You are here:
- Home
- Home/Garden
- Home Appliances
- Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.)
Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.)/Questions Answered by Expert Matt
| Subject | Date Asked |
| 7HP troy rototiller coil testing | 2/4/2007 |
| Q: Last fall I put away my tiller, running perfect. I had replaced the points, condenser, spark plug, ... A: Pull the plug. With the plug attached to the plug wire groud the plug agaisnts the engine block and ... | |
| B&S motor | 2/2/2007 |
| Q: Matt, I have an old Briggs 300421 12hp cast iron engine that has spark and gas, but refuses to ... A: If you dont suspect the carb is fouled and you know it has spark then it sounds like a compression ... | |
| generator | 2/2/2007 |
| Q: l have a tecumseh 10 hr generator =. bought it used from a friend using it latley in the ... A: If your sure there is no spark then the next thing to check would be the kill wire that runs from ... | |
| Honda Gcv160 5.5 need timing marks | 1/30/2007 |
| Q: I need the timing marks or specs to the above, the belt on our log splitter has came off. Its a ... A: There is an arrow on the crankshaft lobe that should line up with a mark running down the center of ... | |
| wheel removal | 1/24/2007 |
| Q: I have what I think is a simple question...how do I remvove one wheel (for remounting) from ... A: Spray some penetrant like wd40 on the nut and let it soak in 10-15 min. try to see if you can ... | |
| honda gc 160 5 hp | 1/24/2007 |
| Q: i have the honda gc 160 walk-behind tiller.lately the machine is starting ok but after a while, ... A: If it starts and runs fine only to die out 5-10-15min later I would inspect the gas cap first. It ... | |
| Briggs and Stratton Vanguard OHV engine | 1/24/2007 |
| Q: Good day. The B&S engine mounted on a Coleman generator leaks oil from what appears to be the ... A: this is hard to determine without finding out exactly where the oil is coming from. but could just ... | |
| engine | 1/23/2007 |
| Q: I have a 13.5 horse BS engine that runs high low as if being regulated by the governor, under load ... A: surging is usualy a cause of the governer arm that is attached to the samll shaft of the governer ... | |
| 2003 Craftman with B&S 20HP Riding Lawn Tractor | 1/23/2007 |
| Q: I just took my riding lawn tractor of storage (it had also been shipped on a moving truck half way ... A: No I dont think its bad. sounds like the throw out gear is stuck form sitting for awhile. try ... | |
| craftsman lawn tractor - removing Wheel | 5/3/2006 |
| Q: I need to replace the rear wheel on my craftsman lawn tractor. I don't know how to remove the tire ... A: soak it in lots and lots of penatrant. vibrating it by tapping on it with a hammer can help speed up ... | |
| High reving push mower | 5/3/2006 |
| Q: I have a push mower that has been reving high. It almost sounds like the engine is running at full ... A: My first guess would be that the govener has loosend and slipped. From the throttle plate on top of ... | |
| B&S lawnmower spewing oil | 5/3/2006 |
| Q: 2 weeks ago I changed the oil and replaced the blade & air filter on my 12 year old Craftsman ... A: when you check the oil level make sure the dipstick is seated all the way down. If its a screw on ... | |
| water in fuel ? | 5/2/2006 |
| Q: My son left my mower (Briggs and Stratton Craftsman walk behind) out over a weekend of heavy rain. ... A: Yes you most likely have a little water in the tank and carb. Here is a quick fix that might work. ... | |
| tecumseh engine on 1986 snapper | 5/2/2006 |
| Q: no power at high rpm, smoke coming out of the breather line? between carb and engine..not sure the ... A: Your 20 yr old mower has had a long productive life. You obviously took care of it to keep it ... | |
| wheel horse mower | 5/2/2006 |
| Q: i have a 1991 wheel horse 312-8 with a 12hp kolher engine. it was running fine and then the engine ... A: Air from the breather tube is normal at this point. The next step is to remove the head and ... | |
| toro lawn mower won't start | 5/2/2006 |
| Q: My elderly friend purchased a Toro self propelled mower about 2 years ago. Each year we have a heck ... A: The float needle and seat are not sealing allowing the carb to flood. The carb itself is probably ... | |
| briggs 11 horse | 5/2/2006 |
| Q: I have a briggs 11 horse motor. is the coil supposed to be grounded or it the ground for installing ... A: The small black or green wire that slips onto the male conector on the coil is for installing a kill ... | |
| craftsman 917.377521 lawnmower | 5/1/2006 |
| Q: My mower won't start. It seems to not be getting any fuel. The fuel comes out of the tank just fin ... A: Its clogged inside from either stale fuel, debri, or water, clamp the fuel line and remove the the ... | |
| SMALL ENGINE REPAIR | 5/1/2006 |
| Q: I HAVE A MURRAY LAWN PUSH MOWER WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FULL AND YOU GO TO START IT IT STARTS AND THEN ... A: I belive this mower has the maetal gas tank on the side and the small plastic carb mounted to the ... | |
| no spark | 5/1/2006 |
| Q: lawn mower sat all winter went to start it wont start no spark it is a briggs&stratton 6hp 4stroke ... A: No you dont need a new flywheel. The magnets you are refering to are really just counterweights to ... | |
| Pull rope and cut off | 5/1/2006 |
| Q: I have a Briggs 5/0 hp tiller. Pull rope broke, side mounted. Took off, but when rewinding after ... A: Unfortnantly the starter has to be replaced. I know of no way to service this type of starter ... | |
| starter clutch B&S 4hp engine | 5/1/2006 |
| Q: I have a 4hp Briggs and Statton lawnmower engine. After it starts and pulls the cord back in, it ... A: The noise is coming from the plastic or metal arms that swing out and engauge the cup on top of the ... | |
| lawn mower keeps cutting off | 5/1/2006 |
| Q: I have a lawn mower with a Briggs & Straton engine. It's pretty old but runs well. It keeps on ... A: Check the gas cap. If the vent is broken the tank cant breath as the gas is being used. it creates a ... | |
| Toro pull cord doesn't pull smoothly-binds | 4/30/2006 |
| Q: Toro 6.5, 4-cycle about 8 years old -- rope binds when pulled and does not pull soothly enough to ... A: It sounds like the mower was tipped on the wrong side and allowed oil to run through the case ... | |
| Can't get a spark | 4/30/2006 |
| Q: I have an older ('86) Murry with a Briggs Quantum 4.0hp engine. I haven't used it in quite a while. ... A: Use a business card to set the gap. Turn the flywheel till the magnets on the flywheel are in front ... | |
| Toro drive belt | 4/30/2006 |
| Q: I have a Toro 6.5 hp self propelled 22" mower. My question is how do I replace the drive belt of the ... A: That model was not in my database im assuming you need to remove the blad adaptor on the end fo the ... | |
| Carburetor problem | 4/29/2006 |
| Q: I have a DR Chipper with a Briggs & Stratton model 422437 18 hp engine. I bought it new four years ... A: Get it running as you say you can and spray carb cleaner around the gaskets where it mounts to the ... | |
| Briggs & Strat 6hp won't stay running | 4/29/2006 |
| Q: Not really a question but some information regarding Briggs & Strat 6hp motors that will start but ... A: You got it, I would have to agree with you. Whenever I work on a carb the fuel tank allways gets ... | |
| sears lawn mower wont go into gear | 4/29/2006 |
| Q: We have a 1999 sears 21.5 horse power with a 42" cut. Last year I had to replace the mower deck. ... A: The belts would be my first area of concern the main drive belt could be worn and slipping or may ... | |
| small mower repair | 4/28/2006 |
| Q: Matt I just put a tune up kit on my Craftsman mower.A 21" mulching,not self propelled. #917388360. ... A: There should be a spring attached to the carburetor stem located at the top the carburetor. This ... | |
| Craftsman mower wiring problem | 4/28/2006 |
| Q: I have a Craftsman mower with the 12hp B&S engine. It's pretty old, but it worked fine last summer. ... A: check the voltage at the starter when you turn the key make sure the key switch is working properly ... | |
| Carburator floods and gas gets into engine oil | 4/28/2006 |
| Q: I purchased a 2005 Murry with a briggs engine, from another person. The carburetor floods without ... A: The float needle valve is not sealing or the float has a small hole in it filling with gas and is ... | |
| toro lawn mower not starting | 4/27/2006 |
| Q: i have a 1985 toro lawn mower 22 inch cut..model 20684, susuki engine...2 cycle ...rear bag rear ... A: I understand your pain. I had a 2cycle lawn boy for 25years and hated to see it go. The flooding ... | |
| Briggs Motor | 4/27/2006 |
| Q: What Would I need to do in order to run a verticle shaft engine in the horizontal position? I can ... A: I'm not sure how well this would work. But would be cool if you could make it happen. The side of ... | |
Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.)
Answers by Expert:
Matt
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I work on highwheel trimmers, chipper shredders, walk-behind tillers, and 4-cycle engines (Honda, Briggs & Straton, Techumseh). I can answer repair questions about all models of walk behind lawnmowers except Yardman, Lawnboy and Scotts. Please be as descriptive as you can about the problem your having. and what type of machine it is.
Experience
I used to repair these machines for a large company - I would fix 150 to 250 units per month. most of my work was done on walkbehind mowers.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.