Snapper rear engine rider. Dead..

[MoPops]

I just bought a 28 cut. 12.5 hp Briggs Stratton engine, electric start. It has maybe 20 hours on it. It was bought in 2007 and has been sitting a long time. It may have been stored vertically. The previous owner said the bars on the rear were for vertical storage. He put in fresh gas, bought a new battery, but the engine appears locked. I can get it to turn over a bit with the pull cord, but it痴 very difficult. Sometimes it won稚 pull at all. Turning the key, the starter just buzzes.
I checked the oil, and it smells like å*µas? Crap.. It was $1900 back in 07. I知 not a mechanic. Any way to quickly tell if they toasted this motor? I can attach pics if it would help. I was amazed as it looks like brand new.
Thx,
Jeff

 

[kirkawilson]

It might just be 'stiff' from storage. Remove the spark plug and see if the motor turns much easier. If it does, change the oil and rotate the engine more without the spark plug. Put in a new spark plug and try to start.

 

[MoPops]

Update.. I just drained the oil. It was 90% gas. Pulled the plug, it was hydrolocked with gas. I’m guessing the carburetor needs rebuilt for sure.
Any thoughts as to wether the engine is toast or not? The starter still just humms or buzzes.
Just a thought, but can I just buy a new carburetor? I don’t know about me rebuilding it..
Thx

 

[MossRoad]

Yes, the bars on the back are for storing it vertically.

If it was me, I'd set it horizontal (no kidding? hahah), remove the spark plug, drain the fuel tank, drain the oil. Pour Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinder through the plug hole and let it sit there for a few days to loosen the cylinder up. With the plug still out, see if you can turn the engine over by hand. Put a breaker bar on the crank if you have to and nudge it back and forth until it frees up. Once you get it freed up, with the spark plug still out, fill the crankcase with fresh oil to the FULL mark on the stick. Try and bump the starter.

Once you get it freed up, then you can start seeing if you have spark.

Put a fresh spark plug in properly gapped, and spray 1 second's worth of starting fluid into the carb. Turn the key and see if it pops. If it pops, you have a spark. If it pops, proceed below. If it doesn't pop, try it again. Don't use more than 1 second worth of spray of starting fluid at a time. If, after 4-5 tries, you don't get a pop, remove the spark plug and set it against the metal of the head and bump the starter while watching the gap. If there is no spark, diagnose from there the plug wire, coil, etc...

If it popped on the starting fluid, you can now work on the carb and fuel lines, filter, etc...

Spray the carb down with carb cleaner, change the fuel filter, make sure any fuel shut off valves are open, put fresh gas in the tank and give it a try.

 

[MossRoad]

If you can't get the cylinder freed up after the mystery oil soak, something is rusted, bound, or bent.

 

[MoPops]

Ok. Thanks. The crank turns easy without the plug in. I can use the pull cord, and shoot gas out. I put the plug back in, and I could hear gas actually running from the tank and filling the cylinder.
The crankcase did not refill with gas though. I’ll recheck that though, because it may be seeping in.
Really seems like a carburetor issue. But I’m no expert, that’s for sure.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Not a small engine mechanic, but I know that (carb) float valves can stick and gas keeps running til the tank is empty. Maybe the same happens if stored at some weird angle. Don't fry your starter. I have little doubt, with patience that this can turn out well, at little or no cost.

After I got it running, I would change the oil again for good measure.

 

[MoPops]

I see carburetors for $20 on eBay, but I have no idea if they are any good, or it’s the right one, or the right thing to do.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Not sure why you think you need a carb. Clean her up and see if it starts.

 

[MoPops]

I think the previous owner may have already cooked the starter. It just buzzes or hums. I was thinking that maybe the teeth were just bound up or out of alignment. I’ll see if I can get it running with the pull starter, then maybe the starter will come around.