Pull cord hard to pull on Briggs and Stratton engine?

[jodebg]

Went to start my wood splitter for the first time this season
and the pull cord is hard to pull on this B&S Quantum XE 6.0 hp engine.
Usually pulls easily and starts on the second pull.

Could this be a problem in the pull cord mechanism or an engine issue?

 

[doxford jim]

I would check with the engine plug out. Remove the spark plug and then try pulling. I know on one of my chain saws, fuel leaks into the cylinder if stored for any length of time. To make starting it easier, I remove the spark plug and pull a few times. This blows out any excess liquid and vents the cylinder. Replace the plug and the saw starts right up.
I suspect you might just have a similar issue.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Is it the colder temps maybe ?
The B&S manuals in some of my stuff like my generator and wood splitter call for straight SAE 30 WT oil. It was hard to pull them over in the winter. Couldn't start them w/o a squirt of carb cleaner in the plug hole because it was so hard to pull them over. I started using synthetic 5w20 year round instead of straight 30W. Winter problem solved. Easy to start summer and winter and no increased oil consumption in the summer either.

 

[The Fred]

I agree with Mr. Gould.

I had a Honda splitter that threw the camshaft belt one really cold morning after startup. The oil was just too heavy and lighter oil was needed. Never bothered after 5w-30 change.


Regards, Fred

 

[JRobyn]

I've had a number of small engines that sat unused for a while and had this problem. More than once, it was just the starter mechanism itself being rusty. It's usually quite simple to remove the starter mechanism (engine shroud) to verify that it's all moving freely and that the engine itself is turning freely. If the starter is rusty and balky, just a shot of your favorite spray lube in the center of it will usually free it up.

- Jay

 

[jodebg]

Thanks for the good advice. I will begin the process tomorrow to get this running.

It does call for HD30 oil. Never look forward to this oil change. Messy if I drain from the bottom with all
the oil draining onto a steel plate. Or, awkward if I hold the splitter up and over to drain out the filler.
Any better way to drain this machine?

I would like to switch to synthetic...which should I use-5w-20, 5w-30, etc.?

 

[RandyT]

The briggs branded synthetic is a 5w-30 oil. I think you have a combination between the thick oil in the engine, and the hydraulic oil being cold and thick, which is the hard to pull problem.

 

[PILOON]

I also have seen the pull cord itself as the culprit.
Sometimes swollen from crap, sawdust etc or even the wrong size cord.

 

[jodebg]

Thanks...got it running today.

Our neighborhood small engine guy came over
today and tried the pull cord and said that there
was a load on the engine.

He was right. While digging the splitter out of summer storage,
the control lever ended up in the locked/ withdraw position.

A simple change in the lever position to neutral, and it
started right up!

 

[Gordon Gould]

Ahh - simple solutions are the best. One of those things - not obvious - unless it has happened to you before. Like not remembering to push your lift ram down by hand before removing a minute mount fisher plow. Then have no clue why you can't get it back on w/o using a jack.
Thanks for the feedback.