Snapper push mower repair help

[lesap83]

I have a Snapper push mower with a Briggs & Stratton 650 series engine. Last season it worked great, this season I can't get it to start. I was going to pay for someone to fix it since I don't know a lot about engines, but circumstances have made me work on it myself. Pouring through the internet, I have tried many things; buying fresh fuel, replacing the air filter, replacing the spark plug, cleaning the carburator, and even taking off and cleaning the ignition coil and flywheel, with no results. It will start for a second if I squirt starter fluid in, but dies immediately. I also read that if I spray something like WD-40 instead of starter fluid in the carburator throat, and it still won't start, it is an ignition problem, which I tried. I've read about checking the ignition coil, but don't have the tool to check it, and don't want to buy a tool I don't really need, even if they are cheap. I am hoping someone here has some ideas to try before I go buying more tools or parts.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Wd 40 is a dewatering fluid and does not contain sufficient low temperature volatile hydrocarbons to run an engine so you will do well to forget that misinformation and everything else on that persons page / post they are talking from their rear orriface .
Magnets do not need to be clean & shinny , if they did they would be painted so once again ignore that and everything else that came from the same source.
Agressive cleaning of magnets with powered wire brushes actually changes the structure on the surface and reduces the efficency of the magnet . It is only a problem with very old engines where the very thick rust bridges the space between the magnet & the coil effectively short circuiting them.

So starting with a new spark plug.
Tip a very small amount of fuel in the spark plug hole or spray a SAMLL shot of carb cleaner down the plug hole.
Pull the starter rope.
If the engine fires and runs for a second or two then the ignition is fine

Repeat with fuel through the carburettor
If the engine fires & runs for few seconds then the valve timing is OK
This leaves you with the carb & fuel tank
Pull the fuel line off the carb.
If you get a strong flow of fuel till the carb is empty then the last man standing is the carburettor

So take it off, take it apart & clean it
You will find detailed instruction on the Outdoor Power Equipment site

If the engine is difficult to pull or the is very jerky then reset the valve lash
eThe most popular sites on You Tube & Face book are videos & photos of peoples cats.
That should go a long way to evaluating the interlect of the average poster there and the people who frequent such sites.
FOrums were invented for people who KNOW to share REAL INFORMATION .

The most common problem with push mower engines is a gummed up carb
The second most common fault is valve lash out of adjustment .

 

[hser]

I have a Snapper push mower with a Briggs & Stratton 650 series engine. Last season it worked great, this season I can't get it to start. I was going to pay for someone to fix it since I don't know a lot about engines, but circumstances have made me work on it myself. Pouring through the internet, I have tried many things; buying fresh fuel, replacing the air filter, replacing the spark plug, cleaning the carburator, and even taking off and cleaning the ignition coil and flywheel, with no results. It will start for a second if I squirt starter fluid in, but dies immediately. I also read that if I spray something like WD-40 instead of starter fluid in the carburator throat, and it still won't start, it is an ignition problem, which I tried. I've read about checking the ignition coil, but don't have the tool to check it, and don't want to buy a tool I don't really need, even if they are cheap. I am hoping someone here has some ideas to try before I go buying more tools or parts.

If the starter fluid fires I'm assuming the problem is not ignition or compression. Since you claim to have fresh fuel in the system and cleaned the carburetor I would start by installing a known good carb or even a new one.

 

[slomo]

Good info from the team here. Go back to basics. Good ol' air, fuel, spark and some compression.

slomo