917

[Guest]

I am having problems with hard starting in tthe cold and running rough no matter cold or warm. I have tried to adjust the needle vales when rich is sputters at high speed at lean it doesn't accelerate and no power. I have tried new plugs. I don't know where to go from here!

[Kent]

Ben, I would probably put in a set of points and condensor if they haven't been chaged for a while. First I would pull off one plug wire at a time with the engine running. When you lift the wire off the engine should run rougher and when you push it on smooth out. If one side has no effect and the other side causes it to die, it is missing and you need to address that problem, If it is missing first I swap the wires around in the coil and see if the problem moves to the other cylinder, if it does you have a bad coil. If not I would find another plug wire and substitute it and see if it helps. Next I would check the compression. If it is good, or about the same in both cylinders, I would put in a set of points and condensor. When you put in the points find the point where they are the widest open and set them about .020 inch gap. Next take a flashlight and look through the hole in the side of the fan housing and on the flywheel next to the ring gear are some timing marks stamped. You will find them by turning the enigne over with a pliers until the #1 piston is near top center. You can detect this by putting a bent wire through the spark plug hole. One mark will be under the hole when the flywheel is 20 degrees before top dead center [TDC] This when looking at the flywheel and turning it clockwise. This line stamped on the edge of the flywheel is stamped S. Take a little stick or something and put a drop of paint [preferably yellow] on the mark. Then put the point cover screw back in the block or you will blow oil out connect a timing light to the #1 cylinder and start the engine. It should be firing when the mark is exactly behind the hole. If not you can have someone watch the light and adjust the points while running or you can stop the engine and turn the engine by hand until the points are start to open, turn the flywheel back about 20 degrees then come back forward [CW}and stop at the mark. Then with the switch off connect a test light from the battery to the points and adjust the points until the light goes out when you turn the flywheel clockwise and the mark is right under the hole. Always roll the flywheel back about 15 or 20 degrees and come at it CW other wise you will be off, due to slack in the timing gears between the crankshaft and the camshaft. When you have it on, hook the timing light back up and check it running. Most of the time if you adjust them with a test light they will be OK. DO NOT CONFUSE THE MARKS ON THE FLYWHEEL. THE [T] MARK IS FOR TOP DEAD CENTER TDC. THE MARK YOU NEED IS [S] FOR SPARK 20 DEGREES BEFORE TDC. After it is running adjust the carb Main jet so the engine runs the very best, then back it out as far as you can with NO degradation. This is where it should run. Then idle it down and adjust the idle jet for best idle. Next open it wide open and adjust the main jet again. Then idle it down and and readjust the idle needle. Then re adjust the main jet at wide open. If you have hesitation on opening the throttle open the low speed [idle jet] a little and readjust the main. Repeat until it runs perfect. ALWAYS ADJUST THE HIGH SPEED [MAIN] JET LAST. If your engine is new enough it will not have an adjustable main jet. If it is a fixed jet then just the idle jet as indicated. This timing procedure is also good for all of the single cylinder engines also. ALSO NOTE THERE IS A LITTLE RIDGE ON THE ALUMINUM PLATE THE BLOWER HOUSING IS FASTENED ON THAT IS THE MARK TO LINE UP WITH THE TIMING MARK ON THE FLYWHEEL RIGHT INSIDE THE TIMING HOLE. Good luck, Happy New Year. Al