lawn mower won't work (1 Viewer)

[Jeremy Illingworth]

I've got a Briggs and Stratton Quantam Power 4 HP gas mover. I took it to my friends house because her mower quit and her grass was quite long. She mowed it, but slowly and carefully. The next day she came over to do mine which was also quite long. As she was using it it started to run with an irregular sound, like there was a dead/weak spot in the cycle. When she turned it off to do the back it wouldn't restart. I tried it the next day and it was no better.

The next week I bought a tune up kit from CT with a plug and points. I put the plug in and now it seems to run but very poorly, with the same irregular sound as before. I was going to put the points in but I am not sure where the flywheel and dust cover are as I don't have a manual. Is it on the top or bottom side of the engine?

Is there anything else this could be. Did I wreck the mower completely? Or at least beyond reasonably priced repair?

jeremy

 

[CameronS]

Did you try kicking it?



Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[Philip_G]

how old is the gas? maybe the fuel filter is plugged? that's about all I can think of.

 

[Ken Garrison]

I was mowing a friend's lawn with her Quatro and I hit a hunk of metal. Bent the crankshaft and shattered an oil ring. She gave the mower to me after I attempted to fix it for her. No go.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Check the fuel, fuel filter, oil, plug, etc...

If it is built like almost any other lawn mower, the flywheel is on the top of the engine where the rip cord is located. (Where you pull start the engine.)

You say you've replaced the plug and it still runs crappy... Check to make sure the plug wire is not broken and is making good contact on the plug. This could cause a mis-fire. If all else fails, drain the gas and change the fuel filter, then add more gas. There may be water in the tank or she might have put in some bad gas.

 

[Todd Hochard]

You might try pulling the air filter, and replacing that.

Also, you might try spraying some carb cleaner down into the carburetor (the big hole behind the air filter). Also, use the spray to clean off the outside linkage to the carb well.

Is the oil level OK? Do you change it at least once a season?

Todd

 

[Dave Poehlman]

I have the same mower. I'll tell you the problem I had with mine:

I've had it for maybe 5 years without a problem. Usually in the spring, if it doesn't start, I just replace the spark plug and away I go. But, a few months ago mine stopped running like it was out of gas... so I filled it and no go. I put a new plug, filter sponge, and oil... no start.

I took it apart and found that there is a wire that is connected to that safety bar that when you release the bar, it shorts out the engine so you can't accidentally stick your fingers under the mower while it's running. Well, that wire had melted to the engine block and was shorting out. About 6 inches of electrical tape and I was ready to go.

 

[Andrej Dolenc]

A second vote for checking the air filter. The Sears mower I have at home was running really poorly last summer. There was just a ton of grass stuck to the air filter so I started with the obvious - replace that. Been running great ever since. Not bad for a mower that's like 10 years old!

Andrej

 

[Mark C Sherman]

Check all the filters. also check the gap at the top of the fly wheel. There is a magnet that spins with the flywheel. That is how you get the spark. Check to see if there is any build up there. and make sure the gap is set properly.


if you want to really get involved take the Head off and check to see if there is any Blow by on the top of the piston.

I took a small engine repair class in High School for extra Credit. This was one thing we did to a teachers Mower
good luck

 

[Jeremy Illingworth]

The air filter was changed at the start of the season, which was about for mows ago.

Mark, is this gap the gap on the points? Because I have a new set to install.

jeremy

 

[Chuck C]

I'll tell you the prob...air filter. Our riding TORO tees mowers at work as well as our Jacobsen greens mowers have vangard engines that use Briggs & Stratton parts. Every once in a while, the mowers will hiccup while running. Last week one of the tees mowers did just that, and the prob was a broken piece that separated the air filter from the oil. Oil was leaking into the air filter and all the spark plugs. I'd take that mower to someone who knows those things inside and out!