Snapper rear engine rider. Dead..

[Industrial Toys]

Any ignition switch must be on, and the plug thread must be grounded. Often not that easy. A friend gave me a cheap spark tester that makes things quite a bit easier. But with the plug in, it does not spin as readily making a spark you can see.

 

[MossRoad]

Ha! I was looking closely at spark plug gap. Didn’t see it. Not getting a great pull left handed on the pull cord though. I’m thinking I should have or would have seen it, if it was there.

If you don't have spark, a new carb isn't going to help you.

You can put a pair of vice grip pliers on the nut of the spark plug, then put an alligator clip lead on the pliers and then the other clip lead to ground. Then lay the pliers down so you can see the gap easier. The heavy vice grips keeps the spark plug from flying around when you yank the cord, and it's easier to see the gap with the plug laying on it's side. Hope that helps.

 

[MossRoad]

You can get a spark plug tester at Harbor Freight for $4.99. Autozone for less than $10.

 

[MoPops]

Thanks for the advice. I wasn’t testing it right. I’ll get a tester, or try vice grips. Can’t make any progress until I get the spark sorted out. I’m thinking of taking a small engine repair class as part of my retirement program. I’ve got zero patience. I was just looking at replacement engines.. :confused3:

I think the gas was down in the crankcase for a long time. There’s a fair amount of corrosion forming around the outside of the crankcase. Kind of a light colored seep. Wonder if that’s from the gas sitting in the crankcase for so long.

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks for the advice. I wasn’t testing it right. I’ll get a tester, or try vice grips. Can’t make any progress until I get the spark sorted out. I’m thinking of taking a small engine repair class as part of my retirement program. I’ve got zero patience. I was just looking at replacement engines.. :confused3:

I think the gas was down in the crankcase for a long time. There’s a fair amount of corrosion forming around the outside of the crankcase. Kind of a light colored seep. Wonder if that’s from the gas sitting in the crankcase for so long.

Small engines like this are pretty simple. A class would be well worth the time spent. Once someone shows you how things work a couple times it's a piece of cake. And, even if it is sometimes not cost effective to repair something, it's a worthwhile task to repair something as it gives you a better understanding of how it works, and then a better understanding of how important preventative maintenance effects engine life and operation. It also helps with diagnosing future problems when you picture the moving machine in your head with all the parts interacting.

For example, I have a Poulan Pro 42cc chainsaw that I've used for about 10-11 years to cut all the wood to heat our house. It's a cheap saw. I bought it as a factory reconditioned saw for $99. I've cut 66 cords of wood with it for our house, plus a bunch of trees for friends and families. For $99. Can't beat it. Well, it started running strange. Turned out to be a cracked piece in the ignition coil. Ignition coil with shipping was something close to $50. For a $99 saw. I ordered it anyway, just to see if I could fix it. And I did. It probably wasn't a financially sensible thing to do spending half the cost of a 10-11 year old reconditioned saw that may not last another year or two, but $50 for an educational experience is money well spent. Cheaper than college credits, that's for sure! :laughing:

 

[/pine]

I was once working on a Wisconsin Robins 7 HP engine...The coil was putting out so the plug was showing spark when testing but the engine would not run correctly...it kept back firing and running like the timing was off...it turned out the coil was faulty even though it was sparking the plug...it was an internal fault...

FWIW...Even with the learning experience above I still think the easiest way to test for spark is to remove the plug from the equation...just hold the wire and allow your hand or finger to contact the engine case...then just slowly turn the flywheel enough...if the coil is putting out you will feel it...then just use a new spark plug if it is in question...

 

[MossRoad]

I was once working on a Wisconsin Robins 7 HP engine...The coil was putting out so the plug was showing spark when testing but the engine would not run correctly...it kept back firing and running like the timing was off...it turned out the coil was faulty even though it was sparking the plug...it was an internal fault...

FWIW...Even with the learning experience above I still think the easiest way to test for spark is to remove the plug from the equation...just hold the wire and allow your hand or finger to contact the engine case...then just slowly turn the flywheel enough...if the coil is putting out you will feel it...then just use a new spark plug if it is in question...

That was similar to my chainsaw issue. I had spark when testing it. Good spark. But when I'd run up the RPMS, it would start acting weird. Turns out the crack in the coil's foot would open with RPMs, and make good contact when the engine was out. The only reason I found it, was because I took the coil off, and the foot stayed on the engine when I lifted it off.

 

[MoPops]

FWIW...Even with the learning experience above I still think the easiest way to test for spark is to remove the plug from the equation...just hold the wire and allow your hand or finger to contact the engine case...then just slowly turn the flywheel enough...if the coil is putting out you will feel it...then just use a new spark plug if it is in question...

I can try this pretty quickly. I’m hoping I have a spark. There’s a community college a few miles from our house. I’ll see if they offer small engine repair.
Thanks
I’m at the farm today. Put a new gas tank in my old craftsman lawn tractor and mowed most of the day. That thing has held up amazingly well. The Snapper looks brand new compared to it.

 

[MoPops]

Not good news. I put it on the trickle charger all night. Battery looks good. Turned key to start, it still just clicks. Went back to “run” position on the key. Pulled the plug out. Pulled the cord a few times with a screwdriver down inside the plug cap. Nothing. I was ready to get my heart stopped, but nothing..
Did I do it correctly? Anything else? I guess I can go get a tester, but shouldn’t I have felt something. I was holding the shaft of the screwdriver.
I wonder if this wasn’t in a flood somewhere. I mean it’s brand new, but it’s dead..
Jeff

 

[Industrial Toys]

No one around to help out? Me and many guys like me would like nothing better than to take the time to sort out yet another puzzle like this, and try and help someone out.