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I picked up a toro recycler 22 with Briggs 128m02-3425-b1 engine. Compression was very weak, I lapped the valve seats and it started up and ran great. I did a 10 minute or so test cut, changed the drive belt and cut my front yard. Ran great. I changed the oil, and it hasn't started since. It may have been overfilled, I have removed some oil. I do have spark, valve clearances are .007 intake and .008 exhaust. Compression seems weak, though it seems to have a compression relief. I get just under 60 lbs on my compression gauge. I have changed the head gasket. I have tried starting fluid, no fire. Cylinder head torqued to 17ft-lbs, I thought it was a Tecumseh at first. Any suggestions?

20oz is the correct amount of oil
just under 60psi is usually what i see on those briggs engines.. is your spark plug gap right? And were your valve clearances at that value before or after you lapped the valves?

I don't know what the valve clearances were before, I couldn't find my feeler gauge. I could tell the intake was leaking though. After, the intake was about .002, exhaust .007. It's one of those funky plugs with a y looking electrode, and it's new. I put it in another machine and it runs anyhow. I also tried the original plug, though it's not known good.

Mark H_NO said:

I picked up a toro recycler 22 with Briggs 128m02-3425-b1 engine. Compression was very weak, I lapped the valve seats and it started up and ran great. I did a 10 minute or so test cut, changed the drive belt and cut my front yard. Ran great. I changed the oil, and it hasn't started since. It may have been overfilled, I have removed some oil. I do have spark, valve clearances are .007 intake and .008 exhaust. Compression seems weak, though it seems to have a compression relief. I get just under 60 lbs on my compression gauge. I have changed the head gasket. I have tried starting fluid, no fire. Cylinder head torqued to 17ft-lbs, I thought it was a Tecumseh at first. Any suggestions?

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You didn't by any chance hit something with your blade? Are you saying you have spark, but no start with started fluid? You haven't mentioned the air filter which could be clogged, but I'm leaning toward timing.

My spark tester shows spark. No fire with starting fluid. Air filter is new. I don't feel like I hit much of anything with the blade, though there are roots in the yard... I did a full cut of my front yard, changed the oil, and it wouldn't start. How do you set the coil air gap? With a feeler gauge? What should it be? I tried to replace the coil, but the one I got has the mounting holes just a wee bit too close together. Of course when I was looking for a coil, I thought it was a Tecumseh motor. I got a new spark tester, which works much better than my old one, which I can't see in daylight. With the new spark tester, I do see spark. Can you do a visual check on the timing? Pull the head, and compare where the magnet passes the coil to the cylinder passing TDC? This is all a lot deeper than I'd normally go for a mower, but I currently have the time. Thanks for the input.

How do you set the coil air gap? I use a business card between the coil legs & magnets.
Can you do a visual check on the timing? Flywheel key has sheared - can be just a tiny bit. No other answers - pull FW to check well.
You have fuel/air, compression & spark - gotta think timing.

Keep in mind, the spark tester will tell you the whole ignition system is good or bad EXCEPT the spark plug. Remove the plug from the engine and plug it back into the boot. Get help and hold the plug against a ground while your helper pulls the starter rope and see if the plug itself is actually firing. Yes, use a business card for coil gap. If none of this has helped, remove the flywheel and very carefully inspect the key. Replace the key if it is worn or broken.

Agree re: plug out & grounded. Try another plug, too.

Well, you called it. I'll try a pic...

I never pulled one of these, can I just use my gear puller? Thanks again. I was determined to ignore timing... I just knew that wasn't it. LOL.

Mark H_NO said:

Well, you called it. I'll try a pic...

I never pulled one of these, can I just use my gear puller? Thanks again. I was determined to ignore timing... I just knew that wasn't it. LOL.

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I can't see a spark, but that may be me. I put the plug in a generator and started it. Timing is obviously off, see the pic.

Thanks.

Can I use my gear puller(pulls on edge) or do I need a flywheel puller, and to tap the bolt holes(what B&S reccomends)

put a bit of torque on the flywheel, broke it loose, and it came right off. I just didn't want to torque the crap out of the gear puller. Installed a new key from my local Ace HW, put all back together and it's running! Saved from the scrapyard. Thanks again for the tips. I was so sure that wasn't the problem.

You don't need a puller, it will come loose by lightly tapping with a soft hammer. I'm glad the problem has been pinpointed.

I missed your last post. Good job with a happy ending.

Thanks again to you and the others.

Good deal.

Hmm. I cut my backyard, including around 10 restarts for water breaks and checking the grill. Around halfway, it wouldn't restart. I pulled the carb, bowl was dirty, flushed passages with carb cleaner, put all back together and finished the yard. I let it rest for 45 min or so, and started it up again. It died after a few seconds, and won't restart. Spark tests good, checked the flywheel, key is intact. Compression just like before, a bit under 60 lbs. Won't start even with starting fluid. I got a new plug, tried that no change. It seemed to fire one time, but didn't start.

I also retorqued the cylinder head bolts, just in case heat/cool made a difference. The backyard that I cut takes over 1.5 hours, easy. I'll be putting in a fuel line filter, and checking the bowl again, but starting fluid ain't firing. I rechecked the coil gap, and reset with business card.

Since there was junk in the bowl, did you clean out the bowl bolt? which is the main jet too... there are 3 holes in it, 2 cross drilled at the bottom and one on the end of it.

Good call, I forgot that. I'll do that first thing tomorrow. I wanted to check the bowl anyhow. Thanks.

Scrubcadet10 said:

Since there was junk in the bowl, did you clean out the bowl bolt? which is the main jet too... there are 3 holes in it, 2 cross drilled at the bottom and one on the end of it.

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We need to know just how he applies starting fluid. The engine should start for a few seconds regardless of a dirty carb.

You may just need to dump all of your gas, from the gas tank as well as the gas can that you used, look inside for dirt and check for water. But that still doesn't explain why the starting fluid isn't doing anything.

Ok. Pulled the bowl, cleaned bowl and passages, and bolt passages, installed filter and away she goes. Cut my front yard, including several restarts. Started first pull every time. Moral of the story, don't forget to clear out those passages in the bowl bolt, and watch out for auto throttle/choke blocking the starting fluid. I was opening the choke and spraying into the filter. Next time, remove filter, open choke and throttle plate to spray.

This mower is intended to go to my niece, so I'm not declaring it done yet. I'll at least use it for my yard for a couple of weeks. Manufacture date of 2021, runs great, starts great(unless it doesn't) so once it's sorted, it should work well for her.

Thanks once again.

Joed756 said:

We need to know just how he applies starting fluid. The engine should start for a few seconds regardless of a dirty carb.

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Good call. I was opening the choke, and spraying into the air intake outside filter housing. That normally works for me, but... In the future, remove filter, open choke and throttle plate, then spray. Thanks.

Joed756 said:

You may just need to dump all of your gas, from the gas tank as well as the gas can that you used, look inside for dirt and check for water. But that still doesn't explain why the starting fluid isn't doing

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Gas can is good, mower is salvage. As I said earlier, I suspect throttle plate was blocking the starting fluid. Thanks.