Cub 3165 Vanguard no-start

[otsegony]

To All:

I was happily mowing my ever-growing lawn with my Cub 3165 yesterday when I stopped it to help my wife move some rocks. Now it won't start. When I attempt to start it I can hear the starter motor turn, but it doesn't seem to be engaging the flywheel because the engine isn't turning over. The engine is a 16hp Briggs Vanguard with about 500 hours on it, which until this time has been very reliable. Any ideas for a diagnosis would be much appreciated.

Garet

 

[dqdave1]

Try tapping the starter with something to see if it will engage. Make sure battery is fully charged, so it can engage starter . Probably your starter is going bad. You may be able to remove and clean and lube it to get it going again.

 

[Bob_Bainbridge]

Most of the starters have a Bendix drive, which is a pinion gear that is retracted by a spring. The inertia of the starter motor causes the pinion gear to slide forward and engage the ring gear on the flywheel. The shaft and gear got worn on my old 1450 and would stick occasionally and I would rap the starter (gently) with a 2 x 4 and it would work. I disassembled the starter a couple times and put grease on the shaft and gear and then it would work for another year or so.

Bob B.