Lifted front now won't start

[JamesD]

The mower is a 42 inch poulan pro automatic with a briggs and stratton 17hp intek motor.
Mower PN: pr17h42sta

Mower was running fine last time I cut the grass.

After sitting about a week, I found that grass had built up under the mower deck so rather than removing the deck to clean it I just lifted the front end of the mower until the wheels were about shoulder height. I braced it there with a board and scraped the deck to remove the large chunks of grass. I then spayed it down with a jet nozzle on my garden hose to get some of the dirt off too. Finally I blasted it with compressed air and changed the blades out. It was probably raised up like that for about an hour. After lowering the front end back down the mower refused to start.

It turns over no problem but no ignition. I changed the gas out for fresh gas. I checked the fuel filter and fuel bowl. I tried spraying brake cleaner in through the air vent and then sparkplug hole but no sound of combustion. Cleaned out the carburetor which was in good shape anyway. Replaced the spark plug which didn't look too bad. Checked my wiring connections to be sure power was getting to the plug, it is. Drained and changed the oil.. None of this resulted in the lawn mower firing up. It just cranks round and round as if gas wasn't flowing but it is.

Any help on this will be appreciated.

 

[Born2Mow]

1. The first place to look is always at the just completed work.
2. Your first level of diagnosis is always these 3 things: Fire, Compression, and Fuel.
3. The second level is the timing of those first 3 items.

You wrote quite a bit (thank you), but missed all the needed details.
Example: You replaced the plug, but you didn't tell us if the plug was sparking when the engine was turned over.
Example: You replaced the fuel, but was fuel getting to the combustion chamber ?

But getting back to item number 1, I'd want to know where all that garden hose got pointed. Did the carb, fuel tank, and/or air filter get hit with the garden hose ?? 4 or 5 droplets of water in the carb is all it takes to keep the engine from receiving fuel through the carb. If starting fluid inside the air intake allows it to hit 3 or 4 times, then you may have simple water intrusion.

 

[JamesD]

Thank you for the reply.

The water from the hose was directed at the underside of the mower deck and through the air vents over the blades only. I don't think much water could have reached the engine, carb, or gas tank granted it was a jet stream and the water did ricochet in many directions.

At the time I was rinsing the deck nothing was disassembled and so I don't belive any water could have entered the fuel tank or the carburetor. None hit the air filter for sure. It was dry.

As for the spark plug.. I did crank the engine with it out and attempted to see the spark. I could not but thought it might just be too bright out so I touched it and felt the electricity. There was power. Maybe there was no spark though. It was wet but I am not sure if it was wet with gas or oil? I cleaned it with brake clean and reinstalled it.

When I cleaned the carburetor I was pretty sure there was no clogs but I might take another look at the float and needle as I did not disassemble those parts last time. However I did see gas misting out of the open air vent so I'm pretty sure gas flow is not a problem.

 

[JamesD]

I used the brake clean in place of starter fluid through the air intake. No ignition at all.

 

[Born2Mow]

The plug will be wet with fuel after a short "attempt to crank" session, if the carb is acting correctly.

When the plug is out and laid on the cyl head, you should be able to see a bright blue spark day or night.

 

[Born2Mow]

I used the break clean in place of starter fluid through the air intake. No ignition at all.

If you KNOW that spray can be used as "starter fluid", then OK. I have no such experience.

Confirm your suspicions with the plug out and laying on the cyl head.

 

[JamesD]

I just rechecked the spark plug the way you suggested and got no spark. I touched the tip and felt nothing either. So somehow I lost power to the plug.

 

[Born2Mow]

Then trace why your ignition suddenly quit. Water in the kill button ?? Throttle in the wrong position ?? Broken wire ?? Ignitions don't suddenly quit. There's an 85% chance it's something you did while cleaning.

I'm not scolding you... that's just the way it is, brother.

 

[JamesD]

No I get it. That's why I'm here. Had you not advised I might not have looked at the plug again but now I've got something to go on. I'll trace the wires and look for failures.

Thanks man! Heading to work but I'll post back what I find.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Firstly lifting the mower like that should not have caused you any grief.
That is the way I service all mowers and I lift them up with a yard crane.

Take the blower housing off then remove the kill wires on the coils and try again
If you get a spark then one of the safety switches is acting up or the kill wire ( ground wire ) is shorting to ground .
If you get no spark with the kill wires removed then the coil is deceased and that will just be a coincidence .