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Briggs and Stratton OHV engine won't turn over

Hi Group,

Sorry it's not a car but I thought I'm likely to get the most useful help here.

I have a lawn tractor with a 14.5hp OHV briggs and trattor engine.

The engine has been difficult to turn over and has been getting worse. The starter seems to stick when trying to turn the engine over like it doesn't have the power to get past the compression stroke. However now it is smoking a bit so the power is going through it. I've tried another starter motor and am getting the same sort of results.

I can turn the engine over by hands on the top cover and it doesn't seem too bad.

Any ideas?

Reply to
david.cawkwell
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Tried a new battery or a jump start? Look out for trickyness like the electrics being 6v.

Failing that check for a bad earth: corroded earth strap or duff terminals on the starter and batttery and suchlike.

Reply to
Douglas Payne

Bad Earth or +ve feed from the battery? A high(ish) resistance connection will drop the voltage across the starter significantly.

Also, perhaps the battery is screwed - have you tried another?

Cheers, Mark

Reply to
marpate1

Hi David,

What is smoking?

Reply to
Chris Bartram

Apart from the other suggestions, another possibility is a knackered starter ring. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

The starter appears to start smoking. If I hold the key on to try and get it to turn over.

Reply to
david.cawkwell

I'll try another batter although this one seems to be ok.

Reply to
david.cawkwell

Stick a meter across the starter whilst it's cranking.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

The starter appears to start smoking. If I hold the key on to try and get it to turn over.

I would say you have a high resistance within the starter which is causing the poor starting effort, and the smoke..

Tim. .

Reply to
Tim..

From the OP:

"I've tried another starter motor and am getting the same sort of results."

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Oh scrub that then...

Tim .

Reply to
Tim..

Starter motors work in an highly overloaded condition, a continous run motor with the same power would be about 5-6 times the size/weight, have fins on the casing and a fan on the end. If it's held on too long (>10-15sec in 20-30secs) it will smoke even with a low battery. Once it starts smoking it is dead, it's insulation on the winding that's burning.

Holding a motor on when stalled is the very best way to kill it. Using a shot battery, needing an excessively long cranking period is 2nd best way to kill a starter motor.

Reply to
Peter Hill

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