Engine Deere L100 Won't start

[Kodie's Lawn Service]

Man, I just spent this evening fighting the same problem with an old MTD rider I picked up last summer with a 12.5hp briggs L head 28T707 1154-E1.
<-----
Didn't get it to start. Got spark, fuel, I can spin the engine by hand. I adjusted the choke and throttle. The starter spins the engine real nice with the sparkplug pulled out. The battery has plenty of juice and yup I hooked the jumper cables up to the truck. I guess the mower did crank kind of slow in the summer too, but today when I decided to start it I just can't seem get it to spin fast enough to fire. The starter gets hung up on the compression stroke can't get more than a couple of revolutions at a time. I'm pretty sure I put valvoline max life 5w-30 in it when I got it because that's just what I use in the car/had on the shelf. It looks like new starter will cost almost as much as I paid for the whole mower:thumbdown:
I wonder if I could stick a pull cord on it?

It sounds like a values are not set right go to YouTube and watch a video by donyboy73 he will show u how and he knows so much about stuff like that you may want to send him a message with the engine # and he will tell u the kit you need to fix this !:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Rivets]

One of these two manuals should help you with adjusting the valves. I'll bet that after adjusting the valves your engine will not need a new starter.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12502267/B&S Service Manuals/05_273521TwinCylinderOHV.pdf

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12502267/B&S Service Manuals/03_272144VanguardTwinCylinderOHV.pdf

 

[SeniorCitizen]

An L head needing the valves adjusted? Hmmm

 

[Bob E]

That's what briggs and stratton customer support told me too. I hope that is not what is wrong. I think grinding down the valve stems and seats might be beyond what I can accomplish in my garage.
I guess I will try tracing through the starting system cleaning off contacts, measuring resistance. and clean and lube the starter tonight.
I might just punch a hole in the screen over the flywheel and see if I can't start it with an impact gun.
Or wait till spring to start it. :laughing: Let future me figure it out.

 

[Rivets]

I know what you are saying, but it won't be the first time I have seen this. Could trying jumping straight to the starter.

 

[Bob E]

Good thinkin'

 

[Bob E]

jumping straight to the starter wasn't much help, but with a healthy shot from a can of ether I got it to start off of a revolution or two.

 

[Rivets]

We have two different posters using the same thread which is getting very confusing, as I think they have different engines. Bob E has an L-head engine and from my research I think the original poster mhoff63 has an OHV engine, even though he has not posted numbers. Tough to know which unit we are talking about. My original post was for the OHV engine, when I suggested checking the valve clearance. I have seen stretched valves on L-head engines which will give the same symptoms as bad clearance on OHV engines. On an L-head engine that has proper valve clearance, I would then check the compression release, on the camshaft.