Starter will turn motor only one rev.

[Kruzer]

I have a 15hp B+S in a Craftsman. As it was running the motor started to slow down like it was under a strain. I shut it off. I checked the oil and there was oil right up to the top of the stick which seemed strange. I cleaned the stick and check the level which was ok. I tried to start it and it would only turn 1 rev. barely. I took the engine cover off and can turn by hand. I tried jumping it and still the same. I notice it would turn, using the battery to a certain spot and then stop. I have a spark. I don't have any oil on the plug or top of the piston. The fly wheel is new as of last year. That was the last work done on it.

Any clues?

 

[Soundguy]

try it with the plug out.

soundguy

 

[TedLaRue]

Kruzer,

Welcome to the TBN forums! I'm fairly new here myself, and I've absorbed a wealth of information including a lot from the posts of some of the veterans here like the previous poster Soundguy.

I don't think the battery or starter have anything to do with your problem. Nor do I think it was a piston compression problem. None of those were involved when your engine "started to slow down like it was under a strain". Lack of lubrication could cause that problem, but you already checked that.

It sounds to me like whatever the motor is driving is causing the resistance.

You don't say what kind of Craftsman machine you have, but I'm guessing it's a riding lawnmower. And I'm guessing the motor is driving a pulley with belts driving a transmission and perhaps a mower deck.

Check for a stick or something jamming a belt, a failed/binding bearing, twisted belt, jammed idler pulley arm, or something like that. If you don't see anything obvious, then try removing any drive belts from the pulley on the engine's output shaft which aren't slack, and then trying to crank the motor. If the motor cranks and starts then, check out whatever pulleys are being driven by those belts.

Please keep us posted and if/when you get your problem solved, make a final post so we (and future readers of this thread) know what the problem really was.

 

[777777]

Hi,

Oil to top of stick. Presume that means that it is well beyond the full mark?

Possibly needle valve stuck and fuel flooding the cylinder (s). Bled down into the crankcase, overfilled the crankcase and now cylinder is just completely full of fuel so pistons can't move in the cylinder.

Smell the oil for gas smell, pull the plug, see if it is full of gas. Try turning over without plug in it.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Tom

 

[Diamondpilot]

Check the simple things like it flooding with gas via a stuck valve in the carb. Also make sure the starter is on right and meshing with the flywheel correctly. My friend had a 3 month old mower die every time he engaged the mowing deck. Ended up being mice building a nest in the muffler and head area damaging the valves so its hard to say, you need to start looking.

Chris

 

[4720 OWNER]

My favorite, plastic baler twine wrapped around a shaft. If you only get part of it off, it will cut into the seals and then you get new bearings as well. I doubt if this is the issue here because hopefully the engine will not start when your implement is engaged (?) unless it is wrapped around your engine drive shaft.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Post back after you've tried some of the suggestions here. The high oil is a little odd.

It makes sense what Ted said about something adding extra resistance to the engine (mower deck, bound up tranny, etc.), but I don't know how that would be related to the extra oil.

When the engine spins barely 1 rev. does it spin quickly and then stop, or does it go slow?

I'm interested to hear what happens. I've got more ideas, but try what has already been suggested first.

 

[Willl]

I cleaned the stick and check the level which was ok.

I'm thinking his oil level was fine.

 

[Nasty135]

As it was running the motor started to slow down like it was under a strain. I shut it off.

I tried to start it and it would only turn 1 rev. barely. I took the engine cover off and can turn by hand.
I tried jumping it and still the same. I notice it would turn, using the battery to a certain spot and then stop. I have a spark.

Any clues?

?#1 Was it lugging as if trying to cut through high grass or did it just get weak as if running out of gas?



?#2 The statement about the battery & jumping it makes me think the battery is defective, Try disconnecting the battery and jumping the cables to the known good battery. If it starts the battery is defective, If this proves to have the same issue ,I would then look hard at a worn out (weak ) starter...but the starter wouldn't cause it to stall while it use...

You may have more than one problem

Good Luck...

 

[Bedlam]

Don't forget the connections being wicked clean and tight It dont take much on these to keep it low.
I agree with the plug out and try It should be easier to get it to spin freely , and then re install when it runs easily.
Hopefully its something simple. I just had to drive 120 miles out of state to 'fix' a mower of my aging uncles. only to find that it had the mower engaged, and that disabled it.
And then once running for 3 hours,heavy mowing. I stopped and out of the engine came a mouse.I figured they had a nest in there. its happened before. but the i saw smaller ones running over the fan blades on the flywheel. It must have been some hot.
Now I don't think my uncle will set rear on the tractor now hes scared of mice. LOl
But good luck and keep us posted. so we can learn also
Al