small engine problem

[Michael Weber]

If there's anyone with small engine knowledge here I have a peculiar problem starting my Snapper rider. It's an older model with 10 HP engine. It didn't want to start this morning and when it eventually did it died almost immediately whether choked or unchoked. For some reason it was making a screeching sound. I pulled off the plug wire to see if it was getting a spark. To my surprise the engine started right up and continued to run. Naturally the wire was close enough to the plug that I could see the spark. As soon as I pushed the plug wire back on to the plug the engine died. Bought a new plug with the same result. Cleaned inside the wires plug insulator with no change. Ran fine last week?:confused:

[Michael Weber]

Please ignore this, clearly I am an idiot:mad: Tried to delete it but no go.

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm sorry Michael. I tried to ignore this but I couldn't. It just kept eating and eating at me that I should ask that ridiculous female question, "is it out of gas?" Sorry!:D

[ray hampton]

thank you Belinda, I would never thought of the fuel tank

[Michael Weber]

Not out of gas Belinda, just out of my mind.:eek: I walked down to the neighborhood hardware store to buy a new spark plug. Had the old one with me to compare. Found the match, paid and stuck it in my pocket, walked back home took it from my pocket and installed it. Two hours of work later I stick my hand in my pocket, feel something and pull out the newly purchased plug. I had reinstalled the old plug.:o Two minutes later after installing the correct plug, I was mulching leaves.

[Belinda Barfield]

Glad you got it all figured out. (said the woman who replaced the lightbulb . . . still didn't work . . . checked the breaker box - all good . . . called an electrician friend . . . saw the new bulb on the counter . . . put in new bulb . . . problem solved):o:D

[Moses Yoder]

I had some small engine repair training, and I can easily understand why the engine wouldn't run well with a bad spark plug. But for the life of me I can't figure out why it would make a screeching sound because of a bad spark plug.

[ray hampton]

maybe a compression leak or the plug was kissing the piston

[Myk Rian]

Or a valve was stuck, and fixed itself, temporarily.

[Michael Weber]

I had some small engine repair training, and I can easily understand why the engine wouldn't run well with a bad spark plug. But for the life of me I can't figure out why it would make a screeching sound because of a bad spark plug.
I agree, it made no sense and there is no screech now. I wear two powerful hearing aids and my first reaction was I was getting feedback but that wasn't it. Can't tell you the frequency but it had to be lower than 1800 Hz. or I wouldn't have heard it at all.

[Dave Lehnert]

Reminds me when I use to sell lawn equipment. People would come in mad because their new trimmer would not start. They come in, slam it down on the counter. followed by a story how they pulled on that thing for an hour the night before. neighbor who is a heavy equipment mechanic worked on it for an hour without success. Now they were in our store to teach us a lesson what junk our equipment is and take their money to the competitor. About that time I would reach down and flip the kill switch "ON", pull the cord and fire right up. Almost always on the first pull.

[Jerome Stanek]

I agree, it made no sense and there is no screech now. I wear two powerful hearing aids and my first reaction was I was getting feedback but that wasn't it. Can't tell you the frequency but it had to be lower than 1800 Hz. or I wouldn't have heard it at all.

That reminds me of the time I took my new mower back to the dealer because I worked for a hour to try and start it and it wouldn't. Took it to the dealer and it started first pull. I got home and couldn't get it started took it back same thing started first pull. went home again and I worked for over an hour and still couldn't get it started took it back again and they were laughing at me until the mechanic pulled on it for 45 minutes and couldn't get it started. The guy called over the owner and told him about it the owner pulled once and it started right up. I got a new mower out of that.

[Steve Clardy]

Not out of gas Belinda, just out of my mind.:eek: I walked down to the neighborhood hardware store to buy a new spark plug. Had the old one with me to compare. Found the match, paid and stuck it in my pocket, walked back home took it from my pocket and installed it. Two hours of work later I stick my hand in my pocket, feel something and pull out the newly purchased plug. I had reinstalled the old plug.:o Two minutes later after installing the correct plug, I was mulching leaves.



Sounds like a BrainFart problem to me. ;)

Don't ask how I know these things. :D

[ray hampton]

at one time a long time ago, I was the proud owner of a mower that was hard to start and the reason why were because of two screws that held the intake manifold to the engine refuse to stay tight

[Rich Engelhardt]

About that time I would reach down and flip the kill switch "ON", pull the cord and fire right up. Almost always on the first pull. I know this really stupid idiot - a real brain damamged mouth breather, that took his new boat w/a 25hp Merc outboard on it out for the first time. He did pretty much the same thing. Cranked and cranked and cranked it till the battery was about gone, took the cover off and pulled the plugs, checkd the gas,,,,yada yada,,, etc, etc....

My good friend and fishing buddy, Jim, still throws that incident in my face once in a while and laughs at it. :D
"Hey, Rich, r'meber time time you ranted in that snowstorm about selling your new boat to the first guy that offered you a dollar for it? Then you flipped the kill switch! HAHAHAHA".


yeah yeah yeah...All I can do is stand there w/a sheepish grin....:o