man there are so many different setups with Briggs vs different manufactures of lawn mowers, its tough to get back to squared one, especially and almost always when many hands have cobbled before you, great video, thank you. I live rural New Mexico, and the only folks people lie more to than their doctor is their mechanic. Thanks for the facts, appreciate it
When working with any coil/ magneto, if you see any rust on either one and the contact surfaces aren't clean and shiny *always* take a drill with a wire brush on it or abrasive wheel or sand paper and clean the contacts on both. It makes a *huge* *difference*
Good video! I have an 18.5 hp Briggs! At my buddies house! One spark plug not firing! I’m gonna clean the armature 1st ! Added oil, squirted little gas in carb & wouldn’t start! We are charging a battery & gonna start from scratch after cleaning! Talk about a good lawnmower at one time! I believe it’ll still work after what you have shown! Thanks for this video 👍🏽👍🏼
I have the same engine on an LT1000 I got for $150 several years ago. Change plastic starter gear and cleaned fuel pump. Runs like a champ. Better than newer models.
About a year ago I replaced the coil. Crapsman LT 1000 with a 17 hp Opposed Twin, A couple weeks ago I cut the grass pulled and parked it. Then the other day It would not start. First thing I did was check the fuse, it was good. It was getting gas and air filter was only a few months old. And it had not been used much. Had to be electrical. So I go to take the cover off like you did in the video. I took the bolts out of one side. And when I go to the other side I noticed the spark plug wire was off. Not sure how that happened. Just for kicks I plugged it back on hit the switch and it fired right up. But it is suppose to run on one cylinder. So I go back to the other side and grabbed the spark plug wire and pulled it off. No spark. So, I did like you did in the video took it apart. And cleaned it up and reset the gap. Put it all back together. Hit the switch and it fired right up. I was over joyed it is running better. So, I grabbed the spark plug wire, the one that was not firing before, Bother let me tell you, it was firing. I could not let go of it fast enough. My wife watched the whole thing. She never asked if I was alright because she was to busy laughing her ass off at me. I suppose that is what happens when I let her distract me and getting into big of a hurry. I am not sure what to do, I was going to replace the engine because it got to where it was puffing some blue smoke. And not as strong as it once was. After it ran for 30-45 min if it stalled down or was shut off, it would not start. It is like it is locked up. Very hard to turn over. After it cools down it will start up just like it is suppose to. I would start out with the oil level at the top mark. 30-45 min later it would be at the bottom mark. I do not think it is burning oil, because that cylinder was not firing. But who knows, time will tell.
From your great video, I was able to track down that my ignition coil was bad after 18 years of service in my Lt1000 Briggs engine. the ignition coil ran about 20 bucks and I also replaced the old carburetor ($48 bucks) while I was at it. When I first tried to start it after the coil install (cranked but no start), I rechecked my work and found that my gap was too wide and more important, that the coil was installed upside down. Flipped it over and reset the gap as you showed. Engine fired up. All that I have left now is to adjust the carb. That will be done another day when it isn't near 100 degrees out there on the driveway.
When you mentioned the coil being upside down, bingo! I had installed my coil upside down. Had all the symptoms: flooding, no hot starting, low power, always thinking it was the carb. Presto...my Briggs opposed twin now starts and runs like it should. Thanks!
@@notapplicable430 I did the same thing but mine ran but crappy.when I installed the new coil it just made sense to install it with the plug wires facing forward🧐🥴
Had 3 mowers w/ this engine, 2 17 hp & 1 20 hp. The Twin IC has a basic design flaw: the ignition coil is attached to the aluminum cylinder & block. The flywheel, where the magneto magnets are located, is made of cast iron. Aluminum & iron have drastically different expansion rates & the flywheel stays relatively cool as compared to the aluminum block & cylinder. Here's what happens: when operating in high temperatures (95 to 100 deg) the coil moves away from the flywheel enough to limit the coils ability to provide enough spark. This happens whenever you shut the engine off when hot then try to restart a few minutes later. Will not start. When I first encountered this I replaced the coil which did nothing. Also tried starter fluid, no go. Only thing that worked was to let the engine cool & it would start right up. Afterwards always parked the mower in the shade & allowed for a cool down period.
@@JeffsLittleEngineService i had the twin with 2 coils....when hot ..it will restart if i do it in less than a minute....but if i take longer i have no spark....changed coils ..still the same problem....half hour later it will start right up and run great...
Good video but you forget the head cooling sheet metal. I always pull the coil off and wire brush the legs of the coil and flywheel magnet to get the rust off and oil them to keep the rust off. I've got the same mower with the 19.5 Vanguard on it and it's a DREAM! I also went on Ebay and got an adjustable jet carb for it and took off that surging thing. NOW it runs like a Swiss watch. I also poured the deck 'mulching' holes around the spindles full of resin and put bolts with nnuts through the spindle mounts so you can get the spindles out without busting the spindle mount legs. NOW I can blow off the deck and it comes clean, not with a bunch of junk sticking up out of the holes and a fine place for rusting to start is done away with. I did this on a new deck shell, by the way. Cuts like a carpet with Gator blades. Thanks!
I am currently re building a 15:5 Briggs and Stratton . which threw a valve and damaged the head, while waiting for parts I pulled everything that had the slightest bit of rust or surface rust and buffed it on the wire wheel on my grinder,including the flywheel,and the coil,and sprayed it with silver paint where possible, I live 800 mtrs from the beach so it needs protection,I cannot understan anyone changing parts and not buffing them at least you know that you will get a better spark and life from the Lawn Tractor.Maybe it's just me, I treat everything with the same attitude that I treat my patients.
Yeah, I recently installed an OHV V-Twin Briggs on a zero-turn mower that previously had a Single-cylinder flathead Briggs motor on it. But an Opposed, flathead Twin, with no valve adjustment requirements is undoubtedly a potent and low-maintenance gem. Of course, they're undoubtedly not being produced anymore.
Thanks for the help, I just bought an old Craftsman GT6000 with this engine, sounds like it runs fine, but after watching this, and checking my machine turns out it was only firing on plug as well. Got a new coil to put on it. Thanks again!
I have the same mower and it won't start all of a sudden. I checked, cleaned the obvious things, replaced the fuel filter, tried using starting fluid. All it does is turn over. I took plug out and grounded it and didn't see spark...so my next step is the coil. Very helpful video thank you!
easy coil check just unplug ground wire from coil crank no spark coil noooo good make sure head space between coil and block is 10 to 15 thd. no rust !!! wonderful video thank you
Been spending the last month working on my LT-1000. Still a work in the make. I brought this used and found out it was a lemon later. Hacked up pretty good as well. This is my first rider and the engine is same as yours. My gas tank sits in rear. First I seen the mower surged up and down. As of this date I replaced all lines, flushed tank. Gutted carb and cleaned. New starter, ignition, silnoid, battery, battery cables, drive belt and other stuff. Cleaned engine and rewired the hack job.. Mower starts and runs smooth with a sec key turn. Ok now for the fun part..... Mower starts and runs. Three min in and turn key off and mower stops. Let it go about 5 min when engine heats and mower will NOT turn off with key. I am at my witts end on this. No, not the classic fix of kill wire came undone or cut. I have traced the coil kill wire to ignition and it is fine on my NEW ignition. Which is a replace # to old. I have wired a momentary switch to coil and no go. I have put a new wire on coil and touched frame. I see sparks, but mower still runs. Mower shuts off fine till motor heats. Areas to look?....... Lastly, you prob got one. I need a part number for ignition cap dust plate? the round plastic circle that goes over ignition threads and has markings on off etc. Someone robbed mine and the new ignition never came with one.
I will give that a try. About the only thing I did not do. I did buff the fly wheel and coil ends to wheel also coil ground tab and reset gap. I did not clean mount itself. Being I did run a new wire from coil to frame and same result the focus area has to be coil area. I get the same result as with key. It will shut down soon after start. Let it run few min and no. That is what I can't fig out. The motor heating and than it won't shut down. Anything at start up is fine and shut down soon after. I assume being mower starts the coil itself works fine.
Lots of coils are still in working order when people toss them out 90 percent of the time cleaning flw and coil 60sec with sandpaper or wire brush or wheel. Mostly takes care of the no firing And save some money totally up to the wrench turner good video I've seen a few good information I just got a opposed in a John Deere tractor I like it so far
that engine sounds great. on 26 April 2021i bought a murray ride on with a stripped down 18.5hp twin flat head from a guy that was going to use it as a Australian covid lockdown project. i'm hoping i have better luck than he did, for $51 it was cheap enough.
I know this is an old video and great but remember this, air cooled engines have heat shields on the cylinders for a reason. To guide airflow for proper cooling. DO NOT TAKE THEM OUT!
Good anylisis, good fix. Something else you MIGHT want to try , ( since condensation GETS TO EVERYTHING) or sometimes RAIN WATER gets blown by winds and on to coil or wires. End results, ( one side of coil works, one side doesn't. REMOVE COIL. CLEAN RUST OFF COIL TIPS, AND OFF MAGNET on magneto wheel. USE A HAIR DRYER BLOWER ( ON HIGH SPEED) holding coil WITH PLIARS. HEAT UP COIL METAL PARTS ( SELF EXPOSED). LOOK FOR ANY MOISTURE ( ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE COIL ), or exiting THROUGH PLUG WIRES. WHEN " ALL MOISTURE " HAS ESCAPED,, USING " CLEAR LAQUER SPRAY PAINT " SPRAY PLUG WIRES AND COIL AT ALL EXPOSED " WRAPPING POINTS ". ALLOW TO DRY, REPLACE ,REGAP AND " TEST RUN ". BETTER than placing ENTIRE COIL in a 250 degree stove oven for 10 minutes ( chancing oven burns on plug wires ). Just BE SURE TO RESEAL COIL , then REMOVE ANY LAQUER " FROM COIL CONTACT TIPS " before retesting PROCEEDURES. Good luck.
Jeff, great video! I have this same engine in my mower. It keep flooding on start so I just replaced the carburetor and it still won’t start! Got new plugs and new fuel filter. Any ideas on troubleshooting the next step? Thanks
If it is getting too much gas then the problem is still at the carb or fuel pump or maybe it is not sparking so it is flooding with gas. Also, you MUST start with a cleaned out fuel tank and use only fresh clean gas
Ever have a no hot start condition. Craftsman LT1000 Briggs 17Hp single cylinder. Pops smoke out of carb when starting fluid sprayed. The valve to stop run on had been grind down couple years ago, but if you remove the valve and the bowl empties, it starts. Thank You
Yes. Believe it or not the problem may be a flooding carburetor. This can cause too much gas in cylinder (too rich) for hot/warm starting and can prevent proper combustion.
Thank you for this video. I am replacing the ignition coil, seat safety switch, and interlock switch on the exact same mower. I already knew how to do the seat safety switch and your video shows me how to do the ignition coil. Do you know anything about the interlock switch?
Thanks much for the excellent video; love how you demonstrate the logical troubleshooting process. But, I came here to learn about replacing the coil, because I'm experiencing a different issue upon which I'm hoping you can shed some light: I have a 1986 Simplicity tractor w/ 42" mower deck; I "bought" it along with the 100-year-old house we purchased last year. I have done a nearly complete overhaul of the engine: I've cleaned the carb; replaced the sparkplugs; rebuilt the starter motor; cleaned out the fuel tank (minor debris); replaced the air filter; and I've done all the normal maintenance like greasing/oiling gears/levers and such (which the previous owner didn't seem to do at all). I want to replace the coil as a last-ditch solution to my problem, which is overheating: if I run the engine for a while and have to stop mowing to fill up the tank or use the boys' room or whatever, the engine will not catch until it has been allowed to cool for about an hour. I have already brushed off/degreased/wiped down/rinsed both cylinder covers/fins to allow for better cooling, but the problem remains. From what I know about engines (which admittedly isn't all that much), I assume the overheating is stopping the coil from firing OR it's expanding the cylinder casings and preventing proper compression. Do you think it's worth it to spend the $40 on a new coil (replacing what is probably the original coil, from what I can tell) to see if it fixes the overheating issue? In my mind, I'd rather spend $40 for even a slight improvement rather than a few grand on a whole new tractor/mower. Any input you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I think the problem possibly could be in the carburetor, not from overheating. When a carburetor needs rebuilding/ float valve it often starts flooding. Which makes a too rich mixture to restart the engine when warm. After the engine cools , a cold engine needs a bit more fuel at start up so it starts for you. That would be my guess. There are rumors about coils failing when they warm up. I have never encountered this in 20+ years
Ah, that makes sense...so I followed yer advice and attempted to rebuild the carb instead of just spraying it out as I did a month or so ago...and I can't get the governor off. I checked the exploded parts diagram and there's nothing that should be holding that thing on, as I've removed all four bolts that hold it in place. But it's stuck. I even put a wood block against it and gave a few decent whacks. Didn't budge an inch. Is it possible the governor fused to the bottom half of the carb? The previous owner did not maintain this thing very well, just to reiterate...could the lack of maintenance caused so much heat that the top & bottom fused together??
If your ignition coil and the corresponding diode check out fine (not leaking current in both directions), and all the wire connections are tight, then it may be a more severe issue. Running hot tends to distend the metal of the valves and valve guides. Being as old as your machine is, if a valve adjustment doesn't work, you may need a valve job to re-seat them properly with new guides. However, for now, if you want a quick solution to your hot-running problem, ensure all connections are tight, and run a heavier oil, such as straight 40 to help the engine parts seal better.
So...it turns out the two parts of the carb *are* in fact fused together. After taking out all four mounting bolts and not being able to remove the top half (the governor part), I was like, screw it and I just put the engine back together and cut my lawn........WITHOUT putting the four carburetor bolts back in. And it ran like a champ. Then I called Briggs & Stratton and they said yes, if the engine hasn't been maintained and has been allowed to constantly overheat season after season, the two pieces could definitely fuse together. They also agreed with you and said if that has happened, then the valves need to machined and re-sat in the cylinder. They did say I might be able to get away with replacing the carburetor as well as the coil, as that could help the hot non-start issue a little bit, but if the valves are outta shape, that's that, for the most part. As I knew. They basically told me replacing those two other parts won't stop it overheating but might help it start a little sooner during cooldown. Thanks again for the help, mate. Much appreesh!
dielectric grease is so great for mowers and boat motors and those coils are bad to go kinda just like that.had one that started great then ran till hot and if you turned it off,it wouldnt start till cooled off,then same old thing.it was coil.and those replacement coils that are cheap are just that,very cheap made.good job
I had a similar problem with a John Deere L120 Briggs&Stratton V-Twin -- Left cylinder was super hot, right just warm. Verified it with an IR Temperature Gun, aka Thermometer. Took a carburetor rebuild and 2 ignition coils and now it purrs.
On the engine pictured, many years ago a guy kept trying to get me to look at his engine that had no spark. I kept forgetting but not on purpose. I remember on the way home & took a look. New coil ON UPSIDE DOWN. That's all it was, lol!
In some cases you don’t always have to use a feeler gauge if you got an old plastic credit card or plastic name card stick it in between the tile and the magnet of the fire will let the car go up against it tighten down the screws like The Man said not too tight because you can break them.
Jeff great vid. Actually I use a ohm meter with service manual data to confirm. And yes your method is easier. I also have spark plug tester prior to dismantling. Then I confirm again with ohm meter on my work bench. You did a great vid...just adding my 2 cents.
Hmm u sound knowledgeable like my dad use to be! (God rest his soul 2015)! Keep up the gd work! My dad at times didn’t think I was paying attention to what he was doing! Saw him change out those timing pins too! He was a real handy man/jack of all trades!! He did electrical, plumbing, carpentry,& mechanical things! I ended up some of same & became HVAC! Wrkg on AC’s Heat Pumps, & Roof top/package units etc! Don’t know it all but was blessed to know enough! These videos are gd for everyone! My buddy helps me out a lot too! He’s a Delta Pilot, ex-air force, & has an engineers degree!! Lot of tools! And I agree learning ohm meters etc is gooood! Hot attics…. Need to quickly diagnose a problem…. & resolve or reschedule at a cooler time to repair!
so what are the readings supposed to be.i don't have a shop Manuel and been looking high and low but nobody is actually showing how to test this particular cool with a multimeter
I got an old twin Briggs that has been sitting for several years. I am guessing it will need some carb. work and perhaps a new coil. Thanks for showing the coil, now I have an idea as what to expect. Just wondering as to why you did not clean the coil? I have not worked on a twin before but have worked on many single cylinder engines. About half the time if I clean the coil , that is if that is the problem, it will run.
Cleaning the rust off the flywheel and ends of the coil would be helpful also! Using a business card to gap both sides of coil at the same time would work! Seems like you do as little as possible to get things running!
What is the POLARITY of each cable to the 2 cylinder engine spark plugs? How does the Magnetron work for both cylinders? One or two magnets on flywheel?
Anytime on a flathead engine you hear a slight tick in the valve clearance it's between the end of the valve stem and the lifter on a flathead engine that is right at the bottom of the valve spring. on a flathead engine if you hear the valves slightly ticking that's a good thing because it's better that they open and close then valves that are too tight or don't close at all, that can happen. those that are too tight you will lose compression because that valve would never close if it's too tight. valves that are too loose you will not lose any compression that will make any difference it would have to be a pretty damn loose valve to do that
I have the same engine on mine but mine is the 18hp. Mine runs on both cylinders but has an intermittent miss on the rh cylinder if your looking at it from the front of the engine. Other than that it runs smoothly
If that engine has a fuel pump. I have seen those fuel pumps pump gas into the crankcase and fill the muffler up with gas and smoke like that. I've seen several gasoline golf carts do it it didn't run the engine but it didn't help it any be sure and see you don't have diluted oil but I do agree that engine running on one cylinder also did that too made me think about that..
I don't think mine has a gas pump unless it was blown out When I got my free mower it had about 3 in gas in the tank and the gas was just sitting in the middle of the line the carburetor wasn't sucking it Cause on those the tank sits lower than the carburetor. I think you was thinking about the Kohler command engines because they're fuel pump can leak gas into the engine i made all my mower gas tanks gravity fed
I work on small engines, I would not install a used part on a customer's machine. If for no other reason than I would not want an unhappy customer coming back when that part failed prematurely.
I have one of those I just got it running after 4 years of sitting in the barn problem is that o em coil is not just a coil it has electronics in it that replace breaker points I believe the OEM electronics there is glitchy I bought a new ignition coil module it did not solve my problems I bought a regular magneto that is intended to work with points even though my engine never had points I also bought one of those little modules BM-11 and reduced my spark plug gap to .014 the tractor now runs pretty good. It is quite easy to flood these things though so you want to set your throttle about 3/4 on begin to crank then pull the choke closed and back off right away keep doing that until it starts I believe the timing on these is ..020 before top dead center I next intend to find top dead center Mark the flywheel and use an old fashioned timing light to see where it's at.
What would cause one of these engines to hard start or hard to crank? It backlashes sometimes upon startup and its going through a lot of starter gears. It's the exact same engine and mower in this video.
It's the decompression valve on the camshaft. Mine does the same thing. Confirm it by covering the air intake with your hand while cranking and see it it starts easier. There's vids on it
Check for partially sheared flywheel key. The old flathead briggs including opposed twin did not use mechanical spring and finger compression release . Compression is reduced during starting, by a slightly raised bump at the edge of one of the cam lobes . This was patented by briggs . Was called easy spin starting. Was very reliable unlike the junk they all build today. The opposed twin is a great engine .
@@randallcarney1216 Man you guys know your small engines! Well I fixed the problem. Turns out the original starter was weak so I was able to get a donor mower with the same year engine (1998) and pulled the starter off of it. It had been replaced with a slightly longer starter. Put it on and it starts great now. Still runs like a top. Smokes a little upon startup but it isn't using any oil. These were great motors
I have two plug wires coming from the coil I wanted to know where they went. I now know from someone else's video that they go underneath the metal plate that's underneath the flywheel. Thank you
you prolly dont care at all but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb forgot my login password. I would love any help you can give me!
@Beckett Xander Thanks for your reply. I got to the site on google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now. Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
Just my 2 cents worth... My business cards just happen to be within tolerance for coil gap on my mowers. And I can set both sides of the coil at the same time. Not a big thing... just saves me a little time. Nice video... wish I had some donor motors around... but the wife pitches a fit. LOL.
When I ordered my new coil because I'm not a mechanic I'm don't know what to do with the straight wire that comes out of it how do you make that a spark plug wire? ( I just wired it to the old one electrician tape)
I ordered a new ignition coil and I don't have a gapper. But will a business card works for that .012 gap? I got a Briggs Twin engine but it's a 14.5hp but it don't have a place to install a oil filter. My tractor was also getting no power from neither spark plugs after I brought a starter coil and installed it earlier this week. The motor was spinning and turning over but won't start. So I hope the new ignition coil will work. So I don't have to keep using my push lawn mower to cut grass.
@@JeffsLittleEngineService I just got my ignition coil today and use use that business card between the magneto and the coil and the starts right up. Thanks for the video.
Great instructional video. I learned a lot from it. I am trying to trouble shoot an old Poulan/ Weedeater riding mower with a Briggs & Stratton 18.5 Twin II. It was running rough and would not restart after getting hot. I dumped the fuel and replaced it with new and fuel filter, Put in new plugs and it fired up but shut off and will not restart. I pulled the coil, cleaned it and cleaned the flywheel but that did not resolve the issue. I wanted to replace the coil but can not find the engine number anywhere on the motor to get the correct coil. PLEASE HELP.
Hope u finally got it running (your riding mower)…. In his video he took a coil off of an 18.5 HP Briggs & Strat…. & placed on a ?!19.5 HP? Some parts are prob universal. 2 plug wire coil. May be hit the junk yard or match the engine type up if u can’t get model serial of the Lawnmower.
I had a 9.9 evinrude that suddenly dropped to one cylinder, but it still ran just no speed at all,.. I decided to pull the plug wires and crank to see which one was not firing,.. found it was the top cal', so I left the coil wire off of that cylinder. but it was trained and still was real close to the end of the plug but not touching,.. I started it and started back to the boat ramp and it ran like a racing motor! I look back wondering and could see the arc jumping across to the plug and it ran beautifully,.. so I put the wire back on and it went back to one cylinder. so I took it back off and it went to running good again so I left it off until later,
Got a good laugh when you changed the coil and then pulled the original bad side off and it died, guess the scrap coil was bad on the opposite side as well.
The bad coil is on right and the almost bad coil is on the left. Use a volt meter on 20k and check resistance and really see what's going on. Some times you find yourself doing this job twice and customers giving you a headache. I think the coil you replaced is bad, why did it shut off in the end it should run on one cylinder regardless of what side is removed. I think other cylinder has no spark now.
Use a spark tester to test coil output at operating temperature a bad coil can still show good resistance when it is cold this is due to resistance increasing as the temperature of the windings increase when the coil is under load
@@deerhunter8533 so true, On walk behinds with one coil .if customers says it run for 5 to ten minutes then stopped and he waited , engine still warm then engine only run for a minute almost always bad coil.l
Those engine's cylinder head bolts would loosen up over time & they'll run hot with those cylinder head covers off. They were also bad about carboning up & popping valve seats.
No I believe mine will do better with those covers off they just help hold dirt and only protect the fins so they don't get broken off If anything with the covers off it'll get more air to it to help cool it off better Like how the transaxle fan doesn't really do anything for the transaxle transmission its just spins around with the pulley doing nothing
It never seems "right" to me that, on the next trip to a car parts store, folks just don't just buy an inexpensive in-line spark plug tester that lasts a lifetime. Trying to balance the spark plug somewhere near exposed metal seems to be totally haphazard and random. Probably just me - right? Also - consider using a paper business card as an air gap setting gauge for both gaps - simultaneously. Let the magnets pull both the coil sides into the proper gap and just tighten both bolts. Works quite well for me.
So true, I have an ignition tester that I hold next to wire and it shows a blue flash when coil sparks and I have always used a business card as you said for air gap.
I think I went about 10 years before finally buying a spark tester. Kicking myself for waiting so long. Another tool you'll wish you had years earlier is a good quality multimeter.
seems funny the engine quit running when you pulled the wire off the spark plug after replacing the coil. I don't think the coil was as good as you think. the engine should have run on one cylinder as it did before. you better check the other cylinder now!!!
Your not completely right. I realize I may be brushing your feathers the wrong way by saying so. But when you consider that the no longer dead cyl. is pulling it's balance of fuel. That technically the mismatched power killed the engine. The governed engine speed being lower and all.
I had 1 cylinder/plug with spark and one not, so replaced the dead one, new one had great spark and old one not as (bright). Put it all back together and now it's doing the same thing ( lack of running power) so should I replace older coil that had a weaker spark?
i hope you still read comments on your video. I have 18hp BS opposite twin engin with only one cylinder running. My issue is : I have compression and spark. Still right cylinder is not fireing. Any suggestions ?
I would take off the head and examine proper up and down movement of each valve. If a cam lobe is worn the valve will not open enough causing compression issues
great video so let me ask you the one i have is not pulling gas anymore so it cranks but does not start. do those lawmowers have fuel pumps or how the gas supposed to flow to the engine? i cant figure out mine. may 2018.
raleigh latin at the front of carb, usually a flat piece about 2 x 3" this is the fuel pump. Should be a vacuum line 1/4" , 3/8 ? Be sure the vacuum line is connected not rotted not cracked. Under the 2 x 3 metal cover you will find the rubber diaphragm for pump. Its ok if its a little distorted, (mine is, runs good) but it cannot have any rips, tears or cracks
Keith is right but the line from the tank to the engine needs to be the old Briggs type rubber line. If you have a filter it'll come from there and go through the blower housing to the carb. Mine had a slick nylon-like line and when it got hot it'd expand and suck air and quit. Replaced the line and runs fine now. AND you can get kits to rebuild the pump but it's better to just pull the carb off and lay it flat to do so. Little springs and such in the kit and they are a royal pain to put in sideways. Just be careful taking the lines off the pump. The nipples will break off and you'll be on Ebay getting new pump bodies.
@@lewiemcneely9143 So true, It is VERY difficult to put kit in pump still on engine on that model. Also make sure how many screws hold cover on. Some are 3 screw and some are 4 screw.. Get kit from Ebay far cheaper
@@bobsedor RIGHT! I broke thr nipple off mine and got 2 blocks just to be sure. And with those small springs it's best to have it right in front of you with good lighting! I really like mine. Keep the oil changed and good gasoline and off we go! Blessings, Robert!
John. Exactly...you can use a playing card or small appointment card. Its almost perfect plus it bends around magnet and you can tighten both coils at same time.
My lawn tractor dies after 15 minutes. It starts to run weak and then quits. It starts up good again when it cools down. It has a new fuel filter and the fuel hoses are not plugged. The air filter is clean. Does it sound like the coil is faulty?
Well shit thats the red one im looking for the black 16 hp briggs its just like the 19.5 but a bit smaller i thinks its gonna need a new coil not sure if the parts off those red ones will fit the black engine because the engine is smaller than the red engine i know the carburetor can swap from one to the other but not sure if the coils are the same I'll find it or try stuff without looking it up first the screw mounting holes maybe different since the engine size is different
all i can say is, take some pride in your work. clean your parts man. i would be ashamed to hand that back to the owner. i am asamed i watched this video now.
man there are so many different setups with Briggs vs different manufactures of lawn mowers, its tough to get back to squared one, especially and almost always when many hands have cobbled before you, great video, thank you. I live rural New Mexico, and the only folks people lie more to than their doctor is their mechanic. Thanks for the facts, appreciate it
When working with any coil/ magneto, if you see any rust on either one and the contact surfaces aren't clean and shiny *always* take a drill with a wire brush on it or abrasive wheel or sand paper and clean the contacts on both. It makes a *huge* *difference*
Could I have gotten a bad coil?
Could I have gotten a defective coi)
Good video! I have an 18.5 hp Briggs! At my buddies house! One spark plug not firing! I’m gonna clean the armature 1st ! Added oil, squirted little gas in carb & wouldn’t start!
We are charging a battery & gonna start from scratch after cleaning! Talk about a good lawnmower at one time!
I believe it’ll still work after what you have shown! Thanks for this video 👍🏽👍🏼
I have the same engine on an LT1000 I got for $150 several years ago. Change plastic starter gear and cleaned fuel pump. Runs like a champ. Better than newer models.
NICE!
About a year ago I replaced the coil. Crapsman LT 1000 with a 17 hp Opposed Twin, A couple weeks ago I cut the grass pulled and parked it. Then the other day It would not start. First thing I did was check the fuse, it was good. It was getting gas and air filter was only a few months old. And it had not been used much. Had to be electrical. So I go to take the cover off like you did in the video. I took the bolts out of one side. And when I go to the other side I noticed the spark plug wire was off. Not sure how that happened. Just for kicks I plugged it back on hit the switch and it fired right up. But it is suppose to run on one cylinder. So I go back to the other side and grabbed the spark plug wire and pulled it off. No spark. So, I did like you did in the video took it apart. And cleaned it up and reset the gap. Put it all back together. Hit the switch and it fired right up. I was over joyed it is running better. So, I grabbed the spark plug wire, the one that was not firing before, Bother let me tell you, it was firing. I could not let go of it fast enough. My wife watched the whole thing. She never asked if I was alright because she was to busy laughing her ass off at me. I suppose that is what happens when I let her distract me and getting into big of a hurry.
I am not sure what to do, I was going to replace the engine because it got to where it was puffing some blue smoke. And not as strong as it once was. After it ran for 30-45 min if it stalled down or was shut off, it would not start. It is like it is locked up. Very hard to turn over. After it cools down it will start up just like it is suppose to. I would start out with the oil level at the top mark. 30-45 min later it would be at the bottom mark. I do not think it is burning oil, because that cylinder was not firing. But who knows, time will tell.
From your great video, I was able to track down that my ignition coil was bad after 18 years of service in my Lt1000 Briggs engine. the ignition coil ran about 20 bucks and I also replaced the old carburetor ($48 bucks) while I was at it. When I first tried to start it after the coil install (cranked but no start), I rechecked my work and found that my gap was too wide and more important, that the coil was installed upside down. Flipped it over and reset the gap as you showed. Engine fired up. All that I have left now is to adjust the carb. That will be done another day when it isn't near 100 degrees out there on the driveway.
There is no adjustments on that type carb. Only set up the choke when you connect carb
When you mentioned the coil being upside down, bingo! I had installed my coil upside down. Had all the symptoms: flooding, no hot starting, low power, always thinking it was the carb. Presto...my Briggs opposed twin now starts and runs like it should. Thanks!
@@notapplicable430 I did the same thing but mine ran but crappy.when I installed the new coil it just made sense to install it with the plug wires facing forward🧐🥴
Had 3 mowers w/ this engine, 2 17 hp & 1 20 hp. The Twin IC has a basic design flaw: the ignition coil is attached to the aluminum cylinder & block. The flywheel, where the magneto magnets are located, is made of cast iron. Aluminum & iron have drastically different expansion rates & the flywheel stays relatively cool as compared to the aluminum block & cylinder. Here's what happens: when operating in high temperatures (95 to 100 deg) the coil moves away from the flywheel enough to limit the coils ability to provide enough spark. This happens whenever you shut the engine off when hot then try to restart a few minutes later. Will not start. When I first encountered this I replaced the coil which did nothing. Also tried starter fluid, no go. Only thing that worked was to let the engine cool & it would start right up. Afterwards always parked the mower in the shade & allowed for a cool down period.
WoW! Good tips, very interseting
@@JeffsLittleEngineService i had the twin with 2 coils....when hot ..it will restart if i do it in less than a minute....but if i take longer i have no spark....changed coils ..still the same problem....half hour later it will start right up and run great...
Don't break Al Lee nail
Yes mine dose same thing, engine wasn't getting enough air flow to cool down,, open air shields and mice nest was was blocking air flow, dust,oil,ect,
Good video but you forget the head cooling sheet metal. I always pull the coil off and wire brush the legs of the coil and flywheel magnet to get the rust off and oil them to keep the rust off. I've got the same mower with the 19.5 Vanguard on it and it's a DREAM! I also went on Ebay and got an adjustable jet carb for it and took off that surging thing. NOW it runs like a Swiss watch. I also poured the deck 'mulching' holes around the spindles full of resin and put bolts with nnuts through the spindle mounts so you can get the spindles out without busting the spindle mount legs. NOW I can blow off the deck and it comes clean, not with a bunch of junk sticking up out of the holes and a fine place for rusting to start is done away with. I did this on a new deck shell, by the way. Cuts like a carpet with Gator blades. Thanks!
I am currently re building a 15:5 Briggs and Stratton . which threw a valve and damaged the head, while waiting for parts I pulled everything that had the slightest bit of rust or surface rust and buffed it on the wire wheel on my grinder,including the flywheel,and the coil,and sprayed it with silver paint where possible, I live 800 mtrs from the beach so it needs protection,I cannot understan anyone changing parts and not buffing them at least you know that you will get a better spark and life from the Lawn Tractor.Maybe it's just me, I treat everything with the same attitude that I treat my patients.
Guido Michael Tabone good job!
That's what I do but oil them afterward. Keeps the rust away.
comparing the heat off the headers is a great tip even if the experts didn't like thing else, thanks and i enjoy viewing the jungle.
Thanks friend
One of the best, if not THE best, small engines ever made.
I agree!
Never thought I'd see the words "lawn" and "fascist" used together. This is excellent. Hahaha. Nice.
Yeah, I recently installed an OHV V-Twin Briggs on a zero-turn mower that previously had a Single-cylinder flathead Briggs motor on it. But an Opposed, flathead Twin, with no valve adjustment requirements is undoubtedly a potent and low-maintenance gem. Of course, they're undoubtedly not being produced anymore.
Thanks for the help, I just bought an old Craftsman GT6000 with this engine, sounds like it runs fine, but after watching this, and checking my machine turns out it was only firing on plug as well. Got a new coil to put on it. Thanks again!
I have the same mower and it won't start all of a sudden. I checked, cleaned the obvious things, replaced the fuel filter, tried using starting fluid. All it does is turn over. I took plug out and grounded it and didn't see spark...so my next step is the coil. Very helpful video thank you!
easy coil check just unplug ground wire from coil crank no spark coil noooo good make sure head space between coil and block is 10 to 15 thd. no rust !!! wonderful video thank you
Thanks for the tip
kind of funny the salvage coil is dead on the other side....LOL......
Been spending the last month working on my LT-1000. Still a work in the make. I brought this used and found out it was a lemon later. Hacked up pretty good as well. This is my first rider and the engine is same as yours. My gas tank sits in rear. First I seen the mower surged up and down. As of this date I replaced all lines, flushed tank. Gutted carb and cleaned. New starter, ignition, silnoid, battery, battery cables, drive belt and other stuff. Cleaned engine and rewired the hack job.. Mower starts and runs smooth with a sec key turn. Ok now for the fun part..... Mower starts and runs. Three min in and turn key off and mower stops. Let it go about 5 min when engine heats and mower will NOT turn off with key. I am at my witts end on this. No, not the classic fix of kill wire came undone or cut. I have traced the coil kill wire to ignition and it is fine on my NEW ignition. Which is a replace # to old. I have wired a momentary switch to coil and no go. I have put a new wire on coil and touched frame. I see sparks, but mower still runs. Mower shuts off fine till motor heats. Areas to look?....... Lastly, you prob got one. I need a part number for ignition cap dust plate? the round plastic circle that goes over ignition threads and has markings on off etc. Someone robbed mine and the new ignition never came with one.
try cleaning the coil mounts, make coil is grounded to engine well
I will give that a try. About the only thing I did not do. I did buff the fly wheel and coil ends to wheel also coil ground tab and reset gap. I did not clean mount itself. Being I did run a new wire from coil to frame and same result the focus area has to be coil area. I get the same result as with key. It will shut down soon after start. Let it run few min and no. That is what I can't fig out. The motor heating and than it won't shut down. Anything at start up is fine and shut down soon after. I assume being mower starts the coil itself works fine.
Lots of coils are still in working order when people toss them out 90 percent of the time cleaning flw and coil 60sec with sandpaper or wire brush or wheel. Mostly takes care of the no firing And save some money totally up to the wrench turner good video I've seen a few good information I just got a opposed in a John Deere tractor I like it so far
that engine sounds great.
on 26 April 2021i bought a murray ride on with a stripped down 18.5hp twin flat head from a guy that was going to use it as a Australian covid lockdown project.
i'm hoping i have better luck than he did, for $51 it was cheap enough.
Oh my god !lawnmower heaven !!! Love this so much !
thanks for watching!
No problem 👍😎 keep up the entertainment !
I know this is an old video and great but remember this, air cooled engines have heat shields on the cylinders for a reason. To guide airflow for proper cooling. DO NOT TAKE THEM OUT!
good tip
Run without them and head gaskets will blow! Keep flywheel screen in place or grass clippings will clog cylinder fins causing overheating !
Good anylisis, good fix.
Something else you MIGHT want to try , ( since condensation GETS TO EVERYTHING) or sometimes RAIN WATER gets blown by winds and on to coil or wires.
End results, ( one side of coil works, one side doesn't.
REMOVE COIL.
CLEAN RUST OFF COIL TIPS, AND OFF MAGNET on magneto wheel.
USE A HAIR DRYER BLOWER ( ON HIGH SPEED) holding coil WITH PLIARS.
HEAT UP COIL METAL PARTS ( SELF EXPOSED).
LOOK FOR ANY MOISTURE ( ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE COIL ), or exiting THROUGH PLUG WIRES.
WHEN " ALL MOISTURE " HAS ESCAPED,,
USING " CLEAR LAQUER SPRAY PAINT " SPRAY PLUG WIRES AND COIL AT ALL EXPOSED " WRAPPING POINTS ".
ALLOW TO DRY, REPLACE ,REGAP AND " TEST RUN ".
BETTER than placing ENTIRE COIL in a 250 degree stove oven for 10 minutes ( chancing oven burns on plug wires ).
Just BE SURE TO RESEAL COIL , then REMOVE ANY LAQUER " FROM COIL CONTACT TIPS " before retesting PROCEEDURES. Good luck.
great tips! thanks friend
Why is this the only damn video I can find on this exact problem for this exact mower
Jeff, great video!
I have this same engine in my mower. It keep flooding on start so I just replaced the carburetor and it still won’t start! Got new plugs and new fuel filter. Any ideas on troubleshooting the next step? Thanks
If it is getting too much gas then the problem is still at the carb or fuel pump or maybe it is not sparking so it is flooding with gas. Also, you MUST start with a cleaned out fuel tank and use only fresh clean gas
Ever have a no hot start condition. Craftsman LT1000 Briggs 17Hp single cylinder. Pops smoke out of carb when starting fluid sprayed. The valve to stop run on had been grind down couple years ago, but if you remove the valve and the bowl empties, it starts. Thank You
Yes. Believe it or not the problem may be a flooding carburetor. This can cause too much gas in cylinder (too rich) for hot/warm starting and can prevent proper combustion.
Thank you for this video. I am replacing the ignition coil, seat safety switch, and interlock switch on the exact same mower. I already knew how to do the seat safety switch and your video shows me how to do the ignition coil. Do you know anything about the interlock switch?
Thanks much for the excellent video; love how you demonstrate the logical troubleshooting process. But, I came here to learn about replacing the coil, because I'm experiencing a different issue upon which I'm hoping you can shed some light: I have a 1986 Simplicity tractor w/ 42" mower deck; I "bought" it along with the 100-year-old house we purchased last year. I have done a nearly complete overhaul of the engine: I've cleaned the carb; replaced the sparkplugs; rebuilt the starter motor; cleaned out the fuel tank (minor debris); replaced the air filter; and I've done all the normal maintenance like greasing/oiling gears/levers and such (which the previous owner didn't seem to do at all).
I want to replace the coil as a last-ditch solution to my problem, which is overheating: if I run the engine for a while and have to stop mowing to fill up the tank or use the boys' room or whatever, the engine will not catch until it has been allowed to cool for about an hour. I have already brushed off/degreased/wiped down/rinsed both cylinder covers/fins to allow for better cooling, but the problem remains. From what I know about engines (which admittedly isn't all that much), I assume the overheating is stopping the coil from firing OR it's expanding the cylinder casings and preventing proper compression.
Do you think it's worth it to spend the $40 on a new coil (replacing what is probably the original coil, from what I can tell) to see if it fixes the overheating issue? In my mind, I'd rather spend $40 for even a slight improvement rather than a few grand on a whole new tractor/mower.
Any input you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I think the problem possibly could be in the carburetor, not from overheating. When a carburetor needs rebuilding/ float valve it often starts flooding. Which makes a too rich mixture to restart the engine when warm. After the engine cools , a cold engine needs a bit more fuel at start up so it starts for you. That would be my guess. There are rumors about coils failing when they warm up. I have never encountered this in 20+ years
Ah, that makes sense...so I followed yer advice and attempted to rebuild the carb instead of just spraying it out as I did a month or so ago...and I can't get the governor off. I checked the exploded parts diagram and there's nothing that should be holding that thing on, as I've removed all four bolts that hold it in place. But it's stuck. I even put a wood block against it and gave a few decent whacks. Didn't budge an inch. Is it possible the governor fused to the bottom half of the carb? The previous owner did not maintain this thing very well, just to reiterate...could the lack of maintenance caused so much heat that the top & bottom fused together??
If your ignition coil and the corresponding diode check out fine (not leaking current in both directions), and all the wire connections are tight, then it may be a more severe issue. Running hot tends to distend the metal of the valves and valve guides. Being as old as your machine is, if a valve adjustment doesn't work, you may need a valve job to re-seat them properly with new guides. However, for now, if you want a quick solution to your hot-running problem, ensure all connections are tight, and run a heavier oil, such as straight 40 to help the engine parts seal better.
So...it turns out the two parts of the carb *are* in fact fused together. After taking out all four mounting bolts and not being able to remove the top half (the governor part), I was like, screw it and I just put the engine back together and cut my lawn........WITHOUT putting the four carburetor bolts back in. And it ran like a champ. Then I called Briggs & Stratton and they said yes, if the engine hasn't been maintained and has been allowed to constantly overheat season after season, the two pieces could definitely fuse together. They also agreed with you and said if that has happened, then the valves need to machined and re-sat in the cylinder. They did say I might be able to get away with replacing the carburetor as well as the coil, as that could help the hot non-start issue a little bit, but if the valves are outta shape, that's that, for the most part. As I knew. They basically told me replacing those two other parts won't stop it overheating but might help it start a little sooner during cooldown.
Thanks again for the help, mate. Much appreesh!
dielectric grease is so great for mowers and boat motors and those coils are bad to go kinda just like that.had one that started great then ran till hot and if you turned it off,it wouldnt start till cooled off,then same old thing.it was coil.and those replacement coils that are cheap are just that,very cheap made.good job
I had a similar problem with a John Deere L120 Briggs&Stratton V-Twin -- Left cylinder was super hot, right just warm. Verified it with an IR Temperature Gun, aka Thermometer. Took a carburetor rebuild and 2 ignition coils and now it purrs.
NICE! good job!
Phone or Camera 📷 looks great sounds great!
I use an 8 year old Sony Handycam 1080 HD. I love it!
On the engine pictured, many years ago a guy kept trying to get me to look at his engine that had no spark. I kept forgetting but not on purpose. I remember on the way home & took a look. New coil ON UPSIDE DOWN. That's all it was, lol!
My red one works fine im working on the twin cylinder black 16 hp briggs engine now test idle done good on it but it needs a fuel pump
In some cases you don’t always have to use a feeler gauge if you got an old plastic credit card or plastic name card stick it in between the tile and the magnet of the fire will let the car go up against it tighten down the screws like The Man said not too tight because you can break them.
Sometimes the magnets come loose inside of the flywheel for the charging system .a lot of good engines went in the junk pile
Jeff great vid. Actually I use a ohm meter with service manual data to confirm. And yes your method is easier. I also have spark plug tester prior to dismantling. Then I confirm again with ohm meter on my work bench. You did a great vid...just adding my 2 cents.
Good tips! Everyone has a different style of doing things and all are correct if it works!
Hmm u sound knowledgeable like my dad use to be! (God rest his soul 2015)!
Keep up the gd work!
My dad at times didn’t think I was paying attention to what he was doing!
Saw him change out those timing pins too!
He was a real handy man/jack of all trades!!
He did electrical, plumbing, carpentry,& mechanical things!
I ended up some of same & became HVAC!
Wrkg on AC’s Heat Pumps, & Roof top/package units etc!
Don’t know it all but was blessed to know enough!
These videos are gd for everyone!
My buddy helps me out a lot too!
He’s a Delta Pilot, ex-air force, & has an engineers degree!!
Lot of tools!
And I agree learning ohm meters etc is gooood!
Hot attics…. Need to quickly diagnose a problem…. & resolve or reschedule at a cooler time to repair!
so what are the readings supposed to be.i don't have a shop Manuel and been looking high and low but nobody is actually showing how to test this particular cool with a multimeter
@@johnmitchell2741
What mower and engine do you have? I actually downloaded my info off internet thru gravely
Do you have the ohm specs for this coil?
You know how my dad taught me to check for a spark?. He got me to stick my finger in the plug wire as he pulled the starter cable. Lol
A lesson learned the hard way is a lesson learned well LOL
That's the way a lot of kids learn to hate their parents.
If you end up hating your parents over something as little as that, then you probably have problems getting agitated too easily.
Ouch high voltage but with very little current.
Well it worked😂 I have the same mower and the left head wasn’t working. Pulled the coil away from it a bit and she fired up 🎉
I was always taught to wire brush the ends of the coil that was close to magnet and brush clean the magnet for better spark.
Yup that's the right way to do it
always a good idea
filthy coil legs and plug lead ends ?????
I got an old twin Briggs that has been sitting for several years. I am guessing it will need some carb. work and perhaps a new coil. Thanks for showing the coil, now I have an idea as what to expect. Just wondering as to why you did not clean the coil? I have not worked on a twin before but have worked on many single cylinder engines. About half the time if I clean the coil , that is if that is the problem, it will run.
that is a good idea and definitely worth a try!
You can also use a ohm meter and check the coil
Cleaning the rust off the flywheel and ends of the coil would be helpful also! Using a business card to gap both sides of coil at the same time would work! Seems like you do as little as possible to get things running!
For all that time and trouble you should put on a new coil ,just saying.
Noticed that too
Rust has absolutely zero effect on the magnetic field necessary to power the coil.
What is the POLARITY of each cable to the 2 cylinder engine spark plugs? How does the Magnetron work for both cylinders? One or two magnets on flywheel?
good question! I think the flywheel only has one magnet but I really never have looked
LOL. I got a mower EXACTLY like yours - except for that pretty engine you got in that beast
My goodness! That man has a boneyard. Saves a fortune in trips to the hardware store.
Lolo
Anytime on a flathead engine you hear a slight tick in the valve clearance it's between the end of the valve stem and the lifter on a flathead engine that is right at the bottom of the valve spring. on a flathead engine if you hear the valves slightly ticking that's a good thing because it's better that they open and close then valves that are too tight or don't close at all, that can happen. those that are too tight you will lose compression because that valve would never close if it's too tight. valves that are too loose you will not lose any compression that will make any difference it would have to be a pretty damn loose valve to do that
This video helped me confirm I have the same engine with the same issue. Thank you for the help 👍🔧🛠️🧰👨🔧
I have the same engine on mine but mine is the 18hp. Mine runs on both cylinders but has an intermittent miss on the rh cylinder if your looking at it from the front of the engine. Other than that it runs smoothly
Opposed twin?
Good video and a wealth of info in the comments section also. Thanks all.
Great video Mr. Jeff 🙌❤💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Did you move the spark plug wire off the cylinder head?
Do you have a video for this particular mower with flywheel key replacement..? I have the 19hp other than that everything is same..
If that engine has a fuel pump. I have seen those fuel pumps pump gas into the crankcase and fill the muffler up with gas and smoke like that. I've seen several gasoline golf carts do it it didn't run the engine but it didn't help it any be sure and see you don't have diluted oil but I do agree that engine running on one cylinder also did that too made me think about that..
I don't think mine has a gas pump unless it was blown out
When I got my free mower it had about 3 in gas in the tank and the gas was just sitting in the middle of the line the carburetor wasn't sucking it
Cause on those the tank sits lower than the carburetor.
I think you was thinking about the Kohler command engines because they're fuel pump can leak gas into the engine i made all my mower gas tanks gravity fed
I work on small engines, I would not install a used part on a customer's machine. If for no other reason than I would not want an unhappy customer coming back when that part failed prematurely.
Yes I give them the choice of new or used parts
I have one of those I just got it running after 4 years of sitting in the barn problem is that o em coil is not just a coil it has electronics in it that replace breaker points I believe the OEM electronics there is glitchy I bought a new ignition coil module it did not solve my problems I bought a regular magneto that is intended to work with points even though my engine never had points I also bought one of those little modules BM-11 and reduced my spark plug gap to .014 the tractor now runs pretty good. It is quite easy to flood these things though so you want to set your throttle about 3/4 on begin to crank then pull the choke closed and back off right away keep doing that until it starts I believe the timing on these is ..020 before top dead center I next intend to find top dead center Mark the flywheel and use an old fashioned timing light to see where it's at.
What would cause one of these engines to hard start or hard to crank? It backlashes sometimes upon startup and its going through a lot of starter gears. It's the exact same engine and mower in this video.
I had the same problem with the starter but I just switched to pull starting it
It's the decompression valve on the camshaft. Mine does the same thing. Confirm it by covering the air intake with your hand while cranking and see it it starts easier. There's vids on it
Check for partially sheared flywheel key. The old flathead briggs including opposed twin did not use mechanical spring and finger compression release . Compression is reduced during starting, by a slightly raised bump at the edge of one of the cam lobes . This was patented by briggs . Was called easy spin starting. Was very reliable unlike the junk they all build today. The opposed twin is a great engine .
@@randallcarney1216 Man you guys know your small engines! Well I fixed the problem. Turns out the original starter was weak so I was able to get a donor mower with the same year engine (1998) and pulled the starter off of it. It had been replaced with a slightly longer starter. Put it on and it starts great now. Still runs like a top. Smokes a little upon startup but it isn't using any oil. These were great motors
Great video Jeff. But I need to know Where the Coil wires go and how to get them there?
only one wire goes to the coil, the ground/kill wire.
I have two plug wires coming from the coil I wanted to know where they went. I now know from someone else's video that they go underneath the metal plate that's underneath the flywheel. Thank you
tip use 2 feeler gauges for a better adjustment
I use a business card. Perfect every time.
Dang man you are a genius.
I noticed he did not use a ohms meterto check coil
Great job as always.... Thinking of starting a home-based small engine repair shop. You have been a real encouragement thanks 4 all u do!!!
you prolly dont care at all but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an instagram account?
I was dumb forgot my login password. I would love any help you can give me!
@Jasiah Maverick instablaster ;)
@Beckett Xander Thanks for your reply. I got to the site on google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now.
Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Beckett Xander It did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thanks so much, you really help me out :D
@Jasiah Maverick no problem =)
Jeff , a good job & good video , thanks for posting. 😎
Just my 2 cents worth... My business cards just happen to be within tolerance for coil gap on my mowers. And I can set both sides of the coil at the same time. Not a big thing... just saves me a little time. Nice video... wish I had some donor motors around... but the wife pitches a fit. LOL.
good tip! thanks for watching
Good job jeff, very good.
Jeff, you have saved my wallet!!! (I think...) if my tractor starts, I thank you!
I also clean up the magneto and coil to help get good spark
Good tip!
When I ordered my new coil because I'm not a mechanic I'm don't know what to do with the straight wire that comes out of it how do you make that a spark plug wire? ( I just wired it to the old one electrician tape)
I use a paper business card across both poles to set the air gap. ,012 most of them.
I also do that, always have.
I ordered a new ignition coil and I don't have a gapper. But will a business card works for that .012 gap? I got a Briggs Twin engine but it's a 14.5hp but it don't have a place to install a oil filter. My tractor was also getting no power from neither spark plugs after I brought a starter coil and installed it earlier this week. The motor was spinning and turning over but won't start. So I hope the new ignition coil will work. So I don't have to keep using my push lawn mower to cut grass.
Business cards can vary in thickness. Some folks use them to gap.
@@JeffsLittleEngineService I just got my ignition coil today and use use that business card between the magneto and the coil and the starts right up. Thanks for the video.
Great instructional video. I learned a lot from it. I am trying to trouble shoot an old Poulan/ Weedeater riding mower with a Briggs & Stratton 18.5 Twin II. It was running rough and would not restart after getting hot. I dumped the fuel and replaced it with new and fuel filter, Put in new plugs and it fired up but shut off and will not restart. I pulled the coil, cleaned it and cleaned the flywheel but that did not resolve the issue. I wanted to replace the coil but can not find the engine number anywhere on the motor to get the correct coil. PLEASE HELP.
Hope u finally got it running (your riding mower)….
In his video he took a coil off of an 18.5 HP Briggs & Strat…. & placed on a ?!19.5 HP?
Some parts are prob universal.
2 plug wire coil. May be hit the junk yard or match the engine type up if u can’t get model serial of the Lawnmower.
Thanks bro. Definitely what’s going on with mine. Same exact machine too
Thank you for the help.
I had a 9.9 evinrude that suddenly dropped to one cylinder, but it still ran just no speed at all,.. I decided to pull the plug wires and crank to see which one was not firing,.. found it was the top cal', so I left the coil wire off of that cylinder. but it was trained and still was real close to the end of the plug but not touching,.. I started it and started back to the boat ramp and it ran like a racing motor! I look back wondering and could see the arc jumping across to the plug and it ran beautifully,.. so I put the wire back on and it went back to one cylinder. so I took it back off and it went to running good again so I left it off until later,
Got a good laugh when you changed the coil and then pulled the original bad side off and it died, guess the scrap coil was bad on the opposite side as well.
Yep that's what I say.
The bad coil is on right and the almost bad coil is on the left. Use a volt meter on 20k and check resistance and really see what's going on. Some times you find yourself doing this job twice and customers giving you a headache. I think the coil you replaced is bad, why did it shut off in the end it should run on one cylinder regardless of what side is removed. I think other cylinder has no spark now.
Use a spark tester to test coil output at operating temperature a bad coil can still show good resistance when it is cold this is due to resistance increasing as the temperature of the windings increase when the coil is under load
@@deerhunter8533 so true, On walk behinds with one coil .if customers says it run for 5 to ten minutes then stopped and he waited , engine still warm then engine only run for a minute almost always bad coil.l
What were the original symptoms? Why would you tear into it to begin with?
it was running weak
I'd fix those mowers and sell the best ones. People need mowers.
Those engine's cylinder head bolts would loosen up over time & they'll run hot with those cylinder head covers off. They were also bad about carboning up & popping valve seats.
No I believe mine will do better with those covers off they just help hold dirt and only protect the fins so they don't get broken off
If anything with the covers off it'll get more air to it to help cool it off better
Like how the transaxle fan doesn't really do anything for the transaxle transmission its just spins around with the pulley doing nothing
I wish mine turned over as good as yours, always been hard to crank and burned up solenoids because of it
Starter dragging or a corroded place in a feed wire maybe?
Adjust valves 👍
How do I adjust the valves on these?
no name not sure my brother in law did mine in 15 minutes. You can goggle it.
no name. You can turn the crank by hand TILL compression is easy and use starter and it crank easy.
It never seems "right" to me that, on the next trip to a car parts store, folks just don't just buy an inexpensive in-line spark plug tester that lasts a lifetime. Trying to balance the spark plug somewhere near exposed metal seems to be totally haphazard and random. Probably just me - right?
Also - consider using a paper business card as an air gap setting gauge for both gaps - simultaneously. Let the magnets pull both the coil sides into the proper gap and just tighten both bolts. Works quite well for me.
So true, I have an ignition tester that I hold next to wire and it shows a blue flash when coil sparks and I have always used a business card as you said for air gap.
I think I went about 10 years before finally buying a spark tester. Kicking myself for waiting so long. Another tool you'll wish you had years earlier is a good quality multimeter.
Explain why it has a diode in wire harness connected to coils
That would probably help a lot of people fix there equipment
seems funny the engine quit running when you pulled the wire off the spark plug after replacing the coil. I don't think the coil was as good as you think. the engine should have run on one cylinder as it did before. you better check the other cylinder now!!!
Your not completely right. I realize I may be brushing your feathers the wrong way by saying so.
But when you consider that the no longer dead cyl. is pulling it's balance of fuel. That technically the mismatched power killed the engine.
The governed engine speed being lower and all.
i was going to state that same tyhing glad i read yours i see you didnt get a response , i would like to know what the deal with that was
Just buy a new coil. Clearly the coil he replaced in this video was bad. Ebay is your friend 15.00 delivered anywhere in the U.S.
I had 1 cylinder/plug with spark and one not, so replaced the dead one, new one had great spark and old one not as (bright). Put it all back together and now it's doing the same thing ( lack of running power) so should I replace older coil that had a weaker spark?
@@censoredonlineonly5571 thanks, replaced both and then found a bad ground
An aluminum ground is fine the plug grounds normally on the aluminum head.
Wow what are you going Dow with all the lawn mowers??
fix, sell ,steal parts, scrap
i hope you still read comments on your video. I have 18hp BS opposite twin engin with only one cylinder running. My issue is : I have compression and spark. Still right cylinder is not fireing. Any suggestions ?
I would take off the head and examine proper up and down movement of each valve. If a cam lobe is worn the valve will not open enough causing compression issues
Where oh where can I find the coil I need? I’ve looked up my model number everywhere but can’t seem to find an exact match.
I think most of the coils are the same for this engine type. Left or right is the only difference
great video so let me ask you the one i have is not pulling gas anymore so it cranks but does not start. do those lawmowers have fuel pumps or how the gas supposed to flow to the engine? i cant figure out mine. may 2018.
raleigh latin at the front of carb, usually a flat piece about 2 x 3" this is the fuel pump. Should be a vacuum line 1/4" , 3/8 ? Be sure the vacuum line is connected not rotted not cracked. Under the 2 x 3 metal cover you will find the rubber diaphragm for pump. Its ok if its a little distorted, (mine is, runs good) but it cannot have any rips, tears or cracks
Keith is right but the line from the tank to the engine needs to be the old Briggs type rubber line. If you have a filter it'll come from there and go through the blower housing to the carb. Mine had a slick nylon-like line and when it got hot it'd expand and suck air and quit. Replaced the line and runs fine now. AND you can get kits to rebuild the pump but it's better to just pull the carb off and lay it flat to do so. Little springs and such in the kit and they are a royal pain to put in sideways. Just be careful taking the lines off the pump. The nipples will break off and you'll be on Ebay getting new pump bodies.
@@lewiemcneely9143 So true, It is VERY difficult to put kit in pump still on engine on that model. Also make sure how many screws hold cover on. Some are 3 screw and some are 4 screw.. Get kit from Ebay far cheaper
@@bobsedor RIGHT! I broke thr nipple off mine and got 2 blocks just to be sure. And with those small springs it's best to have it right in front of you with good lighting! I really like mine. Keep the oil changed and good gasoline and off we go! Blessings, Robert!
I used to see coils get gaped using a dollar bill folded in half
John. Exactly...you can use a playing card or small appointment card. Its almost perfect plus it bends around magnet and you can tighten both coils at same time.
Nice video thank you.... Great taste in music btw :-)
My lawn tractor dies after 15 minutes. It starts to run weak and then quits. It starts up good again when it cools down. It has a new fuel filter and the fuel hoses are not plugged. The air filter is clean. Does it sound like the coil is faulty?
Is that an old flathead engine? If so, how old is it?
my wire came out from the coil, not the spark plug side , can i remove pull rope / cover to get to the coil and just push it back in ??
I had a coil go bad in a snapper engine and the coil that certain engine is very expensive so it still don’t run
bummer I hate rare expensive parts
Well shit thats the red one im looking for the black 16 hp briggs its just like the 19.5 but a bit smaller i thinks its gonna need a new coil not sure if the parts off those red ones will fit the black engine because the engine is smaller than the red engine i know the carburetor can swap from one to the other but not sure if the coils are the same
I'll find it or try stuff without looking it up first the screw mounting holes maybe different since the engine size is different
all i can say is, take some pride in your work. clean your parts man. i would be ashamed to hand that back to the owner. i am asamed i watched this video now.
lol! I charge extra to make it pretty.
Yeah. Ridiculous comment. He details the mowers for free???
are all these Briggs and Stratton InTek and Vanguard magnetos the same ?
I don't know
For this engine, it seems like I have a high compression issue. Is there a way to fix this?
Good Job!
Is this the same procedure for the 22hp Briggs?
yes pretty much
Why didn't you clean the coil and fly wheel with wire wheel to get rust off ???
I should have I suppose, but it worked without doing that
Nither one of coils would not FIRE I sand the fly wheel and coils fired right up.it was from sitting up.
Yeah, a mower coil should never wear out, just rusted, that's all.
Apparently he's not concerned about rust, lol
Noticed that also
@@ronduck2812 Yep, me too!
Quite impressed when the donor (salvage) motor cover was bent up, instead of removing that last bolt.
Is that an ltv 10 in the background?
yes! good eye. I am releasing a video friday that shows it running