Craftsman repair

[JBryce]

I ran over something and bent the blade on my mower. The mower would start and run, but when I went on uneven ground, it would stop, presumably because the bent blade was hitting the uneven ground. I put a new blade on but having someone tilt the handle of the mower to the ground and me putting the new blade on, but after doing so, the mower won't start. When I try to start it, the cord yanks out of my hand, although I can pull it all the way back if I do so slowly.

I've seen from a Google search that cord yanks can be attributed to a broken flywheel, but I doubt whether that could be the cause here since the mower ran well before I simply changed the blade. Any suggestions on a fix?

 

[EngineMan]

I ran over something and bent the blade on my mower. The mower would start and run, but when I went on uneven ground, it would stop, presumably because the bent blade was hitting the uneven ground. I put a new blade on but having someone tilt the handle of the mower to the ground and me putting the new blade on, but after doing so, the mower won't start. When I try to start it, the cord yanks out of my hand, although I can pull it all the way back if I do so slowly.

I've seen from a Google search that cord yanks can be attributed to a broken flywheel, but I doubt whether that could be the cause here since the mower ran well before I simply changed the blade. Any suggestions on a fix?

Remove the spark plug(s) you may have oil or a lot of fuel in the cylinder, see if you can pull the engine over then, and that the cord go's back in the way it did before, if ok put spark plug(s) back in, it may take more then one pull to restart it. and may smoke a little at first.

 

[JBryce]

Just to clarify, you're saying to remove the spark plug and then pull the cord as if normally trying to start the engine? What should I be looking for at that point?

 

[EngineMan]

A very wet plug, oil in the cylinder and also look at the exhaust you may see oil coming out of that to..! carb may also have sign's of oil.
yes remove plug and just give a few pull's to see.

 

[JBryce]

Ok, so if that's the problem, what do I do to fix it? How would I get the oil out of the cylinder?

 

[EngineMan]

make sure there is no oil in the carb and cylinder, clean and dry the plug if it need's to be cleaned make sure you a spark at the plug, refit plug and make sure the oil level is right and try and restart it. if it has oil in the cylinder it will smoke a little at first, but that should go after a few minutes, (if it was'nt smoking before that is).

 

[combatcarl]

I'm no expert, but here's my experience:
Reply to random ad for junk mower on CL :
Me "what's the problem? "
Dude "well, I hit a rock/stick/chunk and it quit running "
Me "huh, pretty good runner before? "
Dude "hell yeah, it took a chunk outta the blade, so I bought a new one, now it'll puff, but not start. "
Me "ok, I'll pick it up "
Later :
Get there, look it over, sure 'nuff, puffs, tries, but won't start. Jerks the cord outta my hand once or twice, too.
Me "sure I'll take it " Twenty bucks later, and 2.40$ for a new flywheel key, runs like new.

So, Google or YouTube "flywheel key replacement ",and see if it fixes ya.

 

[exotion]

Might be very flooded i would say keep trying slowly not to break anything but if you can keep trying and keep throttle on full may have to find a way to hold carb open

 

[combatcarl]

If your spark plug points to the front, as most newer craftsman mowers do, you can rule out oil in the cylinder, simple. Pull out your spark plug, and gently feel with a screwdriver when the piston crosses TDC, if the magneto and flywheel mounted magnet never line up when piston is TDC, it's your flywheel key.