 14.5 horsepower OHV and currently it's sitting in a bed of poison. Ivy, so what I just planned on doing was just taking the cylinder head off. There's like six bolts and seeing if it matches up with what I currently have. I can't see any further things that could go wrong.


But I was just looking up a brand new cylinder head and it's a Briggs& Stratton 796201 is the part number for the 19.5 horsepower Briggs& Stratton OHV engine. So brand new. It's like maybe 200 bucks.

I plan on taking the cylinder head off the old Briggs& Stratton engine hopefully sometime today.

I don't want to mess around with tap set but thanks for thinking of that.


Jim