Questions tagged [small-engine]
Engines used in applications such as lawn mowers, go carts, chain saws, compressors, small pumps, generators, garden tractors, and string trimmers. Frequently hand (pull) started and without an electrical system beyond the spark plug. Technically there is an overlap with motorcycle / scooter engines, but for questions related to motor cycles or scooters those tags are preferred.
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Small engine has gas or propane always turned on - will the fuel leak?
I have a gravity-fed-gas and propane dual-fuel pull-start 4-stroke portable generator which works well and with no problems. I am thinking of adding an add-on remote start so I don't have to go out to ...
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Why is the engine surging in my Craftsman lawn tractor?
How can I stop my lawn tractor engine from surging at low throttle/RPM? I have an 18.5 hp Briggs and Stratton single cylinder. I have re-built the carburetor and adjusted the mixture screw.
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Low Oil Pressure in Cub Cadet ZT1 42" with Kohler 7000
I have a Cub Cadet ZT1 42" zero-turn mower. Last month, just after my mower was two years old, a quart of oil was on my garage floor. The shop I bought it from replaced the transmission under ...
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Purpose of clutch in transmission with multiple neutrals
I am currently repurposing the transmission and clutch of a pretty old walking tractor (Bucher K3). Here is a picture of exactly that transmission:
So this transmission has 3 forward and one reverse ...
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Binding mower motor
I have a mower (or mini tractor) with a Briggs & Stratton 12 HP motor which binds quite a bit, causing it to be difficult to start. I assume that it is either due to rust / missing lubrication / a ...
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Small engine reliable spark only in wrong direction
I have a very old (date unknown but pre 1980 I think) Motowatt 1500s generator driven by a two stroke MAG motor. When I bought it it had no spark. After cleaning the points there was spark but only at ...
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Mower won't start
I have a 4 hp Briggs and Straton lawn mower engine that won't start at all. I've changed the spark plug, air filter, carburetor float valve and seat. Gas is also new. Can't even get a sputter out of ...
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How to inspect and clean a small engine stored for year without oil cap?
I recently discovered my wood chipper's oil filler cap is missing. Assuming it fell off last time I used it, the engine has been uncapped for over a year.
Wind often blows dust and leaves into my ...
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When should I do the first oil change for a rarely used lawnmower?
I bought a lawnmower that has these oil change service intervals in the engine operating manual:
After the first month or after 5 operating hours: change the engine oil
Every 6 months or after 50 ...
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Tuff Torq Hydrostatic Transmission Troubleshooting
I have a Tuff Torq hydrostatic transmission (model: 7A646084591) that I'm suspicious of, but I can't quite figure out the best way to troubleshoot. I'm looking for a way to determine if:
The ...
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Ariens 911016 mower fuel intake problems
Started up mower this season after sitting all winter with fuel in the tank. Engine will start up for a few seconds very robustly and then sputter out. It was running last season, not perfectly but no ...
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2019 Cub Cadet XT1 Riding Lawnmower Under Powered
I have a 2019 Cub Cadet XT1 (model: 13A9A1CS056) that has been experiencing some power loss under load, especially after mowing for a bit (~30m ~ 1h). It struggles to move as fast as when I first got ...
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Stihl fs 55 string trimmer not idling and blowing out white smoke
I just bought a string trimmer off of Facebook marketplace for 100. The guy that I bought it off of said that he put too much oil in it and that’s why it was blowing out smoke. I got it back home and ...
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Dimethyl Ether as a fuel for (mostly small) spark-ignited engines
Currently, many small stationary (and some not so stationary) spark ignited engines are sold with the capability of being converted ("on the fly" even) from gasoline operation to operation ...
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2018 tgb tapo (202) engine turns over but won't fire up
tgb tapo rs 50 I have spark and fuel cock seems to work, iv'e also removed carb and cleaned it wondering if
i need to remove inlet manifold and check the reeds
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Honda GX270 engine very high compression
I have a (previously working) Honda GX270 engine that I was transporting in my truck recently. The strap came off and it tumbled in the back. Nothing serious, but it was lying on its side for about 15-...
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Coleman CT200U EX starts when dies
I initially was putting a new carb on but decided to just keep the stock one. I have put it all back on. But when I started it it instantly when full throttle. So I did some research and learned about ...
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Power from magneto (for LED)
I've got a lawnmower engine on a hovercraft and I'd like to power the headlight on it without a battery. I understand there isn't an "alternator" per se in these engines, but there's a ...
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Electric motor replaced with Gas engine
I have a vacuum that that currently powered by a 3 phase 5 HP electric motor. Currently I cannot power this vacuum with a generator, I would like to convert this vacuum to a gas engine instead. I know ...
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Poulan chain saw
How do I install a new piston with 21 loose needle bearings around the wrist pin in the little end of the connecting rod? I have tried to install the wrist pin but the needle bearings keep falling ...
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Two stroke engine with unreliable idle
I am currently restoring a Partner 22 GBI leaf blower and facing some weird issues. I have removed the carb, cleaned it in the ultrasonic and restored everything to factory settings.
After running ...
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Does a new small-engine carb need to be adjusted?
(Stihl FS55 string trimmer)
After years of regular use, the engine degraded fairly suddenly to barely keeping alive, uselessly low power, and running very rich. For reasons good or not, I decided to ...
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Do few pull starts with fuel and ignition off cover the cylinder in oil in a splash lubricated small engine?
Some 1-cylinder small engines have instructions that before long-term storage you should take off the spark plug, pour few milliliters of oil into the cylinder, and very slowly pull the starter cord (...
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Throttle Linkage for Kohler Command 18 Engine in Cub Cadet 2186
I pulled apart my engine and now can not figure out how to connect my engine controls.
Update: I did eventually get the bushing (#22) and rod (#23) to fit in the large hole by putting the bushing in ...
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White outdoor riding mower wont start
Mower was running let sit for 2 months so I drained the gas took bowls off carbs cleaned everything .still won't start unless I spray carbs acts like not getting gas
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How do splash lubricated horizontal crankshaft engines lubricate the valve mechanism?
In many small engines, splash lubrication is used unlike in cars which always have an oil pump.
I understand that when the small engine is a vertical crankshaft one like in lawnmowers, where the ...
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Small engine air return to gas tank
I've got a gasoline powered generator - it was dying after running for a while, and I've finally figured out it's because the engine is starving itself of gas. If I slightly open the fuel cap, I can ...
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What causes a puff of white smoke every time starting a cold lawnmower?
I have a new lawnmower that seems to make a puff of white smoke every time I start a cold engine. It doesn't make any smoke when starting a warm engine or during operation of a warm engine, and has no ...
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Finding rig gap specifications of old engine
I am currently restoring an old Briggs & Stratton engine. I found that it burns a little bit of oil and also saw that the head was oily after removal. I removed the piston and checked the ring gap ...
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Why does my lawnmower air filter have a metal wire mesh?
I bought two spare paper air filters for my lawnmower. Once they arrived, I noticed an interesting feature in them. The side of the air filter that is at the carburetor/engine side has a thick metal ...
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Engine for Briggs & Stratton mower not starting. Might be flooded
My Briggs and Stratton mower won’t start. Only used it twice. I may have over filled the gas tank and flooded it. Not sure. Gas is leaking from the air filter.
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1996 40hp mariner magnum - no start
The above mentioned motor is new to me. Since it was new to me and I couldn’t be sure if the oil injector was working, I mixed 10 liters fuel 50:1 so I could see if it was consuming oil.
After ...
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Carburetor not drawing fuel from tank
So the title is kind of generic, but I am facing a bit of a weird situation. I am going to explain it first, but I also have some pictures at the end that might help.
I have bought a cheap 2 stroke ...
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Does a carburetor have constant fuel mass flow, constant liquid volume flow, or constant molecule count flow?
I have a generator with carburetor. It seems to consume a bit more fuel than I expected, 0.44 liters per hour for 386 watt production, or 1.14 liters per kWh. I'm also bit more annoyed by the exhaust ...
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Replacing Briggs and Stratton small engine on Troy Bilt Horse
I have an old Troy Bilt Horse tiller, model 12090 with a 8hp Briggs Industrial Plus 196437, type 013401, code 9612181A. I bought a direct replacement engine, Briggs 19N137-0084 (https://www....
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How harmful is it to not put oil in spark plug hole of a stored small engine?
I have a small engine inverter generator. This generator is to be used during power outages which happen rarely where I live, and also tested shortly every 2 years (the testing is also to keep the ...
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How many minutes to wait after turning off small air-cooled engine before oil change?
I am breaking in an inverter generator with small air-cooled 80cc 4-stroke single cylinder engine. After the break-in, I will change the supplied mineral oil to a high-quality fully synthetic oil.
My ...
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If I start a previously unfueled small engine, do I keep choke on for first pull only or until it starts?
I purchased a small engine inverter generator. It obviously has a carburetor and a choke valve. I just put in the oil and oiled the foam air filter element and am ready to break in the generator with ...
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Normally-high run switch vs coil-ground out to turn off
I'm restoring a 1958 larson Playboy - it looks like it originally came with an evinrude engine as there was an evinrude starter solenoid box in the back. This was cabled into the main key which has ...
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How do I find a replacement clutch and brake assembly for my chainsaw?
I don't know anything about technical specifications for chainsaw clutches.
I'm not asking for shopping advice, but I don't know how to determine which parts are compatible.
Last year I bought an ...
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My Kohler Courage mower runs and starts good most of the time
This motor starts good most of the time. But in the last couple years. It like stops up against a compression stroke and won't turn over. I have to turn the crank a little and it will start right up. ...
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Is it possible to swap the carburetor of a Briggs & Stratton 5hp?
I want to use a 5hp Briggs & Stratton engine for a kart project. That engine is based on a carburetor that is above the fuel tank, pumping the fuel thanks to the diaphragm.
I am thinking about ...
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Lawn mower won't start after replacing spark plug, oil, air filter, and carburetor
I have a Toro Recycler, which came with the house when I bought it. The house was purchased in 2016 and I'm going to guess the lawn mower was purchased in the 2012-2013 range.
The mower turns but won'...
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John Deere E180 makes buzzing noise, but won't start
1: Where can I get a good block diagram / labeled picture showing the parts of the engine. I'm disinclined to pay anything for this, it seems like something JD should be distributing for free. I ...
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wrong spark plug in slow plower - stuck cylinder?
I used a wrong spark plug for my Murray 8HP snow plower. When I pulled the string to start the plower it got stuck. I am afraid it might have damaged the cylinder. Appreciate any suggestions to safely ...
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Gasoline glow engine mechanics
I own a wide array of model engines. Typically those engines are either glow engines using nitro fuel, spark engines using gasoline or "diesel" engines using "kerosene". However I ...
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Wire hanging loose on B&S small engine - is that normal?
I have a relatively new Briggs & Stratton engine on a Cyclone Rake leaf vacuum. Engine model is 130G32-0184-F1. It's been running fine for several weeks. Today it will not start. I hear no sound ...
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New garden motor seizing up
I have a garden tool (roto tiller) with a 196cc engine. The engine is cooled using forced air, it is a 4 stroke engine. The engine has not been used for more than 2-3 hours so far.
I have tried to use ...
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True/False - For small 2-stroke powertool engines (chainsaws etc), the muffler is inherently restricting power [closed]
Title should be clear but I cannot get a straight answer so hoping you guys&gals can help, I am talking about the "standard" type of small 40-100cc handheld internal combustion 2-stroke ...
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Ride-On Mower only cranking once when starting
I have a Husqvarna TS 242 with a Briggs and Stratton 40N877-0016-G1 engine that I'm having some trouble with. My suspicion is something with the electricals - here's what I'm seeing.
After a few weeks ...
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