AboutEric A. Jones Expertise Lawnmower Repair . Certified Master Service Technician from B&S. Have 13 years experience on B&S, Lawn Chief, Weed Eater, Echo, Peerless, Wheel Horse, Snapper, Atlas, MTD, McCulloch, Homelite and many other numerous brands. Specialize in electrical repair.
Experience Born and raised in the midwest. Started tinkering with engines when I was about 14 on my Suzuki RM-80. I began lawn mower repair at a small hardware store. I knew absolutely nothing. I read lots of repair manuals and met an older fellow who taught me many lessons. I continued working on small engines through high school and paid my way through college working on mowers at the same hardware store. Decided to get away from the midwest and mower repair so I joined the Air Force. I repaired air traffic control electronic equipment and ended up in Hawaii where I got a part time job at Small Engine Clinic. I gained a lot of experience from the Small Engine Clinic and had a blast repairing small engines. I then took the Briggs and Stratton Master Service Technician test and earned my MST. I then traveled to Wisconsin where I attended the factory update training seminar and received formal training. I received a scholarship from the Air Force and am currently pursuing another degree.
Question Toro SR-210S model #20486 walk behind lawn mover. The tremendous effort required to pull the starting cord of the engine is beyond my wifes capability. I have to position the front of the lawn mower against a wall, place my foot on the back of the deck and pull as hard as I can to start the engine (which does start on the first pull). Sometimes I can't budge the engine on the first attempt. I took it to a professional service center who claim they have absolutely no idea what is causing the high effort and returned it to me two days later unrepaired. If you take the spark plug out (eliminating the compression), the effort goes completely away, which I believe means the recoil mechanism is fine. Any help would be most appreciated.
Answer Good call removing the spark plug. Does the oil smell like gasoline? Is the oil level too full? With the spark plug removed, pull the string quickly and see if any oil squirts out of the cylinder.
You should have a Briggs and Stratton engine on the mower...correct?
Did you visit Toro's website and download the engine service manual? Toro provides a good engine service manual.
IF, and only IF, the oil is fine, then start by checking the valve clearances. DO NOT remove head or valves...just start by checking the valve clearance.
Briggs website also tells you how to check the valves:
TIP: To check the push rods to make sure they are straight, remove one at a time and mark which end goes inside the engine. DO NOT mix push rods or the direction they are installed! You can use a piece of glass and roll the push rod on the glass...if the push rod wobbles or it does not roll evenly across the glass it may be bent.
If you have to check the valve clearance, let me know what you find.
Eric
