Got a 13hp B&S Lawnmower(electric start) that has trouble cranking over unless I take out the spark plug, then no issues turning over and has good spark but as soon as I place plug close it gets 'sucked in' and the mower stops cranking? Valve adjustment maybe? Any ideas please?
cabrio1,
May 6, 9:17am
Low battery voltage?
snoopy221,
May 6, 9:27am
Either battery or starter is dead/dying-sheesh ya can pull start em.
h.e,
May 6, 9:47am
I take it it's on a ride on. I had the same problem on my 14.5hp briggs, my issue was that I just replaced the belt with one a flyshit too small and it was trying to start with the blades engaged. Jumped it off the car for a couple of mows until the belt stretched. Also oil in the bore can cause it to not wind over to cure this you need to take plug out and wind over for ages
bikernutrr,
May 6, 10:01am
Might give it a go, thanks.
bwg11,
May 6, 9:43pm
Not sure if the 13hp is a V-twin. Seen a couple of v-twins which tend to flood and fill a cylinder when parked on an angle (or tilted for maintenance). This only happens when the fuel tank is almost full.
yz490,
May 6, 11:32pm
would they have an automatic valve lifter to 'just' take the edge of compression for starting?, if valve clearance ended up a bit wide from wear etc maybe the said valve lifter isn't having the desired effect. [guessing]. I have a 13 horse 'V' twin husky ride on with a broken conrod on the right cylinder, piston sitting at the top but still mowing on 6.5hp & been doing it for a year or more [must get around to fixing it lol] terrible story & hang my head in shame. With yours if all else fails just flick bonnet forward & turn the crank back against compression to give it a bit of a wind up before ploughing through compression via the starter motor. Another trick [i got tricked] had the belt cut through the alternator charging wires which were 'hanging low', hence battery not being re-charged while running. Bottom line maybe battery below par in cranking output. Sorry for the essay.
floscey,
May 7, 12:38am
solinoid on bottom of carb is stuck or needle stuck open. Flooding to the point of hydraulic-ing (what ever that word is)
had exact thing happen to a briggs single . Had water in fuel that corroded the fuel shut off soliniod that then held needle open thus flooding engine to point where it wont go past tdc.
bikernutrr,
May 7, 5:10am
By the way, it has been in storage for a year or so. Thanks for comments.
kazbanz,
May 7, 5:43am
First thing to do has to be clean out the carby and make sure you have fresh fuel. Then try jump starting with a decent battery
motorboy2011,
May 7, 7:45am
Starter motor has 4 bushes, 1 will be toast, so it will half the torque.
joanie32,
May 7, 8:43am
As yz490 said- valve clearances. My ride on has same motor and was bought with same problem. Adjusted valves and it cranked perfectly. Year later it wouldn't crank again, quick check and adjust and it's sorted. There's a couple of clips on you tube that walk you through the process. Btw. I was told by local mower shop it was internal decompression lever/spring and was about $400 to repair.
johotech,
May 7, 8:49am
Sounds like valves to me.
skin1235,
May 7, 9:03am
I'm having a problem with the phrase, 'as soon as I place plug close it gets 'sucked in'
I'm confused
its been stored for a year, no word of what it was like before stored, no word of what has been done taking it out of storage does it even have spark, is the cam turning, how can it be sucking to that degree
skin1235,
May 7, 9:06am
most of the 13hp were single bangers, but also not many had pull starts on them snoop, imagine the arms and wrists you'd have after hauling a B/S 13 a few times, not many B/S had compression release on the 13's either
bikernutrr,
May 7, 9:26am
Sorry, ran ok before stored but hard to start. Just took it out of storage and tried to jump off car battery as battery is dead as. Refuelled with fresh petrol checked oil and crossed fingers :) . Unfortunately wouldn't hardly crank over( ever so slowly) so just out of interest removed spark plug to check spark and confirmed it has. Also noticed it cranked over very easy but as I cranked it I placed plug over hole out of interest and a vacuum 'pulled' the plug into hole, then cranked slowly again. Might check valve clearances in weekend.
skin1235,
May 7, 9:41am
the 13hp B/S is a single, valves in block, no cam chain to break, no overhead gear to confuse the issue, the valves are not adjustable as you think, to adjust them you take the head off, the side plate off, and either grind the valve seats or grind the valve stem to adjust them this vacuum has me intrigued, what has been done to the aircleaner, what condition is the choke in ( 13's were notoriously pricks to start or very easy, no in between modes ) and if the inlet side is so restricted you have vac at the plug hole who knows what the exhaust side is like some serious issue with the normal suck system, but thats only part of it, the starter will recover from an inlet issue and spin up on the compression and exhaust stroke, the fact that it spins okay-ish without the plug, sucks the plug in and doesn't recover for the other parts of the cycle say both the inlet and exhaust are choked with something like people if they cannot breath they die
bikernutrr,
May 7, 9:52am
Probably jumped ahead of the gun as I haven't stripped the air filter or checked exhaust etc yet. Just wishful thinking and pretending I might be able to start after a year of nothing :) . Will take time this weekend to strip and check everything. any ideas on valve clearances for intake and exhaust. (cast iron sleeve model)
skin1235,
May 7, 10:06am
haven't got a book here but approx 16 thou each will suffice
the air cleaner on the 13 is about 200mm wide by about 70mm across above the exhaust pipe, would not be the first one to become a wintering over place for a family of mice, but - to check the clearance you have to remove the side cover under the carb, fine if it is pointing in the right direction, pain when it is not, removing all the cowlings etc just to check is almost as bad as taking the engine right out -0 except for that wee thing called a bottom pulley, you have to remove that to lift the engine, and to remove it you generally destroy it
I'd start with the aircleaner, check condition ( replace? or run without - will run a little lean without), check the choke flap is functional and opening properly, personally I'd drop the carb right off and unscrew the muffler or unbolt the exhaust manifold then spin it up, (eliminate at least 2 of the main areas of constriction) if it still trys to suck the plug in then you have serious valve issues - and I mean serious, for it to be sucking the valves have to be closed and the only way they can be jammed closed and the engine still turn is for the cam to be stuffed- and that basically is a new motor the current sucking could be blocked inlets, with the carb off you can observe the valve moving - if its still sucking the valve won't be moving, same re exhaust, looking through the manifold or the port you can see the valve move - if it ain't moving its toast, the cam gears are stripped or the cam is bent
B/S are a basic bucket of bolts holding hands, all fine and strong until something lets go, then they're just a bucket of bolts
bikernutrr,
May 7, 10:10am
Sounds like fun times ahead, thanks.
skin1235,
May 7, 10:15am
before you start checking valve clearances - which is a right prick on those side valve blocks ( yes some of the later 13's did have adjusters I think ), check the valves are moving, either drop the carb and or exhaust - easier than the side cover on most - you have to drop the carb the get to the cover on most, get your eye on the valve stem and turn the engine by your hand on the top gauze cover ( no plug in ), you will see if they are moving easily enough, and probably how much they are moving if you are carefull
you can use a wire through the plug hole to check if you know what you're doing but this is only going to tell you they move, not how much they move
timbo69,
May 7, 10:24am
Put your serial number into the briggs web page and get correct clearances - it really matters. there are some reasonable how to do videos on youtube - ensure you have motor on correct stroke (being 4 stroke) and top dead center
skin1235,
May 7, 10:39am
handy to have that info, but will not resolve the issue - which is the sucking, the vac which can suck a plug back over the hole and thus slow cranking speed, that issue has to be resolved first before diving into the internals - not saying the info won't help - and if it has been historically hard to start then once you have it spinning up without the vac the valve gaps will probably solve the hard starting issues
I still have a problem trying to imagine just how choked that engine would have to be for that vac to even exist
yz490,
May 7, 11:14am
Mason bee built a nest in the exhaust blocking it totaly off [how's that for a theory] Seen it on a weedeater that sat for a year or more--two stroke, i know. Couldn't blow! so it couldn't suck! --jeez did i say that.
timbo69,
May 7, 6:32pm
skin1235 wrote: handy to have that info, but will not resolve the issue - which is the sucking, the vac which can suck a plug back over the hole and thus slow cranking speed, that issue has to be resolved first before diving into the internals - not saying the info won't help - and if it has been historically hard to start then once you have it spinning up without the vac the valve gaps will probably solve the hard starting issues
Your over complicating the issue. I got an engine cheap with the same issue - 30mins to adjust the valves and she is a sweet runner - do you understand how the B&S decompression works?
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