My mower will not start!

[franchi]

Hello:

My "new" 5247 mower will no longer start! It started pretty good at first but now it will not even kick.

I experimented with the number of shots of prime I put into the engine but to no avail. The PO wrote that it took 6 shots of prime cold and none hot for one pull starts. Yes, the primer is functioning as it should.

I replaced the plug with a good one.

The compression is great.

It appears that there is no air/fuel mixture reaching the engine. I shot carb cleaner into the throat of the carb to see if this would get it started but that too failed.

Any ideas as to why this engine quit working? Could the reeds be blocking the flow of the mixture? I have never een the reeds fail to open but I have doused them with carb cleaner just for luck.

I am going to place some gasoline or carb cleaner in the spark plug hole and see if the engine will start. If it starts this way then I will know that it is a blockage of some sort! But if it is not getting any air...

As I am typing this, I have the carb soaking in a cleaner/ultrasonic cleaner.

Any suggestiuons?

Tia,

Franchi

 

[impalass]

Hello:

My "new" 5247 mower will no longer start! It started pretty good at first but now it will not even kick.

I experimented with the number of shots of prime I put into the engine but to no avail. The PO wrote that it took 6 shots of prime cold and none hot for one pull starts. Yes, the primer is functioning as it should.

I replaced the plug with a good one.

The compression is great.

It appears that there is no air/fuel mixture reaching the engine. I shot carb cleaner into the throat of the carb to see if this would get it started but that too failed.



Any ideas as to why this engine quit working? Could the reeds be blocking the flow of the mixture? I have never een the reeds fail to open but I have doused them with carb cleaner just for luck.

I am going to place some gasoline or carb cleaner in the spark plug hole and see if the engine will start. If it starts this way then I will know that it is a blockage of some sort! But if it is not getting any air...

As I am typing this, I have the carb soaking in a cleaner/ultrasonic cleaner.

Any suggestiuons?

Tia,

Franchi

See if you are getting a good spark then see if gas is coming out of the main jet when you prime it. If those 2 items are good then you should to see if the exhaust ports are blocked. If the air can't out you can't draw in the gas/air mixture.
Link to engine manual.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/26622228/Lawn-Boy-Service-Manual-1950-88-Complete

https://lookup3.toro.com/ttcGateway/acrobat/manuals/lball.html

 

[oldboys]

See if you are getting a good spark then see if gas is coming out of the main jet when you prime it. If those 2 items are good then you should to see if the exhaust ports are blocked. If the air can't out you can't draw in the gas/air mixture.

Two strokes need 4 things to run. Fuel, spark, compression, and adequate crankcase pressure. Sounds like your sure of the first 3, but what about the fourth. Are crank seals good? Gaskets? Are the reeds stuck open with debri or they should not have more than .015 clearance at rest. Just some thoughts.

 

[franchi]

Thanks for the replies!

I have a great spark with and without the plug installed. The primer is working great also.

I am suspecting that there may be a problem with the reeds. While the carb is removed, I will attempt to take the reed plate off of the engine and inspect it. The engine ran great but when I attempted to restart it, it would not restart! Something changed. I am likeing the idea of reeds that are stuck in the closed position.

I am going to spray brake cleaner into the open reed plate area to see if the engine will start. If it starts, then I can reject the reed idea. The engine started when I sprayed carb cleaner into the spark plug hole. This tells me tht I have fuel, compression and spark. It does not tell me if I have base compression. Perhaps this means that the reeds aere stuck in the closed position. I did "soak" them in carb cleaner by tipping the mower on its side and spraying carb cleaner directly into the hole that leads to the reeds. I will check to see if when I put fuel into the hole where the reeds are it drains very quickly into th eengine. If not, perhaps the reeds really got gummed up and must be removed for cleaning.

Will get back to you later,

Thanks for the help.

Franchi

Right now it is 95-100 degrees in the shade and much higher in my garage! Lol

 

[franchi]

Hi I'm back!

Success at last! I just came back from the garage where I got the LB to run very well. After two primes, it started on the second pull. Hot starts only take one pull!

I turned the mower on its side with the reeds facing up and placed some fuel in the hole in the reed plate. It stayed there until I pulled the sarter rope when it was sucked into the engine. I did the same with brake cleaner. I was thinking that this would remove any crud from the reeds/reed plate.

I replaced the carb and it started right up!

I did clean the carb in my ultrasonic cleaner. I can not see where this helped but it looks very nice now.

What did I do to get it to run? I call it PFM!

Any guesses as to what the cure was?

Stay well,

Franchi

 

[Fireman 123]

Put foot in mouth?? Just be light on spraying brake cleaner into the engine. Remember, fuel is also the lubricant. Doubt brake cleaner has much viscosity.

 

[franchi]

Great reply Fireman123:

Yes, you are correct re brake cleaner! One must remember that it is a solvent ahd has NO lubricating qualities. I just used it very little to "clean" the reeds. I am sure that it woulld wash all of the lube from the engine in a hurry!

For cleaning guns and as a penetrating oil, I find the a mixture of acetone and ATF mixed in equal parts is as good as it gets. I use it for just about any thing! Lol

Stay well my friend,

Franchi