starting problems

[steve-wis 612]

Hi, Trying to help out the neighbor (poor guy bought a Murray rear engine rider, totally beat). Has a 10 hp tecumseh on it. Ran good till a couple of days ago, he says it backfired and quit and now won't start. I tried to start it and that is just what it does, spins and spins with the very occasional backfire. Has good spark and is getting gas. Pulled the flywheel thinking maybe the key was sheared (it seems like maybe out of time to me) but all looks good there. I am thinking maybe the coil? Or, maybe a valve spring let loose, but it seems to have compression. Any ideas? I have no way to check the coil. Hate to buy one and find out it isn't the problem. What do you guys think? (Besides trashing the murray and tecumseh, which I have already suggested). Steve

[farmtoybuilder 4]

Check valves, I don't think it would be coil if you have good spark! We have had a lot of sticky- stuck valves in small motors with this junk gas!

[dav 2]

did you actually pull the flywheel or just remove the nut/bolt and look down the slot? i recently pulled the bolt and looked down the slot and thought the key looked okay. turned out i was wrong. key had sheared and wheel spun a half turn so i didnt notice the other piece of keyway. did a lot of swearing before i started all over from the beginning and took the flywheel completely off. that's when i saw the pieces of keyway. was kinda po'd at myself for making such a simple oversight.

[BLT 708]

quote:

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Originally posted by dav
did you actually pull the flywheel or just remove the nut/bolt and look down the slot? i recently pulled the bolt and looked down the slot and thought the key looked okay. turned out i was wrong. key had sheared and wheel spun a half turn so i didnt notice the other piece of keyway. did a lot of swearing before i started all over from the beginning and took the flywheel completely off. that's when i saw the pieces of keyway. was kinda po'd at myself for making such a simple oversight.

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Ditto on Dav's suggestion, it sounds like a sheared key.

[steve-wis 612]

Nope, I pulled the flywheel and the key is fine. I agree it sure sounds like a sheared key, but it isn't. Steve

[BLT 708]

Replace the spark plug?

[steve-wis 612]

Of course I didn't replace the plug, that would be too easy and too cheap too! Guess I will try that tomorrow. Will let you know how it comes out. Steve

[steve-wis 612]

Sorry this took so long.....I told the guy to put in a new plug and see if that would help. Took him this long to get around to it. It started but runs really rough. I told him to sell it while it was still running at all. Thanks again for the help. Steve